Mysterious Encounter

I touched my eyebrow where the sweat glistened. I saw my face in the rearview mirror and it resembled a sweltering pig. It was blistering hot and I didn’t have anything to drink since past six hours.

Driving was definitely a task I did not enjoy during autumn season especially for business purpose. I had to cancel such a fun date with Golu’s sister. She is so hot. I had met her twice at a mall and we instantly became friends. Now I know the reason Golu would not invite us home as he was hiding his amazing sister.

‘Oh! Why God, why do I have to go to Tekdi to meet the clients?’ I asked aloud.

The sun had set and the road was narrow that looked sinister in the evening shadows. I pay taxes, every year religiously, why doesn’t government utilize it towards placing some streetlights in these areas? I thought of playing some music which would hopefully divert my mind a little. These rented cars do not have a good music system or I could have played my favorite Mettalica CD. Now I will have to depend on the cheerless radio FM songs to while away my time.

While I looked at the music system to adjust the FM channels suddenly the car hit something hard and I applied the brakes. My heart was racing, my hands shivered while opening the door. I stepped out; darkness enveloped my surrounding except for the headlights of my car. I rubbed my eyes but could not see anything. There was nothing on the road. All of a sudden the radio started off loudly. I looked up with a start. There was no one. Strange, very strange! I shuddered with a blast of chilled breeze that hit my sweaty face. ‘What the hell happened?’ I yelled.

I have heard stories from my other colleagues about strange incidents that occurred to them on highways. I never believed any of it and blamed it on their susceptible nature for exaggeration. But this was first time ever when I felt a cold shudder of fear grip me.

I circled the whole car just to check if everything was fine. Then, I sat in the car and tuned the radio. Perhaps it had picked up a channel on its own. I sighed in relief and started the ignition.

I drove on an average speed. Shortly bright light flashed from behind. When I saw in the mirror I saw gargantuan tanker behind my car. I had never seen such a huge tanker in India except in Hollywood movies. It was grotesquely gigantic and its headlights resembled a thousand watt bulb. It blew its horn so loud that I gasped.

I swerved my car to the left side of the road to let it pass. Apparently it was in a hurry. The tanker did not budge as it was threateningly chasing my car. I changed the lanes to the right side so that the tanker could pass. Yet, it kept coming closer towards my car.
‘What was this man up to?’ I asked myself, ‘did I do something wrong?’
Now I sped my car if he did not want to overtake, ‘that’s fine!’ I exclaimed.
I constantly kept looking in my rearview mirror. I had not noticed that the radio had switched off on its own. These rented vehicles are no good.

I accelerated to the maximum speed limit. I could not see the tanker anymore in my rearview mirror, I laughed like a maniac.
‘Yes! I got rid of it.’ I laughed again in rejoice of my victory.

My laugh was immediately wiped out when I heard the earsplitting horn again. I slowed down and looked in the rearview mirror. Strangely, there was nothing behind. Suddenly the light flashed in front of me, it was the tanker’s headlight. It was in front of my car some distance away.
‘Holy shit, how did it manage to get there?’ I panicked.
I applied the brakes to stop the car immediately. The tanker started moving towards my car at a full speed. I had to do something. I changed the gear to reverse then turned the car around and drove like a maniac. Now I was scared to death! Should I call the Police? I thought. I looked at my phone which was long dead.

‘Think; think fast what needs to be done now’ I asked myself.

My car was hurled by the impact when the tanker collided with the rear end. My heart jumped into my throat, when I realized it wanted to kill me. I prayed that my car should not give up on me now. The car was badly hit. It trembled and would not pickup speed. The tanker hit the car again and this time the car lunged and turtled upside down. The engine was dying and was I dying with it too? I lost my consciousness with that last thought.

I became painfully aware that my body was fastened to the seatbelt and I was bleeding. I struggled with the seatbelt and it finally snapped. The car windows had already shattered. I could hear no sound outside other than the cricket in the fields. I crawled out of the window, some of the shattered glass pierced through my skin. I yelled with pain. I stood up with my knees trembling.
‘I was alive’ I gasped for breath.

The tanker had vanished and the road was empty. Blood was dripping from my forehead so I pressed the handkerchief to my head. Walking took a lot of effort, but I had to find help. Every step I took, I realized I could have been dead. I did not see any reason why someone would want to kill me.
‘Why would someone want to kill me?’ I asked aloud.

Though I did not know the answer I knew one thing for sure that the night had been one paranormal manifestation.
As I kept walking, abruptly chilled air surrounded me. Some lights blinked ahead on the road. A dark huge shadow started to rise from the ground. The monstrous shadow took a form of the tanker right in front of my eyes. I could not believe my own eyes. The tanker slowly started moving towards me. But there was no driver inside.
‘What was this? A ghost?’ I blinked my eyes as the tanker’s headlights blazed.
I covered my eyes with my hands. I stood there paralyzed unable to move. The tanker now moved speedily towards me. I knew within seconds, I’ll be dead.

A violent force knocked me out and tossed me high in the sky. I could clearly see the stars in the blue sky. I came crashing down and hit the ground hard.

My head was throbbing; it took all my strength to open my eyes. I was on a bed in a white room. A smiling doctor said something I could not understand. Then he tried again, ‘You are lucky, you survived the car crash. Your car toppled over a boulder. I wonder how you did not see it.’

Please Don't kill me

"Let me Go" I yelled, he always wants to hold me, touch me.
It is disgusting to be held to one corner of a room day after day, night after night.
"Why can't I go away from here?" I asked nobody in particular.
But he always follows me, anywhere I go. Sometimes he hides when its dark but I know he is watching even then.
He is treacherous and I will not let him harm me in anyway.
I remember when he started following me. I was meeting Rekha for lunch; she is so beautiful. I had always wondered what it would be to feel her, touch her. After which I had taken her for a long drive to my beach house. We made love there, though she was shy and resisting it. I know she was just putting on an act to excite me. In the aftermath, I don’t know why she was calling me a monster. She was bleeding, it was gruesome. She was screaming, to shut her up I put pillow on her mouth. She kept kicking me and struggling. When she stopped screaming, she was breathing hard as if deprived of oxygen. She looked at me with wild eyes. I could not look at her like that. It contorted her face into something very ugly. I left and when I took last look at the beach house. It was eerily quiet and that is when I saw this dark figure emerge from the dark. I started running but he never left my side.
Everything after that has been a haze from then on. I kept going in and out of some stinking, dark places. Then I was transported to this place which was clean and had white walls.
Along with him, there are others who keep watching me. I am tired, I feel like I am caged for him. He from time to time makes his appearance. But I am smart I never allow him to come near me. I keep running in the room and shouting at him. Yet his hand is always outstretched to hold me, to touch me. When it becomes dark he hides I have been trying to figure where he hides. I call him my enemy but people here say he is my Silhouette. They don’t know how dangerous he is. He wants to kill me for hurting Rekha, he does I know. Please believe me, please.
Stop him from killing me, “Please don’t kill me.”

Mellow Moon

A small attempt at poetry...here it goes

Soothingly moon hung in the sky
So strangely beautiful and lovely
Radiantly made my emotions fly
Loving memories were remembered sweetly

The silvery cast spread
swallowing up the dark
looks like a spell which people dread
Arousing feelings unashamedly stark

The luscious fullness
Steals away beauty of stars
Makes us dreamy full with lullness
Love stands out washing away all scars

Jinxed Trip

Smoke rose from the hut, a small one with thatched roof and decorated windows. I wondered if I could ask for the directions there. I was tired and lost in the woods. I have never been a keen walker, plus being a city dweller it's impossible for me to find this adventurous. I should have never listened to my friend about this trip into the woods.
I slowly approached the hut and knocked. The aroma was quite delicious or maybe I was hungry. A beautiful woman opened the door, I smiled my best smile. She looked surprised and then I saw a gleam in her eyes, very unnatural.
“Hello…, I am lost.” Wow! What a wonderful opening sentence.Without saying anything she ushered me in with a sweep of her hand.
It was a strange hut, funny masks which almost resembled human faces. She pointed to a seat which looked like a very huge pan, I hesitated. It all seemed strange.
“I just need directions.” I said helplessly.
I noticed the boiling pot on the stove, of an enormous size. I could fit into it easily was a crazy thought I had.
Those were my last thoughts anyways.

Humour Me

“This discussion has gone quite far.” He said, inadvertently trying to exude the remaining mental peace. His shoulder was throbbing and he could concentrate no further.
“Alright, then humor me, for a while.” She said not convinced yet giving him a chance.
“I did not do it. Now do you want me to explain it further, would you even listen?” He pursed his lips in frustration.

She smiled even in a situation like this. She wanted to say ‘No’ but her sheer nature to always come up with the unexpected answer allowed her to say, “Yes I would, why don’t you tell me without wasting any further time.” She looked at her watch to give her speech a final touch.
He was mildly surprised that she said ‘Yes’ but he should have known otherwise. He had an affair with her for two years, until recently, six months back when she had asked him to stop meeting her as her husband was getting suspicious. He was happy as he had his secretary to have fun with in her place.
“Okay, I was chasing him, but he stopped suddenly as if sensing my presence. I quickly hid behind a pillar. I heard the gun shots and I peeked to see. That’s when the bullet came tearing into the flesh of my shoulder. I saw a black Ford and its window rolling up. I staggered near his body and fell unconscious. I cannot be accused of his murder. Its not possible.” He finished.
“Then how do you explain the gun in your hand, when they found you? She adjusted her glass frame and scrutinized him.
“We have gone over and over about this. It is my gun but I wasn’t carrying it with me. I don’t know how it was there in my hand when they found me.” He almost cried out aloud.
“Do you think I am a fool? You hired me and you are paying a good amount. Let me remind you for every hour that you spend wasting, giving me a story full of crap. I don’t think you have understood the implication of this accusation, or the situation that we are having a conversation in a jail about a murder, just not any murder but that of my husband. Oops I meant my late husband.” She winked at him.
“My hour is up as your lawyer.” She got up and left.
With nothing to do in his cell, he looked out of the only 12”inch by 12’inch window. He was shocked to see her get into a black Ford and drive away.

Fragile Beauty

Whisper of cold enwrapped her; she was able to feel the cold up to her brittle bones.
“Where is my blanket?” She wondered.
She slipped her feet in the woolen slippers. Her knees invariably croaked in an effort to get up from the rocking chair. She rubbed her wrinkled hands for warmth but failing miserably. Her hair still long and in the wave of white, black wasn’t amiss.
He watched her from behind the kitchen counter. She was murmuring something to herself, but in the quiet of the house he heard it as a soft song playing just for him. Her tall slender figure in those famous blue silk was fumbling to find the blanket. She tripped over a chair and with agility unknown to an old man; he was there at an instant to hold her at that moment.
Her stricken wide brown eyes had the same spirit she had some twenty years ago. It is so strange that her eyes never looked old. Her fragile body in his hand felt so perfect and her beauty could not have ripened any better with age. The most prized possession in his hand smiled. A smile he always fell in love, every time he saw.
In her soft voice, laughing she said, “You saved a visit to the doctor, Roy.”

Without You - Part Two

It was morning and the sun rays hit me hard on the face. I covered my face with my hand as I woke. The bed clock chimed, tick tock, 12:00 pm, Sunday 20 April.
“Oh damn!” I said, “I am late.”
Viola has asked me to come with her to church. After the sermon we were going to discuss the date for our marriage with the priest. I looked at my cell phone forty two missed calls from Viola. I was supposed to pick her up at 8am for church. I was cursing myself for such callousness.
I had no nerve to call Viola up, what would I say, “Honey, I am sorry I missed our date with the priest.”
My head ached from too many drinks yesterday. Suddenly someone was pounding my door. With each pounding my headache worsened. Oh God! Do I really have to guess who it was? I had done this third time; she will not forgive me, will she? I hesitated before opening the door. But when I did, it was a treat to sore eyes. Viola my mouth formed without any sound. She was in her best lemon yellow Sunday dress. Her face shiny and covered with her black curly hair. A small stream of sweat dribbled down her cheek. Her eyes covered with fashionable shades.

She did not say anything just marched inside his room, her heels clacking on my marble floor. I looked at my room through her eyes. Beer bottles were strewn everywhere. Whiskey in glasses and half eaten pizzas were lying on the floor. TV was loudly screaming something at both of us. She took the remote and shut it. “Oh my God.” I thought I said, but no it was Viola.
“Leslie” she turned removing her shades. Her eyes were green or grey I could not come to decide yet after four years of knowing her. They were full of fire and questions, and they held so much heat I backed two steps.
“Honey” I stammered, “I can …”
“No I don’t want any explanations. I am not stupid.” She glared when she thought I was going to say something. “No don’t utter a word. I am tired, Leslie. You promised you would come this time. You know what I think now. You don’t want to get married to me. You don’t love me anymore.” When I did not say anything, she continued, “You don’t even love God. You have no faith. I am just a mere human being, you can easily forget.”
She always brought God between us. I hated it. It was a sore point. What had me loving her have anything to do with God.
“I detest going to church. I don’t want to listen to anyone who thinks he can make good of me. Who is God? Have you seen him?” I paused, “No I don’t think so. What has all that got to do with whether I love u or want to get married to you?” I yelled.

She looked palled, taking few breaths she said, “Leslie, we love each other because God has blessed us. He is the one who brought us together. And before him I want us to bind ourselves for eternity. Don’t you want that?” she asked benignly.
That’s it I could not control myself, my anger. We had this discussion many times to wane.
“I don’t want that.” I blurted, “I don’t want anything from you or your God. I did everything possible to bring us together. There was no God; it was my and your desire to be together. And we are. But I am tired I don’t know, whether I want you anymore? Whether we even should be together?” Then I paused in my heightened speech. Like a devil had possessed me I said,
“I don’t know, whether I love you anymore.” I pressed my hands to my temple closing my eyes.
It would have been few seconds but when I looked up she was stunned. Tears brimmed her eyes, all the fire had died down replaced by melancholy.
“If that’s what you think, I will leave it to God now to decide whether we were made for each other. Goodbye Leslie.”
Not again I thought, yet God gets to decide that for her. I saw her walk swiftly out of my door, and my life.

I don’t know how long I had been kneeling at the altar of all Gods. I didn’t know whether he would listen to me, if he existed. But I believed in the power of her love, love of God. I went back up. Uncle was not there, I slowly went back in to see her. She looked angelic and such mystic powers she held. She was my God and I was losing her.

Months had passed since her accident. And as the doctor had said, “Recovery of consciousness is followed by post traumatic amnesia (PTA), when the person is alert and may be able to converse normally but has lost continuous memory.” I would say it was miracle or I had started believing in God. She did not remember the whole day of events on the day of accident.

She sat in the wheelchair, her legs paralyzed after the accident. Doctor said it is curable but may take months or even years for her to be able to walk again. But my Viola was alive and with me, we were together. He had heard my prayer. He is there, is now my belief.