Lock
the Unlocked Gate
- V. P. Rathi Arumugam
It was a young, pleasant evening. Arthi did her
household duties with a cheerful face and expected for her husband’s
return. She was well known for creative
intellect and her lifestyle also ran smoothly.
The right key for her harmonious life is Indian tradition and the
culture she practices. She wore a saree
of honesty. She had never applied cream or powder instead applied
simplicity. Did you know which lipstick
she used? The best lipstick in the world
is of course applying truth on lips… and she applied truth. She drew an eyelash of confidence around her
eyes.
In that enthusiastic evening, Arthi washed her face
with cool and fresh water. She prayed to
Deity, Gods, Goddesses, Sai Ram, Jesus, Allah. She was
also an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu and often chanted the mantras by
heart. Her husband, Arun reached home
safely to her expectations. They shared
their experiences, day to day life activities, etc. Arthi, the most sensitive type woman used to
dictate everything whatever happened to her like a child. Arun had forgotten to buy snacks on that day
and so he raced downstairs.
Unfortunately, he asked her to lock the unlocked gate before leaving.
It was 6.45 p.m. The closing day with its thin blanket covered the natural light. Arthi casually took the key to lock the unlocked gate. When she was about to lock the gate, she
heard a shrill cry of a woman. She was
not able to glimpse any woman outside especially, a pale house that stood
opposite to that gate. Arthi’s heart
throbbed lub-dub, lub-dub, the heard unheard piercing cry sickened her aura,
her throat got struck, her body shivered, her hands were not able to lock the
gate. There was no choice to run only to
inside her house and so sprinted towards the kitchen room, holding the key in
hand. Since there was no pooja room, an
array of Gods and Goddesses photos were kept only on one shelf in the kitchen
room. Her mouth only uttered the names
of Gods but not her heart and mind. She
consoled herself and again she tried to lock the gate. Step by step, holding the breath, moved
forward but backward in her thoughts.
When the moment she reached the gate, again Arthi heard the shrill cry
of the woman, louder than before. She
was not able to see any reflection or sign.
She whispered the mantra, but her body and mind did cooperate well, the
high-pitched weeping sound continuously bored into her ears.
The fearful woman stumbled upon her own shadows
fallen on the wall, her eyes, fingers, hands, legs, shuddered. Hot breath released from her body as well as
nostrils. Oh, devil’s voice echoed in
her ears. She became panic stricken,
threw the key away, closed her ears ran into the kitchen. When Arun stepped up the staircase, Arthi
could no more hear the voice of the devil.
Arun noticed the key thrown on the floor. Arthi was speechless, perspired and her eyes
rolled. Arun saw the pale face of
Arthi. With more fearful tone, Arthi
narrated the incident. Arun took her to
the gate and asked her to lock the gate.
Arthi was not able to hear the shrill voice of the devil.
The loving husband and wife started to quarrel with
each other for no reasons. Actually, it
was a rental house and unexpectedly, there was no sufficient water in the bore
well, the next day. That’s the month of Panguni and they could not vacate the
house. Arthi was not able to forget the
terrible incident. Again and again,
fearing the voice of the devil, she lamented.
She said to her husband, “the voice I heard, as if it was like a woman
who caught with fire”. Arun warned Arthi
just to ignore it but she could not. After a big quarrel, Arthi went to her
mother’s house. Arun stayed in the same rental
house for almost a month. He spoke to
the neighbours and came to know that opposite to their house a young girl
committed suicide by pouring kerosene on her.
The ghost that stayed in the opposite house tortured this couple. But a woman with her son who stayed in the
house was not affected mentally because she had been widowed years before.
Arun retold the same incident to Arthi after a
month. Arun recollected the things that
happened every night when he was lying on the cot. He saw a pale, stormy, dark image who stood
nearby him for a moment but he was not alarmed.
No ghost affects him because Muniyandi
Sami has vowed his grandfather that no ghost will torture his heirs and
heiress. But he did not reveal this
truth at first. All on a sudden, they planned to vacate the ghost haunted
house. Finally they locked the unlocked gate.
Arthi and Arun vacated the house and settled in
another house. Whether she locked the
unlocked gate...?
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