The Other Side: Dare To Visit Alone?

by Faraaz Kazi

  “Sometimes the hardest journeys are the ones that begin with little hope. But we need to take them anyway.” ¯ Richard Finney

  The Long Weekend

  S

  hikha was bored. She had nothing to do. Sachin, her husband of three years had been away for almost a week on an official trip and was expected to be back by evening. She had recently finished a major project in her office and had no work on her hands. Under normal circumstances, leaving office at the stroke of five and reaching home early would have been a bonus but it was not much fun coming back to an empty apartment. She missed her husband and was dying to see him soon. She decided to make a couple of his favorites dishes to welcome him back. She busied herself in the kitchen when suddenly her cell-phone beeped.

  ' Flight delayed. Won't be able to reach home before midnight.' She groaned in disappointment as she read Sachin's text. Now she had nothing to do except wait. “It's all a part of the price we pay for this lifestyle,” she consoled herself. And by any standard, they were doing well in life. They had paid off all the installments for the luxury apartment they lived in. It was located in one of the posh localities of the city. They owned two cars, a mid-segment sedan for Sachin and a small hatchback for her use. They both had well paying jobs that demanded respect for their position. The only commodity in short supply was time, particularly family time.

  “There is nothing called a free lunch,” she said aloud as she added spices in the boiling vegetables.

  'Stop cribbing and do something constructive like reading a book!'she proceeded to reprimand herself. She had been an avid reader and had a secret ambition of being a writer once upon a time. She was on her way to search the bookshelf in the hall after preparing the meal when the telephone rang. She answered it after three rings.

  “Hello!”

  “Hi Shikha! Sanjana here.”

  “Hi! Long time, no see.”

  “Well, if you could come over now that would be taken

  care of.”

  “Right now! What is the urgency?”

  “Well! My cousin Tanya has come over from Singapore. She is a

  psychic and had promised to do a planchette for me. I thought you would be interested to join in.”

  “Planchette? Like in invoking spirits and ghosts; that is a lot of bull.”

  “Shikha, the eternal skeptic! I know that you don't believe in these things. But do come over; if nothing else it will be fun.”

  “I'll give it a shot, I've nothing else to do.”

  “See you at my place in fifteen minutes,” Sanjana signed off.

  Shikha perked up a bit at the prospect of the adventure. She had nothing to do till Sachin came back home and that was still four hours away. Sanjana lived on the sixth floor of the other wing of the same condominium. Shikha quickly changed out of the housecoat she was dressed in. She pulled on a skirt and top and ran a comb through her usually unruly hair. She applied a touch of lipstick and was ready.

  Exactly fifteen minutes later, she rang the bell at Sanjana's apartment. Sanjana lived alone and was Shikha's jogging and gym partner. She opened the door and ushered her in.

  “Hi Shikha. Meet Tanya, my cousin from Singapore.”

  “Hi!” Tanya was a reed thin woman with curly hair that surrounded her head like a halo. She was wheatish, and had large luminous eyes which shone as bright as the lights in the room.

  “Hi! Nice meeting you,” Shikha replied, thinking, “Oh my God! She looks like a witch. Wonder if she has a broom hidden somewhere.”

  “Shikha, Tanya has been doing a lot of research into the world of the paranormal. I literally had to beg her to do a planchette for me. I am excited at the prospect,” Sanjana added.

  “Sanjana, Shikha, I want both of you to listen very carefully to what I am about to say.” Tanya said in deep gravelly voice. “A planchette or a séance is a method of communicating with the world of the spirits who have departed from this earth but exist in the astral planes very close to us. I will use an Ouija board I have designed myself for the purpose. But you have to follow ground rules.” She paused for breath and started. “Rule number one. Don't be afraid. Fear generates negative vibrations that draw evil or lesser spirits to our planchette. Rule number two, spirits are sensitive and they demand respect. So be respectful and don't ask frivolous questions. Rule number three, be prepared for the unexpected. The laws that govern the spiritual world are very different from ours, so the unexpected happens many a times during a séance.”

  She fixed Shikha with a piercing glance and said, “I see that you are a non- believer. That does not matter. All I ask from you is to be non-judgmental and participate in this activity with an open mind.”

  “Err… Tanya, this all seems to be slightly scary. Why don't we drop the whole idea?” Sanjana spoke up.

  “Don't be afraid. Nothing is going to go wrong as long as I am around. And I have done this many times. Just stick to the rules.”

  Tanya busied herself with the preparations. She pulled the curtains, placed a round table in the middle of the room and placed the Ouija board in the center.

  Shikha looked at it with interest. It was a polished whitish wooden board with the English alphabet in capital curving downwards in the middle with the words 'Yes' and 'No' written on the two sides. Digits from zero to nine were inscribed below in a linear arrangement. And towards the end a single word 'Goodbye' stood out. The four corners of the board had a similar crescent spiked moon, all the four moons facing the center.

  Tanya then lit a few incense sticks and put them in various vantage points in the room. She lit a couple of yellow candles and put them on the side. She asked Shikha and Sanjana to take their place around the table on the sides.

  She switched off the lights and took her place at the table between the friends. The candles flickered and sputtered and threw eerie shadows in the room. Tanya then took out a large coin and placed it on the board.

  She placed her fingers lightly on the coin and gestured at others to do the same. “Put your fingers on the coin and do not push. Leave your minds blank and listen carefully to my instructions. Don't make any sudden movements, do not scream and don't be afraid. The spirits will communicate with us through the coin.”

  “Whoever is listening to me now, as I light these candles, bless this sacred place. Let the light of their flames radiate love and protection to all areas of our surroundings. I ask once more that any negative energy be released from this space. Turn our dwelling into a sanctuary and as I sit with you now, I open my heart. I surround myself with the love and light of your protection. I release any negativity that I have picked up throughout the day so that I speak to the universe with the purity of my soul. I ask that any energy be given for our absolute good. Dismiss now all energies that are not of the Highest and Greatest source,” Tanya said in a smooth manner.

  She then started reciting something in a strange language. She went on in a quavering voice and Shikha listened with rapt attention. Even though she did not believe in ghosts and spirits, she felt a strange fascination. Tanya went on and on and suddenly stiffened. She whispered, “Someone is here. I feel it in my bones.”

  She then addressed to no one in particular. “Are you here? Have you come?”

  Shikha was shocked to feel the coin move, dragging the three fingers that were touching it to the YES.

  “Thank you, oh noble spirit, for heeding our call,” Tanya whispered, “Would you like to tell us your name?”

  The coin raced over the board and spelled out, R...A...N... J...I...T...S... I...N... G...H.

  “Thank you, Ranjit Singh ji. May we ask you a few questions?”

  The coin raced to YESagain.

  “Do you know the name of the lady sitting to the right? Will you tell us?”

  The coin moved to spell Sanjana. Despite her skepticism, Shikha was impressed. Maybe there was some basis to this mumbojumbo after all.

  “Will you please tell us where she was born?”

  Jodhpur, a
nswered the spirit.

  “Tell us, will she find true love in life?”

  Yes.

  “Will she get married?”

  Yes.

  “When?”

  Next year.

  “Will you be able to tell us the name of her life partner?”

  Rahul Kapoor.

  Sanjana squealed in excitement. Rahul Kapoor was a handsome young man who had recently joined her office and she found him quite enigmatic and cute.

  The coin stopped moving. Tanya looked daggers at Sanjana and hissed an admonition, “Don't squeal. That is showing disrespect.”

  The Other Side

  55

  “Sorry Ranjit Singhji. Please forgive us. Will you please tell us the name of the beautiful lady sitting to my left?”

  The coin moved sluggishly and spelled out Shikha.

  “Thank you, sir. Will you please tell us where she lives?”

  23 A Block.

  “What is her husband's name?”

  Sachin.

  Tanya looked at her for confirmation and on receiving a nod, said, “Thank you.”

  Shikha spoke up, “Sir, may I ask you a few questions?”

  YES.

  “Can you see the future?”

  Sometimes.

  “Will you be able to predict mine?”

  May be.

  “Will Sachin get the promotion he is angling for?”

  No.

  “Will we have children?”

  No.

  Shikha felt a cloak of gloom descend on her.

  'What bullshit am I indulging in?' She thought but went ahead with the question in her mind.“Will Sachin and I stay together despite not giving each other time in the recent days?”

  Yes.

  “How long will our love last?”

  Forever.

  “What do you see in my immediate future?”

  Journey.

  “To where?”

  A sudden gust of wind blew out the candles plunging the room in naked darkness. Shikha felt something cold and clammy brush past her bare legs and move to her left. The very next instant Sanjana screamed. There was a sudden crash that was followed by a numbing silence. Tanya was the first to recover her wits. She fumbled for the matchbox, struck one and switched on the lights. The Ouija board was overturned; Sanjana was sitting in her chair, looking pale and shaken. Shikha appeared to be more in control.

  “Why did you scream? I told you not to do so. The spirit got angry and left, overturning the board to show its annoyance. And we were having such a fruitful session.”

  “I am sorry,” Sanjana seemed to be recovering. “Something cold touched my body. And the doors and windows are closed. Where did the gust of wind come from?”

  “I told you to expect the unexpected. Anyway, the spell is broken and I don't think any more spirits will come calling tonight. Anyway, Shikha, what do you think of our little session?”

  “I don't know what to say. I have never believed in this. But yes, this was a strange and moving experience. Well Sanjana, I think you better start taking this Rahul Kapoor more seriously. I do remember you telling me that you find him attractive. As for me, I have been assured a lifetime of love anyway.”

  They tried to make small talk but it did not work as each was overcome by the strange experience they had undergone. Shikha excused herself and walked to her apartment. As she crossed the lawn, she observed small children playing in the lawn, mostly accompanied by ayahs, some people taking a stroll and a few youngsters indulging in a noisy game of catch-me-if-you-can.

  The Other Side

  57

  “Well, this is normal life and I am a part of this! I don't know why I let myself get involved in that nonsense. I am sure that witch Tanya was pushing the coin with her fingers.” And she determined herself to push the incident to the back of her mind.

  Sachin reached his apartment around midnight and found Shikha waiting for him, reclined on the couch. She looked as beautiful as she did in the early days of their marriage. His mind went back to early days of their togetherness. There had been a lot of love and passion, a sense of wonder and fulfillment. The love was still there. The sense of wonder had given way to an easy comfort of camaraderie and trust. It was just for the past few months the passion had waned a bit and occasional flashes of irritation had raised its head. But he had really missed her this time. He hugged her and whispered, “It is great to be back. I missed you.”

  “I missed you too, darling. How was your trip?” asked Shikha. “Fruitful but tiring. And what about your project?” he replied. “I finished it today and it was approved. I am going to laze

  around for the next few days.”

  “Shikha, that's great. We have both been working too hard and

  need some time to ourselves.”

  “You do appreciate the fact that both of us have turned into

  automatons. We are puppets at the beck and call of the monstrous

  entities known as our respective employers!” intoned Shikha. With

  a past ambition of becoming an author, she was fond of being verbose. He smiled, amused by the turn of speech. He still found her trait of using long words endearing.

  He had a sudden brainwave. “Tell you what. Tomorrow is a holiday. That is Friday, making this an extended weekend. Let's push off.”

  “But I have so many chores at home. I have been accumulating the washing. Our bags are not packed. And all the resorts will be full. Where will we go? And how?” As usual she had many questions.

  “Don't worry. Just put the clothes in the washing machine after dinner. Pack our toothbrushes and a couple of jeans. We'll start off at five in the morning and drive to Kasauli on my Bullet. We'll find some place to stay.” He was impulsive as always.

  “But your bike has been lying in disuse for months,” she protested.

  “It's fine. I know my bike. It won't fail us. After all it's my first love and you are my second. Remember our honeymoon?”

  She wavered, remembering those magical days when they had driven off on the Kalka-Shimla highway on that bike immediately after their marriage without any plans or care about the world. “Let's take the car.”

  “Please, please, let's take the bike. I have been dying to ride it with you clutching me. We both need a lot of fresh air. Now be a good girl and do the needful. We got to get up early tomorrow.”

  The spirit in the planchette had predicted a journey, Shikha couldn't help recalling, and that had already proved correct. Would the predictions about the promotion and having no children also prove to be correct? She felt a pang of sadness at the prospect but dismissed the thoughts again.

  Next morning they were on the road with only a backpack slung on Shikha's shoulder for company. As they left Ring Road and drove onto the Grand Trunk Road, Sachin felt a sense of liberation. It had been too long since they had done this.

  “We should do it more often,” murmured Shikha, echoing

  his thoughts.

  As they roared down the highway on the motorbike, Sachin felt inexplicably happy. He felt the tensions of his office, with its petty problems; ego clashes and needless squabbles melt away into the rushing wind.

  “This is life! This is what I am. And I am going to do this more often,” he thought, as he throttled the powerful bike. He rode skillfully, enjoying the raw surge of power of the bike and the touch of Shikha's body as she clung to him while he tackled the highway traffic. Sachin couldn't remember feeling this passionate in a long time. Shikha's round cushiony breasts stuck firmly on his back. Through his thin, slightly sweat-soaked shirt, he could almost feel them in their entirety. For a second, he was tempted to let go off the bike, turn slightly, cup them gently in his hungry palms and give them a hard squeeze. But then realizing it would be a pretty hardcore act of PDA and they were perhaps too grown up for it, he somehow swallowed the rising passion in his dry throat.

  On the way, they passed a number of trucks that had turned turtle but even those ugly
sights could not dim their enthusiasm. Shikha giggled and squealed like a teenager while he wove his way through the moderately heavy traffic.

  They stopped for breakfast at Sonepat and hit the road again. Soon they were at Panipat. The G T Road had been raised to form a flyover that bypassed the congested main road of the city and Sachin did not have to slow down the pace of the bike. They continued riding and before long they had crossed Karnal and Kurukshetra. An hour later they were at Kalka. There was the usual traffic snarl as the road narrowed down to wind its way through the congested main bazaar. Sachin chafed internally as he crawled along with the chaotic traffic. Cars, scooters, motorcycles and pedestrians jostled for space and the situation was further complicated by presence of huge tourist buses on way to Shimla and back.

  “Nothing has changed in five years,” he cribbed. “If anything, things are worse than before.” He felt hot in the helmet and took it off and handed it to Shikha. It took them almost thirty minutes to do the two-kilometer stretch but finally they were free of the traffic and found themselves at the tollbooth which guarded the entrance to Himachal Pradesh. They paid the toll and zoomed off. The hills began almost immediately and the air became cooler as the road curved upwards. Sachin was still frustrated with the time lost at Kalka and vent his spleen on the throttle and the powerful bike roared uphill. Shikha tapped him on the shoulder and asked him to take a break at Parwanoo.

  Sachin spotted the familiar Timber Trail Resort sitting atop the hill and pulled up at its entrance.

  “Would you like to take a ride in the cable car, Shikha?” He asked.

  “No, that will take too long. But I am tired and I need to take a loo-break.”

  Sachin realised that they had been driving almost nonstop for last six hours. “Okay. Let's stop for lunch.”

  They decided to have lunch at the restaurant at the entrance. Shikha went to the ladies washroom and returned fifteen minutes later looking remarkably fresh. Sachin looked at her and felt a raw twinge of desire course through his veins. She looked so appealing in the red skin-tight shirt, black skirt and calf length boots. Everything she wore, simply accentuated her curves.