The Forest

The night was dark, and Sudarshan was on his way home. No one used that route at night. He remembered planning with his friends in his childhood to go through this path at night. All his friends had backed out and they never took the route at night. It was past midnight. As fate would have it, his scooter had run out of petrol, and the phone battery was down. The home was 5 km away. This was the only short route of one km to his house through the forest. Having no other go, he decided to go ahead…he parked his scooter to one side and began walking.

There were tall trees lined on either side of the road. Local people believed that the forest was haunted and ghosts hung from the trees. Trembling, he continued on the path, determined to reach home quickly.

He hardly walked a furlong when someone called him, 'Hey Sudarshan, how are you?' 

A hand rested on his shoulder.

He turned, and it was his school teacher.

'I'm fine Sir! How about you?'

Suddenly, there was a blinding flash, and his school teacher disappeared.

He was scared and remembered that his school teacher had died ten years ago...

A shiver ran down his spine…

He continued on his way, and sometime later, he was joined by Subash, a pan vendor, down his lane. 

He offered a pack of cigarettes and asked Sudarshan, 'Would you like to smoke?'

He thought, 'Yes, it will make me feel calm,' and said, 'Ok! Give me the lighter as well.' 

He lit the cigarette and took a long puff. As he released the smoke, he realized that Subash was not around. 

He recalled that Subash died of COVID last year…

He was frightened and could not decide whether to go forward or backward. 

He walked ahead for a while. No one was to be seen.

'Hi, Sudarshan! Why are you jogging in the middle of the night? Don't you have time during the day?'

He looked back...it was his Office Manager...

Office Manager...he thought, 'He always left the office four hours earlier than me. Why is he on this road at this time? Is he monitoring my movements even now?' 

'Sir, I had a lot of work and had to work till late hours to complete it.' said Sudarshan.

'I have never seen you working. How come you say like this?' 

'Sir, don't you know about my work? Even if I reach home late from the office, I was never late for work.' 

'Do you always have to boast Sudarshan?' asked the manager.

'Sir, what brings you here now?' asked Sudarshan.

'Why do you ask? Don't you remember that I died six months ago. Since then, I have been living here swinging on these tree vines.' said the Manager.

'Oh yes! I do remember, however, why have I been seeing these dead people?' asked Sudarshan.

'Well, that's because you passed away an hour ago!' answered the Manager.

'Is that so? I didn't know.' said Sudarshan. 

'Pinch yourself once, Close your ears, and listen. You will hear cries, cries of your loved ones.' 

'Yes Sir! I can hear, just a minute.'

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'Are you sleeping? You said just a minute. It's been ten minutes now. You stopped telling the story. I'm here waiting for you to narrate the next part. Are you sleeping? Wake up! That's why I keep telling you to have a sound sleep at night and write stories during the day. But, you never listen to me. Whatever you narrate, I jot it down. You fall asleep narrating the story, and here I am shivering with fear. Why do you weave these ghost stories? Can't you think of a comedy or a love story?' Sudarshan's wife shook the bed violently and woke him up. 

'Where am I?' asked Sudarshan rubbing his eyes.

'You are in a deep forest with the ghosts,' shouted Sudarshan's wife angrily.