Call from eternity

Something is wrong! Every time I pick up the telephone ……. the voice on the other side tells me an old story in a husky voice. When I ask about her number, the old woman stops speaking a word. I could not remember but could faintly recognize her voice. It seems very close to me, but why, I can’t remember her? Was it, that I visited a place called Jotishpur about more than a decade ago in one of my weekend outings? It was near Rupnarayanpur named by the river Rupnarayan, in between the districts of Howrah and Midnapore. I visited a childhood friend, who invited me to spend some time with him. I stayed there for about a week, on an evening stroll in the surroundings of the house, I unexpectedly went a little far. I was feeling that someone was calling me from within myself, to go there. The other side of the town of Rupnaryanpur is also called Jotishpur and I came there, quite unexpectedly during the evening walk. It’s the month of November coming to an end and during morning and the evening cold is being felt. In this Mo fusil area the cold is felt much more than in Kolkata. While walking, I reached a field and beyond it saw some bushes and trees and a broken house in a very deplorable state. Since, winter is gradually setting in and a small town so both traffic and people are becoming less visible. I hurriedly crossed the field; the boys have already left the place after their game. The place is almost deserted; after crossing the field and negotiating the bushes and trees, reached the basement of this massive palatial building. Almost a destroyed house, I met an old woman there, all of a sudden.

 

            She asked me, “Where you have you been all these years?” but I was unable to recognize her. She again asked, “Why you were so late, in coming here?” She touched my hand and I felt a shiver, running down my spine. Her hands were cold as snow and I gradually lost my consciousness and fell down on the ground. I did not know how long I was lying there? My consciousness came back when my friend Sridhar came calling to rescue me with some of his local friends. I was feeling a pain on the back of my head and saw at a distance that old woman waving me and disappearing among the broken walls. Returning to my friend’s place, after dinner went to sleep. In the very early hours of the morning, a dream almost engulfed me. I saw myself as a zamindar’s youngest son and was looked after by a middle aged maid. I could recognize gradually the face of that maid and found resemblance with that old woman, I met. She took great care of me, since my mother was sick and my father left me at a very young age. I saw everything in my dreams.

            Later, the rest of the week I stayed there visited that haunted house and heard some female voice calling me from a distance but never got the sight of that woman. The voice resembled that woman. I heard from the local people and my friend that this was a Zamindar’s palace. They were said to be related to the Chand Saudagar’s family of ancient Bengal and they practiced the ritual of not worshipping, the snake goddess Manasha. So they were cursed and any one member of the family would be bitten by snake bite. It was my father’s turn and he was bitten by a king cobra while inspecting the renovation work of a lake in our village. He died within a few minutes in spite of providing the best of health care of that time. I remember all the events in my dream and they come one by one. I also see that old woman calling by my name,”khoka”, long ago called by my mother who is too old to remember those things. When I asked my mother after returning from my friend’s place. She seemed mesmerized and reclused herself into deep thinking. 

Later at the dining table at night, she asked me about the description of the old woman in her standard weak and feeble voice. She said that long ago about two hundred and fifty years ago, these events took place, but how I am related to it is quite impossible to her to understand?  It seemed that I was related to that place from my previous birth. My mother also recalled the same thing and said that old woman is present at that place as a spirit and has no physical presence. This left me totally dumb-struck, even on reaching and in my sleep, I saw that woman. The last and the most awkward thing happening for the last month or so is getting phone calls and the voice on the opposite side is of that woman. I am getting increasingly helpless and feeling psychologically weak. I am feeling that woman is trying to hypnotize me and eventually kill me. But my wife and my mother is assuring me that, since she loved me so she will not harm me but is trying to influence me to unearth some mystery. So one day, taking a few days’ leave from my writing job, me, my wife and my friend along with a local priest went there. We dig out the place where the old woman disappeared and found an ancient skeleton in a very deplorable condition at about two feet below. We cremated it and performed the holy rituals and left the place. That very night, in my dreams she came and blessed and congratulated me for this noble deed and she also said that I did the true job of a son, tears flowed down my cheeks and I went up.

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A hectic day that was!

It was a beautiful morning with the sun shining and birds chirping their way around. Flowers looked as if they were dancing to life. It felt like a new different world outside Aniruddh's window.

For the last one week Aniruddh had worked really hard to get together his holiday homework report. He was really proud of the result and was ecstatic about submitting his report to his teacher. Today was his last day off and he had decided to relax and enjoy the day.

With a smile on his face he rose and went to his table. His heart almost missed a beat when he reached his table. His report was missing. Aniruddh was shocked! He had worked for one whole week on that report. Now when he was just one day far from submitting it, it had gone missing. He looked around his room. It was a mess and there was no way he could find his report. Feeling helpless, Aniruddh started crying.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Aniruddh looked up as his sister walked in. When Aniruddh told her, his reason for crying, his sister told him to start cleaning his room rather than sitting and crying. Realising that she had a point Aniruddh got up and started cleaning his room. He arranged everything and put everything back at it's original place. As he picked his pillow to put it back properly, he shouted with joy. His report was lying there. While leafing through the pages of the report, he found out that he had just one part of the report, rest of it was still missing.

He was really worried and ran to his sister's room. It was then that she told Aniruddh that she had deliberately hidden his report at different places in the house. If he really wanted the report, he would have to find it by himself. Aniruddh was annoyed! As he was walking out of the room, he heard his sister say,"Probably you should look in the garden". Aniruddh ran towards the garden.

There was an overgrowth of weed all over the garden. Aniruddh knew that if he wanted the report he will have to clear it. He started cutting the overgrowth. It took him hours to complete the entire garden. Aniruddh was working on the last patch when he saw a brown envelope. He was relieved when he saw the envelope had sheets from his report.

"Oh Aniruddh, so you finally did clear the garden!" Aniruddh turned as he heard his mother say " It would be really nice if you could water it as well". He thought when he had already done so much work, why not do what his mother was saying as well. And so he watered the garden too.

Exhausted Aniruddh went back to his room and opened the envelope. He felt like shouting at the top of his voice when he realised that still a part of the report was missing. He once again went to his sister's room. She told him that she has done all this to teach him a lesson. For the last one week he had completely ignored what everybody else said. Aniruddh realised that she was correct. His mother has been continuously asking him to help her with some household chores, but he never gave it another thought. Noe Aniruddh sat back and thought about what else his mother had asked him to do.

He ran towards the attic as realisation hit him. There were loads of heavy boxes in the attic, all covered with dust. There was not even enough space to move around. With great difficulty, Aniruddh started lifting those boxes and arranged them neatly. As he removed the last box, he saw the report. The first thing he did was to check if it was a complete part or still some pages were missing. But he need not have worried since that was the complete last part of the report. By the time Aniruddh got back to his room he was tired and sweating. He compiled his report and safely kept it in his bag. Aniruddh then thought if he would have done all this when asked to do, then he would not be so exhausted today.

Worn out from the entire day's work Aniruddh rested his head on the pillow as sleep took over. It had been a hectic day for him, but a new morning awaited him.

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REVENGE

 Smitha threw the bag on the floor and hugging me tight she burst into tears. It was raining outside and amidst thunder, Smitha ran with her life. She reached my house and she was grasping for breath. Her face was covered with fear, eye’s almost coming out. She could just run away from her burning house with her schoolbag. The Maoists have warned her father previously, to leave the driver’s job in the collector’s office. But, her father has no choice, how he would support the family if he leaves the job? They were not against the Maoist ideology of improving the lives of poor villagers. But they were totally against killing innocent people and destruction of public infrastructure.

            It was almost five years ago Smitha’s father, Sukhdev was driving the old Willy jeep with the junior officer accompanying him. It was the semi-forested, hilly terrain of Chattisgarh, Sukhdev knew the road and the terrain from a young age. Just before the turning of the Redman’s point, he noticed some tree trunks blocking the road. But before he could make out the source of the problem, he was stopped by four masked and armed persons. He and his accompanying co-passenger were hand cuffed and their eyes were blindfolded. They left the jeep and started walking; Sukhdev realized that they were walking towards the forest. After nearly 15 to 20 minutes of walk they stopped and their blindfold was opened up and Sukhdev and his companion, officer found themselves in a cave. They saw themselves surrounded by three armed and camouflaged men. After some time the fourth one returned with another one, who seemed to be their leader. They were calling him, ‘Comrade’; he ordered them to remove their cover of the mouth. Sukhdev asked why they were taken hostage. The comrade with a slight smile on his face, warned him to leave the job and join them. 

            They were released, that day but were warned not to work against the Maoist ideology. Some days later the junior officer applied for a transfer. But Sukhdev was unable to find an alternative because, where he will go leaving his family and home? His daughter about ten years old is studying in class V and his son is only four years old. His wife is also not well these days; Sukhdev is passing through very difficult times. Then, he also has to take care of his old and feeble, mother. Where he will go? He could not see any alternative, and was always living in a sense of fear. Some days before, he received a warning letter from a local comrade; they started unnecessarily harassing him and his family, specially his daughter. Smitha is abused for nothing by his teachers and classmates. I met Smitha on a wet rainy day, while I was returning from my school. For the last nine months, I am living in Chattisgarh near Dantewara and working as a primary school teacher. 

            I came in close with Smitha’s family, when her father was threatened with dire consequences in the middle of the local market. I was present there at that point and tried my best to protect Sukhdev. Later, I learnt that Smitha is his daughter. They are a poor and peace loving simple family, the Maoists are after them because of Sukhdev’s job as a driver in local collectorate. But Sukhdev could hardly afford to leave the job amidst unsecured circumstances. He would often come to me and seek some type of mental consolation, but I could hardly provide any concrete help except verbal sympathy. I cared for Smitha and looked her as my daughter; she would also call me “Mastarji” and seek help in learning her lessons. Gradually, I came very close to their family and would visit their home on weekday’s. Smitha’s Grandma and her mother would often gift me their farm produce. All was going on as usual, then on the 15^th of July I got a letter, with a red insignia warning me of not to meet, Sukhdev’s family anymore. I was totally astonished, they are trying to control my personal life but I am totally helpless in this unknown place. My colleagues also advised me to remain cautious and calm and hear the Maoist warnings. 

            After knowing that the rebels also warned me, Sukhdev became a little cautious in meeting me frequently, Smitha also became irregular. Within a month, we felt that matters have settled down and we continued with our earlier, normal relations. We were totally unaware that, what was in store for us about a month later on Sept.15^th night. All was going on as usual, and then the fateful day came silently just as death comes and snatches away one’s life. It was a little hot day and towards late afternoon, black clouds were visible far away at a distance in the southern skies. Everyone was returning home after sunset, now days a few solar powered street lamps are visible in Dantewara town in the evening. From a sleepy small town-village mixture it is gradually transforming itself into a mining hub. Peace is gradually moving out and crime is taking its hold and Maoists are creating an additional problem for the people. That evening, Smitha was out for tuition and her father was on duty. To beat the heat her mother and grandma and his brother was outside, sitting on a mattress. On his way home, Sukhdev will bring some vegetables from the market and Smitha’s mother will cook and they will have a hot meal. On her way home from tuition, Smitha saw smoke from a distance, when she is just a few meters away saw her house burning. Her father lying injured on the ground injured and bleeding and she ran towards my home to seek my help, for saving her family. 

But I noticed a different, Smitha amidst fear, a sign of revenge gradually gaining prominence in her face.

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