Deserted Land : Short scary story

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Desarted Land

When Mohan get out of the train, the railway platform was empty. This place is his in-law's home. He works in army as a soldier. Recently his wife is living here with her parents since he was posted at the border of the country. He got a letter from his wife to come and take her along somewhere else. The village was attacked by cholera. After receiving her letter Mohan applied for a leave. It took some time and his application was granted. Then he started his journey from a corner of the country to another. After a long journey, at last he reached at Sonapur rail station, his in-law's village.

It was afternoon. Only the station master was working in his chamber. There was no other person. Last time when he came here, the picture of the station was not same. However, he cam outside the station premises. He expected some vehicles to go to his in-law's house as usual, but he became dishearten when he saw the place was empty too. After that long journey, he had to walk two and half miles with luggage. Daylight was proceeding to the end gradually. He had to hurry. Otherwise it would be difficult to find out the way in darkness.

The village paths were also soulless. Not a single man or an animal was there. Both side of the narrow lane were covered with jungle. The ponds were covered with scum. The farmlands were barren. Some village huts were stood here and there lonely and broken. The village was surrounded by an uncomfortable silence and bad smells of rotten flesh.

Soon the day were at it's end. Mohan stopped in a mid point of three paths. They went in three different directions. He was tired. He had not much energy for a walk in a wrong way. He needed to ask someone about the right direction of his in-law's house. But there was nobody. He was thinking about what to do and looking all around. The daylight was being erased very fast. He had a torch light. But it would not be helpful for him in a unfamiliar area. He was feeling like every living object in this world had demolished except him.

Suddenly he saw a man in twilight, sitting on a broken branch of a tree just beside a pond, facing to it. Probably he was watching something in the dirty water of the  pond. Mohan became happy. At least one person who can give him proper direction of the way. He went near him and asked, "Excuse me! I have to go Ramen Acharya's house. Can you tell me the way?" The man didn't response him. But the response came from another side of the road. "Who is that?" An very old man holding a curved stick approached to him in that twilight. Mohan was surprised. Even a few minutes ago the village was totally abandoned, from where these people are coming? But he asked his in-law's address. The old man gave him direction with his shaking voice.

Mohan was walking on a path among those three and entered in a village. He had to cross two more villages to arrive his in-law's house. On the way he saw the place was not abandoned as he thought. Some women with long veil, were busy to  sweep and clean their surroundings. Some women were walking to the nearby pond with some kitchenware to wash them. On the steps of the pond some men were brushing their teeth. Over all the picture was  just like a beginning of a day. The evening scattered thin darkness everywhere. A slice of moon appeared on the eastern sky. There were many people in the next village. They were busy in their work. But they all were silent.

Mohan noticed a strange thing, when he was passing through the village path, the villagers stopped their work and stared to him astonishingly. He was feeling uneasy. Their gaze were not normal. He paced up to reach his destination as quick as possible.

When he came out of two villages, he expected that he was about to reach his in-law's house. But the path was so long. Suddenly he heard a very light sound of smiling behind him. He turned and saw some of the villagers were following him silently. When he turned to them, they hide themselves from his torch light's focus behind the roadside trees and bushes. Now Mohan became really panicked. What was happening around him? He started walking very fast.

He reached in a village which was familiar to him previously. But this village was entirely lifeless. But when he was passing by a jungle of bamboo trees, he was face to face with three ferocious village dogs roaring at him. When he stepped back, he saw those villagers. He was surrounded by them. Suddenly he heard a very familiar voice. His wife Shyama was there. He came back out of his panic attack situation. Shyama was holding an oil lamp in her hand and smiled at him. Mohan saw, there was neither any villager nor the dogs. Shyama said, "Come with me." Mohan followed her obediently.

When they entered into Shyama's room Mohan's watch was showing it was 8 pm. Shyama placed the lamp into the room and went out in the darkness. After a few minutes she returned and said, "Go to the bathroom and take a bath." Mohan was tired and sweaty. He wanted to take a bath.

After being fresh he entered the bed room. Shyama was sitting there waiting for him. She gave him some dry foods as snack. Mohan was hungry. He started to eat and asked, "Where is others?"

"They are sleeping." Shyama replied.

Mohan asked, "So early?"

"They all are weak after suffering from cholera."

"What was outside there? I mean those people?"

"I'll tell you later about it. Now I have to cook dinner for you. Lie down and take some rest here. I am going to kitchen." Shyama left the room with an another lamp.

Mohan was lying on the bed, probably was sleeping. He was tired but at the same time anxious. Shyama said that others in this house are sleeping. But he was hearing whispers around the room. The windows were closed. He felt some presence at other side and inside the room. Faint sounds of somebody's movements, sound of cloths and bangles, whispering, puzzled him. When the shadows on the wall took human shapes, he decided to go and spend time with Shyama in the kitchen. He felt uneasy in that room.

He took the lamp and went to the kitchen. But when he reached there, he saw through the kitchen door, Shyama was cooking something on oven. She stretched her legs inside the oven. Her legs were burning there as firewood.

It was enough for one evening. He collapsed down there with a loud wail.

When he opened his eyes and became conscious, he was lying on the bed of Shyama. An oil lamp on an upper shelf of wall was creating twists of light and shadow in the room. He sat on the bed. The upper portion of the room was enlighten by the lamp, but the lower portion was covered with thin darkness. He saw Shyama sitting at the door of the room. It seemed she was weeping. Mohan said with fear, "Let me go."

Shyama stopped her weeping and told him, "I can't do this."

Mohan felt sweat on his forehead. "I was your husband. Please don't kill me. Let me go."

Shyama replied, "You were my husband. And that is why I can't let you go now in this night. They are waiting for you outside this house. Me and my other family members are protecting you here. Once go outside, you will be in great danger. Wait for dawn."

Mohan got her point. He remembered what happened at evening. Shyama saved him from that danger. If her intention was to harm him, she could do it easily. But she didn't. He became eased with this thought. He asked, "What happened to you?"

"Not only me. Ours and our neighbour villages have emptied by cholera. When I died, there was nobody to give some water into my thirst. Who were alive, escaped from here. Nobody remained to burn the dead bodies." She stopped for a few seconds. "When I sent you a mail, still then our village was ok. But cholera spread out very fast and ended all of us. My body is still lying where they surrounded you under a bamboo tree."

Mohan was silent. His heart sank into deep sorrow. He loved his wife. But now, she no more belonged in this world. Who was sitting on the doorstep, had teared all the bindings with this world.

"Didn't the station master tell you anything?" Shyama asked.

"He was working on his table. Didn't notice me." Mohan replied.

"If you talked to him, you had not to suffer here. At least you could went back by the next down train." She paused and spoke again, "Now sleep a little. You have to do a long journey again tomorrow. We are here to protect you. Don't worry."

Mohan believed his wife, but the panic was not leaving him. He wanted not to sleep, but his tired and exhausted body was unable to be awake. So he slept there.

When he woke up, it was morning. The daylight was entering into the room through the gaps of the closed windows. Shyama was not there. He opened the window. A fine morning was welcoming him outside. He saw a portrait of Shyama and him hanging on the wall of that room. He took that picture and packed into his luggage. Then came outside and went to that bamboo tree. A half rotten body was lying there. Though it was half eaten by dogs or something, but still he could identify the body. He brought a cutter from inside the house and gathered some dry woods. Beside the pond he prepared a funeral and placed Shyama's dead body on it and flamed the furnace.

When he returned at the station leaving the abandoned villages behind, the station master was watching him with wonder gaping his mouth. He asked him, "Where did you spend the night young man?"
                  _______________________

Unintentional : Humorous short story

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Unintentional

Mr. Praveen Sharma is 35 years old handsome man. His wife is 30 years old beautiful woman. They have no child still now. Mr. Sharma is fun-loving person. Always he is happy in any circumstance. He attends all the parties wherever he is invited, and enjoys the party with other women. His wife Mrs. Sharma does not like this type of enjoyment of her husband with other women. She loves her husband very much. This love leads her envious to those woman. Mr. Sharma knows it. So he goes to meet more other women in front of his wife to prank her.

Mrs. Sharma thought that her husband is going to be perverted. Se wanted to control over him, but there was no such strong evidence against his perversion. He did nothing in her presence what could be judged in this way. She wanted to see his activities in absence of hers. Se was seeking a way to bring him into the line.

Once Mr. Sharma’s best friend invited them in his marriage anniversary. He and his wife told Sharma couple not to miss that date. That party was a musk party which was only for friends.

On the evening of the party Mrs. Sharma announced that she was not going to the party. Because she was not feeling well. Mr. Sharma tried with his best to convince her. He knew what was the problem with her. But she did not came with him. He became upset. But he had to go to his best friend's party. So he took his Spiderman dress and mask, and went there alone, awkward.

After one hour he left home, Mrs. Sharma took her new wearing and mask of a fairy including a pair of fine wings and went to that party.

Into the party she found her Spiderman in the middle of a number of masked women as usual. High volume music was obstructing their conversation to be heard. She went to the Spiderman and started flirting with him. The Spiderman soon was with her seeking a proper place to enjoy intimately. They went to the upper floor and pushed a closed door. Some men was playing cards there. At last they found a suitable place in another room. At last Mr. Sharma had strong evidence.

Mrs. Sharma returned home at 10 pm. She packed her fairy dress into her bag. She opened the main door with her key and found Mr. Sharma watching T.V in the drawing room.

Mrs. Sharma went into the bedroom and placed her bag in place. Then she returned in the drawing room. Sat on the sofa opposite to Mr. Sharma. Then calmly asked him, "How was party Mr. Spiderman?"

"It was boring." Replied Mr. Sharma.

"Really?" Asked Mrs. Sharma. "Then what did you do there."

"I was playing cards with some of my old friends in a room. Then left early. It was boring without you."

Mrs. Sharma felt uneasy. Her nerves were running fast. Suddenly Mr. Sharma's phone started to ring loudly. He took his phone and looked at the caller's name. It was his friend Rahul. He handed the phone to her wife and told her, "Receive the phone and tell him that I have left my phone at home. I am not at home."

Mrs. Sharma received the phone. Before she could say anything, a voice from another side entered into her ear, "Hey bro, thanks a lot for your Spiderman costume. It's very lucky costume. I had a lot of fun here. I got a fairy. She was wonderful. Thanks a lot again bro."

Mrs. Sharma blushed. Her face changed into red like tomato. She replied, "I am his wife. He is not at home and left his phone here."

"Oh! I am sorry. I thought it was Praveen, so I told those to you. “He was regretting. "By the way, Praveen told that you were not feeling well. How are you now?"

Death Trap : Short scary story

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Death Trap

Short Scary Story : Death Trap

Sankar was a village boy. He had completed school in his village. His father was a rich farmer. Besides farming, he had some other businesses like cold storage for vegetables, poultry farm, fishery. So when Sankar passed higher secondary exam, his father told him to join in his business. Though his elder brother Bhaskar also joined with his father after finishing school, but it was not enough. His father needed more help from family members. Because only two person can't manage all of these entirely. But Sankar was not eager to stop his education so early. He wanted to read more. He told his father about it. At first his father was reluctant but when Sankar's mother and Bhaskar supported Sankar's will then his father became agreed with it.

Now Sankar faced another problem. There was no college in their village. So he had to go nearest town and admitted there. This town was 10 km away from their village. So it was not possible for him to do up and down journey in regular basis. Obviously he needed a shelter in that town. Their college had no hostel facility. So he had to arrange an accommodation in that town.

His father knew it very well. For this reason he was not willing to send him college. Sankar was youngest boy in their family. So everybody loved him. Even his elder brother Bhaskar had no  feeling of sibling rivalry to him. Sankar was a soft hearted, introvert boy just opposite of his brother. Bhaskar was daredevil boy and he was famous for this in their village. He had a lot of friends and he used to spend all the time with them outdoor. Sankar was very much dependent on him in external world. Bhaskar was over protective to him. Nobody in their village had gut to misbehave with Sankar. Though Sankar was not that type of boy who deserve misconduct. He was brilliant, intelligent, gentle and sober. He had not much friends. He spent all the spare time indoor with books. Bhaskar started to take him along to the playground at afternoon and tried to teach him how to play football. At first some boys made fun of Sankar's introversion. But they had to face hard time with Bhaskar for that. After that, they accepted Sankar as their unskilful playmate, but soon the started to like him for his pleasant attitude.

Bhaskar was not studious. He had not much interest for higher education. So he joined his father in the business after passing school final. But he respected his younger brother's interest for higher education. So when he saw Sankar was willing to continue his study and his father was not giving him permission, he and his mother talked to his father and succeeded to win over him. With his parents Bhaskar went with Sankar to that town and tried hard to find out an accommodation. It was not an easy task. People of a small town don't want a stranger person as paying guest in their family, on the other hand usually they don't have a spare room to let it rent.

At last they found one room in a old house in a quiet area of that town. That house was old and only an old couple lived on the second storey of that house. They had a son and he lived in foreign country. So they lived alone there. The let Sankar a room for rent on the ground floor. Their maid servant will cook for him and will clean his room for some money. Sankar liked the atmosphere of that house. It was situated in the middle of a large garden. Though the garden was a jungle for lack of maintenance. Different types of fruit trees and flower trees were there. The atmosphere was unique for a serious student. Sankar lodged there within two days. Bhaskar promised him, he will visit Sankar as frequently as possible. His mother kissed his forehead while returning home and wiped her eyes with the edge of her cloth. Sankar promised her he will go back home every Saturday evening.

The college days were going well. Sankar made some new friends there. He was actually enjoying the college. One day the head of their department gave all of them a project. Sankar worked hard on it. At the previous night of the paper submission day, he had to work till late night to complete the papers. When he finished his job, he felt relaxed. It was 12 at night. He opened the door of his room and came outside veranda for fresh air. The July sky was dull and the weather was hot.

When he came into the veranda, it was dark all around the garden. Only fireflies were visible with their sparkling lightning. Sankar was fond of nature's beauty. He was enjoying the night time grace of earth.

He was feeling a strange light fragrance of something. At first he thought it may be an unknown flower, but when the light fragrance became sharp, he felt dizziness in his brain. He turned back to go inside the room. Before any movement he heard a sweet voice behind him. She was telling him, "May I have some time with you?"

Sankar was astonished. A good looking woman, may be 25 years old, pretty, fair, a decent appearance standing by him face to face. The fragrance was coming from her. When she smiled, her teeth was glistening like pearls by the deem light of veranda. The dizziness was collapsing his brain's work. But still he stood there face to face. A sharp feeling of pleasure was touching his 18 year's old heart. The woman introduced herself, "I am Nayana. I live here. But I didn't see you before. Are you newcomer in this town?"

Sankar was not thinking straight, though he told his name and the reason why hi is here. The woman Nayana said, "I haven't any friend. Though you are younger than me, but we may be good friends, if you want. I have nobody to talk."

Several questions were roaming into his mind, 'who is she?' 'what is he doing here at the middle of the night?' 'why is he feeling so strange at her presence?' But none of those questions he asked her. Instead he told, "Sure! You are welcome here any time."

"I can't come here anytime. My parents are very strict. The sleep at 12. I can come only then. And don't tell anybody about me. If my parents come to know about it, I'll be in great danger." Nayana said in melodious tone

They talked there in veranda till 1 pm at night. Then Nayana went back to her home. Sankar returned on his bed and slept instantly. He was not feeling well.

Nayana came next night and this night meeting was became into a routine. She used to come exactly at 12 and returned at 1 am. Sankar had observed, her movements were as silent as a cat and that strange dizzy feeling was obvious at her presence and after she left. Day by day his physical and mental health was going worse. He became weak and impatient. He started to do rude behaviour with his friends. He lost his interest on study. Even he stopped to go home at Saturday. When his parents came to meet him, he pretended everything was ok. Nayana became a great problem to him. He felt that he was not going at right direction. But he could not control himself. He had many questions, but never he asked her those.

One night he planned to avoid Nayana. He locked his room from inside and pretended to sleep deeply. But when it was12, he felt Nayana inside the room shaking him to wake up. What was only a doubt about her, it became quite certain to him. Nayana was sitting on his bed and the door was still then locked from inside. He asked her, " How did you came inside?"

Nayana laughed sweetly and replied, "I know some tricks. Nothing is impossible for me."

Sankar did not ask another question on this matter. He started to talk with her in some random matter and waited for 1am. After she gone, he felt himself more weak than previous hour. He lost some more energy with the dizziness and the pleasure. Soon he fell asleep.

Next day he did not go to the college and called Bhaskar with his mobile. Bhaskar came at the noon and when he saw his face, instantly he understood something was wrong with his little brother. Sankar was not same as last time he saw him. He became worried about Sankar's health.

He asked Sankar about it. At first Sankar hesitated to tell Bhaskar about the truth. But Bhaskar started to question him and thus the truth revealed. If it was told by another person, Bhaskar thought that it was an effect of weeds addiction. But he had a trust on Sankar. So he decided to stay at night there.

That night two brothers were awake till 12. But just then Bhaskar felt strong dizziness and soon fell asleep. He woke up 1:30 at night after a deep sleep and found Sankar was lying on the bed motionless. It seemed that all the energy were drained from his body.

Next day Sankar returned home with Bhaskar. Bhaskar did not dare to let him stay there any more. They told their parents everything. His mother became anxious about it. His father told him to stay at home some day and after a rest and treatment he will join college again. In between this time he will arrange other place for Sankar to stay in that town.

They thought that the danger was gone. But that night Sankar became to know that they were wrong. When it was 12 at night, he woke up with the same smell and dizziness. Nayana was there in his room. But she was not as pleasant as in that home. She told with fire in eyes, "Why have you came here without telling me? Don't think that it is easy to fool me. You know me since a long time. Do you really not understand what I am? I'll not allow you to be apart from me. If anybody try to interfere between us, I'll kill them. I want you."

"Why are you saying me these? I was not feeling well. I became sick. So my brother take me with him at home for treatment. I couldn't say him anything about you because you warned me. So I had to come with him. Don't you understand my physical condition?" Sankar told in a weak voice. Actually he was very weak.

Nayana became soft to him, " Ok! But come there yesterday. I'll bring you some medicine. You will be fine."

Sankar said, "I don't think that I can go there yesterday. I have not much energy left for a journey. Give me some time to gather strength."

"Ok! But if you don't go there, nobody will be able to save you from me. Remember it."

When Nayana left, Sankar woke his parents and told them everything. His mother started to cry. For the first time Bhaskar felt helpless to protect his little brother. Next day Bhaskar and his father went out to find out a spiritual help. At first they went to the priest of their village temple. He sent them to a experienced 'tantrik' who lived in burning ghat(samsan) in a remote village.

The appearance of that tantrik was not like a traditional one. He was an old man, lived in a temporary hut inside the burning ghat area. Sankar's father entered inside the hut while Bhaskar was standing outside. His father told him everything and requested him to go with him. But that old man was not willing to go with him. He told him, "May be your son is wrong. May be it is his imagination which is a common factor with a weak body."

Sankar's father said, "But my son never tells a lie."

"I didn't mean that." The tantrik replied calmly. "Previously in many cases I saw that it was not a genuine haunting. Fear, physical weakness, imagination, loneliness sometimes drive people in this way. Instead of me, you should visit a doctor........" He stopped when he saw Bhaskar outside his hut's door. He noticed something and called him inside. When Bhaskar came inside, the old man watched him for a long time then told his father, "You are right. I can see this boy is also in her shadow. Have you experienced something my child?" Bhaskar told him what happened that night while he was with Sankar." The old man took some equipment in his bag and told, "Let's go. I think your son is in a great danger."

When they returned home with the old man, it was evening. Sankar was lying on his bed. Tiredness was clear on his face. The tantrik sat beside him and asked him some questions after examining him. He was not sure what type of thing was that. At the night after meal he placed a handful rice in a piece of clothe and an uncut fresh lemon on it. Then he placed it inside the pillow of Sankar. He told others to leave the room. Sankar had to face her alone one night more. Though Sankar's mother was not willing to leave him alone anymore, but she obeyed that old man.

When it was 12 at night, all the members in that house fell asleep suddenly, only the tantrik was conscious. He also felt the fragrance from another room. After 1am at night, he woke other members of that family and came into Sankar's room. He was watching on the ceiling lying on bed. He became pale and more weak. Bhaskar wept watching his loving brother in that condition. His mother was crying. His father felt helpless and looked at the tantrik with hope. The old man pulled out the piece of cloth from where it was placed and opened it. The rice changed into the red dusts and when he cut the lemon, it was rotten from inside. The tantrik became serious. Sankar's father asked him, "What's the matter?"

Everybody in that room looked at the old man. He could not encourage them. Instead he told, "I can't handle this case. It is beyond my limitation. This object is too much powerful. No living mind can fight with it."

"Why is it after my son?" Asked Sankar's mother stopping her cry.

"He had welcomed it. So it is sucking all his energies to be more powerful. It is a type of parasite. A very cruel destructive force of nature. They can't do anything until you are not giving it an invitation. This child had invited it. So it is impossible to do them apart. Whoever will try to do it, will die in a very cruel way."

"Then what can we do?" Asked Bhaskar impatiently.

"There is no living mind who can fight with this type of parasite." Said the old man. He seemed thoughtful.

"If there is any trick to use it's power against it?" Asked Bhaskar.

The old man smiled widely. "That's a good idea. I like it my child. give me some time to think overnight. We will talk about it tomorrow morning.

Next morning the tantrik called them all in Sankar's room and told about his plan. It was a dangerous plan with high risk. But there was no substitute way. It was totally on Sankar's mental strength.

That night when Nayana came to his room, Sankar was awake. He told Nayana, "Forgot something?"

"Forgot?" Nayana was surprised. "What are you talking about?"

"Why are you joking? Today you came at 11 and returned a few minutes ago and you are again here now." Sankar said very calmly.

"Are you kidding me? I came just now." Nayana was still surprised.

"No you are playing with me." Sankar continued. "You came at 11 and asked, 'may I come'? I welcomed you as usual. Though you behaved strangely. Then you returned a few minutes ago. And again you are here. I have not much energy left today. Please Nayana, let me sleep. I am very tired."

"Are you sure I was here tonight at 11?" Nayana was serious.

"Forgot so soon?" Sankar pranked her lying on the bed.

"It was not me!" Nayana said.

"What do you mean?" Sankar rose up on his bed with tension.

"I mean it was another person. It was not me. It may kill you." There was fire in her eyes.

"Please save me. I am your friend, not other's. Please Nayana! I can't undergo any more. Please save me!" There was terror in his eyes.

Nayana thought for sometime. Then she told, " There is a way to get rid of it. But you have to go with me."

"Where?" Sankar asked.

"In a jungle outside of your village." Nayana replied.

"But it is a long distance. I can't go by myself." Sankar told.

"I can help you to reach there. But you have to return by yourself." She told him.

"Why are we going there?" Sankar asked. He was really terrorized now by fear. What she want to do with him?

"There is a herb in the broken wall of an old abandoned temple. You have to collect that herb. We can't go even near that herb. So You have to return alone with that. You have to make an amulet with it and hold wear it all time. But you have to keep it in another room 12 at night and when I will return, you have wear it again. Understand it?" Nayana gave him the instruction.

"Yes. Let's go." Sankar was ready.

Once they came outside the house, Sankar felt he was floating into the air. When they reached there, Nayana let him go and told him to collect that herb. Sankar did as per her direction. Then he returned home walking slowly. He heard Nayana was giving him the reminder how to use it, from a long distance.

The plan of that old man was successful. Next morning he made some amulets for Sankar and his other family members and gave them to wear those all time. Then he performed some rituals around their house with the rest of that herb.

After that night the way to Sankar was closed for Nayana. After realizing her stupidity, she tried some more days to persuade Sankar, but failed and gone from there seeking another prey.
                   ___________________

Mistaken : Humorous short story

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Mistaken

One night, two mischievous boys thieved two bags full apples from their neighbour's garden. When they finished their job, the owner of that garden suspected about their operation in the darkness of the garden. He came out of his room and chased after them with a torch light and a stick. When he saw the thieves climbed his boundary wall, then jumped and vanished, he started shouting, "Thief!" "Thief!" Soon other houses of the locality became animated at the middle of the night hearing that shouting.

Those boys ran and came near the church of that town. This place was not much populated like other parts of the town. There was a graveyard beside the church. One of the boys said, "Let's go inside the graveyard and divide these apples into two portion for us."

"It's a good idea. Nobody will come there." The other boy said.

So they entered into the graveyard. While crossing over the fence, two apples from their bags fell on the ground outside the graveyard. But they let them go. Because they had enough apples in their bags to count. They decided to pick them up later.

They sat upon a grave stone nearest from the fence and started to count those fruits loudly.

In the meantime a drunk man was returning home by the lane between the church and the graveyard. He heard two voices coming from the graveyard. He became curious about it and went near the fence. He couldn't see anything inside for the bushes of the graveyard boundary and it was too dark to see anything. He just heard two voices busy to divide something, "This is yours and this is mine", "This is yours and this is mine".

After hearing these, his intoxication vanished instantly. He ran to the church and started banging the door of father, " Father ! wake up ! Father !"

Father woke up and opened the door, "What happened? Why are you making noise at the middle of the night?"

"Father, come with me! I heard Holy God and Satan are dividing the souls into the graveyard!" The man was impatient.

The man was familiar to father. Father knew that, he was not a liar. Something really happened. He went with that man to the fence of graveyard. When they reached there, the boys were near the end of their job. Father also heard the counting, "This is yours and this is mine." He became spellbound. Suddenly he became anxious when he heard the next conversation.

The boys finished their counting and one of them told, "What about those two, outside the fence?"

Father started running inside the church along with that drunk man, shouting, "Oh God! Please let us go! We are still alive!"
                          ______________________

An Eternal Song : short story

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An Eternal Song

Santali festival of Spring

The Santals are an ethnic group, native to Nepal and the Indian states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. Santals are the largest indigenous tribe in India in terms of population. Their life-style is very simple. They struggle against poverty and sometimes this struggle lead them to starvation. They worship 'Marang buru' or 'Bonga' as the Supreme Deity. 'Sohrai' is the principal festival of Santali community. Besides that Baha, Karam, Dansai, Sakrat, Mahmore, Rundo, Magsim etc. are important.
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Santali woman with her children

Spring comes with the presentation of colour in hills and the jungles of Jharkhand. The buds of flowers woke up after winter and bloom themselves to welcome the Spring. Butterflies also leave the shelter of caterpillar (God knows who informs them) and come to join in nature's festival of colour. Trees wear green dresses of new leaves. Various birds come to fill the air with chirping.

The Santals, who live in the lap of nature, also join in this festival. The Santali villages inside and outside of the jungle start their festival of flower "Baha". Men and women attire in their tradition clothes and celebrates the festival in joyous mood.

The naikey (the priest) performs a ritual in this festival. A kula(a flat container made by bamboo skin) with flowers and leaves of the shaal tree is offered to a Jaherthan (the altar) and devotees pray to "Jaher Ara", the god. After performing the rituals, the naikey along with others goes from door to door with the kula to bless everyone. People in the household, in particular young girls or women, offer food to the naikey. The naikey's feet are washed with water as he is welcomed by a family. After performing the rituals, the second part of programme start with dances, songs and archery practice.

The shaal forest was ringing that afternoon with the bass sound of beating 'dhamsa'. It was sending message "Everybody come into the festival ground". Mungri, a 16 years old girl was preparing herself with flower ornaments to go to the dance floor of festival ground. Her mother was helping her. Other girls, who were her friends, came to call her. When they were leaving, Mungri's mother reminded them to go and offer flowers to Bonga. The girls agreed with her and continued walking.

When they reached at Bonga's sacred place, a group of boys were also there offering flowers to the Holy Deity. They were carrying madals with them. They were from their neighbourhood village. When they became face to face, Mungri's eyes stuck upon a boy among them. He was probably 17 or 18. Dark skin, sharp physique, wearing a green cloth, a garland and a cloth-belt around head with flowers and green leaves. The boy was also gazing at her while going with his companions. Other girls watched it and laughed in unison. Mungri became embarrassed and then joined with her friends to Bonga.

When they reached on the festival ground, the elder women already started the 'sereng' (song) of Baha parab. The girls placed brass container with leaves and flowers on their head and started their traditional dance. Mungri saw that boy beating madal and looking at her frequently. The whole community was enjoying the festival with their traditional music, food and mahua (an intoxicating liquor made from flowers of mahua tree). A wave of pure bliss overflowed the shaal forest.

When Mungri was returning home that night from the festival ground with her friends, thrilling tunes of cuckoo were echoing the nocturnal atmosphere in shaal forest. Though the full moon enlightened the world with it's silvery moonlight, they were carrying some flared sticks to walk through the jungle at night. The girls heard a footstep behind them. When they turned round to see what was it, they found that boy from the festival ground appeared to them and slowly handed Mungri some spring flower silently with demur. She accepted those flowers from him. They both were speechless, looking at each other. He had love in his eyes. She had shyness in her gesture. The cuckoo was thrilling them. Her friends were silent. It seemed that the earth had stopped it's movement.

The boy was returning to his village. Other boys of his group were standing in a distance with patience. Then one of them called him, "Sagun! Let's go! We are already late!" The boy returned to this world and unwillingly followed his companions and disappeared into the shaal forest.

Mungri returned into her consciousness when a friend pulled her with them. They were also late.

Mungri's father works in a coal mine as a labour. After the hard work of whole day, he use to drink 'haria'(a native alcohol

Santali village

famous among the tribes) and usually spend whole night under a tree. Sometimes he spends all his daily income to buy haria.

She had two elder brothers. They don't work and spend the whole day wandering into the forest and playing wild tunes in flute.

So her mother works hard to feed the family. But her works are not stable. Where they live, there is not much facility of jobs for an illiterate Santali woman. Sometimes she works in the crop fields of the farmers, but it is a seasonal work. Sometimes she works in local timber factories. She works hard, but the remuneration is very low. She can't manage to fulfil the daily necessities. Permanent insufficiency is one of her inseparable companions, it never leaves her. Poverty drives her from morning to night outside home in hard works. So, Mungri manages all the household works by herself at home. She maintains the room, cooks, serves food to her brothers, and when her mother returns home she takes meal with her. Then her mother carries lunch for her father and goes to work from there.

Santali old women

Festive season means no more hard work and only enjoy the contiguity of the community. But when the festival arrives to it's end, the daily routine pulls them into the harsh track of the monotonous life. Again they work hard to live. But Mungri's life was no more monotonous. A new episode of life was opened for her. Sagun started to come and meet her daily into the shaal forest and on the hillocks. He played his tunes with his flute for her. Her days became colourful with him.

After the spring, summer came with fire into the air. All the water tanks dried including the small streams. It seemed the sun became mad. There were no job for Mungri's mother. The timber mill were closed for uncertain time. The crop fields were dried as well. She tried hard to get a job, but failed. Then hard the days of starvation began.

When the family was suffering the hard days, an agent from Assam Tea Estate came to their village with a proposal of a job in the tea garden. Mungri's mother accepted that proposal. Though Mungri's father opposed it, but she didn't listen to him. At least she can feed her children there. Instead of that, some other families from their village were also accepted that opportunity.

One afternoon Mungri met Sagun to say 'good bye'. They both were speechless, holding hands. There were tears in Mungri's eyes. Sagun's eyes was filled with pain. An inflammatory sensation was burning his eyes and was obstructing his breath. When she was returning home at evening, Sagun was no more able to hold on his tears. He told Mungri, "We shall meet again. Don't forget me." Mungri wept and came back to home to be prepared for long journey.

Soon they started their new life in Assam Tea Estate. Mungri and her mother got job in the tea garden. They plucked tea leaves there with other women of various tribes. Her father got job in the tea factory where they processed the tea leaves. Her two brothers had no job there instead of roaming around. They got a hut to live just beside the tea garden. But the remuneration was also very low.

Life was very restricted here. The garden manager had recruited some people, who were known as 'Sardar', to watch over the labours. The workers had lost their freedom. A little delay was punished by whips of the Sardar. Even the women was not out of the whip's range. They had to work like animals tied with chain.

After whole day's hard work, they returned to their hut. Some people of their ghetto  sang their tradition songs. They missed their community life of the natural habitation. But they tried to keep their social practices by heart. They came from different places and different tribes, but here they lived like a single community. They sang together the wild music of the jungle. When they did so, they felt the jungle God 'Bonga' there, pleased on them. Sometimes the music continued till midnight. The spirit of jungle changed the atmosphere of the tea estate.

When a Santali or Munda boy piped his flute at the night, Mungri found herself back into the shaal jungle with Sagun. She could not able to concentrate on any house hold work that night. The memory of those days with Sagun compelled her to spend a sleepless night. Memory of swinging together into the jungle swing, laughing and running together on the rocks and hillocks attracted her back to their native land. Though there was no way to go back.

In this way, they spent there three years. Then suddenly the tea estate collapsed by a huge loss in market and closed for an uncertain period. The workers waited some day, but when they saw no sign of open it, they got prepared to return home.

It was the end of winter. After returning in home land Jharkhand, Mungri became very happy. She met with her friends and went to Sagun's village to give him the good

Santali village

news, but saw some of the huts of that village was empty. Sagun's hut was one of them. She became upset. She returned and asked her friends about Sagun. They didn't know anything about him. But they heard that some families from that village went to the city for job as labours of construction site. May be he went with them.

That year the festival of spring was colourless to Mungri. Though the beats of madal and dhamsa, fine tune of flute, traditional songs of Baha, flowers of shaal trees, thrilling notes of cuckoo were as usual into the jungle and hills, but Mungri found no spirit in it. Festival of pure bliss made her cry.

The first day of festival started with the colourful flowers of spring and the rituals. Mungri's mother prepared her for the festival ground as usual with flower ornaments. When her friends came to call her, her mother reminded them to offer Bonga some flowers.

All the girls were walking silently. They were sympathetic with Mungri. Arriving at Bonga's place, they offered some flowers and prayed for her. The southerly wind of spring carrying the fragrance of flowers. A tune of flute was ringing the air. Mungri kneeled down in the front of Bonga and started to cry loudly. Her friends were trying to ease her. But her eyes was overflowing with tears continuously.

Suddenly she felt a gentle familiar touch on her shoulder. Instantly she stopped crying. She thought that it was a dream. But when she turned back, it was reality. It was Sagun himself. She jumped on him and clung him tightly. She started again to cry louder.

Sagun brought some flowers for her. When he returned home that day of festival, he heard from his friends that Mungri came back and she was searching for him. He did not wait. He was impatient to meet her. Without taking any rest, he went to Mungri's home. There he met her mother and came to know that Mungri went for Bonga's sacred place. He came here and met her.

When Mungri became easy with her repressed emotions, Sagun handed her the flowers which he brought and kissed gently on her forehead. Mungri's face changed into purple  as she became shy. The girls laughed in their natural way. Mungri turned round from them to Bonga, and saw the God was also smiling.

She felt the festival of spring was no more colourless.
                     _______________

The Puzzle Game of Life

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The Puzzle Game of Life

Life is not a smooth way to walk. You may think that you are successful in life, well established and secured, so you can spend the rest of your life in peace; you are wrong. May be you are leading your life in your own way, difficulty comes from the out of blue. You will discover that everything is out of order; and whatever you used to think , in the new situation they are good for nothing.

My name is Rohan. I am 35 years old married man. I have a son, who is six years old chatterbox and a virtuous wife. I live with my parents under the same roof. I am loyal to my wife. But, at present I have a great question mark on my loyalty. This question mark has become as a challenge towards my peaceful life. I don’t know how to overcome it. I don’t know what I have to do. I love my wife very much. I don’t want to lose her and my son as well.

Sneha was my best friend from the primary school. Her father was a friend of my father. So, from very childhood we know each other. We are almost same aged. We went to same school, same college. I had a lot of friends in school, but she was special to me. Because she could feel my each and every emotions, mental states, way of thinking. She knew me better than I did. So, we were best friends even in that hard time of adolescence. She had not any girlish emotion like other girls. May be for those reason, our friendship was very strong. We used to play indoor games together, bunk college classes and go to the movie. Even when I practiced football or cricket with my school team, she used to wait for me and after the practice we returned home together.

I know you are thinking that we were a sweet pair of love-birds. Well ! Let me say; everybody around us thought that, even our parents were not exception. But they were wrong. We were just best friends. We had no feeling like love-birds to each other. Even, in my request, she had introduced a lot of her friends with me to chose a girl friend. Thus I met her and felt what is the meaning of “Love at first sight”. I was in love with her in the very first day and I felt that the vice-versa is also happening. I was 19 then and she was 18. Now I am 35 and she is my wife. Still now we love each other as those days when we were floating on the sea of first love.

As I said previously that life is not a very smooth way to walk. If life gifts you a beautiful presentation in a particular crossing of this way, it will surely take something off from you for the cost of that presentation. I got love of my life, but lost my best friend.

I was too busy in my new world to notice that I was not paying much attention to Sneha. At first a little rift grew between us and as time passed this rift increased. When I became aware about this, it was too late. After graduation, Sneha went abroad for higher education without saying me ‘Good Bye’. I knew about it from her parents when I met them in a family get together after three months Sneha left the country. A sharp feeling of pain covered me instantly. In that sleepless night I realised that it was my fault. I was so busy in my life and dating with my love that I even not met her three months long. It is very unusual for a best friend.

After that the struggle of the settlement in the life began. The whole Sneha-episode went down in the dark chamber of my mind. After her fathers retirement Sneha’s parents went to live in Delhi where she had settled down her life as a University professor. Sneha did not met me, even did not bother to contact with me after college life. She left her best friend without saying a “Good Bye”.

Last week I went to a wedding party of one of my college friend. After 10 long years I met Sneha. She has changed enough to recognise as my once best friend. She has developed her personality as per her profession. At first she started to avoid me in the party. But I forced her to speak with me. I asked about her husband. She threw a strange expression to me which was neither pity nor sorrow, and with a fake smile she told me that she is happy to be a single woman.

It was uncomfortable for me. She is not Sneha, who was my best friend. That expression with mixed emotion is totally unknown to me. That fake smile to me is quite unnatural for her.

After the party, when I was returning home, I asked her, “Why were you left me without saying a Good Bye?” She did not answer me. Though there was no need to say anything. We were out of the marriage hall going to the car parking zone. It was a moonlit night. In the bright moonlight I saw tears rolling down her cheeks. Instantly the whole matter was clear to me as that shining cloudless sky with full moon.

Her painful expression is killing me still now. She was sensible about all of my emotions and mental states. But I even tot tried to understand her feelings properly. But it was not my fault. I had not same feeling for her. But now, I am puzzled with my feelings. What ever I used to think, everything is going wrong. My whole world has been changed. I am no more able to think straight. I don’t know what I have to do. I don’t want to lose my wife and son. I don’t want to lose my best friend as well.
                      _______________

UpRooted : short story

short story

UpRooted

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At the middle of the night Sunita woke up on her bed. Her eight months old daughter was sleeping just beside her. Whole village was silent except continuous barking of the village dogs. It seemed, they were alarming the villagers for something unknown. Sunita drew her sleeping daughter into her lap. She kissed her forehead. Since last month, her husband Manu went Kolkata seeking a job. So she had to live alone in her hut outside the village. Neither her family nor Manu's family accepted their inter-caste marriage. Due to this avoidance from both families, she had learned so much things at her twenty years of age. She gained much courage to live lonely outside the village.

Her father was a rich farmer in their village. She was only girl child among three siblings. She had two brothers, one older and the other younger. She grew up with caress of her family.

She met Manu when she was in school. Manu used to wait for her on the way after his school. He lived in neighbour village. They were almost same aged.

After finishing school Manu's father wanted him to join into their family business of carpentry. But Manu wanted to study more. His father was not agreed with him. Because he thought that higher study is nothing but wastage of money. Manu became stubborn and the relation became worse with his father. At last his father gave up and agreed with his son. But he clearly told that, he could not carry the expenses for his higher study.

Sunita took a hand fan and fanned her daughter. The weather was dull. After continuous heavy raining since eight days, the rain had stopped that night. The prosy sound of rainfall had been over. Instead of that, the sound of crickets and frogs filled the environment around the hut. An unknown blurred sound was also coming from a distance. The dogs were howling like wolves. Sunita felt, there was something wrong. She wanted to enquire what was going on. But she did not dare to leave her child lonely at the hut, or take her along into the darkness of outside. She could not decide what to do at that time. She hoped Manu was with her. So she was seated upon the bed steadily. Her memories of those days were making an uninvited crowd into her consciousness.

When her father pointed out her love affaire with a boy from separate caste, he stopped her going outside the home. But she became disobedient to her family for the first time. Her father and elder brother tried to restrict her but she never heard to them. The home environment was changed entirely. She knew about the rage of her father as well as her brother. She started to meet Manu secretly.

One day her brother caught them and the consequence was worst. The family of Manu was threatened by her father, and Manu's father did not tolerate that. He became very strict towards Manu and stopped his study to engage him in a job and started to find out a girl who belonged their own caste, for him to marry. Sunita's father seized her in her room. One night Manu knocked on her back window and they escaped from their. They married in a temple that night and started to live outside the village in a hut which was belonged to Manu's father's property.

Since then, both of the families declined any relation with them. At first Manu started to work hard in the village farms as a helper. But it was not sufficient. When their daughter born, insufficiency increased. So Manu had to go to Kolkata to find out a job.

Sunita enhanced the flame of the lantern. She never put it off at the night since Manu was out of home. But the bright light of the lantern failed to encourage her any more. She felt uneasy with the situation. When the dogs stopped their noise, the world became silent at once. Not entirely silent. The strange blurred sound was quite clear then. It was overflowing the sound of crickets and frogs. That sound was well known to her. It was the sound of water. It was the sound of river Ajay, which was far away from their village ; but not so far at that moment. Sunita felt helpless. She needed help, but Manu was not with her at that time. She could not expect help from the other villagers, because they were also in danger.

As time passed, the sound of water became more clear. Sunita heard previously from her grand father about fierce hunger of Ajay. Last time when it became a demon, she was not born. But she heard so many times about it that she clearly understood what was happening.

Quickly she made a decision. She had to leave home. She had to escape from Ajay. She gathered all the necessary things for her child which she could carry with her. Tied them with a cloth. Then tied her baby with her body tightly by another cloth. In the meantime she heard shouting of people coming from the village. When she completed her arrangement, she saw Ajay at her doorstep. She looked around the hut for the last time and prayed to God. Then she came outside into the water holding the lantern in her hand.

At first she thought to go to her home. There were her parents, brothers, old grandma. But initially she changed her mind. There was water all around the village just like liquid death spread it's trap everywhere. In that darkness of night she might fall into the pond. She could swim, but it would be dangerous for her child. The water level was increasing in every minute. The current of water flow was pushing her at the other direction of the village. There were paddy fields of the village farmers. The high road at the end of that field was a high land than the level of the village. Some people also coming from the village at that direction. With quick steps she started to go to the high road. The water was at her knees.

When she was half of the way, the water reached at her waist. She was lucky that the flow of water was at the direction of high road. She threw the lantern into the water, held her belongings on her head. Her child was safely tied with her body. Hurriedly she crossed the rest half way to the high road.
When she reached there, it was dawn. The sky was dull though the light of dawn appeared splitting that dullness. The people there who also came from the village, told that, they were not safe even in that high road. They needed to go to the school building a mile away from there. Those people were experienced in this matter by previous disasters caused by Ajay. They knew very well what was going to happen after one hour or two. The school building was probably a safe shelter for them at that time.

At first Sunita was out of breath. When she got normal, became upset for her family. An aged woman among those people told her to hurry up and go with them. No time to waste.

Sunita followed them and took a shelter into that school building. Many other people from other villages came there and when the ground floor and the first floor of the building filled with water they came to the roof of the building. From there they saw most horrible scene. It started raining again. There were water everywhere. Only tree tops were visible here and there. Dead bodies of men and cattle were floating on the water. Smell from the rotten dead bodies filled the air.

After two days of starvation, they saw some boats were coming. The rescuers came to them and gave them some packets of dry foods, some bottles of water and a large canvas to built a shelter on the open roof. They had rescued those people who had not a shelter like them. Condition of those people were very bad. Sunita was not feeling well. She was feeling like vomiting. Her daughter was crying continuously. Condition of others on the roof was not better than her. But they survived there with help of the rescue teams.

At last the water level decreased and Ajay returned back to it's own track. Sunita went back with other fellow people to the village which was totally vanished from there. No sign of any hut or the crop field there. Half-liquid mud had covered the land. Only the big trees were standing steadily. The rescuers prepared for them a temporary shelter near railway station. Gradually those people who had survived, came there. Sunita was waiting for her family. But neither her parents nor her siblings came there. She grabbed her daughter tightly and wished Manu would come from Kolkata shortly.

That night an older man in the camp started vomiting vigorously. The health care provider of the camp declared it as cholera. At the next morning several other people were discovered being prey of that plague. An old lady from their village told Sunita, "What are you waiting for girl? Grab your child and go from here. Hurry on before it's too late."

Sunita found that the old lady was right. It was totally foolish to wait there for Manu in that situation. She took her child and her belongings and escaped the cursed place and went to the railway platform. She waited there. A passenger train came which was going to Kolkata. She did not hesitate to buy a ticket and get into the train.

When the train reached Kolkata, she got down and found that, it was another world. Rush of people was just like the water of Ajay. While into the train, she thought that she would find out Manu. But when she found herself among the rush of people, she lost all her courage.

At first she thought to stay into the station premises. But the rail police drove her away from there along some beggars. Then she came to the busy footpaths of Kolkata. At first she was puzzled by huge market place, different types of cars, buses, trams on the roads, ever rushing uncountable people, the noise of the city. But as time passed, she became habituated with all of these. Thus she spent two years.

Now she lives underneath a fly-over in Kolkata Metropolitan. She met there other refugees like her who came from different places and live in same condition.

At the morning, she feeds her daughter who has grown up into three years old now. Then goes to work in a factory. she is sweeper there. She takes her daughter along with her. Then she goes to the market place to collect wastage of the vegetables and foods from the trash. Then comes to the shelter and cooks. At afternoon she goes to work as house-maid. When her daughter will be grown-up enough to stay alone into the shelter, she would find out a better job. She will admit her into a school. She is well determined to struggle.

Still now her memories retraces her into the village, at her childhood days when she was a princess to her father and elder brother. Her brother did not want her to do any hard work at home. He even used to fulfil all her wishes as far as he could. When she collects wastages from the market trash, when hunger creates trouble in her intestine, when her daughter plays in the garbage of the city and tells slang languages learned from other children there, she wants to cry. When monsoon comes and waterlogs the city, the memory of Ajay shivers her entirely.

Still now she hopes, one day Manu will come to her and rescue her from this hell.
May be he is searching her too.
                       _________________

The Tigress of Sundarban : short story

 Short Story

The Tigress Of Sundarban

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When she born, her mother died at her seventeenth for some complex physical problems. The old woman who was an experienced 'dhai'(in rural areas who helps women to give birth of child) handed her over to her father. In the interior rural areas, a girl child was not welcomed in the same way as a boy. But her father accepted her with his heart and soul. He named his beloved child as Reba.

They lived in a village at Sundarban Wild Life Sanctuary. The village was situated nearby the core area of Royal Bengal Tiger reserved forest. Her father was a fisherman. He had not much time to accompany her whole day long. He worked very hard from sunrise to sunset for earning their livelihood. Her grandma looked after Reba at the day time. She had to obey all the hard rules of that old woman. She was not permitted to go and play outside as her will except the afternoon. But whenever she got a chance she utilized that very well and ended with verbal and physical abusing. But when her father returned home at evening, she got her freedom. Though tired, he accompanied his 'princess' as best as he could. He even refused to marry second time. He was afraid that his new bride would not tolerate Reba.

In the beginning of her adolescence she was fallen badly for a boy Lokhai, who belonged in a woodcutter family in their village. She was unable to hide her feelings for Lokhai from her father's eyes. When Reba was sixteen, her father talked with Lokhai's father and arranged their marriage. Then Reba's father tried hard to collect more money to pay high amount of dowry to Lokhai's father. He started to go to fishing even overnight in the back water of Bay of Bengal. Everything was going smoothly. But, before the marriage, he died. A fierce cyclone took him away while he was fishing in the Bay at midnight. Lokhai's father arranged another bride for his son from the neighbour village.

Reba's grandma could not bear the agony of her son's death and she passed away just after a week of that incident. Reba's maternal uncle took her with him. He arranged marriage of Reba with a man who was a honey collector and wood cutter, lived in that village. The man was 20 years older than Reba. But he loved her very much. He was a nice person. He was honest and caring to Reba. Reba was living a happy life with him, though She could not forget Lokhai.

Shortly she understood that happiness was not for her. She had only sufferings in her fate. One night Reba's husband went outdoor to response in the call of Nature, but did not return. Next day his half eaten body was found in the river bank jungle outside the village.

Now Reba left nobody except her maternal uncle. Her uncle offered her to go and live with his family. But Reba knew very well that his economical condition was not even sufficient. She would be a burden for him. So she returned to her father's property and started to work hard for living. Even she started to go to the jungle to collect honey with the group of woodcutters.

Other villagers did not take it easily. At the first place she was a woman and secondly, she was widow. An widow, going to the jungle, with a number of non-relative men, in the same boat, for a week --- these were totally unexpected in a village society. So, Reba had to digest different types of pranks from the villagers. But she had no time to listen to them. She had to survive. There were nobody to help her.

Lokhai was a member of that group. Lokhai talked to Reba only in this voyage outside the village. While in the village, they pretended as strangers. Because Lokhai had his family and his wife. Parul did not like Reba just like other villagers. But Lokhai liked Reba since his boyhood. They were good friends. Reba used to play with the group of boys. When Lokhai's father told him that he had to marry Reba, at first he felt embarrassed, how to marry a childhood friend? He could not sleep that night. Plenty of thoughts were distracting him from the sleep. As time passed, he started to feel a strong attraction towards Reba. He started to think her as his perfect soulmate.

When Lokhai came to know that Reba's father died and his father selected Parul as his bride, he became reluctant but he had to marry Parul to obey his father's decision. Parul was physically and mentally sick. Her behaviour was mean. She misdoubted that Lokhai was in extramarital, illicit relationships with a number of women in their village. Lokhai's life became a living hell. He was suffering the consequence of his father's greed.

Parul heard a rumour that Reba tried to seduce her husband in the jungle. One day she met Reba in their village 'haat'(village market for once in a week). She started shouting on Reba's face ignoring the crowd of the market. With plenty of poisonous words she attacked Reba, " You pervert! Don't even try to penetrate my husband. Otherwise I will kill you. I will cut you into pieces and feed the dogs. You shameless widow! Go and kill yourself, so that the villagers can live in peace."

Reba didn't replied. She stood there, calmly listened all the shits. When Parul paused out of breath, she smiled and silently walked away. People, who were enjoying the drama, was disheartened by this 'sudden end'. They sprayed away again in the market in their own business. But Parul stood there speechless. She failed to hurt Reba. Instead of replying her, Reba smiled on her face. This silent insult was beyond her digestion capability. She wanted to attack Reba physically. But she had not gut to do so. Because Reba's physical strength was not unknown to her. Surely she would lose the game and that would be shameful for her in the middle of the market.

That night Lokhai was lying on his boat. The moonlight changed the river into silver stream of fairy tale. The jungle of the remote island of Sundarban looked like reign of death in the darkness. The stars were twinkling on the September sky. The fireflies were busy to copy them in the riverside bushes. The fragrance of wild flowers, the chirping of crickets, occasional melody of some nocturnal birds, the rustling sound of waves, gentle cool breeze from river were easing him. Parul was worst to him that evening. Ignoring the mosquitoes Lokhai closed his eyes. Probably he was sleeping. A gentle touch on forehead woke him up. At first he could not determine who was that. After a while he felt Reba sitting on the boat. Quickly he moved in a comfortable distance and carefully looked around. Then asked in a worried voice, "Why are you here at this time? If anybody see us then?"

"Let them see!" Reba replied in a gentle and calm voice.

"Have you any idea of the consequence?"

"Yes! I have a clear idea about it. But I am not afraid."

"But I am. We have to live in society. If anybody see us here together, you will be in greater danger than me. You are woman. The villagers will point at you all the arrows they have."

In an amusing tone Reba replied, "So you want to say that, they have some arrows left to target me?" She smiled.

"Don't smile silly. Try to understand what I am saying." Lokhai was serious.

"Ok! Now take the food. I heard you left home without having meal." Reba handed him a packet of food and a bottle of water.

"Take it with you. I don't need it." He reused the packet like a stubborn teenager.

Reba didn't reply. Silently she placed the food beside him and left the place.

Gradually they started to meet outside the village in the darkness of night. Lokhai liked her company. He had to tolerate Parul for the sake of family and society. Parul was a mentally sick woman. She hated everybody except herself. Probably her complex physical sickness leaded her to cruelty. She used to satisfy her desires by abusing others verbally. Lokhai was her prime victim. So the family life was a living hell to Lokhai. He found peace with Reba.

In their next mission the woodcutter team went to the core area of the reserved forest without any permission of forest department. They were habituated in this illegal trespassing. When they reached there, it was afternoon. The lower portion of the islands were under the salt water of up tide. Only the upper portion of the mangrove forest was visible above the water level. They stopped the boats in the middle of the river between two islands. They had to spend night there. Reba took shelter in Lokhai's boat.

In that type of situations at least one person of each boat has to watch over to both side jungle and on the water. Otherwise minimum one person's death is sure.

Among eight persons in their boat, Lokhai was selected to watch over the first half of the night. He was sitting on the bow of the boat. Reba came and sat beside him. Lokhai took a deep breath and said, "Go to sleep inside. We are not alone here."

"We have not done anything wrong." Reba whispered into his ears then smiled.

"Is not our relationship wrong? You and me, both are married. I have a family still now, you ought to follow some social rules."

Reba placed her head on Lokhai's lap. Then replied in a soft tone, "Social rules? There are plenty of social rules for the widow women. But when a man loses his wife, society has no rule for him to follow. I don't care about so called society."

"I know that!" Lokhai gently touched Reba's forehead. "But you should care about God and his rules."

"God has no rule for me."

"God's rules are good for us."

"Not for me. God has arranged for me only sufferings throughout my life. I lost my mother at the time of birth. At my sixteenth my father gone. You are my first love, but you went away from me"........ Reba wept after so long time. She could no more control on her emotions which were repressed deep inside since her father died. She was a strong hearted woman. She used to hide her feelings from other person. But Lokhai was not just an 'other person'.

"But it was not my fault. I had nothing to do." Lokhai replied wiping tears from her cheeks.

"I know that. Just think about my sufferings. A man in my uncle's village married me. He had genuine love for me. I also liked him, but couldn't replace him with you in the deep of my heart. One night he was killed by tiger. Now I am widow at my 21. The villagers prank me because I go to the jungle with a group of male companions to collect honey. But what can I do? I can't fast myself to hold an image of holiness as they wish. I am not born to impress them. I have left nobody who care about me. I have to protect myself."

"But God............"

"God gave me the body and desires to stay alive. Society has created some rules to bury those desires because I am widow. Now you are suggesting me to stay alive eating those rules?"

Lokhai had no answer. In the bright moonlight the tears were glistening on Reba's cheek. He swept those with his fingers. They both were silent.

Suddenly they felt a huge jerking in the boat. They turned behind to see what was happening. Death was standing there in its wet striped body. Within a second Lokhai's neck was inside the jaws of that devil. At first Reba was spell-bounded. But when the rest six members in their boat started shouting, she saw the devil jumped into the water with Lokhai's motionless body. Reba took a cutter from the boat and jumped into the river without thinking about it. Other members of their group were shouting to stop her. She heard nothing. She was following the last shelter of her life. She will never forgive 'God'.

The team members did not dare to go to the jungle at the night to rescue them. It is the reign of death. 

Next morning they went down in the islands and searched for them. But, neither they, nor their remain was found. They were not eager to enter into the dense forest. Because it is another name of suicide. They had to live and struggle against their poverty. So they arranged a prayer for their soul and went to another island to collect honey.

It is a common incident in the life in Sundarban.
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In a Creepy Night : Short scary story

Short Scary Stories online

In a Creepy Night

short scary story : In a Creepy Night

Jeetu and Sandy were two friends since their childhood. They were well known for their mischievous nature. Every day they discovered some naughty ideas and used to apply them in the school, to the neighbours and even to their own family. Everybody was mad on those naughty boys. They were not harmful to anybody, but they were fun lovers.

They lived in a village beside a small stream. Not properly a village though; it was half town and half village. It was not much populated as an accurate town. Jungles, bushes, ponds were every where in that village. There was a church beside the river and a graveyard along with it. Mainly farmers lived in that village. A number of farm-houses with fruit gardens were there. Sandy's father was a farmer. Jeetu also belonged to a farmer's family but his father chose a different job as a factory supervisor. These two boys studied in the same class in same school. They always had bad ideas in their mind.

It was a hot summer day. They returned home from school as usual. They went to the playground at afternoon and when they were playing the Northwesters storm began to blow. All the boys ran to their home. After breaking down some trees, the storm consigned it's duty to the rain and the thunder.

It was half past eight. Sandy was doing his homework in his room. His mom was cooking something delicious in the kitchen. His little sister Pamy was playing on the floor with her dolls. She had invited Sandy for a dinner party of her daughter's marriage ceremony. Sandy was busy with his math problems. Suddenly he heard a gentle knock on the closed back window. He opened the window. It was Jeetu standing in the darkness.

"Who is that San'ny?" Pamy enquired with fear.

"Mind your own business brat!" Sandy answered her to make her angry and he got success.

Pamy ran to the kitchen screaming, "Mommy, San'ny told me 'brat'!"

When she left the room, Sandy looked back outside the window. Jeetu grinned and whispered, "Tonight we'll go to Chowdhury's mango garden. I have saw there previously, all the trees were full with ripe mangoes. Can you imagine what a treasure is waiting for us there on the ground after the storm? I will call you at ten. Stay ready."

Sandy nodded with consent and Jeetu vanished into the darkness.

It was quarter past ten. The rain had stopped completely. Two fearless boys were walking silently on the village lane. The lane was slippery. Frogs were celebrating their festival with music in both side bushes of the lane. Sandy brought a torchlight in his hand. But he was not using it. They didn't want to draw an attention with a light in the darkness. They knew all the lanes in their village very well. No light was needed for them. Suddenly a pack of jackals called in unison from somewhere.

"I heard that Chowdhury’s mango garden is a haunted place." Sandy told Jeetu to break the silence. "Are you sure it is a good idea to visit there at night?"

Jeetu smiled. "Don't be afraid. I am with you. But we have to be careful about the guard. And don't use your torch there."

"Then how can we determine where the mangoes are?" Sandy basked.

"Mangoes are everywhere there. Ok you don't have to pick those up. You only hold the bag. I will gather them. If you use your torch, the watchman sure will catch us." Jeetu assured him.


Sandy asked him, "But I heard, that place is haunted."

Jeetu smiled again, "I also heard about it. That's a rumour only. If you are afraid, you can go back home. I'll go there alone."

Sandy became silent. He is not afraid till he is with his best friend.

When they entered into the garden, It was pitch dark. Sandy told, "Hey bro, can't see anything." Jeetu replied, "It's not a problem. This garden is well known to me. I can walk here without a light. Let me hold your hand."

Sandy got a shiver when Jeetu held his hand. Jeetu's hand was as cold as ice. He felt a  chill wave of awkward sensation into his spine. All his courage disappeared instantly. He asked Jeetu in a shaking voice, "Why is your hand so cold bro?"

"Shut your mouth up and come with me." Jeetu replied and started to pull him into the middle of the garden.

They stopped in a particular place. Jeetu told Sandy, "Stand here and hold the bag. I am gathering the fruits." Then he gone into the darkness Sandy didn't know where.

From there Sandy saw the guard sitting on a cot with a almost blind lantern outside the garden. Jeetu came with some mangoes and put those into the bag. Sandy was standing under a tree. A few drops of rain water fell on his head from the tree leaves. Something was crawling on the ground. It may be snake. He whispered, "Jeetu, where are you?" Jeetu replied from a short distance of two or three feet, "I am here coward! Don't make a noise."

That object might be a snake, started to scrawl on his toe and it tied his leg tightly by it's coil. Sandy didn't wait any more. He forgot about the guard and lighted his torch. There was nothing on his leg. But he still then was feeling the sensation of coil which was pulling him towards the ground. He focused the torch at front to find out Jeetu. But he was not there. He searched for Jeetu all around no one was seen. A great panic attacked him. That invisible thing was pulling him continuously to the ground. He screamed with horror, "Jeetu! Where are you?" Instead of Jeetu the guard Shouted, "Who is there?" and started to come tracking the light of the torch.

Suddenly Sandy felt that the coil got loose. At the moment when he became free, started to run to the entrance of the garden. He felt worried for Jeetu. But he had no more gut to go back there. He stopped running when he was at the back door of his house. Then silently entered into his room and took his bed. He could not sleep that night. He left his best friend into that cursed place.

Next day was Sunday. Usually Sunday was 'fun-day' for Sandy. But that Sunday morning was bitter to him. When he got permission from his mom to go outside, he reached at the riverside play ground by the church. People were coming into the church for prayer. He saw other boys in the playground. He asked one of them, "Where is Jeetu?"

He replied, "Don't know."

"Have you seen him today?" Sandy became worried."

The boy asked, "What is the matter? Why are you so impatient?"

Sandy told them what happened last night.  Everybody became stunned. One among them told, "Why were you guys went there? Didn't you know about that place?"

"I heard about that. But Jeetu told me that it is a rumour only. Nothing about it is real." Sandy told them.

"No! It is not only a rumour bro! You are lucky one that you have escaped it. That place is really a haunted place. At least after listening your experience, I have no more doubt about it." One of the boys said.

"May be it was my illusion. Think that, if that place is haunted, then how the guard is doing his job there?" Sandy explained.

The boy placed his hand on Sandy's shoulder and told in a calm voice, "You saw the guard last night. It proves that the place is haunted."

"But, how?" Sandy asked.

"Because the guard has died two or three months ago. He committed suicide hanging from that tree in the garden where  his son died last year in Northwesters storm. His boy was of our age. He was gathering mangoes during the storm. A large trunk of that tree broke down and smashed his skull." The boy informed Sandy.

They all became silent. One of the boys told, "Let's go to Jeetu's home to know what happened to him?"

At that time, Jeetu came there with his parents. His parents entered into the church. Jeetu came into the playground. When he saw Sandy he came to him and told him, "I am sorry bro. Last night when I was leaving home to go Chowdhury’s garden, my dad caught me. So I could not go with you. We'll go another night. Ok buddy? Please don't be mad on me."

Sandy could not find out a single word to say.
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