The Ghost Story

Every midnight the dogs start barking and wailing continuously for hours initiating eerie manifestations.

It's getting unbearable, it's horrid, nowadays I can also hear mild sounds of a weeping man. Scary. I can't sleep while Mr. Husband is being ignorant to all these facts. "It goes with your imagination creativity", he said the other day. As per him it's an open ground and stray dogs barking in such unrestricted places is normal and weeping man is just enough exaggeration done for the year.

Last night what happened is just hard to believe and inconceivable. I still get goose bump while I narrate it. In the middle of the night I heard someone calling for a name. I was startled, rubbing my eyes as well as ears I tried to hear it closely. Yes, there was someone calling out for "Shantabai". I was shaken awake by this time, glanced at my phone and it was 2:45 am. I heard it again, "Shantabai". Mustering all the courage I had got till now by killing spiders in kitchen, (yes that is the only level of courage I got). I slightly pushed the French window and peeped through my 2 feet long balcony... "Shantabaiii". I heard that again. I was taken aback by what I saw, someone in white, indeed was calling out for Shantabai. Close to 3 am and someone in white, its not a good presage. Have I encountered a ghost? Did I see a soul calling out for some Shantabai? What's happening? Who's Shantabai? Some maid in this building or may be this dead man’s love. Is she dead too? Will her soul come by to visit him? Will I be witnessing a dead couple reunite?

What's happening? I want to visit the loo. No, I can't go there. I will go back to bed. I didn't see anything. Oh goodness. Did that Shantabai lover see me watching him. Will he follow me? Suddenly the sound stopped, and I could feel a hand on my shoulder....

Is it him behind me? Has he reached my bedroom? I am screaming but there is no voice breaking through my throat. I can hear heavy breaths very close to me...

And he said in a creepy voice "What are you doing here?"

"What the heck? You just scared me." I pushed sleepy Mr. Husband with full vigour.

"I scared you. You scared me... What are you doing? Look at the time? This is not the time to dry the clothes in balcony." He said massaging his half open eyes.

"I am not drying any clothes. I just saw Shantabai’s lover's soul. He was calling for her but now there is no sound of him. I guess she is here to see him"

"Whooaahhh.. Shhh.. Cut it. Whose soul? Oh wait. I got it" 

"What? Don't start off saying it was that writer in me imaginary story."

"No. That's real. He comes here every night"

"Whaaaattt?" My mouth wide open in surprise and body full of shivers... "Evve..ryday"

"Yes. Everyday. He calls for his girlfriends. And when he is done and tired, he sleeps there."

"Sleep? How can ghosts sleep? They don't sleep"

Mr. Husband burst in laughter as if I had given my best performance in stand-up comedy. "He is not a ghost. He is the watchman of nearby building and a habitual drunkard. Every night he gets high, comes here, runs behind dogs, beats them with a stick and calls out for actress names. Yesterday was Deepika, last week Priyanka and today I guess Shantabai. Don’t know which actress is that?" Scratching his head.

"Ah. I see. That' explains the wailing dogs but then what is that weeping sound."

"Honey. Now that's weird of your listening artistry. He sings while walking to the ground, not cry."

"Ohh.. But how the hell have I not heard this before?"

Embarrassed, he said. "Because you wear ear muffs every day to sleep to avoid my snores disturb you. But today you forgot."