Real or Surreal? - A Short Story

It wasn’t often that Shana went on a trip twice a year. Her parents weren’t that rich but they made decent money. Still they would have to cut a few expenses, looking out of the car’s window. “Tell me once again why are we going to this trip?”, asked her brother, Neel clearly irritated with this sudden plan. “We all could use some fresh air. Detox from technology and some time away from the city air will do you both good, her father said looking pointedly at Neel who was busy texting. Her mother excitedly said, “Besides you have no idea where I grew up. Just experience the way people live here, with hardly any electricity and definitely no internet”. “Well now I know how great this weekend trip is going to be” Neel huffed and went back to texting. It was almost noon when they reached her mother’s hometown. As they passed through the streets people looked up from their work to stare at the four-wheeled vehicle passing through the village. She saw a couple of men wearing dhotis sitting on a charpoy under the shade of a banyan tree to protect themselves from the heat. A smile came upon her face as she saw children playing with sticks and tires. Men and women were working on the fields, backs bent and sweat glistening on their foreheads. Soon the car came to a stop. In front of her stood a large house which her mother explained was called a haveli. “This house was built by my ancestors where I and my cousins lived together. We spent our whole childhood here, playing in the mud and doing what not. I am sure you will like this place”, her mother said as she reminisced her old days. As they entered the haveli they were greeted by an old woman standing at the door with a walking stick. “Namaste”, she said joining her hands. “How big you have grown Shailja and now you have children of your own”, she said looking at her. “Come in and freshen up. This place is still the same as the time when you lived here”, she said and beckoned them inside. The haveli opened into a courtyard surrounded by a couple of rooms and a kitchen. A tulsi plant stood in the middle of the courtyard along with a hand pump to draw water. More rooms were built on the first floor followed by a terrace overlooking the village. “Follow me. I will show you to your rooms”, the old woman said to her and Neel. “You both have your rooms on the first floor while your parents’ room is on the ground floor. Do not come outside of your rooms during the night. Ring the bell if you need anything”, she said pointing at the bell fastened to the door with the help of a rope. “Cool”, her brother said and jumped on the bed. “This isn’t a time to sleep. Get up! Lets explore this place”, Shana said nudging her brother. “Fine. Anyways I have to search for a signal in this dusty place. I can’t even send a single message”, he said as he got up. “You are not going to find one”, she replied and went out of the door. “Mom! Dad! , can we please go out and explore the village”, Shana asked her parents. “Only if you take Bunty along with you. He knows his way around the village”, her mother said and introduced them to the old woman’s grandson. “Come back before sundown”, her mother shouted as they exited through the door. Bunty took them to the temple in the middle of the village. she thought

“So this is the village temple which was constructed by one of your ancestors. Every year during the festival of Holi, the goddess’s idol is taken around the village on a palanquin. It is believed that she blesses every household with prosperity and compassion”. Shana was in awe as she heard about the interesting customs and traditions followed by the villagers. Her brother, completely bored and unsuccessful in finding a signal, pointed at one of the houses situated at the far end of the street bordering towards the forest. “Whose house is that?”, he asked Bunty. “Say no more let alone look in that direction. Unless you wish to incur the witch’s curse. People have gone inside that house but have never returned”,Bunty said with a grim expression. “It must be one of those stories that are made up to scare children”, Neel said to Shana. “Mom told me she used to hear such stories when she was little. It’s nothing but a story”, she replied. “Can we at least go up till there?”, Neel asked Bunty pointing towards the well situated a couple of metres away from the house. Bunty nodded but his expression conveyed his fear. As they neared the well, they could feel the cool wind from the forest brushing past them. Shana peered into the well and saw nothing but darkness. “It hasn’t been used in years. It has been closed since before I was even born”, Bunty told them. Sun was setting so they started in the direction of the haveli. As Shana sat down for dinner, she asked her mother about the story. “The story must have circulated after I left this place. In this village you can always expect a new tale when you visit the next time”, she said with her mouth full of food. That night as Shana lay on her bed, she couldn’t help but think about that house until she fell asleep. Next day as Shana went downstairs for breakfast, she saw her mother sitting on the ground flipping the pages of a photo album with a couple of them piled next to her. “Shana look what I found in one of the cupboards. These are my childhood photographs.” After Shana identified most her uncles and aunts, she came upon a face which was unfamiliar to her. “Who is she Mom?”, she asked pointing to the young girl in the picture. “Oh that is Amartya, she was my best friend when I was little. Don’t know where she is now. She must have left the village after I did”,her mother said and went back to look at other pictures. Shana’s brother came down the stairs. “Hey Mom, I and Shana really want to go to the temple again. We know the way now. Can we go?”, her brother asked. “Fine but no straying, okay?”, her mother replied. “Thanks Mom”, they both shouted and went outside. “Since when have you been so religious?”, Shana asked Neel with a raised brow. “Since the time I have known about that mysterious house. No one will allow us to go inside. So let's do it ourselves”, he said and moved in the direction of the house. As Shana stood in front of the old, grey house, doubts arose in her mind. Curiosity won over her better judgement and she followed her brother inside. It was a complete wreckage. Floorboards broken, a layer of dust enveloped the house. Window panes had long since broken by the branches of a tree growing wild. Sunlight was the only source of light in the whole house. Niche was made in the walls so that diyas could be lit to keep the house illuminated. Cobwebs had settled on almost every inch of the house.

“If a snake bites me. It will be your fault Neel”, Shana said keeping a wary eye on the ground. She decided to look into one of the rooms. As she moved towards it, she heard a deep growling sound from behind. With nothing but a stick she had picked on the way, she turned back. There stood her brother holding his stomach and laughing. “This is not funny Neel! If you try this once again, I am going to leave you here alone”, she said and hit him on the arm. As they were busy laughing, they heard a thud above them. “Must be some scavenger “, she said looking at her brother. “Let’s check it out", her brother said and moved towards the steps leading to the first floor.She followed him. When she reached the first floor, she noticed there were several rooms on both sides of the hallway. Her brother pointed to the first door on the right and said,”I think the noise came from this room.” Shana took hold of the door knob and twisted it. “I think the door is jammed because it hasn’t been used in a while,” Shana said trying to push it open with her shoulder. “Let me help,” her brother said and they put their whole strength in opening the door but were unsuccessful. “What is this?” her brother asked panting. Before they could try to open the door any farther, they heard shouting from the outside. They climbed down the stairs and came outside where they found their father standing alongside Bunty. “What are you both doing here? Do you know how dangerous it is to go inside such an old house. Places like these are infested with poisonous snakes and scorpions. If Bunty had not seen you going in that direction, God knows what would have happened”, he said clearly disappointed by the two of them. No one said a word on the way back. Shana knew her mother would be upset but when they reached the haveli, she saw her mother wiping her tears. “What happened?”, asked her father concerned. “I asked about my friend Amartya in the village. They told me she died shortly after I left. Someone stabbed her and threw her into the well”, she said. Shana remembered the well they had seen on their first day in the village. Both Shana and Neel did not speak to each other for the rest of the day. They had their dinner and quietly went to their rooms at night. Next day they packed their bags as it was time to return. The old woman hugged Shana’s mother and bid farewell to them. As Shana sat in the car, she couldn’t help but think of what would have happened if the door would have opened. As their car passed through that abandoned house, Shana saw a smiling face peering at through one of the windows of the very same room they tried to get in. Before she could point it out to Neel, it was gone but Shana recognised her. It was her. The girl from the photograph.