DON'T LOOK BACK

                              DON’T  LOOK    BACK

                                                                        Copyrights Abhik Bhanu

Bunty, Lucky, Roy, Sunder, Jenifer, and Tanisha were all college kids partying on a Saturday night on Goa’s Dona Paula beach.

The night was dark and cloudy, and the tide placid low so the beach was quiet- ghostly quiet. The sand was soft and cool under their feet. There was a cool and pleasant breeze carrying the sea smells. It was around 11:00 PM when somehow the topic of ghost stories began while downing more pegs.

“I don’t believe in ghosts,” Bunty said bluntly.

Roy supported him, “Educated people don’t believe in such idiotic things.”

“I believe in ghosts. They exist just as we do.” Jenifer flicked her long hair.

Tanisha agreed with Jenifer. Tall and slim Sunder got up and said, “Ghosts are invisible. They appear when we call them.”

“There is a process to call them- some Ouija board.” Tanisha supported them.

The conversation continued till midnight. Four of them were convinced about the existence of ghosts, Bunty and Roy were adamant that there were no ghosts.

“Okay, can you go to a graveyard now and spent time till morning?” Tanisha challenged him.

“You bet I will.” Said Bunty, “Will you kiss me if I spend the night in the graveyard?” He had a huge crush on Tanisha.

Curvaceous and hot Tanisha smiled teasingly, “Sure!”

Tanisha watched his muscular frame in loose long T-shirt and shorts.

“Take someone with you, I don’t want you to go alone.” Jennifer was concerned. 

“I will come with you,” Roy offered.

“Any problem if Roy accompanies me?” Asked Bunty.

“I want you to experience the truth, I don’t want you to die.” Tanisha

“What is the proof that you have spent the night in the cemetery?” Jenifer asked.

“You have to tie this scarf on one of the graves.” Jenifer pulled out a red scarf from her bag.

“Such a long scarf!” Roy looked at the six-feet long scarf. 

“Okay, ghosts appear at 3:00 AM, so if you really want an experience, you have to stay there till 6:00 AM. If you sense something fishy, don’t look back – just run from there!” Tanisha pinned the red scarf to Bunty’s long T-shirt lovingly, “so it doesn’t fly away in the breeze. We will see you guys at 6:00 AM sharp. Okay?”

“Okie!” Bunty agreed.

***

The British Cemetery was just a short 15 minutes’ walk from the beach. Bunty and Roy set out to stay up till morning in the British Cemetery. They carried a full bottle of whisky to last them through the night.

The cemetery was dark and it took a while for their eyes to get accustomed to the darkness. They slowly saw a path and hundreds of graves. They walked confidently halfway through- where they saw only graves all around them.

“This graveyard is more than 200 years old. People here are believed to be sleeping and not dead.” Roy scratched his nose.

“They are all dead. No one sleeps for 200 years. Dead are dead!” Bunty was dismissive.

Both of them settled down on the cemented ground close to a grave under the open sky.

“Are these stories all fake? Movies, web and TV serials, books- all of it just fiction? With not an iota of truth in it?” Roy took a large gulp of the whisky straight from the bottle.

“Myth and business.” Bunty explained, “it is all hearsay, folk stories. One fellow said something, another fellow cooked it further, like Chinese whispers. Later, books were written and movies made. Everyone benefitted from these fabrications.” He took the bottle from Roy and took a swig. “Basically, it’s business. Those who make money out of it want us to believe.”

“Okay. What if… let's assume, these stories are true?”

“It's all in our head. Just free your head from these idiotic myths.” 

British Cemetery was calm, in fact pleasant! Both the friends joked and laughed till 2:50 AM.

Then Roy heard a weird noise at some distance. He looked at his watch, the time was 3:00 AM sharp. It was a creepy sound, like someone crying.

Both the friends were suddenly very alert and scared. Roy started sweating as he heard the sound again.

“Let’s go,” Roy whispered.

“No, wait it is just some noise, don’t worry. Be calm.”

“Listen Bunty, don’t be a fool. There wasn’t any sound till 3:00 AM.”

“This is in your head. It is just a noise, nothing else.”

“Do you want to die for your bet?” Roy sweated profusely and was now desperate, “I am leaving.”

“If you want to go, I can’t stop you!” 

“I came here for you and now I am telling you- leave.” He looked around, “this is your last chance I am telling you,” He panicked, waited for a few moments, and then just walked away. 

***

Bunty was left alone. He held on to his post nervously but courageously. He picked up the bottle for another sip but it was empty. He was thirsty. He heard the noise now approaching him. It sounded like human cries and then turned into inhuman creatures fighting with each other. A big owl sitting on a tree close by uttered a hoot.

He sweated. Fear gripped him. He saw the time. it was 4:00 AM. He had to tie the scarf on one of the grave mounds. He stood up with trembling legs. Slowly pulled out the red scarf and tied one end to the mound. The noise was unnatural and angry and it was coming towards him- fast! He held his breath and panicked.

***

Roy went back to his friends.

He is such an idiot and so adamant. I left him.

“What happened?”

“Sharp at 3:00 AM, there were some bizarre sounds that started approaching us. I was scared. I told Bunty to come with me. But that idiot didn’t.”

“We should go there immediately,” Tanisha said.

***

When the gang reached the Cemetery, they found Bunty sprawled on the ground. The red scarf was pinned to his T-shirt at one end and the other end was tied to the mound of a grave.

They touched Bunty’s body. It felt cold. They checked if he was breathing. He wasn’t. They checked and confirmed that Bunty was dead. They inquired further.

“He must have tied up one fringe to the mound and forgot to unpin it from his T-shirt in a nervous state. And when he walked away to leave, he was pulled as the scarf was pinned to his T-shirt.” Lucky explained.

“He was told not to look back.” Roy reminded everyone, “only if he looked back, he would have realized that no one was pulling him.”

But, what about that noise?” Tanisha reminded him,” you said at 3.00 AM sharp.”

They saw an old watchman approach them, “Lots of cats and rats create a raucous here.”

Roy understood what was all the noise that scared them the most. 

***

Bunty was dead. The doctor said that he died of a heart attack.

“Why did he go to the British Cemetery?” Police inspector Joseph asked.

They lied to him that a ghost carried him in there.

***