Behind The Veil

The Tilmati Ghost

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Andrew rode through the coastal winds on his Enfield, a lone biker on his way to Goa, taking in every moment of the ride. His GoPro recorded every second and his head phones played Malayalam and English songs on the loop. He'd been to Goa many times and had mapped all the beaches, but he had missed out a few at the far end of South Goa, where no one usually went. He had gone to Himalayas, the South and to the deserts up North on his bike, but he had always missed this spot in Goa. 

'Too many people have died there...' an old Konkan man had told him when he had stopped at Panjim for breakfast, 'everyone who went to that beach's end, either came out mad or never did!'

Andrew had laughed in his husky voice and said, 'That's because you don't go to places like that in the dark! Offcourse, you will go mad or die! I'll discover the beach myself in the high sun.'

'Don't!' the old man had shaken his head violently, 'It's not about night or day, tides or waves; it's not the sea or the shore! There is a spirit who doesn't like to be disturbed! Let it be, let it rest in peace!'

'And hog the whole beach as its personal retreat? No way! I'm going to click the place and show you. Note down my Instagram.' he had made the old man download Instagram and follow him. Then, he left, fully charged. 

Twenties has a charm that shines on a human's face. One is independent  with a new job and fully out of the education system. One is free to do as one pleases in their twenties! Nothing is a big burden or unachievable in life. It was the same with Andrew. 

He rode through the salty wind coming from the sea on his right and watched the sun play hide and seek between the coconut trees on his left. There were lush, green hills wherever he looked followed by golden sand and blue-green waves. It was a beautiful and a tranquil day, one that makes you laugh at ghosts and such. 

As he closed the far end of South Goa and reached Palolem, he noticed a beautiful girl in a red and white polka-dots dress show a thumb for a lift. She looked worn out and her sandals, dangling in her hand, seemed to have broken. He slowed down and stopped beside her.

'All good?' he asked her.

'No, I can't find a bus, it has been hours!' she gulped, a little hesitant in front of a stranger, 'My place is not far, if you could drop me a bit further? It's like four kilometres...'

'Not a problem! Hop on, but I'm making a stop at Tilmati. I've heard there's-'

'What?!' she exclaimed, 'You shouldn't, it's not safe!'

Andrew laughed.

 'You believe it too? Come, I'll prove it's all wrong. There is no ghost. Its people who are crazy and you need to be wary of them, not a ghost!'

'My goodness... I can't let you go alone... Fine, I'll join you.' she seated herself on his bike and they rode. Andrew stopped at Tilmati beach. The shore was adorned with  lavish, green-blue waves. There was a luxury feel to the beach. Many resorts and hotels lined up, but they were far from the protruding point in the shoreline where they stood. Besides a sunset viewpoint, there was nothing else. No one went further inside the narrow shore, lined with red, porous rocks and algae. 

'Can you walk in those?' Andrew pointed at her sandals.

'Yeah, I'm better now. The shoe bite was killing me.' She put the sandals back on and they carefully crossed the rocky shoreline. 

'Here,' she pointed, 'this is the point where they say people disappear.'

Andrew saw the little opening between rocks that passed for a cave. People seemed to have drank and partied on the spot. He could see rugs, a dirty mattress, broken bottles and half-burnt wood. 

'Whoever was here, left without packing up. There's nothing here now!' Andrew snorted and clicked the place. He even took a selfie and posted it on Instagram. 'Say cheers!' he asked the pretty girl to pose. She did, holding up her fingers in a 'peace' sign. They clicked some pictures together and he got some good ones clicked by the girl. 

'Let's check them once, I can send you on Insta-'

'Oh, it's ok, can you just drop me, please? I'm really, really tired and I need to go home!' she looked exhausted and weak. The heat and humidity was intense. Andrew felt guilty for dragging her along, so he obliged, and started his bike. She seated merrily and told her about how she had to walk all the way from her college, five kilo-meters further out, and her shoes began to eat her.

'I did try to take a lift from another guy, but it looks he was all bad. He dropped me just here a bit ahead and took off.'

'What? That's irresponsible, and hey, you shouldn't be asking just anyone to help you. I'm different though,' he looked back at her with a grin. She chuckled.

'Yeah, you are!'

The ride of four kilometres ended very soon. He dropped her off in front of a small house. She thanked him. Before she could walk inside, she turned to him with a thankful gaze.

'I wish I'd met you before. I wouldn't have to walk so much and be this tired.'

'Don't worry, my friend! All is good now. You take care and next time, don't walk! Call someone to pick you up!'

She smiled with a nod and hurried back inside her home. '

Andrew rode back to his the hostel he was staying in at Panjim. He got some hot tea with a sandwich and hummed a happy tune as he approached the old man at the reception.

'What did I say, old fogie! There was nothing. You saw my pics.'

The old man turned to look at him, his face grey in fear and his hands trembling. People around him and the staff was murmuring, looking at Andrew with amazement.

'Didn't you see the pictures you posted?' he asked, his voice shrill.

'Ah, you jealous! You no find a girl in men's hostel that cute!'

'Cute? Are you out of your mind?' the man opened his phone and showed him the pictures he'd posted. 

There he stood, posing with a merry face, with a girl he didn't recognise. 

Her face was bashed in, her dress stained with blood all over. Her arms and legs were blue around cuts from a struggle and swollen yellow. 

It was a dead body standing beside Andrew, posing with a 'peace' sign.