Goose bumps

            While reading Vikram Chandra’s story ‘Shakti’ which is about the protagonist’s encounter with a ghost, memories of my own experience of a similar kind were triggered.

          I had a small scale Industry located at a rather remote place. There were quarters suitable for two families which were occupied by a tractor driver and a mason. Wives of both of them worked in my plant for wages since the volume of regular work available with me was not enough for all four of them. Hence this arrangement was working fine.

          It so happened that the mason had gone over to his friend’s place at night for a round of booze and food. This friend worked at a mechanized brick kiln which was situated about a furlough away on the eastern side. An altercation seemed to have occurred between the two of them that night over a petty sum of cash. As a result of which this mason fellow murdered his companion and bolted away deserting his wife and belongings! This ghastly incident completely disturbed the living arrangement at my couple of quarters. The deserted wife forlornly left the place and subsequently the tractor driver and his wife also did the same after stating that they did not wish to live all alone.

          About perhaps a month later another event occurred at a manual brick kiln situated within a mangrove on the opposite (northern) side of my unit, across the road. Here the owner got his younger brother married to a bride from Jabalpur. He then allocated one of the hutments at the site for the newly wedded couple, to bestow, I believe, some privacy to them. I am completely unaware about the reasons which caused the groom to kill his bride on their first honeymoon night and flee?!

          Anyway, the law took its course and both the culprits were later apprehended and punished suitably. The most unexpected fallout of these two ghastly but entirely unconnected incidents was that everybody started claiming the existence of a ghost at my plant. Initially I brushed away these rumours as insignificant and thought that they will fizzle away eventually. However the circumstances persisted and so to speak worsened. My rational mind could conjure up no suitable response for a situation which I thought to be ridiculous at that time. People used to vividly describe the doings of this so called ghost. I offered to stay at night to allay their fears and also did so on a couple of occasions. When nothing happened, I was told that the ghost was not active during my presence but became so whenever I was not present! My work suffered and I was becoming desperate. I agreed to all sorts of seemingly stupid and sometimes weird solutions to this ethereal problem which seemed to be beyond my grasp. I remember allowing one self professed exorcist to perform various elaborate rituals which culminated into his cutting his own thumb and letting himself drip blood all along the perimeter of the factory premises! None of these solutions however were yielding any positive results.

           One day when I discussed my predicament with my friend who is also an astrologer extraordinaire, he advised me install a ceramic tile inscribed with a photographic representation of the deity “Panchamukhi Hanumanji” over the entrance of the factory after performing a simple pooja ritual. This seemingly simple solution also could not get implemented without incident. At that time, all major tile manufacturers/resellers were my customers. I was sitting at Bhandara with one of these customers after collecting a debt of some 25 odd thousand rupees. Upon noticing the required tile on display, I expressed my desire to purchase it. He responded with folded hands saying “how can I charge you, pay whatever you wish…. 11, 21, or 51 rupees.” I parted with a sum of 51 rupees and placed the wrapped up tile inside my briefcase for further action. To my dismay, I found it broken into two pieces upon opening the case for implementation of the proposed action. After this mishap, I respectfully performed a visarjan of the broken tile and later visited an unknown shop, purchased the said tile by paying a legitimate price of some 101 rupees and then installed it as advised. This act finally solved the vexatious issue.

          The fore mentioned narration is no doubt a personal perspective. However post this entire episode my world view stands altered. Today I am better able to appreciate the meaning of the adage “Faith can move mountains”.