A scary story

A scary story

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It was December 12th of the year 1967.

I found myself  alone in the compartment with a book in my hand and a small jute bag on my shoulders having nothing of importance yet which gave me the feeling of a traveler. One’s possession is always like a treasure to him and the jute bag was a real treasure for me as it contained two times meals for me. Silence in the whole compartment was frightening and ominous.  I was the lone passenger in the compartment and it did not bode well for my onward journey.  Train was passing through chambal gaati in MP, infamous for it being decoits infested area. I was scared what if dacoits stop the train and loot me of my belongings! ! Fear engulfed me when the train stopped. It was pitch dark outside. I gathered courage to come out of the compartment and to my relief I found a small station outside. The strangest thing was that not a human soul was in sight and a solitary light dimly expanding the shadows in octopus like shapes gave me the creeps. As soon as I retreated inside my compartment, the train jerked and then started. The wind gushed in. Three persons entered into my compartment. I, tightening coat and shirt purchased with my hard earned money with one hand and clutching my jute bag with another, sat in the corner of the wooden berth near the window. They were looking nothing like decoits. No guns in hand, no masked headgear, no big moustache and not heavily built yet I was waiting for them to pounce on me to loot me.  When nothing happened, I got relaxed and started talking to those unknown co-travellers. Soon everyone was talking and laughing. Shortly the topic of talk veered around the ghosts. I never believed in ghosts so I was on one side and those three were on other side. There was a hot discussion. At the end, I got up and said, “gentlemen, you may not agree with me but the fact is that I don’t believe in ghost in this scientific age. Ghosts are nonexistent.”

One of them stood with dangerous posture and said,” you have to 

agree fool” and saying so he vanished. I was left speechless and 

wide eyed.

“What is your view now?” said the second one and he also 

vanished. I was about to faint with fear.

The third one asked,  “shall I also leave, if you say ?”

“No” I shouted, “at least you don’t leave me alone. If you also 

vanish, I will faint and the decoits will loot me. I prefer to be in the 

company of ghosts rather than be looted by decoits. Damn my 

scientific ideas.” He smiled, patted me and vanished. I simply 

fainted feeling as if I was thrown into a deep ravine.

Someone was heavily patting me and I saw my co-travellers 

laughing at me. To my chagrin I found that  I had fallen down from 

my lower berth to the floor. Actually while reading a horror novel, I 
had fallen asleep and my sub-conscience had been playing tricks 

with me.

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By Tribhawan Kaul

kaultribhawan@yahoo.co.in

kaultribhawan@gmail.com