The Spirits Of The River

Radhika,26 and Ramesh,25 were in high spirits, relishing the thrill of adventure and the excitement of their journey to the mountains, riding on motorbikes to the northern extremity of Uttrakhand[1]. The sun was peeking through the trees and the birds chirped melodiously, heralding the dawn of a new day. Their bikes, Royal Enfield Himalayans rented from Delhi roared to life, taking them on a path less travelled. Both of them were ecstatic to be on this trip, a much-needed break from their mundane city lives in the corporate humdrum of Bangalore.

 

After a gruelling four-day ride, they had finally reached the outskirts of the hill town of Pithoragarh, where they decided to camp for the night. After a little effort looking around, tucked away at a distance from the highway, they found a tiny secluded sandy beach next to a pristine mountain river and immediately fell in love with the place. Ramesh thoroughly checked the area to make sure it was safe. Ramesh then deftly pitched their little pup tent and set up camp as Radhika busied herself in collecting some driftwood and conjuring a quick meal of oats porridge. Ramesh then lit up a crackling fire and both of them had two shots of whisky each before having their dinner and snuggling into the tent cosily. 

As the sun began to rise on the morning of September 6th, the awe-inspiring sight of the majestic mountains greeted the slumbering duo, beckoning them to awaken and revel in the splendour of nature's beauty. Inspired by the tranquil setting, they decided to immerse themselves in the pristine waters of the mountain rivulet whose melodious gurgling was like an invitation. With a diligent glance around, Ramesh confirmed that they were the sole occupants of this serene haven, where the rustling leaves and the chirping of birds created a symphony that soothed their senses. After some exploration, they stumbled upon a secluded nook nearby, a hidden gem perfect for their aquatic endeavour. With bated breath, they disrobed and leapt into the crystal-clear stream, gasping at the icy chill of the water as it sent shivers down their spines. 

As they gradually acclimated to the frigid waters, they surrendered to the moment, frolicking like untethered children, unencumbered by the burdens of the world. Every splash was an ode to their freedom, and they felt alive and attuned to the soul of nature. After a rejuvenating immersion, they emerged from the rivulet, shuddering with the remnants of the icy shock, but invigorated with a surge of adrenaline. As Radhika rose from the river, Ramesh gazed at her in utter astonishment, beholding her as if she were a divine water nymph, her dusky, sun-kissed complexion radiating under the morning sunlight. With water droplets clinging to her skin, she sauntered towards their tent, gracefully untangling the tendrils of her wet tresses. Ramesh's eyes remained fixed on her, unable to peel his gaze from her alluring curves, accentuated by the tantalizing silver ring that dangled provocatively from her navel piercing. 

They rubbed down with dry towels, feeling each other's warm bodies. The ambience was so sensuous that they couldn't resist indulging in a passionate kiss. Before they knew it, they were lost in each other's embrace, consumed by the moment with the musical sound of water flowing and a cool zephyr embellishing the moment. The world around them ceased to exist as they indulged in their desires right there on the fine white sand by the river until both of them were completely spent. 

As they were basking in the afterglow of their early morning passion-play, Ramesh noticed that it was getting kind of dark and a thick cold fog was building up. Did he hear a distinct rustling in the trees and also a growling sound that was coming nearer and nearer? He quickly pulled on some clothes and shouted to Radhika to wear something. She quickly threw on a crop top and a pair of jeans and got up, her senses alert. He checked his mobile and saw that it was 7:05 AM. “Let's get out of here, something doesn't feel right,” said Radhika as she hastily started packing the stuff. Both of them loaded up and rode out from the secluded riverside towards the highway. 

They finally reached back the highway and found no fog there and rode towards Pithoragarh which was still about 5 km away. They saw a small tea shop on the roadside and decided to stop for a cup of tea and a snack as they were feeling cold and hungry. They parked their bikes and got off. There was a kind-looking old lady at the shop who greeted them with a smile. They ordered tea and a quick bun omelette each and got chatting with the lady. When they told them they had spent the night on the bank of the river, her expression changed to one of alarm. Ramesh and Radhika exchanged furtive glances. “You should not have gone there, it is an ancient tribal burial ground and no villager ever goes there after sunset. Hope you did nothing unholy there to disturb the spirits of the river otherwise the consequences could be disastrous” said the woman in a shrill voice. Both were experienced travellers and had experienced the paranormal before. Hence, they chose not to ignore the lady’s foreboding words. 

They confided to the lady in a sheepish tone regarding their activities there, cutting out the graphic details. It was enough to make her face ashen and she quickly got some holy sindoor[2] and smeared it on their foreheads. “Both of you are in grave danger. If you want to save yourselves, go and immediately meet Nagmani Baba an aghori[3] who lives in the charnel ground in Pithoragarh. He’s your only hope.” She glared unapprovingly at Radhika's skimpy midriff-baring tank top. “You girl! You better wear something appropriate before you meet him” she told Radhika sternly. Radhika quickly donned the riding jacket and covered it up, crimson with embarrassment.

The aghori was not difficult to find in the lone charnel ground in Pithoragarh and the moment he saw them he shielded his eyes and began muttering some chants. As they neared him, he motioned them to stop a distance away. He lamented in a loud voice, “I can see that you have angered the spirits of the river by your actions and now they travel with you till they either kill you or are placated.” Ramesh and Radhika looked at each other – how did he know? The aghori continued “They are weak now but will continue to feed off tamasic[4] energies like, lust, anger, fear and greed from you and keep growing stronger as you both continue getting weaker. They will kill you when they’re strong enough.”

 “What is the way to placate them then?” asked Ramesh. The aghori called them close and whispered “Just do as I say.” He again muttered a chant and fumigated them with pungent holy smoke. Both of them felt drowsy and then everything went black. 

As Ramesh slowly emerged from his unconscious state, he felt a warm droplet of sweat slide down his forehead. The impenetrable darkness around him left him disoriented, but he could sense that he was trapped in a confined space, his limbs tightly bound to a cot. A piercing wave of anxiety washed over him as he called out for Radhika, whose faint response emanated from his left. “The Aghori conned us, this was all a charade, the woman, him, everything,” said Ramesh angrily. Suddenly, the chamber was illuminated by a searing light as two men barged in, gloating at their prisoners before dragging them outside, trussed up like hapless animals. To their dismay, their bikes and possessions had vanished, leaving them desolate and bereft– in effect, they had been badly tricked and robbed. 

As they were hurtled along a bumpy road, their apprehension grew, and their worst fears were confirmed when they arrived at the same remote spot where they had camped the previous night. The place was quite tucked away and no one would hear them there. The arrival of three more brigands only compounded their misery, and Ramesh watched in horror as the lascivious predators hungrily eyed Radhika and tried to tear her jacket off as she kicked and screamed. His heart pounding with dread, Ramesh desperately fought back but was quickly subdued by a vicious blow to his head, leaving him sprawled and unconscious. “Wake up Ramesh! Are you okay?” When he opened his eyes once more, he saw Radhika's worried face looming over him through a misty haze. Gathering her in a tight embrace, he breathed a sigh of relief that she was unharmed. “What happened here? ..where are those rogues?” he said furtively looking around for the men. “Ramesh you won't believe this. Just as I was on the verge of giving up, tired and exhausted, a dense cold fog again built up from the river and settled over the area. All of a sudden there was a rustle in the river followed by splashing and growling sounds. Before the men had any time to react a pack of feral wolves emerged from the river side and pounced upon them. Standing behind them was a man who looked like a tribal shaman, but he was not human and seemed to be levitating above the ground. The wolves had set upon the group of captors with ruthless savagery, tearing them apart and dragging their mangled bodies into the abyss. Surprisingly, they did nothing to me who stood there scared and defenceless or to you who were lying prone on the ground. Just as suddenly as they had appeared, the wolves vanished into thin air, leaving a serene calmness in their wake. I looked around and found nothing but this small piece of parchment with something written on it. When the fog dissipated, I saw that our bikes, tent, and everything thing is here the way we were before we left in the morning.” Ramesh checked to find his phone was still with him and checked the time, he did not believe it when he saw that it was 7:05 am, 6th of September! 

Perplexed and befuddled, the duo packed up their camping gear and set out on their journey on the bikes. As they traversed the winding paths, the tea shop that they had visited yesterday was nowhere to be seen – which was super strange. The duo finally arrived at the quaint township of Pithoragarh, where a signpost caught their attention - "Dr Mathpal's Tribal Culture Museum". Intrigued, they ventured forth and were greeted by an array of ancient manuscripts inscribed with tribal script, which sparked a curiosity within them. The curator of the museum, sensing their curiosity, directed them to the eminent archaeologist, Dr Mathpal, who founded the museum.

As they presented the ancient parchment to him, he regarded them with a quizzical expression and inquired, "Pray tell, where did you come across this artefact?" Upon hearing Ramesh's reply that they had merely stumbled upon it, the archaeologist seemed sceptical, but nevertheless deciphered the enigmatic script, which read, "You arrived with peaceful intentions and had love in your heart, and depart in the same manner."

They chose not to report their story as it was just too fantastic to recount and nobody would believe them. They continued their trip ahead as planned. Their trip onward from Pithoragarh up to Munsiyari, their final stop was without event and so was their return ride to Delhi. As they say sipping coffee at the Delhi airport coffee shop waiting to board their flight back to Bangalore, Radhika said- “Ramesh, do you think all this actually happened…..or was it a nightmare?." Ramesh thoughtfully looked at her and said “Can two people have an identical dream…..I don’t think so…..and what about that parchment?” 

  [1] A North Indian state located in the Himalayas

   [2] Holy vermillion powder

   [3] An ascetic sadhu known to engage in post-mortem black magic rituals on cremation grounds

   [4] Tamas is one of the three gunas (elements of reality) and is related to darkness and negativity.