Friday, May 25, 2012

Believing is seeing...


“Yaar, I’m telling you, this house is haunted,” Vikram said, taking a swig from the beer can. He and his brother-in-law, Jithesh, were sitting in the living room.

Jithesh smiled. “Yeah? What made you say that – did you chat with a ghost last night? You don’t sleep before 1 am anyway.”

“Ha, that would’ve been better. At least we’d have been friends, and he…or she, don’t know what, would’ve stopped bothering me.”

“How does it bother you?”

“Well, you know when I wake up at say, 3 am, and go to the fridge for some cold water, I can somehow feel that someone’s standing beside the fridge, watching me take the bottle out.”

Jithesh leaned forward now. “You mean, you saw the ghost?”

Vikram shook his head. “I just feel the presence. I don’t see it.”

“Vikram, that’s your 5th can talking. Just gulp it down and hit the sack, man. ‘Feel’ the presence indeed. Ha.”

Vikram frowned. “You don’t believe me?”

Jithesh shrugged and looked at Vikram seriously.  “Well, I’d certainly believe if I saw it myself. Think you can manage an intro?”

He then sniggered. Vikram rose and swayed to the kitchen. “You bloody son-of-a…, I’ll give an intro to you. Just you wait until after we hit the sack.”

Jithesh was still laughing from the living room. “Have you told this to Anushka? She’ll pack her bags immediately, I guess.”

Vikram returned with another can.

Jithesh’s eyes grew wide. “Another?”

Vikram waved him away and sat down.

“Are you nuts? I won’t tell Anushka even if the ghost were to strangle me. Thank God she’s traveling.”

“Yeah, but she’ll come to know some day, don’t you think? That is,  if …there is a ghost here.” Jithesh’s smile returned. That wicked smile.

Vikram was thoughtful, in a drunk sort of way. “I don’t know yaar. You think I should tell her, when she returns?”

Jithesh nodded. “Tell me something,  hasn’t she experienced anything like this?”

It was Vikram’s turn to laugh now. “And not tell me about it? Where are you from, dude? If she experiences something like that, she’ll exorcise the ghost simply by screaming her lungs off. I feel that should happen sometime. The ghost had better not mess with her.”

Jithesh reclined on his cushion now. “Hey, be nice now. Don’t talk about my sister like that.”

Vikram chuckled. “Then what…you asked me, so I’m telling you what’ll happen.”

Jithesh smiled hazily and stretched his legs. He was snoring a few seconds later. Vikram sipped on his can and switched on the TV. It was close to 1 am.

“Vicky,” he heard Anushka’s voice from behind him. Hairs standing on end, he turned slowly.

Anushka stood  looking at him, sleepy eyed. “Sleep na, baby, you have that important meeting tomorrow, what’s wrong with you?”

Vikram stammered. “Hon..honey, you…you..how did you…”

“How did I what?” She was still sleepy.

Vikram then looked beside him. Jithesh wasn’t there.

“Where’s Jeethu?”

Anushka was awake now. “Jeethu? Here? Vicky…how many have you had?”

 She looked at all those cans strewn around Vikram. “Gosh…Vicky – just come to bed. Now. Enough of drinking.”

Vikram tried to focus, as he rose shakily and tried to steady himself. It all felt so real. Jithesh, their talk about ghosts.

He then looked at Anushka and laughed. “You won’t believe what just happened here.”

“Oh, I believe you,” Anushka said and burst into a peal of laughter that stunned Vikram.

She then turned into Jithesh, winked, and disappeared.

****

26 comments:

N. said...

Whaaaaaa?
OMG.
Was Jithesh a ghost too? Or was just Anushka a ghost?
Oh this is so creepy.

TTT said...

completely hooked on to you stories .... a great one here !

Anonymous said...

Have u got a book published already ?? I would buy one for sure !!! I hated these ghost stories till i read yours !!!! Love each one !!!! Just the thrill of knowing there would be some goose-bumpy twist in the end…wow !!

Shreya said...

Ouch!

Rohini said...

Hanuman Chalisa time... :/

CD!!! said...

Oh God! This gave me goosebumps! And does it happen! I mean, I feel that someone is standing behind me, watching me, sitting in a chair in a dark corner but there is no one.

Do I have a reason to be scared?

Nirali Naik said...

Where have u disappeared :\
I'm going to stop reading you in protest ! HMMMPH :(

Kanthu said...

I'm not allowing anyone near me while having my beer from now on..:P

manan guju said...

kyaa baat hai!!! read last three posts on the trot.. and believe me.. each and every one of em is a gem! rock on, mr writer!

Baba Vaniteshwar said...

Mother of God, this was scary.

phatichar said...

N.: Haha, it's the other way round - the ghost was these two.. :P

T3: thank you.. :)

MD; Ah..not yet, would love to though. Have sent sample stories to a couple of them, let's see. :)

Thanks for the encouraging words..really. :)

Shreya: :P

Rohu: hahaha

CD: Yeah? Heed to Rohu then :P

BBB: Right here, right here..will ping soon, yeah? :)

kanthu: heheh

manan: Hey, bro - long long time. Thanks man! :)

BabaV: :)

the little princess said...

What?? How?? Who?? Oh god!! *Gasp!*

phatichar said...

Princess: Hello, look who's here :P

Rohan said...

Even when you know there is a twist coming up, you have no chance of guessing the twist! That's the beauty of your stories dude! Keep 'em coming!

Ayushi said...

Hands down ;) I'm searching for words :)

Soumya said...

I've missed this place, I came back and well I'm not disappointed.

Awesome writing sir!

phatichar said...

Rohan: Thanks, buddy :)

Serendipity: Thanks! Where've you been? :)

Soumya: Good to have you back! :) Thank you :P

Unknown said...

u'know... next time u write something like this, please find me synonyms for "creepy" ... WTH man! this was way too good!

phatichar said...

Purnima: Hehehe..thanks ma'am, you're being very kind. :)

kadak sing said...

I got confused till I read your explanation...good one dude!

Tongue-fu Lady said...

OMG..this is crazyyy..why was I away from this awesome blog for so long :)

phatichar said...

aks: :) Thanks

TFL: hahah..welcome back, girl - you've been missed. :)

cmus said...

Meh! No ghost, nothing.

Too many beers! :D

phatichar said...

cmus: sounded suspiciously like you were consoling yourself.. :P

Vidya said...

Were they both dead? but i want to believe that it was his intoxicated state giving him hallucinations...

Scary! how will he ever live through that night?

phatichar said...

Vidya: Upto you how you want to console yourself. As for how he lives through the night, it's not for me to think, it's his problem. haha.. :) Thanks for dropping by. Do return.