The sky was moonless but the stars were shining
brightly but no help as the darkness surrounded the lonely path snaking
its way through dense trees. The path ahead was lonely.
Ram and Bali, two sojourns, with one destination walked on the path silently as the only sound accompanying them was of howling dogs and whistling
of the wind. It was the same path, so familiar having walked on it for
many times, but tonight was different. They had never been here so late
and that too on new moon. They were feeling in their spine the wintery chill of the brisk wind that slashed their skin like knives.
The whistling wind’s eerie sound was enough to
scare the bravest of souls. Dogs were howling madly portending that the
dark beings were at large. With their hearts thumping in their chests,
Ram and Bali were trudging along their path. Beads of sweat were
evident on their faces despite of the wintery chill. The trees along the
path appeared like huge monsters set to ambush their prey.
Shapes of the dreaded monsters and demons
that Ram and Bali had heard being described in the tales told to scare
children. Now these very shapes were scaring the living daylights out of
both of them. Ram and Bali were praying to all the Gods, Goddesses and
Deities they could think of, if they make their journey across safely,
they would offer anything.
As they trudged along the lonely path, waiting for some sign that they were nearing their destination, the chill
in the air suddenly started increasing. Their fast beating hearts were
now feeling heavier. Not far ahead lay the ancient well. The well they
had seen a numerous times. A definite sign that they were nearing their
destination. Relief for heavy hearts and parching throat. As they
approached the ancient well, the sight that greeted them left them
flabbergasted.
Hundreds of pigs were gathered around the well,
blocking their path. They had never seen pigs in the area as long as
they could remember. For there were no pigs to be found for thousands of
miles. The presence of so many pigs perplexed both of them. They had to
find their way across them. As they made their way, Bali threw a kick
across a pig blocking his path. Bali’s leg passed through the pig as if
thin air. Bali became white with fear. He had expected to hit the solid body of the pig but his leg had passed right through the pig. Ram too became pale.
The pigs began to laugh. Their laughter inhuman,
monstrous. Cold with fear, Ram and Bali held each other tightly. Bali’s
bowels gave away. The monstrous laughter increasing, Ram and Bali ran.
Ran as they never had before.
The first rays of sun found Ram and Bali unconscious
on the outskirts of the village. Their bodies burning with fever. Ram
muttering incoherently in his delirium. Bali’s fever never subsided. He
never regained consciousness. The shock was fatal to him. Ram made his
way to mental asylum. The path they had taken was still there. Waiting
for another traveler on a moonless night.
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