Comedy of Ghosts
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Comedy of
Ghosts
Chapter-1
People say ghosts usually occupy dark, congested, unclean, and isolated areas. We sometimes hear that ghosts were seen
in the night, but never in broad daylight. The areas around the graveyard,
unoccupied houses, basements, and isolated roads, in remote areas are the most
suitable places, which are generally preferred by them.
I remember an interesting incident in the village of Phulbari, where I was posted about 50 years back as an assistant engineer for the survey,
investigation, and preparation of an irrigation project. I was allotted a room
in the Inspection Bungalow in a big compound.
This building was located on the bank of a significant river
Jinjiram, and the view of the river flowing in the front was breathtaking. On
the rear side, there was a highway.
The scenic beauty of the river and greeneries was breathtaking in the daytime. However night time, the local people were scared to
walk on this road, particularly at the wooden bridge, due to the superstition that the bridge was haunted.
It was said
that many years ago, a young child fell down from this wooden bridge and died, and
since that time, people have heard a child's cries from beneath the
bridge.
Rohan Das and Sunil Saha were two local people from the village who had befriended me. Rohan would come to me and talk about
various activities in the area. He was a young boy, 20 years old, and I used to like
his company. He would often catch fish and bring it to me, which my cook used
to prepare, and we enjoyed it. Foods were very cheap during those days. For example,
1 K.G. of fish would cost one rupee only, and chicken would be three rupees for a
K.G. So in the absence of a television or cinema hall, the only entertainment was
listening to music on my battery-operated record player, drinking, and eating.
Rohan was very helpful and would do marketing for a good company and me. Mr. Sunil Saha worked in the forest department and
regularly visited me. He was also good company and close to me. Life
was going on smoothly and happily.
One evening there was a party at my place to which Rohan and Sunil were invited. Rohan came in time. However, Sunil still needs to arrive. Those days we did not have mobile phones, so I could not contact Sunil.
Rohan opened the Golden Eagle whisky and poured in two
glasses. We started, still talking about Sunil. Rohan said that Sunil had gone out
on an official tour and he might be
coming late.
We had already taken three large pegs by 9.00 P.M., but
there was no sign of Sunil joining us, so I told the cook to serve the dinner.
It was warm in my room, but outside it was freezing in December. Rohan put on his overcoat, a monkey cap, and woolen gloves
and was ready to go home.
His house was about 1.50 K.M. from my place. “Good night, sir,” he wished and left.
I changed my dress to a night suit and was about to
sleep when there was a knock on my door.
“Sir, open. Open quickly,” Rohan was knocking and shouting.
I was surprised to see him returning,
“What happened, Rohan? Why are you back?” I asked him
and opened the door.
“Ghost… there was a ghost on the timber bridge,” he
said, panting.
I called him in and asked him to sit and calm down.
“Are you ok now?” I asked.
“Yes, sir. I am better now,” he said.
“Please tell me in detail what happened?” I asked.
I saw that he was still terrified and pale. I
offered him a glass of water and waited.
“There was a ghost,” he said, trembling.
“Please don’t be scared, Rohan. Tell me what happened?”
I spoke.
“Sir, when I left you, it was quite dark and windy
outside. As soon as I climbed the wooden bridge, I heard the crying of a child,”
he said, shivering.
I poured brandy into a glass and asked him to take it.
Seeing his condition, I was also a little scared.
“So, you heard a baby crying, and then?” I wanted to
hear from him.
“As soon as the child cried, the ghost in a black robe came charging into me,” he said.
Chapter-2
“How do you know he was a ghost?”
“Sir, he was like a black shadow flying above the ground;
only his red eyes were visible to me,” he continued.
“The ghost hit me hard with a whip,” he said.
“I panicked and started running on the highway, and
the ghost was chasing me,” Rohan continued.
“Ohh! What did you do then?” I asked.
“I prayed to God, only he could save me, I thought; and
then in a swift move, I took out my leather belt with riveted steel buttons on
it, and with full force hit the ghost many times,” he said.
“Then,” I wanted him to continue.
“The ghost suddenly vanished. I looked around, but he
was not there,” he replied.
“Then what did you do?”
“Sir, my house was still far, so I decided to come
here,” he concluded.
I had heard about this ghost on the wooden bridge many
times and never believed that. I always thought it to be a rumor and did
not believe in this superstition. This was the first time that I was forced to think
about it seriously.
That night Rohan was so scared that I told him to stay
with me.
Rohan woke up in the morning and went home.
Sunil Saha had not come to my place for the last three
days, which was unusual for him, so I thought of visiting him coming Sunday.
I went to his house with Rohan. Sunil’s wife opened
the door and asked us to sit in their drawing room. She brought some home-cooked
sweets and tea. She sat with us and started chatting.
“Will you take some more sweets,” she asked.
It seemed that she did not want us to meet him. But why? What may be the reason?
Without asking for her permission, we forced ourselves
into their bedroom and found Sunil lying on the bed, badly bruised and injured.
We were shocked to see his condition and removed his blanket.
Oh God, what are those marks on his body!
“What has happened to you, Sunil?” We asked him.
“Why did you not come that day for the dinner party?”
I asked.
“Sir, that day, I had returned late from my tour, and still, I thought of coming to you,” he replied.
“You should have come; our dinner was completed by 9.30
P.M.,” I informed him.
“I was coming to your place, but suddenly I
encountered the ghost on the timber bridge,” Sunil said with a shiver.
“Ghost? How did the ghost look like?” I queried him.
“The ghost was covered in a dark black robe,” he replied.
“Then what did you do?” I asked.
“I took out my belt and whipped him, but he too
whipped me several times, very hard,” he said.
I realized what had happened and could not stop laughing. Rohan
was also bursting with laughter.
Sunil was astonished to see us laughing.
“Why are you both laughing at me?” he shouted.
“Get well soon, Sunil, and come to my place on Saturday. I will catch the ghost and bring the culprit to you.” Rohan and I came out laughing.
Disclaimer: This story or any other story posted on this Blog/Web site is entirely a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents portrayed in these are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to the actual person/persons, living or dead, events localities is entirely coincidental.
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