...Hauntings..

...DRIVE SAFE...

...DRIVE SAFE... Dehradun, India (2011)

Certain mountain roads of Dehradun can be absolutely lonely especially after seven and in the rains. An S series Mercedes was driving at very low pace. A lonely traveller was trying to find his way. He could not see the road and before he knew it his car went and hit a tree in the front at full speed.

The Driver walked out of his car and looked around. The tree had actually saved his car from plummeting down several feet into the valley below. He was happy that he was safe but now he did not have a ride. There was no car coming up the mountainside . The stranger pulled out his mobile phone; there was no network. He was cornered; in a lonely city, at a lonely place, on a rainy night. 

Just then his eyes fell on a solitary house on the mountainside. The house must have been a five-minute walk. The stranger could see the light on the portico glowing; Swaying viciously in the heavy winds. In the swaying light, he could see a teak door . The room inside was dark; There was no light coming through the windows. He had to take a chance; he could not freeze to death outside

He pulled his windcheater close and walked up to the portico of the house. There was no doorbell; the only option left was to knock on the teak door. The knock echoed through the house before the stranger heard a pair of footsteps walking towards the door from the other side. The latch on the door turned to one side with a loud click and the door opened.

The driver was staring at a young man in his thirties. "Yes" said the man looking at the wet figure standing on his doorstep. "I have busted my car, I need a place to stay for a while, I promise I will be out when the rain stops". The man stood there for a while and then looked over the driver's shoulder. His eyes fell on the busted car, although he could not see much of it in the rain; he was at least confidant that the driver was telling the truth.

"Come in" he said smiling at him. The driver walked in and hung his coat by the door. The small house was very homely, close compact but warm. walking a little further down into the main sitting room, he saw a lady sitting on the couch in front of him wearing a red tube top. She kept smiling at him but did not say a word. She must have been in her twenties and was ravishingly beautiful. "Make yourself comfortable I will get some coffee for you" said the man patting the driver on the back.

The stranger made himself comfortable on the couch next to the lady. He was feeling a bit uncomfortable. She had not said a word; she was just looking at him and smiling. His host soon returned with two mugs of coffee and sat beside the lady on the couch. So what is your name asked the host. The stranger had a sip of coffee and spoke, "My name is Aditya, and yours?" he asked. "My name is Sameer, this is my winter house, I stay in Delhi, but sometimes, I come down here when I feel like being close to nature". Aditya was still uncomfortable, the lady was continously staring at him, somehow though, his host though neither looked at her till , nor once nor did he make an effort to introduce her.

Aditya started deviating his mind from her, he started looking at the walls the roof and other tapestries. His eyes suddenly fell on a portrait of the same lady on the wall. Aditya felt it was better to ask about the picture that by pointing at the lady directly, which would simply be bad manners. "Who is she Sameer?, if you do not mind me asking".

Sameer got up from the couch, his face grew grave and his eyes grew distant, "She was my wife?" said Sameer. "She died in an accident last year". Adyta's voice froze in his throat, the lady was sitting in front of him gazing at him and smiling, her crooked grin had become wider and her eyes were transfixed on him. Aditya felt her gaze sawing through his throat like a knife. Aditya got up with a start and his mug of coffee fell to the floor. "What happened to you Mr. Aditya? Is everything alright?"asked Sameer getting up from his perch.  Aditya was breathing very heavily, his throat had become dry and he felt as if he was living in a bad nightmare.