Wrath of Naaleba the Witch

It was raining that night. Irrutapan was late from as it is. "What would Sushila think". Irrutapan was a construction working and was working on one of the construction projects just outside the city. The distance from his residence was a bit far from the construction site, that's why he had to change two buses for his everyday travel. That day, he was a bit late from getting off from work. He had barely managed to catch the last bus at 10:30 p.m. From the bus stop, he had to walk a couple of miles every day and there used to be space in between where only huge concrete slabs were kept.

Though the highway traversing the route was always full of speeding vehicles. That day, however, the traffic was a bit light but there were heavy vehicles on the road and they were taking full advantage of the traffic and were speeding on both sides of the road. All of it seemed that everyone wanted to get home early from this heavy rain. As he was hurrying past one of the concrete slabs he saw an old, frail woman sitting beside it in this torrential downpour. He was surprised that who could sit here like this in this rain and not even have an umbrella! Anyways, he went to her and asked ' amma, what are you doing here?' He got no response. He again asked, ' amma, don't you have to go home? Is anybody coming to pick you up?' Thinking that she could not hear because of this rain and also her back was facing him. So he gently tapped her on the shoulder. The moment he touched her he felt a sudden shock and jumped back in surprise. The old woman rose and turned to face Irrutapan. The moment he saw her; the colour drained from his face. He was speechless and rooted for a few seconds. Not waiting any further, he quickly started walking past her. He was trying to keep a normal expression but he was terrified. It was as if he had seen a ghost! This was true because Irru was seeing his mother who had died some five years ago! So he was taken aback at the sight of this entity that appeared to be like his mother! Irrutapan was transfixed there with fear for the first few seconds. Somehow gathering courage he started walking past her. The entity started following him and calling out his name.

"Irru............... Irru, why are you running away?

Entity “I am your mother. Don't you recognize me?"

Irrutapan did not answer and just kept on walking. The more he tried to maintain a distance, the more it seemed that the entity was just standing ahead on the way Irru was walking on. He was scared and panicking “Oh Lord! Please help me!" Let me reach my family"

The entity " Irru why are scared. I am your mother. Won't you take your mother home with you?"

Irrutapan increased his pace but to no avail. Every time it happened that the entity was just standing in front of Irru and beseeching him with a strange smile.

Irrutapan got so nervous that he decided to cross the street in this rain and traffic thinking he will escape the entity. As he was about to street he was hit by a full-speed truck which appeared out of nowhere. The last expression on Irrutapan's face was of surprise and fear.

Two days later, Aditya Saxena was having dinner with his family at his home. It was around 10:30 p.m. when Aditya suddenly looked up at the window and gasped. His wife, Reena, who was sitting next to him looked to surprise and asked

Reena "Adi, what's wrong?"

Aditya “nothing dear. You have your dinner."

Reena “why did you gasp?"Is everything okay?"

Aditya “yes.... yes. I thought I saw something."

Reena “what did you see?"

Aditya “nothing. You will not believe me and laugh at me."

Reena gave a bemused look and said “try me."

Aditya “I am not sure but I think I saw my dad."

Reena “What!"He has been dead more than 10 years now."

Aditya “I know. See I knew you wouldn’t believe me."

Reena trying to keep herself from laughing said “I am sorry but you must be imagining things. These days you have been under a lot of stress."

Aditya “Maybe you are right."

A few seconds later, Aditya again shouted and jumped from his chair. This time even Reena was taken by surprise by his reaction.

Reena “Adi, what's wrong!"

Aditya “Dad! I am sorry."

Reena "Adi, you are scaring me now.”

Aditya ignored her “dad, I am sorry that I did not listen to you at that time.”

Reena was getting scared and nervous now. She even looked out towards the window but could not see anyone. Moreover, their apartment was on the 10th floor!

Reena got more scared than surprised because of the way Aditya was behaving. It seemed like he was having a conversation with his long-dead father!

The more she tried to reason with him, the more he pushed her aside and in a fit of anger said

“Why are you not letting me talk to my father?”

Aditya “it seems that you are jealous now as you were so long ago.”

Reena was taken aback and she looked at Aditya with shock. She thought that how can he make such accusations against her!

Meanwhile, Aditya had started acting in a very strange manner and kept on repeating “

I am very sorry dad. I am coming to you right now!”

Reena was now really scared and nervous. She did not know what to do. She could not even call anyone for help at this hour. Somehow, she managed to restrain Aditya for the moment and calm him down. Aditya also reacted as if he had come out of a trance.

Aditya “why are you holding me like this?”

Aditya “did I do something?”

Reena “no……no. You were experiencing a hallucination. That’s all.”

Though Aditya seemed unconvinced Reena managed to calm his nerves and later on they went to sleep. Reena was still reeling from what she just now saw and experienced but managed to convince herself that it was because of all the stress lately that Aditya had taken on himself.

That night, Aditya had a massive heart attack while he got up to get water for himself and died on the spot. Reena couldn't believe that Aditya was no more there and has died of a heart attack when she found him on the floor of the living room the next morning.

She was hysterical at the police and others who had come running hearing her screams. She kept on saying “his father has taken him……!”

Others just looked at her in surprise and murmured in sympathy that she has lost it.

A week later, Rakesh Arora, a corporate professional had come home after a long meeting. He was tired and very lonely. As he had recently lost his wife Sheenam, in a terrible road accident, six months ago. Rakesh loved his wife dearly and was completely heartbroken and devastated. He felt that now no one would be there to welcome him anymore. And no one would sit with him and listen to his daily story over a couple of drinks.

That evening, with a drink in his hand, he was admiringly looking at his wife’s photograph when he suddenly felt a shadow pass over him. It felt like Sheenam had quietly cooed in his ear like she used to do in bouts of playfulness. He was so surprised and felt an intense sense of pleasure and happiness course through his body. All of a sudden he could see his beloved wife standing in front of him beckoning him!

Rakesh “Sheenam! Where have you been?”

“I have been missing you for so long.”

The entity did not respond but in the form of Sheenam, just kept on coyly looking at him.

Rakesh “I was feeling very lonely and sad. Now, that you are here I am very happy.”

Rakesh “Promise me that you are not going to leave me again!”

The Entity “we can be together again if you want.”

Rakesh “Really!” “I would like that. How can we be together again?”

The entity did not respond but pointed to a noose hanging behind Rakesh. It had appeared out of nowhere and it was not there before a few moments ago!

Rakesh looked at the hanging noose behind him. He was a bit surprised. But he was so deep in a trance mode that he could not fathom what was happening to him. He went and fetched a stool and stood upon it and put the noose around his neck. He was smiling and his last thoughts were “I am glad that I am going to be with my sweetheart again forever.” With that, he pushed himself off the stool.

Now, all these unrelated deaths occurring within one week seemed normal to the police; but, there was someone who found it a bit odd. All f these deaths happening all of a sudden and out of nowhere was what made it strange to Professor Sreenivasan. Professor Sreenivasan was a professor of Religious Studies and Occultism at Bangalore University. He was a renowned professor for his in-depth studies in the field of paranormal and occult! He had even published many books and articles in journals related to his research.

He was very surprised that how come the media and the police were taking it as normal. Since there was no connection between the victims and all of them ranged from different strata of society. Irrutapan was a construction worker, Rakesh Arora was a corporate professional, and Aditya Saxena was an advocate. He had even approached the police officer who was in charge of these cases, a police inspector Rao.

Inspector Rao, a pot-bellied man, but a very sharp investigator, had seen incredulously at him when he had raised his concern to him.

Inspector Rao “Dear Sir, I understand that you are a scholar and have a standing in your academic community but claiming that something otherworldly is involved is humorous.”

Professor Sreenivasan “Why does it sound humorous?” “Don’t you find it odd that three unrelated deaths occur within a week, and that too, all of sudden and under mysterious circumstances?”

Inspector Rao “Respected Sir, first of all, all of these victims due to accident, heart attack, and suicide. There was nothing mysterious or suspicious in either one of this.”

Inspector Rao “Moreover, there was no sign or indication of any foul play. So there is no case of suspicious circumstances.”

Professor Sreenivasan “How can you say that these deaths were natural?”

Professor Sreenivasan “I have seen their autopsy reports. Aditya was a healthy man and had no heart problems, then how did he die from a heart attack?”

Professor Sreenivasan “Similarly, Irrutapan was hit by a truck just as he was about to cross the road!” “That truck just appeared out of nowhere and struck him. Then it disappeared into thin air just like magic!”

Professor Sreenivasan “Lastly, Rakesh was depressed for sure but he had no suicidal tendencies. I have talked to his colleagues and all of them were surprised at his suicide!” “They said that he was taking Sheenam’s tragic departure with stoicism and maturity.”

Inspector Rao was silent for a while and then said “Sir, we have checked thoroughly into each individual’s death and found there was nothing suspicious in the manner of their deaths. Yea, it sounds a bit strange but we cannot acknowledge that anything remotely linked with supernatural was involved in it.”

With that Inspector Rao nods his head in dismissal and gets busy with his work. Professor Sreenivasan understands that however hard he may try; the police are not going to believe him. So he decides to carry on his investigation and research discreetly.

A few days later, the city of Bangalore is again rocked by a series of mysterious and sudden accidents, suicides and deaths. In each case, the victim was all alone and the way death has occurred to him/her is completely baffling. Now, even the locals had started airing their suspicions and doubts as to something unnatural was afoot.

Meanwhile, when Professor Sreenivasan was quietly doing all his research into these unexplained deaths he had a strange experience. Late one night, Professor Sreenivasan was deep in his research, oblivious to his surroundings. There was a pleasant breeze since evening and it was quite soothing to him. At around 1:00 a.m. he called his servant for a cup of coffee. There was no response. He again called “Raju…… Raju… where are you?” When he got no response he got up and went looking for his servant. Though it was a quite pleasant breeze somehow Professor Sreenivasan felt that the temperature of his room had fallen and he felt a shiver run down his spine. Tucking the shirt more closely to his chest he again called for his servant

“Raju, where are you? Why don’t you answer me?”

When he still did not get any response he was surprised and even a bit furious at his servant. “I am going to pull him by his ears and give him a good verbal thrashing.”

With this in mind, the professor went down to the kitchen.

Here he got the biggest shock and surprise of his life.

I mean, if you see someone floating in the air all by himself and on top of that if you find that the person is behaving as if someone else and speaking to you in a different tone and voice.

How would you react?

Professor Sreenivasan encountered something like this. He saw Raju floating in the air. His eyes were blood-shot red and he was glaring at the professor!

Professor Sreenivasan “Raju!” “What’s wrong? How are you up there?”

Raju “shut up professor! And listen to me if you keep on trying to find out the truth then you would have to face the consequences.”

All of this came from Raju’s mouth but the voice seemed deeply nasal. As if someone was croaking, like old grumpy women do when they want something. Moreover, the sound felt as if someone was scrubbing sandpaper on a piece of iron!

Professor Sreenivasan immediately understood that this was not Raju. It was some otherworldly entity that was using Raju as a medium to speak to him. He asked, “Who are you?”

The Entity laughed hoarsely and said, “it doesn’t matter who I am!”

The Entity “you have to stop trying to find out who I am.”

Professor Sreenivasan “I am sorry….. I cannot do that.”

The Entity got furious and Raju was seen flying across the room. It said, “I told you that if you don’t stop the consequences would be dire.”

Professor Sreenivasan “what do you mean?”

The Entity “already so many are dead. More people are going to die.”

Professor Sreenivasan “you have been responsible for all these deaths?”

The Entity “yes, who else?” With that, it gave a burst of shrill laughter.

Professor Sreenivasan “why are you doing this. Why are you killing all these innocent people?”

The Entity “Innocent! “ Hah!” “None of them are innocent. They are all murderers.”

Professor Sreenivasan “What do you want? “What will make you stop this?”

The entity did not respond and just said “stop or you will be responsible for more deaths.”

Professor Sreenivasan had the presence of mind to switch on his mobile camera and tape the whole encounter. The entity was waiting for a response when the professor said “I will only do so if you tell me your name.”

The entity gave a coarse laugh “hehe hehe hehe……… You think you are clever.”

This verbal form of ping-pong went on for quite a while and Raju kept on suffering. Finally, Professor Sreenivasan got exasperated and warned the spirit that if it didn’t give its name up the professor would not be responsible for his action.

The entity just kept looking at him with a bemused expression. The professor then took out his book of sacred mantras which he always carried with him and started incanting a mantra. The entity felt very uncomfortable the moment the mantras started and it left Raju and escaped through the window. Raju fell unconscious on the ground.

Luckily, Professor Sreenivasan had captured all of this on his camera. Now, though, he was exultant from inside that he had found the proof he was looking for. Also, now he could approach the police and show them his proof.

When he went to Inspector Rao and showed him the video, the inspector was still not convinced, yet, he also felt it to be strange too. His stand, however, was that being the authority, they could not attribute any death to any supernatural or otherworldly factor.

Professor Sreenivasan “I can understand that but now can I properly investigate from the beginning?”

Inspector Rao “yes but I will accompany you.

Professor Sreenivasan “okay. No problem.

Professor Sreenivasan along with his assistant and Inspector Rao started investigating these strange and unexplained deaths from the beginning. They first went to Irrutapan’s house and asked his wife Sushila some questions.

Professor Sreenivasan “did Irrutapan have any enemies?”

Sushila “No”

Professor Sreenivasan “how was he on the outside. Was he careful or reckless?”

Sushila “he was very careful sir. Especially on the road and he used to ensure that he follows all traffic safety rules and regulations. He also made me follow them.”

Professor Sreenivasan “how was he on the night of his death. I mean what was his attitude and behaviour?”

Sushila started weeping and said “he was calm and normal. He always had a smiling expression when he went out and came back. That day also, he was very joyous.”

Professor Sreenivasan “why?”

Sushila “because he was getting an increment.”

All this while, when Professor Sreenivasan was asking Susheela all about her husband, he felt that as if someone was watching over them. He also thought he saw a fleeting glimpse of the shadow of the entity. Before he could react or point inspector Rao in that direction the shadow had vanished.

He had this eerie experience in each of the interviews he undertook from each of the other victim’s families and residences.

Meanwhile, a rumour had started spreading in the city that “Naaleba has come back for her vengeance.” Even the media had picked up on this and was running big headlines of the story “Naaleba comes back to wreak havoc in the City!”

Everyone was really scared and it was getting difficult for the authorities to keep these rumours in check. When Professor Sreenivasan asked someone “who is this Naaleba?”

Everyone referred him to a local priest and an expert on such kinds of matters. His name was Subbu. Subbu was a middle-aged man and he claimed to know about this Naaleba. When Professor Sreenivasan asked him “what do you know of this Naaleba?”

Subbu “Sir, don’t take her name so lightly. She is present everywhere and can hear and see everything.”

Professor Sreenivasan “okay. But who is she?”

Subbu “her story is also very tragic. She was an old woman who lived 100 years ago in a village 80 kilometres from here.”

Professor Sreenivasan “what happened to her?”

Subbu “She was an old woman who was well-loved and respected by everyone. She was also a witch-doctor for the whole village.”

Professor Sreenivasan was surprised at this and asked “what happened to her?”

Subbu “misconception and superstition clouded the villagers on one occasion and they killed the old woman’s whole family and burnt her alive claiming her to be a witch.”

Professor Sreenivasan “that was very sad. Why didn’t anyone try to stop them?”

Subbu “Sir, everyone was overtaken by this belief that she was responsible for the deaths of young children and despite her protests of being innocent, no one believed her.”

Subbu “so an innocent family was killed and an old innocent woman was burnt alive alleged to be a witch.”

Subbu “before she died she put a curse and on everyone and promised retribution.”

Professor Sreenivasan “but why now?”

Subbu “Sir, she had said that she will take her revenge every 50 years from now on. She had come fifty years earlier and now again she has come.”

Professor Sreenivasan “how to stop her?”

Subbu looked scared but said that there was this house 80 kilometres from here. Maybe they should go there and try to find their answers there.

That night Subbu was walking to his home when all of a sudden he saw a shadow follow him. He knew that the entity was after him. The more he tried to run from it, the more the entity kept on following him. Subbu was terrified and in his fear, he did not see the open ditch and fell to his death.

Meanwhile, professor Sreenivasan, Inspector Rao and Raju, all had gone to this old woman’s house. It was an old, abandoned, derelict crumbling structure. Weeds and plants had taken over the place for themselves. When they had asked directions of the house from the locals, no one was terrified and no one wanted to help them. With utmost difficulty, someone had given them the directions.

Professor Sreenivasan was surprised and asked a group of people “why are you all scared and tight-lipped?” They replied “Sir, it’s a haunted house. Strange noises emanate from that place at night. Moreover, it is rumoured that whosoever has gone to that place has not returned alive.”

Hearing all of this Raju was reluctant to come along but Professor Sreenivasan convinced him.

Professor Sreenivasan “nothing will happen to you I promise I will protect you.”

Though Raju was unconvinced he still agreed to come along. Right from the beginning Naaleba, the witch put all kinds of hurdles in their path. All of them felt the temperature drop as they moved further.

The weather also took a nasty turn and all of a sudden strong winds started to hurl. Professor Sreenivasan knew that all of this was an attempt by the witch to prevent them. But he was determined to stop her.

Despite being physically hurled from one place to another, professor Sreenivasan managed to take out his sacred incantation book and also a bottle of holy water. Even Inspector Rao was surprised at all of this. He was a sceptic but he could not explain what was going on at that moment.

Anyways, despite heavy resistance, Professor Sreenivasan managed to complete his incantation and sprinkle holy water around the entire place. Each time the professor sprinkled holy water in any corner of the house, there came out an unearthly scream from that place.

Finally, the professor was successful in banishing the entity and peace and calm returned to the environment and the city also.

Inspector Rao was now a believer and he said “from now on I will believe in everything as this was the most strange case that I have ever dealt with.”

Professor Sreenivasan just looked at him and nodded. He was tired and just said “let’s go home.”

The End

Copyright@Rahul Banerjee