Lekhny post -10-Dec-2021

                                 VISIT TO THE VILLAGE.

Though we have reached the moon and Mars, yet numerous mysterious events render our senses dumb.  They raise multiple questions in our minds and make us ponder, is the world only what we imagine? Science says that we should believe what we see, but there are so many hair-raising events that science fails to explain. I was never a believer in abnormal activity unless I experienced it myself. It was like a dream, a horrifying vision. It taught me how minute we are before nature. How much limited knowledge we have and yet we boast about our strength and wisdom unnecessary.

It all happened one day when we visited a small village during our botany camp. We were in a village to collect a few species of ferns which grew in that area. It was completely covered with forest, so we were fortunate to collect many specimens for our project. For the first time in life, we noticed that nights were so quiet and peaceful. After the sunset, the village was dead silent. The only sound we heard was the animals groaning from far. It was frightening for us. Unable to handle the silence, we switched on the music and started dancing to it at the bonfire.

Even that came to a halt when it started raining. After some time, my friend started complaining of a stomachache. We had no medicine. We planned to bring it from the pharmacy, which was nearly 50kms from the village in the town. The effortless way to reach there was to pass through the jungle. We had a bike and started our journey. The entire way was pitch dark.

There were no lights or any road marks to guide us. We were just two friends on the bike. We behaved like brave hearts, but I knew that both of us were shivering inside. We spoke loudly, superfluous things to show that we were valiant. Silence prevailed everywhere. We only heard the sound of owls hooting.  As we were amid the jungle, we listened to a scream from behind in that quiet ambiance. Both of us almost collapsed.

I held my friend tight as he was driving. He instantaneously yelled at me, saying that I should not frighten him in that way. I told him that it was not me. He replied in a meek voice that he was cold and wanted to urinate. He went down the bike and did not come for a long time. As he did not return, I got down and searched for him. At a distance, I could see a deserted house. I thought he went there and went there, screaming out his name. No one replied for the first time. But when I screamed shiveringly, I heard a voice saying welcome to hell. I was stunned. I thought he was playing a prank and asked him not to joke. I followed the voice. When I went to the haunted house, I found my friend standing in the air with a strange look. I asked him how is that he was in the air. My voice was meek now. He said, come, sweety, I was waiting for you. I yelled at him and asked him to behave. But he was adamant. When I started walking out, the door closed on my face, not allowing me to go out. When I turned back, I felt someone weird standing and giving a bizarre smile. That was it. I fell unconscious. I came back to sense in the morning when my friend was hurrying me to start quickly. I was still in the queer mood. As soon as I saw him, I screamed and asked him who he was. He explained that a strong force overpowered him, was not in senses the entire night, and came back to consciousness now. We ran with all our might and climbed the bike.

My friend drove at full speed without noticing any potholes or obstacles, both jumping and flying in the air like we were on a racing bike. We went shaking like a dried leaf. When the pharmacist saw us, he was shocked at our condition. He made us sit for a while, and when he touched us, we were burning hot like coal. He said that there was some strange power that overpowered people, especially at night. We were terrified. We had no guts to return to our camp. We called our friends that we were returning to our homes because we had an emergency. They asked us what had happened, but we told them that we would reply when they returned. We advised them not to go near the jungle at night.

When we reached home, our parents were worried, seeing us so horrified. They consoled us and told us that we should have faith in our elders in all these matters. We agreed silently and suffered from temperature for a week. I had nightmares for many nights and could not sleep alone. I requested my mom to sleep with me. Something disturbed me immensely.

When we explained it to our friends, they were stunned. They thought that we were joking. But when we told them that it was the reason we did not return to the camp, they believed us. They told us that the villagers were also telling such tales, but they laughed at them. It was one of the most spine-chilling experiences of my life. Even today, when I think about it, it makes me anxious. A frigid wind blows through me. Today I believe in all the paranormal activities and know that there are many enigmas in nature that we can never comprehend.

NOOR TABASSUM.

IG ID - @noortabassumali123