Her lids appeared to be too heavy, as she slowly opened them. “Pranami,Pranami…” She could slowly hear Ajay’s voice. He was looking at her perturbed. He tried touching her, but she pulled it away. “Go away, you killer, you could have better killed me yesterday!” she wailed. Her head was bandaged and it was hurting very badly. “Jaan, what are you telling? How could I? I just had a few packs yesterday as I was not feeling well. Since I had a fight with you I thought I will sleep upstairs. I went up and dozed off. I only opened my eyes in the morning and to my horror I found you unconscious downstairs.” Pranami did not say anything but just kept looking on

Ajay came fuming in the evening. He was anxious as he was trying Pranami’s cell since morning but she was not picking up. Their relationship has strained over the happenings of the last few weeks. He thought he will surprise Pranami over a candlelight dinner and tell her that they are going on a cruise liner for a week. But he hasn’t been able to talk with her the entire day and this has put him off.  He called out to her but there was no answer. He frantically searched each and every room but of no avail. Suddenly his blood froze. “What if something had happened to her?” He darted upstairs and to his surprise he found her in the horror room reading busily God knows what. He touched her and said “What the hell…? What are you doing here all alone? And why haven’t you picked up my phone? And what is this?” “It’s a sad story…” There were tears in Pranami’s eyes. “Now I know who was she?’

WHAT WAS PRANAMI TALKING ABOUT?

Ting tong! The sound of the doorbell suddenly disturbed Pranami. It is a bad day, she fumed as she got up late. And that stupid Hari has not appeared till now. “Coming” she shouted as she tied her tousled hair in a bun and opened the door only to her astonishment to see two uniformed policemen outside. The senior one answered “May we come in for a moment? We would like to ask you a few questions”

“Hari Kai dead! But how, I mean we saw him just yesterday?” Pranami was near hysterical. “Madam, how is a big question. Generally we are adapt to seeing such bodies and incidents, but….”slowly his voice trailed off. “But what?” Ajay questioned. “The way he was killed was not the work of any ordinary goon or man. It has to be some sort of psycho. I have never seen such grotesque scenario before. His eyes were pulled out and his body was found in a mangled way. Did you knew anything about him?” the officer asked. Both Ajay and Pranami refrained from knowing anything. They said they had moved only two days back and hence hardly got to know Hari.

                                                             (7)

“What will I do the entire week?” Pranami wailed. “Oh Baba, its only for a week. The conference is very important and I have been selected by my department to represent them. It’s the opportunity for a lifetime.”Ajay said. “But I can’t stay alone the entire week. Now even Hari Kai is not there. And the nearest house is 1 K.M away. What will I do all the time? Please don’t go. Ever since I came here, I feel something is not right” Pranami said cajolingly. Hearing this Ajay pulled her towards him and said “Honey I understand that you feel lonely. But the land near us has been taken up by some real estate holders. Very soon flats will come up and then you will complain about all the people and their sounds. Till that time go shopping, call up your friends or just watch Saas Bahu serials.” “That’s not funny” Pranami said but she knew it was of no avail.

 As the evening set in, a sudden fear gripped her. Morever with Ajay’s absence, she felt all the more lonely. She made a quiet dinner and soon she felt asleep. But suddenly she found herself awake. Did she hear something? Yes, it was the unmistakable sound of ghungroos. Somebody was dancing upstairs. But who? There was nobody in the house except her. Did a thief break in? She switched on the lights one by one and soon came in the drawing room. “Is somebody up there?” she shouted with a shaken voice. Suddenly the dancing stopped and the sound of somebody walking with ghungroo was heard. “Who is it? Pranami shouted as she put one foot up the stairs. Suddenly the clock started chiming four times. Pranami went upstairs only to find no one there. She then opened the door of the bathroom and then her blood froze. Something was written in blood in the mirror “Don’t you dare to take over this house. Go away before it is too late!  

                                                            (8)

“There is something in this house, I am telling you.” For the last half an hour she was trying to explain it to Ajay on the phone what had happened last night but he could not listen. He just joked that it was her fear which had got the better of her. Finally Pranami called up her friend Runa to come and stay with her. If it is my inhibition, then tonight it will be broken. Runa was her college friend and she was a very jovial person. On arriving she congratulated Pranami for her new house. Pranami thought it was better not to tell her anything. After having dinner, Runa asked “Where is the guestroom yaar?” On seeing the room Runa exclaimed “Wow its lovely!” After exchanging goodnights Pranami too retired for the night.

The sound of the alarm suddenly woke Pranami up. After washing her face she prepared tea both for her and Runa. Runa must still be sleeping, I will take the tea up to her and wake her up. Pranami slowly knocked on the door of the guestroom. “Hey Runa are you awake? May I come in?” But the sight which greeted her was not what she had expected. She dropped the entire tray. Runa was sitting on the bed with her neck slit and her eyes were wide open as if they saw something frightful!

                                                                (9)

Ajay came back the following day of Runa’s death. Pranami was inconsolable. She could not stay even 1 min in the house. “Listen Pranami, I knew what happened was really bad. But you can’t attribute it to the house. Maybe it is the same killer which killed Hari Kai. The police has promised to track down the killer as fast as possible.” Ajay tried to explain. “But what about the mirror? Was that too the work of a killer? Why can’t we just leave this damned house?” Pranami shouted. “Because I have taken loan for this house damned, so now you see why can’t we leave this house and I won’t leave it for your some stupid fear” Ajay thundered. Pranami was dazed. She looked into his eyes and said “What is the matter with you? Is money that important for you? I left everything for you and this is what I get. You have changed. You are not the same Ajay which I knew. This house is evil and it has made us also with evil. Beware for time is not good”

She has not spoken with Ajay since their showdown in the morning and neither has he. But why has he not come to bed? Is he sleeping somewhere else? Pranami was filled with remorse. She decided to say sorry to Ajay. She saw the lights upstairs alight and a sudden fear gripped her. The sight of Runa flashed across her mind. “Ajay!” she shouted as she rushed upstairs. “Jaan , where are you?” She first opened the small bedroom but he was not there. She turned back and it was Ajay. He was standing in the hallway across the guestroom. His eyes were gleaming. “Ajay you scared me! What are you doing here? Look I am sorry for morning but now come back to sleep “saying Pranami tried pulling him by the arm.

                                                                        (10)

“Bitch!” Ajay growled. But it was the voice of a woman. Pranami’s head started spinning; she could not believe what she was hearing. “Didn’t I warn you to leave this house? Do you think you can become the mistress here by surpassing me? And you dare take out my picture from here.” Pranami started retracing her steps downstairs. Was it Ajay or somebody else she could not make out. But he was still following her, his face a ghoulish appearance. He caught hold of her by neck and she felt herself suffocating. She slipped and started tumbling downstairs. She felt blood oozing out of her head. Suddenly an ornate Ganesh idol caught her eye. She dragged herself to the table and clutched the idol. ‘God save me!” saying she fainted.

Next watch out for the concluding part!

  (1)

“There you are, have you finished packing?” a young 28 year old guy asked as he entered into the room. Paying no heed to him, Pranami Buragohain continued throwing one after another clothes into the bed from the closet. “How do you expect me to finish everything in only two days? Is it necessary that we have to shift today itself? We could have done it on Sunday? You know I don’t even have anyone to help me.” Ajay just smiled. He knew that this was only the beginning. For a girl like Pranami who was born in luxury, even the smallest menial task was no small thing. He had tried to explain it to her, to wait atleast for a year so that he could settle down and provide her with everything, but she could not listen. The news of her father arranging her marriage with some rich brat left them with no avail but to run away and get married. After marriage Ajay did try to patch up with his father-in law, but Mr Barooah who believed that he was only after his daughter’s money threw both of them out of his lives. Ajay vowed that day that he will give Pranami everything that she deserved. After all she sacrificed so much for him.

“You just need to see it to believe it. You know what is the rate of land in Guwahati nowadays? And you are getting not only land but also with a readymade house. Its just sheer luck. I had already paid the down installment. So its better we shift there at the earliest rather then putting up at this rented house” said Ajay. “But don’t you think Sonapur is a bit too far? And why would somebody sell a house so cheap?’ Pranami retorted not being satisfied. “Are baba, Sonapur is just on the outskirts of Guwahati. And half an hour distance from my office at Khanapara. Morever the entire household is going away forever to the U.S.A and hence in a bit of hurry to sell it. That’s it”

                                                             (2) 

As the car made a screeching stop in front of the iron gates, Pranami gazed out of the window. A beautiful two storeyed house stood in front of them. To the right was a long stretch of small quarter like rooms. There was a small garden in front of the house which shouted for attention. “Hmmmm! The owner seemed pretty careless.” Ajay pressed a calling bell and a young girl opened the door. “Oh Mr Buragohain, I was waiting for you. This I suppose is your wife. Do come in” Ajay and Pranami entered the drawing room. The room gave a smell of quaintness. It was exquisitely decorated with paintings and artifacts. A servant boy came and served them tea. “I am Juri Bhuyan, daughter of Mr Dhruva Bhuyan with whom you had spoken earlier. As you see, Papa had to rush back to the U.S as Grandpa suddenly suffered from a stroke. I am here to personally give you the keys.” Pranami found it a bit strange as why would someone come all the way just to give the keys. As if Juri sensed her, she said “I know what you must be thinking Mrs Buragohain as why I am here to just give you the keys when it could have been given by some servant also. But it was our Grandpa’s fervent wish that the keys of this house be given by one of the members of the Bhuyan family. You see this house runs in our blood. It was build by my great Grand-father. Grandpa never wanted to sell it but he is now old and needs to be taken care of.” “What about you’re other family members?” Pranami asked. “Oh Grandma expired 10 years ago by a stroke. Grandpa had two sons and one daughter. Barta died in his youth by an accident. He was unmarried. Pehi is married and settled in Hyderabad. My elder brother is working in the U.S as a software engineer. And I am studying in National Law School, Bangalore. We children grew up in hostels and hardly ever visited this place. But when Mom fell sick Papa decided to go away to U.S at dada’s place and take Grandpa along with him.”

“What is your Mom suffering from?” Pranami asked. Juri’s face suddenly became ashen. “It’s getting dark. I need to leave. I have a flight to Bangalore tomorrow morning.” Ajay suddenly grasped the situation and tried to stop her “You could stay with us tonight if you want. I can drop you tomorrow.” “No thank you, the house belongs to you now. I better keep going.” She handed the bunch of keys to Pranami and said “Take good care of the house.” And with a final glance to the building she got into the car and sped away.

                                                             (3) 

“Finally a house of our own!” Ajay said as he sank into the couch. But Pranami sounded serious and putting a hand under her chin she said “Did you notice Juri?” “Why should I? I thought you will kill me if I see any other girl except you? Ajay joked. “Stop joking, why did she turn red when I asked about her Mom’s sickness? And then why did they sell this entire property along with furniture at the rate of peanuts?”  Ajay lovingly caught her from the back “Come on honey, maybe you tried asking her something which was too personal. And why should we think why did they sell and for what? What’s important is that now you are the lady of this entire house.” he said dangling the keys in the air. “CRASH!” the sound of glass breaking echoed into the air “Might be a cat” Ajay said as he went up to the window and picked up the broken pane.

                                                                (4) 

“Baideo, the food is ready.” It was Hari, the servant boy who had served them tea the previous evening. He used to work earlier in the Bhuyan household and Pranami also decided to keep him so as to help her out with work. “Here take these keys and open the rooms upstairs and dust them well. I am also coming after having breakfast.” After having breakfast Ajay went to his office. Pranami slowly picked up the dishes and after cleaning them went upstairs to see what Hari was doing. There was two big rooms upstairs along with attached bathrooms. One of the rooms was quite small as if it was designed for a child. The other room was a master room with a big bed, bookshelf and closet. She closely viewed the entire room and suddenly her gaze stopped at a portrait. It was of a girl in her late twenties. She was of olive complexion, with wavy hair and brilliant black eyes. In one word she was beautiful. “Is this Mr Dhruva Bhuyan’s wife?” Pranami asked Hari. “No no Baideo, I knew Udita Baideo. This is not her. But Dhruva Sir told me to always lock this room after Udita Baideo felt ill.” “Then who is she?” Pranami questioned. “I don’t know baideo. I used to work here only from morning to evening. The Bhuyan’s were strange people. They never led anyone inside their lives. But of course the old gardener might know. He is very old now and lives in his village. I have heard that he used to work here ever since Dhruva sir was born.”

                                                                (5)

“Anyways, I want this picture removed from here. This entire house is very eerie. I am going to change the entire décor. Also change the sheets also.” Saying Pranami stormed out. It was late evening Hari finished cleaning the house. As per Pranami’s instructions he took out the picture and kept it in the downstairs. He started cycling on the bumpy road and then suddenly “Dhat! This stupid chain, it had to get out now only.” Saying he got down and started moving the pedal of the cycle. Suddenly the sound of footsteps made him turn around “NO, OH NO!” and then the cry of Hari was heard echoing in the air.

“Here your tea.” Ajay did not hear it. He was looking at the picture mesmerized. Pranami looked disturbed. “Where did you find it?” he asked her. “In hell!” she fumed. “Oh come on this is not Juri, then who is this?” Ajay inquired. “I don’t know neither did Hari. It was in the room upstairs, I asked him to take it out as we need the room.” Pranami retorted. “You opened the room upstairs? I need to see it”Ajay became excited and ran upstairs. Pranami too followed him and inside holding him from the back she said “Doesn’t it look good? I changed the entire décor you see. Everything right from the sheets to the curtains. We are going to use it as our guestroom.” But Ajay was looking all around as if he was not impressed. “Don’t you think it would have looked good if the curtains were blue in colour and the sheets were off white? And yes there can be a vase on the table with flowers maybe lilac. Anyways I need to have a bath.” Pranami was stunned even to speak. AJAY HAD JUST TOLD HER WHAT SHE HAD CHANGED!

1)Who is the girl in the picture?

2)How did Hari die?

3)Is there some mystery behind the Bhuyan household?

keep checking as i will upload it soon!

Dear Rahul,

It is early morning when I am writing this letter to you. The clock is showing 4 A.M; now don’t shout as soon as you read this. I know you have repeatedly told me to get enough sleep, but what to do, ever since you have gone to battle front, I have lost all sleep. Just counting when you will be coming back. I know it is pretty old fashioned to write letters like this, but since you are living in such a remote place where you can’t even use a mobile phone, so this is it. Now don’t think I am making fun of you, to tell you the truth, I also keep counting the days for your letter. For this is my only lifeline.

But now I am very angry with you as there is not even a single letter from your side for the last two months. Are baba, I now that you are busy but atleast find some time to pen down two lines for me? Remember you composed such lovely poems for me when we were in college. It was your this habit that pulled me towards you. Now where have it all disappeared? Hey I have heard that Kashmiri girls are damn beautiful? Or have you hooked up with someone there? Don’t you dare or else I will pull your hair. I will let out a little secret today ha. Did you know that all the girls of our college were your secret admirers? Even my best friend Rupa often joked to me “If he was not your boyfriend then he would have been mine.” But frankly speaking you are more than a boyfriend to me. You are my friend, counselor and above all safety net. I know you are always there for me. Without you I don’t know where I would have been.

It was only on your insistence that I enrolled myself for PHD in Sociology. Or else where do I have the patience to do a PHD? Remember, during my first year in college time I was the least scoring student. That time, my only aim was to somehow complete my graduation. Ma used to fall sick with worry about me. But then you came and everything changed. You personally dragged me to tuitions and used to prepare all my notes. Infact today I owe everything to you. If you were not there then I don’t know where I would have landed up. When Papa passes away, you supported Ma just like a son. Today she proudly tells me that I have made a right choice in selecting you and there could not be a better son-in law than you.

Hey did you forget our marriage date? It’s October 10^th. The pandit was saying that there could not be a better date for years to come. But there are so many preparations to do. I will go mad with all these. Please come quickly back, you know Na that without you I can’t even select a blouse let alone other things. There is also a big surprise for you once you come back. I have also decided that we will go to Paris for our honeymoon. It is the best romantic getaway for a couple. Frankly speaking I still don’t understand why you had to join the Army? You could have opted for an MBA. Its not that I am not patriotic or I don’t share your views but sometimes I feel so lonely. I feel nobody understands me nowadays. And these long gaps of not seeing or talking with you really eats me up. I just wanted to ask your forgiveness for all the trouble or hurt that I unknowingly caused you. You often joked to me that I will feel your absence once you go away from my side. It is so true. I may have never shown my feelings to you, but today I can say that I love you no less than you.

Whenever I close my eyes, I can still visualise your laughing face and it seems it was only yesterday that we were having coffee in Barista on a rainy afternoon after getting drenched. We could have had so much fun if you stayed back. It is only that nowadays you get all these reports on Indo Pak border tension that it drives me out of my wits. And moreover there is no letter from your side for the last two months. So please as soon as you receive this one, send me a letter at the earliest. And please come back soon. It already 6 A.M. I think I should get some sleep. The doctor will be soon arriving. Oh didn’t I tell you that there was a strange call last month from some stupid joker claiming from army saying that you had died. Does the Army pay people to frighten civilians? Or it might be Ramen, the local lafanga. He was always after me. Wait I will teach him a lesson or two. But ever since I came here people don’t allow me to go out. They say they will let me only when you will come back. So please come back soon.

                                                                                    Yours

                                                                                                Nabanita

          The Letter

As I was sitting idle on my couch one fine Saturday and shouting “Bore, bore and more bore” my mom came and told me that we are going out. I thought I must be the usual relative’s ka chakkar but then she told me that we are going to Pabitara Wild Life Sanctuary along with Uncle and Aunt. “Really!” I shouted and jumped up. Wild life has always attracted me from my childhood. The mere thought of elephant rides and watching rhinos amidst grasslands brought thrill to my mind.

Pabitara (Pobitora) is a small wooded region in Morigaon District in Assam, in between the Brahmaputra and Kalang Rivers, covered mostly by tall grass, and only 16 sq km in area. Declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1987, Pabitara is famous for rhinoceros and avian fauna including crane, stork, florican, pheasant and swamp birds. It is also home to wild buffalo, wild boar, leopard, monkey and jackal. Other animals such as the Asiatic Buffalo, Leopard, Wild Bear, Civet Cat etc. are also found here. More than 200 birds and various reptiles are found in this sanctuary.

So we seven jumped into the car and began our journey to the majestic place. The journey from Guwahati took us nearly one and half hour. But as we started nearing the place the sight that greeted me was not what I had expected. Not only the roads were broken and unsuitable for travel, but there was also no sign of animals till a long way. “Have we come to a wrong place?” I wondered. After a long time and asking directions from the people we came across the Forest Inspection Bungalow. A man came out and told us that we had come there a wrong time. Since it was a rainy season the river was flooded and it had cut off the roads of the sanctuary specially the core areas where the animals generally reside. My mind naturally became dampened. “Then we had came all these way all for good for nothing? Do we need a season also to view nature in its beauty?”

My brother unfazed along with my cousin took out his fishing hook and rod and went down to the river. Soon both of them got busy with catching fish, while my mom and aunt sat down on the banks of the river to enjoy the scenic beauty. I was strolling around when suddenly something caught my eyes. I took out my binoculars and peeped through them and what I saw was a huge flock of lovely migrant birds on the other end of the river. They were of bright yellow coloured birds and the sight of them flocking together at the other horizon made me feel to swim across the river so that I can have a better look at them.

But what about the famed one horned rhino for which Pabitara is famous? But there was little hope that we will be able to sight a rhino for reasons already citied above.Morever it was already getting dark and we decided to leave. The people leaving nearby told us that it was very easy to sight the rhinos during night time as they often cross the National Highway. As we were talking to them suddenly there was a hue and cry and people started running towards some grassland.” Rhino look baideo! There are two amongst those grasses.” Not to be pulled back I too started running with my camera and pencil hills to have a glimpse of the animal. I did have but only for a fraction. Then also my mission was accomplished and basking in the glory of nature’s beauty I retraced my steps back treasuring the memories of the beautiful place. 

September 1, 2008: For the people of Ulubari area under Chirang district, the terms Copper T, Tubectomy and Vasectomy must have sounded quite strange a few days back. Uneducated and illiterate, the common rural folks were not aware of the various methods of Family Planning. The resultant was that a growing trend in population with less amenities to provide.

But last Sunday as National Rural Health Mission organized street plays on Family Planning, the people in this area for the first time became aware that there are much more ways than the common pill to family planning. In the Awareness meet that was held after the play got over, the people opened up to their various conceptions regarding use of IUCD or going for more permanent means like tubectomy and vasectomy. Some villagers commented that use of oral people makes the women suffer from tendencies like vomiting or weakness. But their inhibitions got cleared when it was told that those symptoms remains for only few days and now they can avail Copper T which has a timeline of 10 years.

Speaking on this, the District Media Expert of NRHM, Chirang said “Street plays are a powerful medium to reach out to people. They are a means by which you can educate them while at the same time providing entertainment. Also at the same time we wanted more and more people to respond to various other methods of Family Planning like IUCD, Tubectomy and Vasectomy apart from the oral pill.” In Chirang itself while 474 people responded to oral pill, only 89 of them responded to IUCD (according to the Health day Reports of July). The District Health Society is also planning to organize sterilization camps under NRHM for the greater benefit of the people.

As the play got over and the people slowly started trickling away, one villager was heard saying “We never knew that such modern amenities are given free by the government. This only shows how ignorant are we. I will tell her today only to take Copper T.”

On a chilly morn, a lone moron:

Began his journey at the hark of dawn,

To visit the lovely Daughters of the Hills

And to get nature’s feel:

They say they are more beautiful than anyone has ever seen.

And not to visit them is very mean!Seven sisters they are and they live far away,

Closely knitted together and bound all the way. 

Ah! How I long to behold them in my heart!

“The Far East! Nay, leave your dream” said the wiseT

he hope to go there is very lean:

Violence and strife blood and tears!

The seven sisters are all smeared;

They quarrel with each other; own against own;

And it is sure you will feel all alone. 

Undaunting in love, undaunting against fear,

‘Paradise I will behold’ even if death is near,

Rode he and rode like a wind;

To his beloved; he came like a wind:

‘Paradise unexplored’ this is true!

The seven beauties, all in queue.‘

Who hath said, here violence and strife reign?’‘I see love reign supreme’ 

From the Dichang to the Dibang, from the Siang to the Luit

Melodies come out as if in a flute,T

he sisters eyed curiously at him, with tears brimming:

But he smiled back with his eyes gleaming.

‘What are these tears for?

’‘You won’t understand it is an old lore

’Two demons came, raped us and left us to die

And hence we are sad, it is not a lie. 

I know who the demons are, and what have they done;

But not to worry, now it’s all gone:

Happiness will shower; all pain will be gone,

Prosperity will step in not before lone,

And integrity will walk hand in hand;T

ake my word for grant:

Everyone of you will be rich

For I am none other than Peace!