A GHOST'S LOVE LETTER

When the thoughts of that horror stricken night come to my mind, it makes my hair stand on end.

That night after having my supper I went to bed, but sleep refused to come and I tossed side to side. Meanwhile I remembered my grandma's ghost tale. When she was telling me a ghost story, often she was daunting me saying like ,

"Hushhhhhh......!

Keep quiet .

Otherwise the ghost will come."

And then I was sitting close to her holding her hand tightly and was listening to the tale scarily.

Tossing on the bed I was in the memories of the days gone by and then suddenly the current was cut off. I opened the window. The moonlit fell on me and then my eyes went towards the crescent moon through the curtain that bewitched me. Therefore I went outside to enjoy the splendour of nature and to fresh my rusted mood. It was about 11:30 pm then.

I went towards the river bank which was just a hundred metre far from where I resided. As a boon-idle I was dawdling along the sand of the river bank. Meanwhile my eyes fell on a shattered house which was situated on the other side of the river.

I had heard so much about that shattered house from the villagers. Some of them says there is living a horrific ghost and some other says that who goes there in night he can never come back. Some says that in every new moon night the ghost yells and wanders along the river bank. There is no doughty one to go that house and to come to this river bank on new moon night. Another hearsay is also there i.e. an old man named Babula had seen someone walking on the bank and that man vanished somewhere.

Some say there was an accident near that shattered house on the road in which a young man had died at the spot five years back. And now his soul is living in that house and becoming a ghost intimidating everyone.

I always took it as a guff, but I had never tried to go that broken house even.

I was wandering. Everywhere looked cool , calm and a little scary. Then suddenly the grumbling sound of an aeroplane ruffled the dumbness of the river bank. It was going to dwindle , suddenly the hooting of an owl flew to my ears from the nearby peepal tree. With these horrible sounds , the hearsay about the ghost and the yelping of jackals from the far casuarina jungle mixed to increase my grisliness as "to add fuel to the fire." Bellowing of an ox and the rippling sounds of the water of the river made the surrounding more gruesome . The drips and rustles sound daunted me. As if all of a sudden , the silence of the bank had converted into a violent and horrible place.

Hearing these terrific sounds I feared and to avoid my fright I went to the ferrymen. But I feigned before them as nothing had happened due to my self respect as others do to hide their fear and to show as alright. There were six or seven ferrymen. They had the night duty for the service of ferrying. Afterwards having some gossip with those ferrymen for sometime, the sudden arisen fear in me dwindled.

Then I went towards the river stairs and sat on it. Sitting on the stair, sometimes I was throwing stones to the water, but I could hardly see the ripples created by the stones through the light of the crescent moon. The blowing gentle wind with the fragrance of white tulips which was blossomed nearby the river was making my mind and heart blithe.

Meanwhile it gusted, a few dust fell in my eyes and my eyelids got closed. And then when I opened my eyes, suddenly some birds flew just above my head astonishingly. I got shocked. Jackals yelped once again in that time. Again I feared a little. Then suddenly a clattering sound fell in my ears and I looked behind and saw a man standing. It astounded me and I scared because it was as unexpected that someone had stood behind me and I didn't know it. It was like a peculiar sight. My heart was shuddering and no words were coming out from my mouth. I just stared at him and became mute.

He was a young and tall man. He had put on white clothes from top to bottom. But neither I knew him nor I met him before.

Then he came close to me, put his palm on my shoulder. His hand seemed very cold. He shook me and told , "What happened. Why do you stare me so?"

I replied as a stammerer , " Unnnnn....., no , no .. nothing."

Then he sat on the river stair close to me.

"By the way what are you doing here ?", he asked. As if he had known me before.

"Excuse me ! Who are you ? I don't know you" , I asked him.

He laughed a little and told, " But I know you well."

"What ! You know me. But how ? Have we met before ?", I told.

" No , we haven't met each other before. But I know you well. You are Saroj, the post master of Kisanpur", he said.

I surprised. He knew me. But I never met him before. It feared inside me.

"Ohh! I see. Okay. What are you doing here in this late night? ", I asked him.

Indicating his finger towards that shattered house , the stranger said ," I have to go to the other side of the river. So I asked the ferryman to ferry me the river , but he told me to wait for sometime. Meantime I saw you sitting here alone and hence I came to give you accompany."

"Ohh ! I see.", I said.

Then we continued conversation. My fear decreased. After sometime the ferryman called him to go. He went and sat on the boat. As the boat was ferrying the river, he was vanishing in the dark and I could hardly see him in the light of the crescent moon.

And afterwards my eyes came back from him and I saw an envelope was lying where he had sat i.e. near to me on the stair. I thought it will belong to him and will have fallen from his pocket. I picked it up and looked at that stranger young man, but he had gone very far. So I didn't try to call him and put the envelope in my pant pocket. It also had been very late night and I had to go back to my home. So I returned to home and slept.

The very next morning I awoke and as usual I went towards the river bank for wandering. I used to go and enjoy the charming of sun rise and morning's freshness there just after my I quit the bed. After wandering I went to the river stair and sat there. The surrounding was not horrible like the yesterday night. The rippling sound of the river , sight of green crop field by the river and the cuckoo's coo was bewitching me. The pond heron and the little cormorant was in their daily duty to catch fish. The breeze was so cool and enchanting.

Meantime I looked at that shattered house and it reminded me about the envelope. So I drew the envelope from my pant pocket. I tore the envelope. A letter was there inside it. I had sat alone on the stair and a letter was in my hand. What can I do?

Well, what will you do if you get a letter? Yeah , you are thinking right. You will read it first. I did the same. I agree that I am a post master. I have no right to read others' letter, but it couldn't stop me.

I opened the letter and began to read it.

Hii.....

My love ,

You are my life. Everything for me. More than anything . The queen of my heart.

When you will hug me , you can only hear that it says..I love you Sona , I love you Sona....It beats your name only and needs you like oxygen.

Yes, I love you. I know I never told you about it. I don't know what you will think after getting this letter. I don't know you love me or not. What do you think ? Anything which is between us , is it friendship or more than friendship. I mean love.

I know you will have remembered all our animated talks and lovely trifling matters. When you go out of my sight , those memories come to my mind repeatedly . Can you say ? Why does it happen with me ? My eyes looking for you always in your absence. Does it happen with you also ? It's nothing than love my sweetheart.

Our every meeting and your loving cute talking steals me always. Specially your black mole on your lips makes me to fall for you. How does the time go with you is not known to me ? Your one touch makes me live.

Have you remembered That day my left leg was broken and I was hospitalised. How did you hurry How were you crying. That night you didn't sleep and kept looking me. Is it only friendship between us No, it's love.

Have you remembered ? We were walking together holding each other's hand along the way to school. And our gossip. Those were very funny. And your cute loving smile , I can't forget it at all.

Have you remembered ? You had kissed me on my left cheek on my last birthday. It made my heart all yours . And I have to give it to you back , sweetheart.

When I remember those spent loving moments with you, I only find you near me also in your absence.

When I left the village for the joining of my service how were you crying embracing me ? I had no wish to come leaving you. You gave me your promise to go. Without you I have no meaning here.

I miss you badly. Days really seem unending in your absence. In nights you come into my dream. Are all these happening with you ? Are you feeling the same that I feel ?

I am dying to meet you. I am counting the days when I will meet you. You are the sweetest thing in my life. Your memory keeps me liven. You are the meaning of my life. Everything and more than anything . You are my love , sweetheart. I want my childhood friend as my wif . I hope you love me too.

I love you, Sona .

Do you love me ?

Do write soon.

                        Your loving best friend, Shekhar.

                       Yours ever.

As a post master after reading the letter it was my responsibility to post the letter to it's address. But I wanted to meet the owner of this letter. I was also excited about that stranger young man with whom I had met in the night. Who was he ?

So I decided to meet him and give the letter by hand. On the envelope Sona's address was mentioned and also I knew that address .

The very next morning I caught the bus and reached at the letter's address. I got contact with the local post master and he helped me to find out her house. I reached at her house.

I knocked at the door. After sometime a girl came out. She looked at me.

I asked, " Is this Sonam Sinha's house ?"

"Yes ", She replied.

"A letter has come on her name", I informed.

I wanted to know about that stranger. So again I asked , " Do you know to Shekhar ?"

She looked me astonishingly .

Again I repeated it. She told yes.

"This letter is sent by him" , I told.

She suddenly grabbed the letter from me. She opened the letter and read it. Her eyes came out full of tears. I surprised. For sometime there was a big silence between us. Then taking a long breathe with sigh I asked ," why are crying ?" She didn't reply.

I again asked , "Are you Sona ? "

"No, I am her sister." , she said.

Being weepy taking a long breathe she told, It had been five years. Shekhar is no more in this world. He died in a bus accident while he was going to join his service . "

I surprised and looked at the date of the letter. The date was also five years old.

So I again asked , " Where did the accident happen ?."

She replied ," At Kisanpur." This response from her surprised me.

Then I asked her about Sona.

She told me to go with her. Then we went together inside her house. And then we reached at a locked door. She opened the door and raised her finger and told , " She is Sona."

Sona was bound with chains. Her hair was scattered. She was hitting her hands again and again on the wall and was yelling her heart out. It was like moan for bereavement. Her heart was writhing and her eyes were loony for someone.

I couldn't believe my eyes that were happening with me.

Meantime Sona's sister told , "Didi was loving Shekhar very much. They were childhood friend and my Didi said me that she was loving him so much. She would propose Shekhar after coming to home from his service. She became mad when she heard that Shekhar died in the accident ."

Listening to these words of her and seeing Sona my eyes also began to weep.I didn't control my tears to come out. My heart was throbbing.

And what then .............

I returned to my home . I didn't give the letter to her sister.

I thought that young man whom I met in the yesterday night might be the ghost of Shekhar. Perhaps this letter may be of that ghost and he wanted the letter to be reached at Sona.

I waited for the coming night.

When it became late night and my wrist watch showed 11:30pm , I went to the river bank and sat on same river stair. I sat there for a long time , but that night I couldn't find that stranger. Again and again in every late night I went to find him and waited for that peculiar sight once again. I was not scared this time at all . But why? I didn't know. I asked to the ferrymen about him , but they denied to recognise him . Ferrymen said no one was ferried to the other side in that night. Perhaps he was ghost of Shekhar and delivering the letter was his last wish.

According to villagers' hearsay the ghost wanders along the river bank in new moon night.I waited for new moon.

After ten late nights the new moon night came. I went to the river bank in the late night and waited him for hours , but he didn't come. I thought he will never come and may be he got to know that she got mad. Perhaps his last wish was fulfilled.

Maybe he wanted to retract his letter. In that night I decided to return his letter. I made a paper boat using that ghost's love letter and floated it in the water of the river towards that shattered house with lots of love .

After sometime the ghost's love letter vanished in the murky night. The ripples of the river floated it to the other side.

And the very next morning I got another letter. It was from my girlfriend and I can't share it with you.

Hahahaha........

"SOMETIMES LOVE NEVER DIES"