An Encounter

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 13^th 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 13^th 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!!!