Monday 19 January 2015

     The Unexpected Guest....

Ever had a guest ???? Of course, you'll affirm to the statement but ever a guest as Riya and Ranjit had.....Guest a term so pure , get all of us excited and too increases our responsibility.Afterall in India we believe in "Athithi Devo Bhava" or guest compared no less to God.
        A year before :
Ranjit and Riya like any other couple in love, optimistic and confident set out in their spheres to gain success before they settle down at Dehradhun.The shifting process was quiet hectic but Alas...!!!! All was done.They were happy as they got a beautiful house on the outskirts of greenry and tranquility. Riya left the job in order to take care of her husband even more but eventually started feeling a void inside her heart.

"Ranjit I feel this house is so empty just we & at times it's only me...."
"Ya Riya but I need time so that I can take care with full responsibility for u & our baby".
"Hmmm....I understand".

The weather doesn't seemed to be good and it rained so hard accompanied by someone unexpected. Both glued their eyes on t.v for the latest broadcast and for any warning signals. All of a sudden someone knocks at the door as if so impatient, in  hurry or probably in danger.Ranjit opened the door and saw an old man wet from tip to toe , begging
for something which was hardly audible so he took the man inside - comforted him, give him soup to drink and clothes to wear. He was shivering with cold , within a few seconds just fell asleep and woke up with the conversation b/w Riya & Ranjit. He stood up and was just about to depart when Ranjit insisted him to stay because of the weather that could land the old man in danger.

"But my son am already indebt to you. I ju...jus...just...." His words halted as he saw Riya.
"Oh ..pls uncle stay we'll be happy" pleaded Riya.His eyes shone as if he got something precious as gems.All 3 of them started conversation on place, weather and their lives.

The best part of the Hills is You encounter astounding experiences physically, spiritually and at times something you can't explain logically. Both Riya & Ranjit oblivion of the same decided to keep the old man with them as Riya feels good serving him throughout the day. The old man started narrating tales to Riya in free time and slowly & steadily she absorbs everything that was being narrated to her- fascinations of Hills, Vampires , darkness and Men turning wolf on new moon day. She listened intensely when he narrated then laugh out those stories in her mind, unaware that he's actually gripping her mind and most importantly her sub-conscious mind. One night when Ranjit was out for a day or two as he because of his work. She was cooking in the kitchen when she felt a hand over her shoulder-as soon as she turned there was none. She thought it to be her hallucinations and get down to work again. She & the old man ate their dinner and retire to their rooms. As soon as she laid down, she felt asleep and heard a scratching sound probabaly someone was doing it with his long nails as if to penetrate her. She woke up , drank water and saw everything was usual. She got up & checked the old man's room and as she was returning she sensed again a hand over her right shoulder, she freezed ,petrified and with her heart pounding she turned and "phewww....!!!!" She gave a sigh of relief on seeing the old man.
The next day , not in a good mood because of her last night experience she wanted to avoid the old man story but like an iron get magnetized to it. Today he told her about spirits, their warnings and showed her a cardboard- which was rectangular in shape , had hexagonal drawn over it with a pointed star in between. "If u ever want to contact spirits just take a coin, put your index finger on it and chant 'show up' until you get to know who's standing in front of you. Here keep this", said the old man. They both went up to their rooms to rest thereafter.
This time again she woke up in the middle of the night hearing to that scratch sound but this time accompained by a voice.... She couldn't figure it out but woke up all in sweat, panic and then she heard a laugh - a mad laugh. Recollecting her courage she went to see and she could not believe her eyes- the old man sitting on the floor outside the lawn laughing madly, his eyes all blood red and he was feeding himself on a rabbit's flesh, his entire mouth filled with blood of the animal and what was terrifying was the entire lawn was converted into a graveyard and he amid those Graves. She just ran, ran and ran until she got to her room and bolted the doors-crying & crying she got fainted ,just got up with a sudden knock at the door the next morning with Ranjit voice calling out to her. As soon as she opened the door she hugged him and cried& cried out of fear and blurr state of mind.
"Get that old man out of our house now. He's all evil Ranjit...." Sobbed Riya.
"What..??? I was about to ask u where is he..????" She finally perplexed decided to tell everything to Ranjit. "I want to find that man Ranjit...i don't know but ..." Her words halted but her heart says she wants to solve that mystery.
"Comm'n Riya he's gone. Pls don't think about him, comfort yourself and tomorrow we'll be going to a psychiatrist. Ok...Now get some sleep.Goodnight". And what Ranjit saw Riya to be that night he was worried for her even more. This night again she woke up with that sound but this time she was imitating the old man and altogether unconsciously, feeding upon an animal....
In the morning he pretend that everything's normal though he knew in what state he found Riya, all fainted.
"Let's find the old man Riya" said Ranjit as if he knew her mental state could only be recovered when she get her answers. They went up to the police with a missing complaint and the cop asked them to describe the old man so that his sketch artist could draw him. Week passed but no information came but then one day both were called by the cop. Both of them was shocked to see the computer screen of the cop and yelled " Oh....!!!! Shit...." The computer screen showed the detail of the old man which says he's dead past 20 years. Now the puzzle had tensed both of them.
Then Riya took a decision to call his spirit as she remembered the cardboard he gave to her. "Are you mad Riya. U know how dangerous these things are...???"
"I have no option Ranjit see me... Am getting crazy day by day...i have to do this".
"This could even land you in a problem. No... I ...just can't let you go".
"What if i never recover ....??? Pls understand. Tomorrow stay out at night I'll make it or die that's it" boldly gestured Riya.
The next day night and she was all determined to make it, she followed every ritual before sitting on her black mat, cardboard in front of her and a coin in her hand. She started chanting to call the old man's spirit and when the clock struck 12' she heard the same scratching sound but she continued as she want answers.
All of a sudden other voices calm down and heard the old man voice ....
"Tell me old man who are you..??? Why you choose me or my house. I want to know everything...."asked Riya.
"I am prakash. I lived in Punjab. I did everything for my family, kids and to be worth but see what i got at the end-humiliation, ignorance and a death full of miseries. My children confined me in a store room like any other scrap and i die unfulfilled in an asylum remembering how much useless i was. My mental state deteriorated to the extend i saw myself being buried alive among the graves in a graveyard...".
"But how does all this related to me...???"
"It is .... Because you're my daughter. I did everything but forgot about you & your mother.." Sobbed the old man.
"Oh..!!! You shut up....my father died long back before i was born in an accident down the hill".
"No, Riya I survived that. But just for an entire year lost my memory but when i regained it, i was married to the daughter of the man who saved me and from then i never looked back. Am your defaulter Riya & that of ur mother. Forgive me so that i can rest all in peace....and am here for that only", Shocked Riya fell to the ground and cried hard on her discovery. All these years she thought she had no father but here ....controlling her emotions she said "I don't find any significance in giving you & me pain anymore. You came back just for me showed you never betrayed us..." Soon she said those words and the old man vanished forever & ever. Later on she came to know that she was unconscious for the past 2 days, all to herself and doctors had suspected her to be in coma. But Alas... She got to her senses and even solved the puzzle. She was sad she never had seen her father but was happy she has Ranjit with her to care and share.

Now Riya has recovered from her mental state and it seems she has no more void in her heart as she has a cute baby girl to take care of. Now she welcomes every guest and no more fear the unexpected guest.... *The End*

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