A GHOST STORY

He was no ordinary joe. He was a professor with a doctorate in psychology and had presided over many international conferences in India as well as abroad. An authority on ghosts, he had written books about them. In the consultancy in his home that morning, he got a call and answered “Yes. I’m Prof.Jo.”

The caller said “I’m Col.Hardy retired from the Indian army. I want to consult you regarding a house I’ve inherited. It’s said to be ghost ridden.”

Jo said “I’m interested. I suppose you know my address. Do drop in and we could discuss.”

The date and time for a meeting were fixed. Col Hardy arrived on time carrying a bag and leaning heavily on a walking stick. He was tall and handsome with his sumptuous moustache which he had twirled at both ends. He was dressed in white pants and a broad checked shirt. Looking at the visitor Jo assumed the man should have suffered a war injury. Hardy studied the professor. He was short, heavyset, with a bald head, a long unkempt white beard and shell framed glasses. One gold topped tooth of his would be visible when he spoke or smiled. He was conservatively dressed in brown pants with a white shirt on top.

Jo seated him and Hardy said “Professor I’ve inherited Woods bungalow.”

“I’ve read about the house set in what were once woods.”

“It’s haunted by ghosts and none will occupy it. The house itself is in good shape. My grandfather has left it to me. The woods have now disappeared and the house could be converted into a hotel but the ghost infestation stands in the way. I have come to seek your advice.”  Jo nodded. Hardy continued “I’ve brought the keys to the house and will leave them with you.” He pulled out a set of antique keys from his bag and an envelope and giving them to Jo, Hardy said “The house will appear a museum to whosoever visits it. It has been left that way since several years.” Hardy held out the envelope and said “Professor, this will give you the background to the haunting.” He paused and said ”I’ll pay whatever you charge.”

“Okay. I’ll contact you in due course.”

After Hardy had left, Jo opened the envelope and studied the paper inside it: ‘The builder of  Woods House was a Col.Hamilton in the British army. It was spacious and the colonel had kept many of his trophies and memorabilia within it. Hamilton had limited staff in the house. A local maid, Mary was the cook, and the butler was also a local by name David who all lived in. Other staff would come and go. Mary was found dead, obviously choked to death. David had been close to Mary and investigation revealed that for some unknown reason they were estranged and he had murdered her. The case went to court where it was proved that David had choked the woman to death and he was hanged. Among those examined were Velu, and his daughter Valli.  No details are available about them. Thereafter, Hamilton complained of mysterious happenings like mounted birds tweeting and the like which led to the conclusion that the house was ghost infested.  Jo said to himself “Very interesting. Needs investigation.” The same day he set off to study the house.

It was an old house but had been well-maintained. There was a single security guard posted at the entrance and on enquiry Jo was told another guard would be at the post at night.  Jo walked in and saw it contained animals and birds mounted after taxidermy.  Then there were several types of arms of locals, weapons locally used, besides various flags and modern arms with soldiers standing alongside. At the entrance to the bedroom there was a life sized band of both men and women, playing musical instruments along with a conductor.  Jo wondered why Hamilton had stocked these items. The bedroom was very clean and comfortable with appropriate linen. Having seen all rooms, Jo decided to sleep within to confirm veracity of ghost infestation. He wasn’t afraid of ghosts. He returned home, armed himself with a broad knife and a loaded gun, had his dinner and nightcap, and returned to sleep in the ghost infested house.  Why was the professor armed? It was because it was night time and he was going to sleep in a strange place. He could be attacked by humans despite one security guard!

He had slept a while when there were sounds of wind bells near a window making musical sounds. He got up switched on the light and said “Whoever is there, speak to me.” A mounted bird tweeted. Jo said “Your presence acknowledged! Now transmigrate and speak to me.”

The statue of the woman lead singer now spoke. “I’m Mary who had been Col.Hamilton’s  cook.”  She paused and then said “The colonel would drink a lot and then call out to me for enjoyment. He was a very solid and sustained lover and I enjoyed his ministrations. Then came the day when I told him the lie that I was pregnant.  I didn’t know how he would take it, but he didn’t show any dislike of me due to it. But one night, after he had drunk heavily, he took me to bed as usual. Suddenly he put his hands around my neck and choked me to death, I couldn’t even scream.”

“David must’ve been around.”

“Yes. He was also a heavy drinker and was perhaps sleeping soundly in the rear. Nobody knew that the colonel had been giving David and I a big amount to keep silent about what was going on. .It seems in court the colonel used his influence to suppress certain evidence and to prove that David had choked me to death. He was sentenced to be hanged which was carried out. Of course I’m telling you what I had learnt from David after I had passed away.”

“Is David also a ghost?”

“Certainly. People who have had their lives artificially shortened turn ghosts. We’re neither dead nor alive.  We live a life unseen. We can’t cast shadows. We don’t grow older. We live on air. Don’t need food or drink. We have no bodily elimination. We can move wherever we want without our presence being noticed, within limits of our memory. We need no sleep. We always return to our homes. That shows that our limited memories are good. We have no voices. Instead thought transfer is possible between ghosts. So we can only speak to humans through someone else. We can transmigrate into empty bodies. Sometimes I need company and look for David. He should float in any time.”

Jo said “I don’t know if you can speak of it. I’ll give you an example to make my question clear. If a person is expected to die at 80 but is murdered when he is 35 he would spend 45 years as a ghost. Is that right?”

“I can’t answer you. I can only say I became a ghost during the days of Col Hamilton but am still around after so many years. I suppose I would’ve to go some time when my memory fails.”

Jo said “People are afraid of ghosts. Why?”

“We ghosts don’t harm people.  Ghosts were humans who had sad ends. That makes people fear them thinking they had come to avenge the harm inflicted on them in life. But ghosts are incapable of doing it.  Another aspect is haunting. When we ghosts habitually meet at a particular place - like David  and I meeting here - we don’t speak but use thought transfer between memories. However our animation occasionally causes unintended disturbance which reveals haunting.”

“What was your relationship with David?”

“He was my lover equally as was the colonel. We cooperated with the colonel for the money he gave us.”

The wind bells sounded when Mary said “David has come.” She stopped and then added “I’ve used thought transfer and he will transmigrate into the music conductor there to speak to us.”

The conductor said “Mary, who is this fellow? Why are you talking to him?”

“He is a stranger. I know we ghosts shouldn’t gossip.”

Jo said “No harm done.”

“Shut up. The living can’t talk to us.”

Mary said “I felt like talking to someone and found this man friendly and so kept talking.”

Jo said “Now that we all know each other ..........”

David said “I don’t know you.”

Jo laughed and said “I know you’re David and you were hanged for Mary’s death.”

David said “I didn’t kill her. I still love her.”

Jo said “Okay. David tell me about Velu and Valli.”

There was silence. Then David said “Velu was the man in charge of watering plants by riding levers above the water in the well along with a team. Velu’s daughter was Valli.”

“Why was Velu brought into the case?”

David said “He had deposed that when he had come out to smoke a bidi that night, he had seen through the window the colonel choking Mary to death. But that was suppressed and I was told Velu received a cash reward for saying that he could have mistaken the colonel for me. That let the colonel off the hook.”

Jo asked “Where does Valli come into the picture?”

David said “I don’t remember. Apparently Velu told Valli about the colonel murdering Mary. When police cross examined Valli she said that she had spoken the truth- whatever her father had told her. But her averment was disregarded as Velu had changed track.” He sighed and said “Valli was pregnant at that time but was planning to abort. I don’t know if she did. Otherwise I would’ve left a son or a daughter behind. I couldn’t find out as I had no contacts.”

Mary explained “Ghosts have limited memories and don’t know how to go everywhere to get info.” She now shouted “I knew about Valli’s pregnancy. But they said she had been raped by a farm hand.”

David said “That was wrong. She was carrying my child.”

Jo could sense that Mary was furious. She said “David, you lying rascal! You pretended you had nothing to do with Valli and now say the child is yours. You two-timing bastard!  You deserve to be killed even as a ghost! I’ll be coming after you even to the ends of the earth, to put an end to you even if you flee. You know I can trail you.”

Jo said “Mary, how will you harm him?”

“We had hearts beating when we were human. Now only our unseen partial memory remains. If we can batter that we’re gone. It’s quite simple.”

 David had suddenly stopped speaking. Mary said “The coward is trying to escape from me. I’m going after him this moment and you can be sure that it will be the end of him. He won’t return here. Nor will I.”

The ghosts had vanished!

Next day Jo spoke to Hardy and said “I slept there last night and there were no signs of ghosts. You could start using the house to prove there’s no ghost infestation. Then let someone who wants to establish a hotel in that house test it.”

Hardy was happy and said “Now about compensating you.”

“I need nothing. My experience with ghosts has been widened. That’s all I needed.”

END