The PGI is a state of the art hospital in Chandigarh
renowned for its best medical facilities not only in the north but in the entire
country as well. Everyday hundreds and on some days even thousands of patients
enter its building for diagnosis and treatment of various ailments and
accidents. The hospital emergency building is a place where everyday some get
new lives while some reach their last destinations.
But, away
from the 24/7 hustle bustle at the hospital compounds, there are certain dark
quiet areas in the vicinity which become alive in the dead of the night to
departed souls who walk free, enjoying their new found freedom away from the
clutches of life!
It was one such cold dark night with the festival of Diwali
just a week away. I worked at a retail outlet in sector 17 and that night I was
on my bike returning late from work after conducting an audit of the shop. I
stayed in Nayagaon which was around half a kilometer away from the PGI.
The darkest first hour had started when I took the Madhya Marg
route passing through sec 16 towards the sector 15-PGI roundabout and after
passing by the New OPD gates I had just entered the badly lit dark road near
PEC (Punjab Engineering College) when I was suddenly startled by what I saw! It
seemed as if a girl in her twenties was walking alone on the road. She was
wearing a Salwar and a shawl covered her head as she walked alongside the road
towards my direction.
She stopped the moment the headlights from my bike fell on
her. I was reminded of the horror stories of dead women walking alone in the
streets. I feared this to be anything but different! Hence, I raced past her almost blinding myself to cut her
presence. Only after reaching a comfortable distance away from her that I
turned around to look at her expecting her to disappear by now as it happens in
most ghost encounters. But, she was still there standing with her eyes fixed on
me. For a while I thought what if she was a girl in distress? Someone who
needed help! But, I was too terrified to go near her. I just raced my bike and
sped towards the village.
I had just entered the village crossing when I happened to
notice something in the rear mirror of my bike. The sight of it shivered me
from within. It was a dark face like structure. Trembling! I stopped at once to
turn around. But, there was no one behind. I looked at the mirror again. The
face was gone. My entire body shook with fear. Unable to drive anymore I stood
there holding my head and remembering all the gods that I could. Moments later
I saw a man on a bicycle riding swiftly towards the city. I was relieved to see
a sign of life but at the same time I felt concern for the man.
‘In this time of the night!’ I thought I must stop this man
else the poor guy might run into that departed girl! I raised my hand signaling
him to stop but he cycled faster. I even kick started my bike again to make him
feel that I was not a ghost and that he must not fear me. But, the man was
cycling away as he went past me without even noticing me! Finally I decided to
call him and I was about to speak out just when I was left speechless by yet
another horrifying sight. The man and his bicycle vanished in the darkness
right in front of my eyes!
Having enough encounters with the dead, I just raced my
already buzzing bike and drove as fast as I could towards my home. I couldn’t
sleep that whole night. The image of the girl and the man kept appearing in
front of me!
That morning while going through the newspaper I came across
an article about an incident a night ago when a girl of the village succumbed
to her injuries after being mercilessly gangraped by some unidentified men. Her
only surviving brother was also found dead an hour later in a no-man area
outside the PGI hospital. In a state of shock, he had reportedly consumed
poison. They were survived by no one. I kept on reading the news few more
times. It was apparent that the girl I saw in the night was her and the man on
the bicycle was her poor brother rushing to save his sister!
The body dies, but the
soul remains!
Since then I never took that route again whenever returning
late from work but their story had removed the fear of ghosts from my mind. No
soul would want to be a wandering ghost. It’s the unnatural deaths forced on
them by the injustice and atrocities of the society which hamper their peaceful
departure from this world! I was also moved by the love and concern of a
brother for his sister which remained intact even after his death.
The pain dies with the
body, but love indeed becomes a part of the soul! Forever!
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