It was rather a very gruelling
and a long day at office. I had completed almost three-fourth of my project
module probably with a few more corrections required and still left behind with
one-fourth of my assignment. But my mind had reached its threshold limit for
that day and I could neither think further nor had the endurance to complete my
task. I looked at the clock on my system. It was 8.30 p.m. I shut my system
down, packed my laptop and decided to leave for the day. As I reached the exit
door my manager noticed me leaving and beckoned me inside his cabin.
“Ashwin have you
finished the module? The clients were asking about the progress and I need to
submit the project status report tonight.”
“I am almost there at
the finishing stage Harish but I am too tired today and need one more day to
complete the task. I am planning to login into office early tomorrow and I
promise you that it will be done.”
“OK. No issues. Update
me once it is over tomorrow.”
Harish was the coolest
manager I have ever had. As he gave me that reassuring nod I left the office
bay, took the elevator down towards the parking lot at the basement of my
office campus. I started my car and decided to pace home as fast as I could. I
could hear those growling noises from deep within my intestines. I was
famished. But luck did not favour me and my fate wanted to play its own game.
It was pouring heavily outside and there was minimal visibility on the roads. Adding to my fury there was some mayhem on the
main road, the 13th Park Avenue road that I normally take home and
the traffic was stranded leaving little to no room for any movement. I was
determined to fight against this ruthless game of my destiny and decided to
drive without stalling.
I took a major
deviation from the main road and decided to take an alternative route which was
a longer route to my house but one of the silent roads I have ever seen far
away from all the hustle and bustle of the traffic. This road is so deserted
that I seldom notice any homo sapiens walking around.
The rain was slowing
down as I drove into the dark and gloomy road. A bunch of dogs were barking and
wailing loudly adding to the eeriness. From far I noticed a little girl sitting
at the corner of the road. I was appalled and baffled to see this young girl at
a lonely place like this. As my car was nearing her I could hear her sobbing
heavily. Although I was in a hurry to reach home probably some humanity in me
prohibited me to drive further. I took a deep breath and stopped the car and
decided to check on this little girl. I parked the car nearby and walked up
towards her. She had buried her face on her knees and covered it with her
little palms.
“Hello dear! Who are
you? What are you doing here in this dark? “I questioned her dubiously.
She heard my voice and
lifted her face and looked at me. She must have been somewhere between seven or
eight years old. Her eyes were puffy and face appeared frightened, extremely
pale and sullen. She stared deep into my eyes as though pleading at me
helplessly shaking my emotions.
“Uh... Is there some
problem? Do you want any help”? I asked her courteously.
“I lost my way back
home. I don’t know how to reach my place from here. Could you please drop me at
my house uncle? Please?” as she requested me nervously in a sore and an
agonizing tone I could not hesitate and apparently wanted to help her. I looked
at my watch. It was half past 9 p.m.
“Uh...Ahem...Sure...Do
you know your address or some details about your residence?” I asked.
As she nodded I lent my hand to her and lifted
her up. Her palms were freezing cold and I felt this unexplained queasiness
within me the moment her hands touched mine.
She gave me her address.
Her house was in the opposite direction as that of mine. I could not leave this
girl in this isolated place in the darkness. I helped her get inside my car and
drove to her home.
“What is your name?” I
asked.
After a brief moment of
reluctance she responded, “Mira”.
That was a very
beautiful name that I have ever heard. Quite inquisitively I asked her a couple
of questions like how she came there and where her parents were but she
refrained answering to any of my questions and remained silent. I realized her
discomfort of traveling with a stranger and thereafter stopped probing her.
Finally she halted my
car and pointed at her house. She got down a little before her place.
“Do you want me to
accompany you to your house?” I asked her politely.
“No uncle. I can walk
from here. Thanks.” She told and flashed a smile at me.
I watched her walk
towards her home from my car. As the door of her house opened she walked
inside. With a sense of gratification I rode back home. That night I was
thinking about little Mira and thanked God that I was able to help this poor
girl who lost her way.
Next day morning I was
gearing up myself for another big day as I had my project submission. I was
wading through the newspaper and gobbling my slice of bread. Suddenly my eyes popped
out when I came across a particular news column.
Family dies as their two- wheeler was hit by a water lorry
A family of three, a father, mother
and their child were killed on the spot in an accident last night in the 13th
Park Avenue main road at around 7.30 p.m. as their bike ran into a fast
speeding water lorry. The lorry driver was arrested immediately and his licence
and vehicle were seized. The deceased have been identified as Albert Varghese,
35 years, school teacher at the St. Bethlaham High School; Sara Varghese, 32
years, homemaker and their 8 years old daughter, Mira Varghese studying in
class II in the same school where her father was working. They were rushed to
the Appolo Hospital in Church Street where they were declared dead at arrival.
The bodies have been restored at the hospital for post-mortem and further
enquiries and will be handed over to their kin in next 2 days.
My heart skipped a beat
and my hands were trembling as I saw the photos of the dead family put across
the newspaper. I quickly gulped a glass of water and read the news again, again
and again. Mira’s face was still fresh in my mind. Her innocent eyes were hounding
my heart. I felt an air of spookiness lurking around me. I could not believe my
eyes. I checked the time of accident again still unconvinced. I met the girl
last night at around 9.30 p.m. which was almost 2 hours after the accident. It
was this incident that probably caused the chaos to the traffic on the road
last night that forced me to take the diversion.
“Did I see a ghost or
something?” as I asked myself I was gaping at the dead child’s photo on the paper.
This was one of the most bizarre encounters that would perhaps haunt me for the
rest of my life.
I was contemplating
hard. Suddenly I turned philosophical left with a profound introspection into
the spiritual world.
“There are always two
things – Good and Bad, Happiness and Sorrow, Truth and Lies, Life and Death. If
there is God then there should be anti-God too which you may call a paranormal,
a ghost or by many other names. Every day hundreds of people die. Some may die
naturally while some have an unnatural demise like suicide, accident, murder
etc. What happens to all these people who meet their end unintended? Not all
the souls reach the heavenly abode. Some still keep wandering around the
earthly hemisphere searching for their unfulfilled dreams.”
I could not focus, my
mind was unsettled, preoccupied with hundreds of unanswered questions. I washed
my hands, drank water again, took my laptop and drove to office. At times I
surpass Mira’s house. The “To-Let” board hanging on the door of her house sends
a chilling and nostalgic vibration through my spine reminding me of that
dreadful night. And I never got the
courage to take that uncanny road ever again!!!
