...Hauntings..

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...Click...                                                                                                                            Gandhinagar, Gujarat (2009)

This story once again is from my own personal exploits, though I was not physically part of the story. I have felt it to the end myself, the climax, I have seen for myself.

A few weeks ago my home was bustling with relatives. It was my first cousins wedding and naturally my whole extended family was present. We had booked the three hundred people at the Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi. The only person who I liked to stay with was my elder sister, she was chirpy, funny cute and most importantly 'really hot'. Do not take me otherwise, yes I had a soft corner for her but in a very different sense.

When I saw her at the wedding this time. She was, well, quieter ... more serious. I felt like asking her on numerous occasions what had happened, but never really got the chance in the wedding festivities until before the reception. We were both asked to sort out the guest list and inform the respective banquet managers of the same. We were sitting together and populating the guest list. This was the right moment. "Hey Paridhi", I asked "Why are you so quiet, what is it that is troubling you? You can always share with me you know". My sister pretended not to hear me for a while but then realised that the gash in her heart was deep and mysterious, she finally started narrating her story

"A few weeks ago one of our distant relatives died. She was a single mother and had a young daughter. The court gave the custody of the daughter to the deceased's sister. The sister was very caring and the daughter, Aditi, who was five, got attached to her new guardian in just a few days.

The death of the mother though had shaken the daughter. She would keep looking for her everywhere. She would not speak to the guardian. She was so attached to her that she did not even leave her for a second. The sister could not even go to office without Aditi, the girl would start crying and create a huge ruckus.

One day my mother's friend had to go to Australia for some office work. She requested my mother to take care of Aditi. Mother too was preoccupied with things so she asked if I could share the burden of her responsibility. I loved young children and I gladly said yes

A day later mum's friend dropped the little girl at my doorstep. Aditi was so cute, you could cuddle her to death. Her hair was cut short to shoulder length, she was slightly dark in color and her eyes were wide and cute like a Japanese cartoon. She was clutching a soft toy tightly under her right arm. I hugged her close to myself to make her feel at home. For the first day the girl did not speak at all but she got attached to me the very next day

More than cute she was actually very creepy, she would not say a word but would just cling onto my shirt or Sari all day long. She would not even sleep in the room and wanted to snuggle in with me in my bed. She even wanted to accompany me to the washroom, which was very disturbing.

A few days ago whilst I was sleeping beside her when I noticed that her soft toy was burnt on one side. There was a question in my mind but I let it pass.

The very same night something else happened. I woke up to the muffled yelps of Aditi; she was shivering all over, a fear struck face and tears rolling down her eyes. I felt bad for her and hugged her tight close to me. Calming her down by caressing her forehead. For the first time ever the girl spoke "Please make her go away, she is scary, she comes every night, please send her away"

Children have nightmares and I was pretty sure it was one of those. I gripped her tightly and assured her that I was there. She calmed down and went off to sleep again

I had to do something to keep the girl occupied. I did not know what to do but then the next day while cleaning my attic I found my old digital camera. I had bought a much advanced one and so had stowed away the older one in the attic. I cleaned the lenses inserted new batteries and checked if it was working. The camera was fine the features were a bit old but apart from that it was all-fine.

That evening I handed the camera to Aditi. I told her she could have it. The little girl was so happy that she hugged me tightly and kissed me on the cheek. She kept taking rounds of the whole house clicking random pictures and after every fifteen minutes she would return back to me to show off her photography skills. In that short period of time I had actually become her mother. I had developed feelings for her. I loved her like my own.

My mother's friend returned back the next day

It was time for Aditi to go back. I forced back my tears and waved her goodbye. She was standing at my door and held the camera in her hand to return it to me. I gave her a hug and I told her she could keep it. She hugged me back and drove off with her aunt in the car

That night I visited mu mums home. The house was feeling so empty without the little girl I really needed someone to talk too. While I was with mom I asked her how Aditi's mother had died. Mum tried to move away from the topic but I was persistent

When mum told me the story I was shocked, Aditi's mother had committed suicide. She had poured petrol over herself and burnt herself alive. Her husband's death and the burden of raising the daughter alone had driven her crazy. She had started seeing things in the night. When she could not stand it any more she had burnt her-self alive

I had a sleepless night, i was tossing and turning in my bed, disturbed.

I felt the shocking news had passed but the real bummer was yet to come. The next day while I was having breakfast and was about to leave for office, my mother told me that Aditi had passed away.

I could not hold back my tears; something broke inside me. Aditi's face kept coming up in mind. I could not help but ask how it had happened, Mother told me that the aunt had got fed up of the daughter clutching to her all the time. She had forced Aditi to sleep in a room alone and locked her in. The next morning Aditi was found dead. Doctor's ruled the cause of death to be cardiac arrest. I was finding it unimaginable how someone so young could die of a heart attack

I could not work the whole day. I was crying and crying. When I came back home Aditi's aunt had returned the camera to my mom and my mom had brought it back home. I sat down on the steps looking at the different pictures the young girl had clicked and then I saw something

A picture she had clicked on the night she had died..."

My sister's story ended. I saw fear come up on her face. I asked if I could see the picture

Later that evening I was glancing through the pictures clicked by Aditi as I reached the last picture. I grew white with fear too. In the dark frame the only things, which were visible, were a scary pair of eyes looking straight into the camera

Next time if your son or daughter tell you that there is something under their bed or that they see things in the night. Please do not disregard their fears for all you know. You might not be the only people staying in your house....