Scores Settled - Don't Dig Deep

The autumn leaves crushed under Jennifer's feet as she walked in the woods. The breeze cooled her face. The open sweat pores that acted as a fountain were now shut. A calming kind of chill rolled down her neck, arms and hands. This rendezvous with nature was all she needed to calm her frayed nerves.

Jennifer was a photographer who worked for a reputed publishing office in New York. Despite her flourishing career, she felt that something was amiss in her life. Upon a suggestion from her friend, she resorted to some soul searching. She left her job and thriving career and began to travel the world in search of answers. After traversing the realms of the west, she decided to retreat under the canopy of the Nallamala forest.

The Nallamala forest is located in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Spread over five districts it is a part of the Eastern Ghats. This place away from the maddening crowds and concrete jungles was heartening. The deafening sounds of uncontaminated silence filled her with warmth. The weather was cool and dry. The tintinnabulation from the Ahobilam Narasimha temple gave her positive vibes.

Despite the solace, the forest offered there was something that was troubling her. She felt as though she had lived in the woods before. It all seemed like a Deja vu. Her throat was parched and ignoring the thoughts that muddled her mind she reached for a water bottle in her backpack. It was empty. She began to search for a stream. After walking for about a mile, she could hear a gurgling sound. She walked in its direction and saw that a stream was splashing at a distance as it moved through the trees. The stream coming down from the Gundla Brahmeswara peak seemed familiar to her. Pictures of her clad in a saree and carrying a pot over her head flashed before her.

She approached the stream and bent forward in an attempt to drink water. Suddenly, her muscles tightened, she gripped her crop top and her breath fastened. Coercing her tightened muscles to support her, she ran as fast as she could. In the process, she tripped on a branch and fell.

She lifted her head and a timeworn cabin caught her attention. She dragged her weary self to the cabin. The moment she entered it, she could picture her sitting and enjoying a meal. She was surrounded by four people. The image of one of them was crystal clear. She was of the same age as Jennifer. They were giggling and laughing as they ate.

As she stood gazing at the imagery, a gush of wind enveloped her like a tornado and she fell to the floor. The laughs were replaced with cries similar to that of a wounded animal. Bloodcurdling screams rang in her ears. She placed her hands on her ears and tried to save herself from the agonising noise but in vain. She saw that the plastered walls were filled with blood. A putrid odour enveloped the air and she retched. Her heart pounded against her chest.

Her vision became blurry as she gasped for breath. Through her weary eyes, she saw a faint figure walking toward her. The figure let out hysterical laughter. The laughter tore through her head and ripped her brain tissue. Grasping her neck tightly, the figure strangled her pulsating chords. She lifted her in the air and dropped her to the floor with a thud. Blood oozed out of her nose and ears. The figure stood staring at her with bloodshot eyes and cocked her head.

"Don't you remember me?" spoke the figure in a hoarse voice.

Jennifer shook her head in denial. The figure waved her hand and a screen appeared before them. Her past life began to play like a slide show.

Back then, in her previous life, Jennifer was known by the name of Jhansi. She was an orphan. The only person she had to call her own was her friend Ritu. Ritu's family showered Jhansi with love and affection. They treated her as their daughter. Jhansi was a kind and empathetic girl. She had a high IQ and was an industrious soul who wished to scale greater heights in life.

Just like the moon that has a dark spot, Jhansi had a lacuna. She was a kleptomaniac. What started as fun had transformed into an addiction. Ritu had warned Jhansi a million times to get rid of her habit but it was to no avail.

One evening, Jhansi confided in Ritu that she had stolen a golden ring from the temple in the village. Ritu was shocked at the revelation. She had instructed Jhansi to return the ring. Jhansi promised to do as said.

One month passed. A young man was found dead on the river bed. A girl retched blood and other weird incidents followed suit. The villagers linked the incidents to the missing ring. The entire village was frantically searching for the ring in an attempt to calm the Goddess. They didn't want to incur her wrath.

One evening, Jhansi arrived at Ritu's house and joined them for dinner. Ritu looked at Jhansi questioningly and she assured her that she had sorted the issue. After spending an hour with Ritu's family, Jhansi hugged Ritu and left.

Two days later

Ritu woke up after hearing the banging noise on the door. She got up and opened it. The elders of the village stood in the doorway. They shoved Ritu aside and barged into the house. They searched the house and created havoc while Ritu's parents and sister stood witnessing the scene with trembling hands and legs.

One of the elders opened an antique suitcase placed in the nook of the house and revealed the ring. Ritu's eyeballs popped out of her sockets. Her hands became cold. The eldest amongst the lot snapped his fingers and in the blink of eye blood splashed on the wall while Ritu's father's head lay severed on the floor.

Ritu fell at their feet and begged them to not hurt her family. One of them grasped her hair and smashed her head against the wall. Her mother and sister were put to rest.

Ritu looked at them helplessly waiting for death to tap on her shoulders. She couldn't believe that Jhansi would throw her family under the bus. She had to pay for trusting Jhansi blindly.

As Ritu lay on the floor, she felt a foot throttling her. She didn't resist. After struggling for a few seconds, she breathed her last. The village panchayat had assumed that Ritu and her family were responsible for the stolen ring. They executed her family to prevent the village from burning in the Goddess's rage.

Tears cascaded down Jennifer's face. "You have to pay for your sins," hollered Ritu and penetrated her nails into Jennifer's throat. Blood was strewn all over the floor. Life seeped out of her gradually. Ritu sat in a corner and watched Jennifer die.

A few minutes later, Ritu crawled towards Jennifer. She made sure that she was dead. Ritu breathed a sigh of relief and vanished into thin air.

The cabin was burnt to ashes. A week later, "A journalist from New York found dead under mysterious conditions" read an article in the newspaper.

A year later

A group of hikers who visited the crime scene noticed that four saplings took root in the place where a cabin supposedly existed.

One of the hikers stumbled upon a note that read "Scores settled, don't dig deep". He reached for his phone to click a photograph of the note only to watch it disappear.

The news about the mysterious location spread like wildfire, leaving people intrigued. The word of mouth publicity transformed the place into a thriving tourist spot.

Glossary

Saree - a garment consisting of a length of cotton or silk elaborately draped across the body, traditionally worn by women from South Asia

Ahobila Narasimha temple - A temple located in the Nallamala forest.

Gundla Brahmewshwara peak - A peak in the Nallamala hills

Panchayat - a village council