That Fateful Evening

It was a pleasant day. Ria and her family were savouring their chai and daal bhaji. Her didi arrived, a newly wed girl with her husband. They were overjoyed.

Together, the family decided to visit to the sacred temple in a nearby village. However, Riya couldn’t join because of her upcoming exams. She had the old caretaker and Toby, her pet dog as company.

“Riya is a brave girl. She will manage. Stay strong.” Assured her mother.

“O, mummy, I have grown up now.”

And, then, they left.

….

An unexpected knock on the door puzzled the members. On opening there were four young men in search of Riya’s jiju. They claimed to be his friends.

“But, jiju didn’t inform us.” Riya found something to be fishy as Toby barked ceaselessly and unnecessarily.

One of them, however, quickly befriended Toby and took him for a long walk. The others, appeared to be benign and affable. Even the old man was appreciative of their behaviour.

Riya went back to her room.

….

The day turned to dusk. Riya got curious, noticing Toby’s absence. She found the old man sleeping too.

“At this odd hour? Strange!”

As if nothing abnormal, Riya pretended to be engrossed in studies.

The four men approached Riya from the back and circled her lest she fled. They had taken the necessary precautions to keep it hush-hush. Besides, the roads were empty, and if Riya screamed it wouldn’t reach anyone.

One attempted to touch Riya’s shoulder. She turned her face towards them.

Sweat began to drip from their faces. They were terrified by what they encountered. A revolving head, blood shot eyes and long nails and teeth. Riya wasn’t the same.

The game had been reversed. Now, Riya began to chase and hunt those men as they ran all over the house, screaming for help. The old caretaker couldn’t rescue them. Even the doors and windows got jammed.

Riya pounced upon them one after the other.

….

The family returned. Seeing four bodies in a pool of blood they shivered, especially Riya’s jiju. Riya gave them a detailed account but she couldn’t explain how they died.

“I only remember they entered my room, closed the doors and were gradually coming towards me.”

The police were called. Hearing about the eerie incidents, they quickly disposed off the bodies and asked them not to spill the beans.

“Who would take a ghostly affair in hand?”

….

That fateful evening, while Riya stared out of the window to say ‘thank you’ to the departed Toby, her jiju witnessed the caretaker’s silhouette.

“Beware!” He warned and vanished into thin air.

And, jiju dropped dead on the floor.