The Other Side: Dare To Visit Alone?

by Faraaz Kazi

  “Haha, I would neither look left nor right before challenging your so-called spirit,” Nirbhay mocked.

  “That would be the ultimate showcase of your guts, what say, Samir?” Sushant said and his friend gave a small affirmative nod.

  “I would love to but unfortunately I have more important things to do than bothering to fight 'evil spirits,'” Nirbhay said, putting down his mug with a look of disinterest.

  “Five thousand bucks if you can spend a night there,” Samir said, giving him a challenging look.

  Nirbhay sat up in his seat.

  “Make that ten, another five grand from me if you can spend a night in 'Moonlight Mansion,'” Sushant added.

  Nirbhay narrowed his eyes, looking at his friends wondering if they were joking. His heart was pumping more blood than it was just five minutes back upon hearing the amount at stake. He lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes.

  “Fine,” he said. “Be ready to hand over the money to me the morning after I'm done with your so called 'evil spirit.'”

  “We'll see,” Samir said with a smile.

  “So when do you want to do it?” Sushant asked.

  “Why don't you ask that 'evil spirit' when it wants me to come calling for dinner?” Nirbhay retorted.

  “Tomorrow night then?” Samir said, ignoring Nirbhay's remark. “You go inside 'Moonlight Mansion.' Both of us will put up at my farm-house and the first thing at dawn, we'll come to collect you.”

  “I'm ready to barge in that stupid mansion at this instant and give your 'evil spirit' a taste of my arse,” Nirbhay said, puffing up his chest.

  “Just one more night, my friend,” Samir said, patting his shoulder.

  “What's so special about tomorrow's night?” Nirbhay remarked. Sushant looked quizzically at Samir, who answered it with a sly smile playing on his lips.

  “Tomorrow's Amavasya, the moonless night. It would be interesting to see how much light 'Moonlight Mansion' throws your way.”

  Lonavala was a couple of hours away from the city and the trio took turns to drive on the smooth Mumbai-Pune expressway experiencing the adrenaline rush of racing on pothole-free roads. Once Nirbhay touched 120 kmph while trying to overtake the vehicle in front and just about managed to avoid a small car coming from the opposite end. Sushant admonished him.

  “Chill Sushant, nothing's going to happen. Everything is waiting for Nirbhay to step inside 'Moonlight Mansion,'” Samir said with conviction. Nirbhay grinned and pulled over at the sight of an eating joint.

  “I say let's release the adrenaline, grab something to eat and drink, refuel and then head for your evil spirit's abode,” Nirbhay suggested and both, Samir and Sushant nodded, eager to get the wheel away from Nirbhay's pumped up hands.

  Three burgers and a couple of hours later, the trio reached a narrow path overlooking the deep valley beneath. The sun was just about to lower itself down the horizon when Samir abruptly braked the vehicle.

  “Moonlight Mansion,” he said, pointing ahead.

  The two-storied bungalow stood out even in the half-light with an added layer of darkness enveloping its faded indigo walls. The tall dense trees and wild growth of grass cast menacing shadows on the walls in the fading light. For some reason, they could not quite shake off the feeling that the bungalow was staring back at them and responding to their nervous glances. They could just about read out the name of the property engraved on the wall near the iron-gate. 'Moonlight Mansion' it screamed in their eyes. Whether the sound was a warning or a threat, they couldn't quite make out. As they neared the fencing, they saw the rusty old lock resting on the hinges of the iron-gate, engaged in perpetual slumber.

  “This place sure does give me the creeps,” Sushant whispered, eyeing around pensively.

  “Don't think it's a big deal for our Nirbhay who fought off a bear with his bare hands to save his sister six years back,” Samir said, looking at his friend almost sarcastically.

  “Nirbhay, you sure want to do this?” Sushant asked in a tepid manner.

  For a second, Nirbhay seemed to falter, still surveying the shadows that surrounded the mansion; he swallowed the spittle in his mouth.

  “Of… Of course, once I set my mind on something, I don't back out… My name is Nirbhay Kumar and I fear no one,” Nirbhay said, looking at the mansion.

  “Well, I really hope you survive the night. I have heard some pretty nasty stories about this one,” Samir said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

  “Sh… Shut up! There's nothing in there, ok?” Nirbhay retorted, displacing Samir's hand.

  “We hope so too. Anyway, you'll have to climb the fencing to go inside the compound. Want me to lend you a hand?” Samir asked.

  “I'll manage,” Nirbhay said and slowly took a step towards the boundary. Using his strong forearms, he hoisted himself up the low-wall, straightened his well-built frame and tumbled straight into what seemed like an untended garden on the other side. He quickly got up and walked over to the gate where his friends stood. The iron boundary made him look like a prisoner inside the mansion.

  “Here's your bag of supplies,” Sushant said, pushing it in from the narrow gap beneath the gate.

  “Why don't you people come inside too for an hour or two?” Nirbhay asked, hoping they'd accept his invitation.

  “No, thanks. I'm wondering why I even came this close,” Samir said and Sushant nodded in agreement looking at the tiled roof of the mansion.

  “We'll be close by at Samir's farm-house,” Sushant said while Samir pointed out a distant structure to his right, which would have been easily a mile from there.

  “If you have any problem, ring us up on our cell phones but don't expect us to come in the middle of the night,” Samir winked.

  “That won't be needed, thanks,” Nirbhay said. “Just keep the money ready tomorrow morning,” he added, turning to walk towards the mansion.

  “We'll come to fetch you by six, just after sunrise,” Sushant shouted out.

  “See you,” Nirbhay wagged his middle finger with his back still turned to the gate.

  “Hope so,” Samir muttered under his breath before walking away with Sushant.

  The Other Side

  79

  Nirbhay walked towards the front door, eyeing the porch cautiously. The plan in his mind was already in place. The sight of the bungalow did not comfort him and he had decided he would spend the night outside. He had made up his mind that he would wait inside the mansion for a couple of hours, finish his meals and then jump out of the gate to spend the night in some nearby hotel. If he had a choice, he would have been running from this place that very instant but he was very sure the rascals would be keeping an eye on the mansion from a distance. He couldn't risk it. He needed the money. He had to repay the amount he had taken from Mishra and get rid of the mental torture every time that chipmunk called. Whatever was left would fund the booze trips for sometime.

  A slow breeze went past Nirbhay, gently pushing him forward as if urging him to step inside the mansion. The door to the bungalow was just latched from the outside and he had second thoughts about touching the cold metal. Looking over his shoulder, Nirbhay quickly undid the latch and pushed the door with his hands. The door for all its rustiness opened smoothly and covered a bit more distance at his gentle touch than it should have as if the mansion was beckoning him inside. Slowly, he stepped inside the darkness and latched the timber door from inside. A cat mewed in the distance. He couldn't exactly point where.

  With the sun gone down, Nirbhay rummaged in his bag for candles and gathered six long sticks from the box he had brought along. He was pretty sure; he wouldn't require a fan in this cool weather with this destination being some kind of a hill-station. After gathering the candles, Nirbhay switched on the pocket torch and looked around. The place was almost a ruin. Dust dating back at least a couple of decades decorated the walls. A couple of wornout chairs lay around a table in the corner and dirt covered the marble flooring that had developed larg
e cracks. He looked around the main hall, checking and rechecking rooms that seemed alike. Towards his extreme right, he saw a spacious place, which might have once been the kitchen. Towards his left, he came across what he so wanted to use at that time. He placed the bag on the floor outside after checking the knot lest a rodent made its way inside, and entered the loo. He was relieving himself after using the torch to find his way in. He did not bother to shut the door. Mid-way in the act, Nirbhay felt someone peering over his shoulder. A cold shudder passed his body. Immediately, he turned back. The emptiness stared back at him. He shook his head and emerged out from the loo.

  He shone the torch on the floor and swore.

  “What the hell! Where's my bag?” he wondered out aloud, noticing it missing from where he had kept it.

  He searched the surroundings but could not spot it. Scratching his head, he made his way back towards the hall and saw the familiar cloth bag lying near the main door through which he had entered. He scooped up the bag and stood there wondering how it ended up there. He dismissed the feeling, blaming his own reckless and forgetful behavior. But he could not shake off the feeling of being watched. Nervously, he looked around almost hoping to encounter a pair of eyes but in the darkness, he could see nothing. And then his eyes fell on the old grandfather clock with its glass broken, the fragments still scattered on the dusty ground. The antique piece of furniture fascinated him for a moment and he shone the torch at it, coming near. The hour hand and the minute hand were almost indistinguishable, as the smaller hand had almost hidden itself behind the bigger one. The clock had frozen with both hands on 12, not a minute here, not a minute there. Nirbhay crept closer to inspect it when a loud clatter made him almost jump out of his skin.

  The Other Side

  81 “What the hell was that?” he asked out aloud, half expecting to receive an answer from the grandfather clock.

  Warily he crept towards the source of the sound and again turned up at the kitchen.There lying in the middle of the floor, was an old vessel still shaking from the tumble it had taken from the shelf above. He went near to pick it up, when he felt he was being watched closely. He turned and fell back, the torch almost escaping his hands.

  A greenish glowing pair of eyes stared back at him. Nirbhay scrambled back on his hands, putting some distance between him and whatever monster that was lurking in the shadows of the kitchen.

  “Meow…whirr…meow!” A cat jumped out from the shadows. Nirbhay shone his torch at it. It was a black cat. The only shade different on its body was its green eyes. Nirbhay brushed away the accumulated sweat on his forehead and laughed nervously.

  “It's only a cat…” he told himself and then proceeded to shoo away the feline. The cat took off as it saw Nirbhay approaching. Nirbhay came out of the kitchen a little more confidently than he had entered and shone his torch in the hallway. The cat had disappeared.

  “It must have gone back to some creepy corner. This place is so vast. The cat can keep roaming below. I'm going upstairs. Anyway it's just a matter of a couple of hours,” he whispered to himself to feel his own presence in the silence.

  Deciding to explore the upper level of the mansion, Nirbhay took the spiral iron staircase in front. The upper level had six rooms in total, he counted. All the rooms were of the same area and pretty similar, except for the one on the extreme right which was locked. Nirbhay tugged at the lock but it would not budge and the heavy timber door did not move as Nirbhay tried to push it. Nirbhay surveyed the remaining rooms again. Four of them had no bed but the fifth one, the one just to the immediate right of the locked room, was quite a large room with oak beams projecting from the dull ceiling. It had a bed large enough for four people to comfortably sleep on though comfort would have been difficult to experience on the wooden structure as it lacked the bedding. Nevertheless, Nirbhay decided he would take the bed for a couple of hours, have dinner and then rush out of this disturbing place.

  The feeling of being watched returned stronger than ever in this room. He surveyed the bland dust-ridden interiors and placed the candles down on the floor, forming a circle of the six sticks near his bed. He placed another one near the door of the room. He lit them one by one and watched the yellowish glow illuminate the room. Watching the flames move in synchronization had a soothing effect on his mind.

  Nirbhay peered out of the window right behind the bed and was surprised to notice the darkness outside. Frantically, he checked the time on his wristwatch. It was ten past seven.

  “What the… When did an hour pass?” Nirbhay shouted out aloud. He decided it was better to wind up the act soon and leave the place.

  He removed the packed food from his bag and laid it out on the hard wooden bed. Folding his legs, he quickly gobbled the four idlis doused in coconut chutney and belched.

  “That was good,” he said, replacing the items in his bag and throwing away the crumbled paper in the corner. A soothing cool wind went right through his body, making him shiver. He turned to notice the window behind the bed moving back and forth,

  The Other Side

  83 making loud creaking noises. Nirbhay walked on his knees and latched it again, suppressing a yawn.

  “Who knows where will I get to sleep outside in the night? I think it would be a good idea to catch up on a half-hour power nap,” he mumbled to himself and lay down on the bed. He stretched his limbs, yawned again and shut his eyes. Somewhere in his sleep, he dreamt that he was floating in the sky like a bird without flapping its wings. And then suddenly, he began to fall down. He tried to grab something but only air escaped his grip. He opened his mouth to scream and…

  “Ahhh, ahhh, ahh…” he opened his eyes immediately, controlling his flailing limbs.

  “It was just a dream,” he said out aloud. He noticed himself sprawled on the dusty floor and sat up with a sudden movement. “How did I end up here?” he wondered aloud.

  He never rolled in his sleep, he was sure of that. He decided it was the uncomfortable wooden bed and the nightmare that might have made him roll over the bed and onto the floor.

  “But there should have been a sound when I hit the ground. It should have hurt. I guess I was too deep into slumber to give a shit about anything,” Nirbhay explained to himself.

  He tried to suppress another rising yawn with his hand covering the mouth. He saw the dial on his wrist and stood up nervously. His watch had stopped.

  “Oh shit, what the...” Nirbhay said, noticing that his watch had stopped at eleven thirty. “I should be out of here. No more time to waste,” Nirbhay cursed.

  The candles were still burning bright near the bed and for a moment, he again wondered how he had rolled over them without knocking down even one of the wax sticks. Putting the thought to the back of his mind, Nirbhay hurriedly picked up his bag, abandoning the candles and rushed downstairs. His footsteps echoed across the vacant house. He pulled the front door but it would not budge. He applied all his strength and rammed it with his shoulder yet the strong timber door remained glued to the spot.

  “Damn, the arseholes. They crept up here as I slept and locked me inside. Didn't know they could be this smart,” Nirbhay sighed.

  He didn't want to give on escaping the mansion. He started trying the windows though they were too narrow for a person of his size to pass through comfortably.

  “These are jammed,” he muttered angrily under his breath after trying all the windows on the lower level. A slow tick-tock sound made him turn; he knew where it was coming from. Unable to believe his ears, he walked towards the grandfather clock. The hands were moving again. Fifteen minutes to midnight, they told him.

  “This is crazy…what is happening?” Nirbhay asked himself but he had no time to search for answers. He wanted to move out of the mansion and move out fast. He remembered the window in his room, which he had latched up after feeling the cold, and immediately rushed back upstairs, hoping there would be a drainage pipe nearby to aid his descent. He jumped on the bed, throwing his bag on the opposite s
ide and pulled the latch with all the force his body commanded. The latch would not move.

  “Fuck… this window was perfectly fine till the evening,” Nirbhay tried to reason.

  He pulled out a plastic bottle from his bag and took a large gulp of water to soothe his nerves. He spat it out in an instant.

  The Other Side

  85

  “Yuck, what is this thing? Tastes salty,” he complained to no one in particular. He tried to peer inside the bottle but couldn't come to any conclusion with respect to the salinity. So he kept the bottle back in the bag and sat down on the bed with a large thump.

  “I'm stuck in this stupid place till the morning,” he stated, mentally cursing himself for going to sleep.

  He wondered whether he should call up the rascals and ask them to come and open the door but that meant losing the bet, which he was not willing to accept. He decided he would call them to enquire on why they were playing pranks and to let them know he was not scared by their stupid acts. He could say he noticed them from the upper level window while they were playing with the main door. Yes, that sounded reasonable and moreover, he was dying to hear a human voice in this space that echoed with silence. An inexplicable feeling of loneliness was creeping up towards his chest. He fished out the cell phone and started punching in the number but nothing appeared on screen. He figured out that the instrument was switched off, so he switched it on again.

  'Low battery' flashed across the dim screen before the phone went blank again.

  “These stupid Chinese cell phones. I had charged it just before leaving and I didn't even use it once throughout the day. What the fuck is happening?” Nirbhay wondered, placing his head in his hands.

  The more he thought, the more the bizarre feeling crept up in his chest. He decided it was best to catch up on his incomplete sleep rather than ponder over the events and invite a headache. He hugged his bag and lay down on the wooden bed once again. The events of the evening kept replaying in his mind. It was simply a case of bad luck, he concluded with a sigh. He twisted and turned on the bed for a couple of minutes, the feeling of being watched became even more prominent then than the uncomfortable feeling in his chest. He then thought about the loan he had to repay and yawned.