Curse Of The Werewolf

The clock struck twelve at midnight. Sandeep Verma was still browsing through files in his laptop. He eyed his snoring wife with a tinge of jealousy. " How I wish I could sleep like her!" he thought while going through a file of murder cases. He finished his work within an hour and went to sleep.

Sandeep was a CID officer living in Tiger Hills, Darjeeling. He was 32 and recently married an American National Susie Bertrand during his trip to The US. He went there to attend his brother's wedding. His brother Kapil introduced him to Susie who was his colleague. They went on dates, and finally got married after getting their parents' consent.

Susie loved India. She agreed to move with him to his ancestral house in Darjeeling. They came back to India after their honeymoon in Paris. Susie learned to cook Indian food, and won over the hearts of her husband's family. Susie was a twenty-eight-year-old blonde with sapphire blue eyes. Her dazzling smile and dimples made her irresistible to all.

It was two months since they came to India. Susie got along very well with everyone in the neighbourhood. They would greet her with a smile and often turned up to visit her. They were curious to know about this foreigner. She began to teach English to their children.

All good things must come to an end.

Sandeep noticed a change in her behaviour after a few months. She preferred being alone and stopped taking classes. She didn't feel like going out. She also started getting irritated over trivial matters. Sometimes he found her waiting for him in a skimpy outfit or even nude. He scolded her, " What's come over you? You are not supposed to be without clothes except for the bedroom."

She exclaimed, " I am sorry, honey. I don't know what's wrong with me. I love being alone. I have stopped talking to everyone including my friends and parents. I hate wearing clothes, and I feel like visiting the woods."

Sandeep said, " I think it's time for us to visit a counsellor. Let us find out the reason for your weird behaviour. I will fix an appointment for you."

They visited Dr. Abhijeet Bannerjee, a psychiatrist on the following day. He made Sandeep wait outside, and had a lengthy conversation with Susie. He asked Susie to call Sandeep. He remarked, "Susie seems to be having a mild bout of depression. I have prescribed some medicines including an antidepressant. Let's meet after a month."

Susie responded quite well to the treatment for the first fifteen days. All the hell broke loose on a full moon night. Sandeep had successfully solved a murder case. He came home earlier than usual. He rang the doorbell which was opened by his maid. He was surprised because Susie never failed to greet him. He went to his bedroom and found her lying in a pink nightgown. He covered her with the bedspread. He left the room cursing himself, " Why did I end up falling in love with this troublesome woman?"

It was a full moon night. Sandeep finished his work and went to sleep. He woke up at around 2.00 AM as his throat was parched. He was dismayed to find his wife missing.

He thought perhaps she might be in the bathroom. He had a glass of water and went back to sleep.

He woke up at 6.30 AM and saw that Susie was still sleeping. He was taken aback to see blood stains on her nightgown. Her mouth too was covered in blood. He shook her vigorously to wake her up. " For God's sake, please get up, " he said with a note of panic, " Where did you go last night? How did you get yourself smeared with blood?"

Susie was scared and confused. She looked at her clothes and screamed aloud before passing out. Sandeep sprinkled water on her. She slowly opened her eyes and pleaded her innocence. She said, " Please, believe me, Sandeep. I don't remember anything at all. I hope I didn't murder anybody." Sandeep wanted to believe her. His heart melted on seeing her in distress. He also had a weird feeling that she had murdered someone without her knowledge. He heard someone pounding on his door frantically. He went to open the door. It was his neighbour, Vineet Chatterjee. He panted for breath while Sandeep offered him water. He regained his composure within ten minutes. He said, " Sandeep Babu, there is a mutilated corpse of a young man in your backyard. I happened to see it while I was watering my plants."

Sandeep followed him dreading the sight of the body lying ahead. Sandeep almost vomited on seeing the body. The dead man must have been in his thirties. Chunks of flesh were missing from his thighs exposing the bones. Vineet turned his face away in disgust. Sandeep saw the drag marks stretching from the back gate to the yard. His house was situated just on the edge of the dense forest. He assumed that some animal might have killed him. He called the police who arrived within half an hour. They sent the body for an autopsy. Sandeep told them about his wife's mysterious behaviour. Though he loved Susie, he was a law-abiding officer. He felt that he should not shield her merely because she was his wife. The police grilled her for more than an hour. She came up with just one answer " I don't know" for every question. Sandeep asked her to change her clothes and handover this bloodstained nightgown to the police.

Susie knew she was in trouble, but she managed to keep a straight face. She neither admitted her crime nor pleaded her innocence. Sandeep sought permission from the Assistant Commissioner of Police to place his wife under house arrest. He produced the necessary documents to prove his wife's mental instability.

Sandeep applied for ten days' leave for taking care of his wife. He took her to Dr.Bannerjee for consultation. Dr. Bannerjee's face drained out of colour on hearing Susie's problem. He called Sandeep aside and said, " Your wife has a different kind of problem. I can't handle her case. My friend Kaushik Bose is an expert in occult studies. You should consult him for her treatment." Sandeep scoffed at the idea.

He said, " I don't believe in that nonsense. How can a learned person like you even suggest such a thing? What makes you think that her abnormal behaviour is due to black magic or exorcism?"

Dr. Bannerjee entered her diagnosis in Google. He asked Sandeep to look into his laptop and go through the result. Sandeep's eyes widened in horror as Susan exhibited all the symptoms for a werewolf.

Dr. Bannerjee said, " You are finding it difficult to accept that your wife is a werewolf. Observe her behavior until the next full moon. Follow her without her knowledge to see what she does in a subconscious state. Keep some meat in hand and throw it in her direction if she tries to attack anyone."

Sandeep decided to follow his advice. He wanted to see her true identity. Dr.Bannerjee also gave him a tranquilizer dart gun. He said, " Use this only if she transforms into an animal and becomes aggressive. Do some research on her medical history. Ask her parents if she experienced these kinds of problems when she lived with them. Kaushik will need these details before he could offer any suggestion."

Sandeep thanked him and took the tranquilliser from him. Dr. Bannerjee always stocked them in large quantities for his friend who was a forest officer. Susie was curious to know what was wrong with her. Sandeep evaded her question and avoided direct eye contact with her. He gave a curt reply, " We have to meet another specialist within a month. He has asked you to continue the medication until the next consultation."

Susie did not probe him further. She knew he did not want to disturb her with the bad news. He closely monitored her movement for fifteen days. She did not show any sign of mischief. Her mood swing began just a couple of days before the next full moon night. Susie woke up all of a sudden on a full moon night. She got down from the bed and crept stealthily out of the room. Sandeep followed her surreptitiously carrying some meat and a tranquilliser. She was slowly transforming into an animal. She opened the door and stepped into the backyard. She grew whiskers in her pretty face and twitched her nose. She let out a howl and now became a full grown wolf.

Sandeep stopped himself from screaming.

She leaped over the gate and was about to attack an old tramp sleeping in the pavement. Fortunately, he threw the piece of meat in front of her to save the old man.

He aimed at her while she was still eating and hit her with the tranquilizer dart. The drug had its immediate effect. The wolf became unconscious for the rest of the night. Susie resumed her original form at the break of dawn. Sandeep couldn't sleep out of fear. He couldn't believe that his beautiful and innocent wife was a monster. He let her sleep for a while and called her after preparing the breakfast. He went to his office and tried to concentrate on his work. He called her parents who were shocked to learn that Susie was a werewolf.

Susie's mother Martha said, " Now that you mentioned about her being a werewolf, I just remembered something. She went on a hunting expedition with her friends Sarah, Carla, Katie, and Rhonda. She had bagged a female wolf as her trophy and wanted to make a coat out of its fur. She got it made from a trendy fashion designer. She flaunted it whenever she went to a party. I think her malady must have something to do with her killing a wolf. Why don't you ask Rhonda?" She gave him Rhonda's phone number and email ID. Sandeep thanked her and dialled Rhonda's mobile number.

Rhonda picked up his call and listened to his tale of woes about Susie very patiently. She said, " I am sorry to hear about Susie. We went on a hunting expedition. We saw a mother wolf playing with her cubs. Sarah, Carla and I requested Susie not to kill her. We urged her to move on and hunt some other animal. She did not listen to us. She killed it and took a selfie with its carcass. She posted it on Facebook. She drew many nasty comments. An old woman named Lydia Shellworth cursed her that she would become a werewolf on a full moon night. I think that lady who cursed might have some supernatural powers. I don't know the remedy for her problem."

Sandeep expressed his gratitude and disconnected the call. He took out the visiting card of Kaushik Bose and called him. The latter asked him to come immediately. He gave the directions to his office.

Sandeep told him everything about Susie. He asked Kaushik, " Is there any way to cure her? I am willing to do anything to get her liberated from the curse." Kaushik replied, " If you truly love her, you must kill her. There is no other alternative. You can't cure her by amulets or sprinkling holy water. She would get a reprieve only on her death. You have to use a silver bullet in your pistol. A silver bullet is dangerous for a werewolf. The curse will cease to exist after her death. Keep your emotions aside and think like a true CID officer. She will continue to attack people as long as she lives. Your life is in great danger. Her life and death depend on your decision. Consult her and her parents for their opinion. I am sure you will take the correct decision."

Sandeep was devastated when he heard this solution. Susie was his life and his soulmate. He couldn't bear to live without her. Tears trickled down his eyes, and he cried his heart out. Kaushik comforted him and gave him twelve silver bullets.

Sandeep came out looking crestfallen. He wondered how to tell Susie about his predicament. He mustered the courage and called her parents. They heard him and gave him their consent to shoot their daughter if necessary. Susie's father said, " You are not killing her deliberately or out of spite. You are doing a favor to her by getting rid of all her troubles. We have nothing to complain about you. You are like our son. We respect and stand by your decision. Death is inevitable for all. People have always died sooner or later. Maybe our daughter was destined to live on this earth for twenty-eight years. We know that you have tried your best to find an alternate solution. Don't punish yourself by feeling guilty. I am sure Susie will voice the same opinion as ours. You are the best thing that happened to her. We are proud of you. Just keep us informed about the date of her execution and her cremation. Please feel free to cremate her according to your customs."

Sandeep had never seen anyone so considerate in his life. They pleasantly chatted with him and offered their wholehearted support. Sandeep came home looking distraught. He could not face Susie. She was her usual self. She opened the door for him and welcomed him with a kiss. She prepared tea for both of them and sat beside him holding his hands.

" What's wrong, honey?" she asked him in her birdlike voice. He answered, " I have a headache. That's all. There is nothing to worry about." She forced him to tell the truth. Sandeep told her everything including the conversation with her parents. Susie showed no signs of fear or anxiety. She smiled at him and said, " I am not afraid of death. Death is just another journey to heaven or hell. I am willing to die at your hands. Please help me traverse this difficult path between a cursed life and death. I am fed up of running around like a werewolf and killing innocent people. Please be my knight in armor and rescue me from committing sins. My death should be a lesson to all those women who beautify themselves by killing poor animals. They wear fox fur and mink fur coats to display their fake wealth. It's a pity that we realise the value of life only when we are on our deathbed. I am paying for my sin. I was foolish to ignore Rhonda's advice and killed a mother wolf. I deserve nothing less than death. I want to spend a week with you before my eyes close forever. Promise me that you will cremate me according to the Hindu tradition. I want you to immerse my ashes in the Ganges to absolve me of my sin. I have always loved you. My soul will continue to love you even after my death. Please forgive me for being bad. You should not lose your courage, or my soul won't be able to rest in peace."

Sandeep started weeping like a child in her arms. She consoled him and said, " You have to do this for my sake. My life is a miserable hell because of my stupidity. I don't want to murder anyone. You are not only my husband but also my best friend. You put up with my indecent behavior merely out of pure love. I may leave behind my physical body, but my heart and soul will be with you."

Sandeep hugged her and promised to carry out her request. She had already fixed the date of her execution. They enjoyed each other's company before parting ways.

On the date of her execution, she wore a traditional Indian bridal saree with vermilion on her forehead. She looked like an angel. He lost himself in the large pool of the loveliest eyes.

She asked him to go ahead, and pull the trigger. His hands failed him miserably. She urged him not to keep her waiting and carry out his task. He pumped the silver bullets into her body with a heavy heart. She gave a feeble smile and said, " Thank you, " before breathing her last into his arms. He wanted to kill himself. However, he remembered his promise to her.

He performed her final rites as per her wish. He also immersed her ashes in the Ganges. His parents, friends, and Parents in law expressed their condolences. He would have been a dead man without their love and support.

Sandeep kept himself busy so that Susie's memories would not haunt him. However, he could not forget her.

One night she appeared in his dream wearing her white bridal gown. She smiled at him and said, " I have kept my promise. My soul continues to live in your heart. I will continue to live there as long as your heart beats for me. I forgot to give you a parting gift. You will get it tomorrow morning. Don't forget to look out of the window."

He woke up feeling very happy. He opened the window to let the sunshine enter his room.

He saw a bright red rose-waving at him from the garden. He rushed out to enjoy his wife's gift. Susie had planted the sapling after they moved here. Susie continued to live with him even after her death.