I trudged on and on. Every moment I expected the ancient undead to appear out of those niches. Every sort of creatures seen in horror films, I imagined.
The cold wind passing my ears seemed to whisper evil incantations. All of a sudden, I heard a tinkle. A soft metallic sound in the thick grass. I stopped and listened. Moments later I heard another.
I froze in fear. Stories of the witch appearing in the ruins on the Amavasya night—the black night, came to mind.
They said she used to play and run around in the company of her vampires. Her screeching laughter and the tinkling of her payals—anklets could be heard. I had no more nerve, I turned around. Instantly, I knew I was doomed.
Standing near a clearing was the witch-woman!
She just stood there watching me, her wide kohl-lined eyes, furious. Her long salt and pepper colored hair streaming down the sides of her head. Her sudden appearance caused my body to grow completely immobile. Terror filled my being. I was never ever so frightened in my life. For moments we stood there watching each other.
Slowly she lifted a hand and pointed a withered digit at me. “Anish, I have told you never to come here…now I have something to tell you…”
Her voice released my immobile body. I dropped my windcheater, turned around and ran blindly, not realizing I was going deeper into the Khandar.
“Aneeeeeesh,” her voice trailed behind me.
I continued this blind run, God only knows for how long!
Minutes later, I was completely winded. I could run no longer. I stopped, doubled over trying to get back my breath. I was relieved she had not bothered to follow me or had she? She was nowhere to be seen. Only then I realized that I had dropped my dad’s windcheater in my blind haste. I terribly regretted having lost it. There wasn’t an ounce of courage to go back and retrieve it.
Just then I heard a sound behind me. I turned around. Only to see the grasses on the shadowy ground parting.
I stared in horror at the sight before me, unable to move. Salim’s head appeared from under the ground amidst the parted grasses. The decapitated head soiled with mud was watching me wide-eyed.
With a scream I spun around and raced to the entrance.
The rain came down in sheets drenching me to the skin. I ran wildly, half-running half-stumbling out of the ruins. Heading towards the village, there I dropped to the ground, breathless, feeling safe among humans.
I gagged and coughed on my breath wondering how narrowly I had escaped. I had seen Salim’s fucking ghost; I kept repeating to myself.
Chapter 7: Tahali Khandar
A pair of shoes suddenly appeared near me. I jerked in fear and looked up to see its owner. It was Uncle Chandra. Thank God! I stood up and hugged him tightly. I had never been so relieved in my life. I was trembling and sobbing uncontrollably. So, what if he lied to me, at least he was human.
“What is it, Anish? What is it?” asked uncle, alarmed.
I continued to hold him tight and repeat “Uncle…I have seen the dead Salim… I have seen the dead Salim…Also the witch.”
“What rubbish!” said Uncle. “He is dead weeks ago. And what witch are you talking about?”
“No Uncle, I have seen him…His frigging ghost…” I said between sobs.
“Where...? Where Anish?” he asked.
“In the… Tahali Khandar…”
“Didn’t I tell you not to go there…”
“I am sorry Uncle but you have to believe me…Please…”
Seeing me shaking uncontrollably, Uncle, put an arm around me, “Let’s get away from this rain and have some hot tea and spicy vadas.”
He guided me to a roadside tea shop-simple shelter of tin and asbestos.
There under the shelter we drank hot tea and ate vadas. I was beginning to feel good.
“Now young man let’s hear your story. About Salim’s ghost.”
“Uncle you have got to bloody believe me…! I really saw frigging Salim…!”
“Could we do away with the profanities, boy?” Uncle munched on the vadas and said good-naturedly.
I was in a damn state of stress and truthfully told him the whole story word to word. Even the eavesdropping episode.
Abruptly, I stopped speaking. My eyes were at a doorway wide with terror. My hand started trembling, spilling tea on the table.
Standing at the doorway was Salim! Grinning from ear to ear, waving his hand at me!
“Salim…there… at the doorway.” I managed to choke.
Uncle turned and watched the doorway. Then he turned back to me. “Where, young man, where? There is no one at the doorway.”
I looked at uncle as if he was insane. Salim was standing there all the time grinning at me. Was Salim’s spirit only visible to me? I looked at uncle with disbelief.
He continued merrily munching on his vadas and suddenly burst out laughing.
He turned around and called, “Yedaa Salim, Come join us, he’s nicknamed so for his crazy acts.”
After Yedaa Salim joined us, uncle told him my story. The two had a belly full of laughs as I sat there wallowing in my indignation. Uncle Chandra better have a good explanation.
After a severe, severe reprimanding Uncle Chandra explained to me, “Tahali Khandar has now been granted heritage status but had plenty of swamps. Volunteers from far and wide have registered to do a clean up job. Salim and Girish were bitten, but not by a vampire or a witch but by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes breed amply in marshes. It is not this Yedaa Salim who had died of malaria; it was another Salim, Salim Mudasser, a case of mistaken identity. Salim Mudasser and Girish had gone there to help clean up. Of course, our Girish too got infected with what seems like malaria, but is recovering rapidly. Well, about me entering the lair and killing them. I was planning of take an army of volunteers and disinfectant the entire Khandar for good!”
“But uncle, I overheard you tell someone over the phone that Girish had been suffering from bouts of fright fevers. Surely he was extremely scared of…”
“You Andaa, I didn’t say Girish has been suffering from bouts of fright fevers but, had said, he has been suffering from bouts of night fevers. Malarial victims shiver, especially, after sunset. I was speaking to our village headman.”
“But uncle you lied about the missing papers and Giri’s dad lied to me and Girish.”
“Yeah, as soon as you left Girish’s house his dad phoned me and spoke of your visit. You see, Anish, beside malaria Girish also showed signs of H1N1 sickness commonly known as Swine flu. On the outbreak of malaria and Swine flu; the headman, Girish’s dad, Yash and I decided to keep the matter strictly to ourselves. If these simple villagers would get even a whiff of the matter, panic would breakout. Surely, our fickle government would have snatched away the status even before it was officially conferred on Tahali Khandar. Also, we only assumed that Giri had Swine flu. Until our doubts were confirmed we had to quarantine him. And about not telling you, we all know how over smart you are!”
I ignored uncle’s jibe and asked. “And, the old witch-woman?”
“Ah! Anish, please don’t call her an old witch-woman” He nearly implored.
“She is no old witch-woman. She is just an afflicted woman who had lost her son ages ago in the Tahali Khandar. Since then she wanders in the ruins hoping to find her son. It was this senile witch-woman who came a while ago, in the heavy rain, to inform me that you were screaming and running in the Tahali Khandar like you had lost your marbles. Otherwise how would I know your whereabouts? She also returned your dad’s windcheater which you had dropped at the Khandar.” Thereafter, he handed me the windcheater and muttered, “History repeats itself.”
History repeats itself. I did not know what his words meant but accepted the windcheater. I now felt a sense of gratitude for Maltibai.
“But last night, uncle, why did you lie to us of not seeing Maltibai peeping at the window?”
“Because Anish, last night there wasn’t anyone near the window …”
&nbs
p; I waited for a few moments for uncle to start laughing and say it was a joke. But nothing of that happened. He was talking to Salim. But I was sure I had seen Maltibai. Was he still hiding something?
Hearing their conversation I realized Salim used to go artifact hunting in and around Tahali Khandar. He had dug a ditch five feet deep, so when he stood in it his head came up to the ground level. He had heard my footsteps and stood up to investigate and so it seemed Salim’s head ‘appeared’ from amidst the grasses.
I could not help laughing at myself.
Chapter 8: Tahali Khandar
Uncle Chandra knew I had learned my lesson on eavesdropping. After Salim left, I decided to push my luck once more. “Uncle, what happened to dad? How did he die?”
The question instantly put an end to his joviality. “Anish,” he sighed. “Today I will tell you what you always wanted to know about Arjun’s death. I usually hate to talk about it. Today you will also understand why I did not want you to go to the Tahali Khandar, especially as a dare…”
Uncle grew silent as if he was reliving the time. I could feel the pain he was undergoing, slowly he began. “Many years ago, on that fateful night, Arjun and I had gone to the Tahali Khandar as a dare. It was a dare between us. Also, let me add, it was the most foolish thing of our life. But being young and errant back then we did it. We were to enter the Tahali Khandar from either side of the ruins at the dead of night. And meet at the highest point on the fort wall facing the sea.”
Uncle stopped again. He was reaching the terrible part. He took a slow deep breath and began, “All went well and we met at our rendezvous. We were standing there on the fort wall… relaxing, congratulating and back slapping each other. All the while we were watching the surf crash against the rocks way down at the foot of the fort wall. The adrenalin was still surging through our veins. All of a sudden, Maltibai, appeared out of nowhere. So sudden was her appearance that both of us were startled. Before we knew I stumbled backwards over the low parapet of the fort wall. In utter panic I grabbed on to Arjun and the two of us fell onto the treacherous rocks below.”
Once again uncle stopped. His eyes were glistening with tears. “I fell on the rocks and blacked out. I got a few stitches on my head and sprained an arm and leg. Arjun was washed into the sea. For two days he was not found. When found, he was in a bad shape. He had sustained very serious injuries on his head, ribs and arm. And two days of battling the open sea had worsened his condition; infection had set in the wounds. Arjun knew his end was near, being a great soul he forgave Maltibai and me. We all three knew it was an accident and vowed to keep it a secret, or else the villagers would lynch an innocent lady as a witch. After all, she too had lost her son in the Khandar. The same place where Arjun had fallen. Her son too was washed away in the sea. Only, his body was never recovered. He was on a dare too!”
At that moment, strangely, I wasn’t feeling so much for my dad as much I was feeling for uncle. I could understand the guilt uncle was living with. I hugged him and the two of us wept.
“How many times did you say Maltibai met you Anish?”
“Four bloody times… damned that witch-woman…!” I had to direct my anger at someone. I had lost my father for no fault of his.
“Ssssh Anish don’t curse her. Maltibai felt guilty for the accident and tried to tell you. That’s why she followed you all day. Don’t forget she was the one who informed me that you were lost in the ruins today.”
“Don’t forget that bloody old bitch killed my dad” I retorted.
“Anish! Remember Arjun held no malice against her.”
“Big Deal!”
“Maybe, it was a mistake telling you the truth!”
I angrily stood up and walked to the window. Uncle’s advocating for her was irritating me. Outside the thunder and lightning were wrecking havoc in the dark skies. It mirrored the inside of me.
Uncle approached me.
“Uncle, why the hell do you keep supporting her?” I exploded in his face. “Have you got a soft spot for her?” I was near to tears. Anger tears.
His silence told me there was something. I quelled my anger.
As he waited, he appeared somewhat at a discomfort. “Anish…” His lips quivered before he could speak. “Anish….there is a thing I have to tell you… also show you some papers. But this is not the right place to tell you.”
“Then where else?” I asked, a lump of anxiety was beginning to form in my throat. Was uncle trying to weasel away my inheritance?
“Let’s go home.” He stated and walked out of the eatery.
All the way home I could not keep my rising anxiety down. All thoughts of the evening occurrences were pushed back.
x x x
Back home uncle took me to his den and sat me down. But I was surprised when he asked me. “Care for a cigarette or maybe a beer?”
I looked at uncle stunned. What was up?
“Don’t give me that look!” He stated in a matter-of-fact tone. “Don’t you think I’m not aware of your so called extra-curricular activities?”
I instantly colored. I sat there tongue tied, awaiting for the next thunder bolt to fall. Uncle got out a cigarette pack and offered me one. I quickly declined. It had been years since I had seen him smoke. He pushed a glass of drink in my hand.
“Relax son!” He said. “It’s just like coke!”
I was surprised with uncle’s pushiness. I eyed the drink suspiciously.
“Don’t worry son, Arjun would have done the same. And within a few days you will be a certified adult. So drink up!”
I reluctantly sipped the drink. It was syrupy and spicy. The stuff ignited my throat.
“What is this brew?” I complained.
“This is India’s version of tequila, boy, brewed from spices.”
I wished uncle would end his shenanigans and tell me what he had brought me for. The shame of being caught was wearing off, now it was being replaced with indignation. How dare uncle spy on me?
Uncle lit a cigarette and took a deep puff. For a moment I felt like joining him. Exhaling the smoke he looked at me. I braced myself for yet another revelation.
“Maltibai is the mother of my child…my son.” He dropped a thunderbolt.
Aw shit! Looney Vishy! I swore inwardly. After all, the boy was a bastard! I immediately felt pity for Vishy and aunt. This explained why the boy was always aloof and shy. He probably had somehow sensed it.
Uncle stopped and looked at me. He had a look of pain. I felt pity. I reached over and grasped his palm. He too grasped it as if drawing strength from it.
“Does Vishy know about it?” I felt compelled to speak.
“No.” Uncle answered.
“And Aunt?” I continued.
“No, only Arjun knew about it.”
“I am going to reveal it to you because I believe you are mature enough to understand.”
I felt sick, suddenly; the pitiful face of Vishy appeared before me. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear it.
Uncle took another deep breath, before beginning “It was in those days Maltibai was young and worked as a maid in my house. In due course one thing led to another and soon Maltibai was pregnant with my child.”
I swore under my breath. Another illegitimate love story! It was none of my goddamned business whom he slept with!
“She did not disclose this to me till the baby-bump was beginning to show. I was petrified; I flatly denied accepting the truth. If the news went out I wouldn’t be able to face the world. She was of a lower caste while I was of a higher one. I ranted mercilessly at her. It was the most pathetic act of cowardice in my life!”
Uncle stopped as if reliving the moment, and then started again.
My mind could not help going back to Vishy. From now on I would care for him even more.
“Later my conscience pricked me.” Uncle continued. “I relented but just a bit. I met her father and explained the delicate situation to him. Before the villagers discovered I convin
ced him to send her to the city with me to abort the child. I was playing the Good Samaritan! Even then I did not confess that I was the child’s father.”
My uncle stopped, I could read the remorse in his eyes.
“Her helpless father agreed, he had no choice.” Uncle began. “An unwed mother was a shame to the village. Poor Maltibai abided by my decision without a murmur. I felt as helpless as her. In the city she gave birth to our child. On returning I arranged her marriage. Within a year or two she had a son but misfortune struck her. Her husband died shortly. Then after another ten years her son disappeared in the ruins. We searched the place but could not find him. From then on she lost her mental balance.”
“And Vishy? Does he know the truth?” I interrupted.
Uncle looked at me for a moment before continuing. “Vishy knowing this is hardly important. Unable to bear any children Arjun adopted Maltibai’s child…”
Just for a moment uncle paused. Realization then hit me with a force of a million volt shock. “Oh my God!” I cried. “So you mean to say, you are my biological father and that…that Maltibai is my…my mother!”
Uncle’s gentle nod confirmed my presumption. I looked at him, shocked. It was as if he had cracked a vulgar joke. Imagine a domestic maid… my mother and a son of a mere foot soldier… my father!
I did not know what to do. I paced around a couple of times, agitated. In a moment I realized all my doubts about uncle were coming true. Uncle was trying to weasel me out of my inheritance. A fury whipped through my being. How low could a man fall! Why the back-stabbing, conniving man! Claiming to be my father! Trying to tarnish my royal lineage! And at what price? For a little bit of property! Where were all his high ideals gone?
In a moment all my respect for him had gone. I looked at uncle straight in his eye. “What is it uncle? Want a share of my inheritance?” I punctuated it with an ugly laugh.
He looked at me with a grieved look in his eyes.
“Mr. Chandra Amre! Don’t give me that innocent-sorry look!”“Do you think I’m not aware of your so called extra-curricular activities?” I imitated him, just as a few moments before he had uttered the same. I paced some more and turned to him.
“Listen son, I…” Uncle began.
“Don’t call me son!” I interrupted. “I am not your son, Mr.Amre!” I spat, a sardonic smile on my face.