Story No. 2 : Metanoia.

This is my second short story. And this time I've experimented a different genre and I hope you will enjoy this story. "Metanoia" is a Greek word which means 'the journey of changing one's mind, heart, self and way of life. Comment what you really feel and let me improve.

Metanoia

I never used to believe in ghosts and exorcism until this happened to me... It literally feels like a long long ago, but I still remember it like yesterday though... I am an atheist, which means I am not a believer in God then how am I supposed to believe in Ghosts. But actually I like hearing stories about ghosts, exorcism and I am an expert in telling them with great expressions too. And to add I too had a few common doubts as a simple guy like why ghosts wanders only  in midnights, why ghosts use white costume, why they make strange sounds and the most greatest of all is why only women ghosts exist.

Well, let me describe myself. I am Hrithik, a 25 year old journalist working on a famous daily company. As like all the people of my age I am a netizen, gadget lover, party guy, beer maniac etc., I am a complete flirt and a guy who can't have a long relationship. And to say about my profession, it is something more than a buck earner for me. I chose this field because I wanted to convey my thoughts to the society. So I am always ready to go to any extremes to show my dedication for my job. And maybe that’s why I dared to cover this case for an article.

It is a special and strange case. It happened on November 2^nd, the All Soul’s Day and continued on the next two consecutive days.  It’s somewhere near the Dushta village in the Daayan district of Buri Najar state. Let’s peek in to the story of the case.

On November 2, everything was fine until clock showed 06:06:06 pm, when the train was heading into a tunnel to reach Dushta village. After nearly a minute the train came out of the tunnel and the passenger in B13 compartment, seat number 13 was found dead. This continued on 3^rd and 4^th of November too. But after that none were dare enough to sit on that seat. But the people who sat on nearby seats too reported that they felt a few haunting experiences when crossing that tunnel. They said they heard strange sounds, felt like someone is watching them, sitting near them and a lot of stuff you would’ve already seen on horror movies.

I took it as a challenge to find the truth behind these stories.  I booked the seat number 14 on the B13 compartment for a journey to there on 6^th December. I packed my bags with all needy things along with an infrared camera, EVP recorder and much more gadgets I have seen on TV programmes which deals on detecting exorcism.  Somehow I managed to reach the railway station 30minutes before the departure time of the train. The first thing I did on reaching the platform is checking the seating arrangement list and got spellbind on seeing a name on seat number13.  And I installed the infrared camera focusing on seat number13 and placed that EVP recorder on the upper berth.  I was eagerly waiting for that person. A respectable man who is in his mid 40s entered. He looked handsome with a salt and pepper look and his gleaming eyes showed how well-read guy he is. He introduced himself as Ashok Kumar and he is also a journalist. But it was confusing as I saw another name on the seating arrangement. He understood what I am thinking with my looks and said that he came there on RAC as the person supposed to travel on that seat cancelled his ticket. He had a very good knowledge on everything and was really very optimistic in everything. From Philosophy to Physics, he knew everything. Even before I tried to start about the strange incident of this train, he, by himself stated that he wanted to tell the truth to the world and so he asked for that seat with the TTE. And that’s when he revealed his strange hobby of contacting with ghosts and spirits using Ouija Board. He then quizzed me whether I know why the strange event is happening only on that place and especially to the person on the seat number 13. I said I’ve got no idea or clue or anything else. Then he said, “When this place was ruled by Kings, this place served as the battlefield and the core of this ground may still contain blood, flesh, tissues of ancient warriors. And from the day when the colonization of the English started, it became the place where agitators, rebels and people who disrespected the English got killed in mass got buried”
That really solved the whole mystery but I still had a question in my mind. I asked him why those spirits have started revenge very lately and not before. He replied that the renovation works on the tracks had disturbed the spirits and so they’re retaliating for it. He added that the dead spirit of the previous day is taking the soul on the next day as an act to find some calmness.  As he is a journalist, I trusted his words completely as he wouldn’t say this and all without a source. So I took a note of everything he said in my scribble pad and took a deep breath of relaxation.

I was completely unaware about the time. When I checked my watch suddenly, it showed 06:01:35 pm.  I took a leak and time was 06:04:54 pm.  For each and every second ticking my heart-rate kept on rising.  At 06:05:41 pm, I just swapped somewhere in next cabin at very high speed and closed my eyes and started praying. After that all that I remember was a spine tingling minute, where I heard or felt nothing except pure fear. I kept my eyes closed until the train exited from the tunnel. At the very moment it came out, everyone started celebrating like a festival and the whole place was filled with joy of achieving something. Nearly everyone started hugging and consoling people who nearly cried of fear during that one minute.

I took a note of everything happened in that minute and asked everyone what they felt and jotted it down.  Meanwhile the place where I should detrain came and so I rushed to take my bags. Suddenly I remembered to get that guy’s opinion but he was not there. I thought he would’ve detrained before me, so packed my things I took out at train in a very bad way and rushed to see that guy. He was so fast that I couldn’t even find him. So with a huge satisfaction and a small disappointment I went to my room I’ve booked there.

There I had a sound sleep and woke up very late in the morning and when I went around my scribble pad I found an address. I was sure that it wasn’t my handwriting as it had a calligraphic touch.  I slowly came to a conclusion that it should be that guy’s work and so I asked people nearby about the address. They led me to the place and there I had a great shock. That was the home of that guy and I found him in a picture on the wall with a flower garland. When I asked his widow said that he too went on the train to investigate the same case I did and died when the train passed by the tunnel. I was completely spellbound and was standing real confused. I left that and came to my room and checked the video footage and EVP recording. All I saw was nothing in the video except a fog like thing and all I heard was only that guy’s voice. And again I got spellbound and it took some time for me to come to that conclusion. I completed my report and submitted to my editor and he praised me a lot. But on my mind I said to myself,”These accolades belong to Ashok...” And I remembered the quote from the movie ‘The Sixth Sense’ which says “They see what they want to see...” and realized it was real. And again I wanna say that there is always something beyond our world and science. When they meet reality, events like this happen. Some are good and some are bad.

THE END

Raagul Ram G.