The incident happened when I was studying in the Jhalawar P.G. College, way back in 2005. I was completing graduation as well as doing some home tuition also. I was living in a rented room in the big house, along with some of my college friends. The house owner was an aged widow in her early fifties. She was living with her son of 13 and a daughter of 18, using two rooms of the same house for her accommodation and rest were used by the tenants.
It was the summer of 2005. All of my housemates had gone to their respective villages on vacation, and so did the landlady with her son and daughter. I had to stay because I used to attend some home tuition in the due course and prepare for the competitive exams as well. Eventually I was the only soul present in the whole house. I used to attend tuition in the day time. Normally in the evening I used to go to Vivekanand Hostel to play cricket with some of my friends residing there.
One such evening, when I was returning after playing cricket in the evening, the neighborhood boy approached me. He was having a very serious as well as hostile look in his eyes. He asked me tactfully, "Is there some guest in the house with you?" "No, Not at all!" was my surprised reply, "but why are you asking?" I further inquired. "It's impossible. There must be someone up there?" his look was taking the hostile turn again. "There is nobody. I locked the door myself and now will open it before you. But what is the matter?" I asked impatiently. What he told in the reply send cold waves down under my spine! "There was someone up there who threw burning matchstick after lighting a 'beedee' as the ladies who were cleaning their teeth below (honestly as per the doctor's instruction), near the house saw it falling in front of them!" I was dumbstruck, had no words for few moments to follow! "How is it possible, you are kidding me!" Now it was my turn to be hostile.
"Then you can confirm it from the ladies over there!" He was looking more aggressive than ever. I thought it would not be wise to go near the angry ladies. Anyhow I entered the house and searched it thoroughly. But to my desperation there was nobody. I assumed it to be one of the prank to terrorize me in the lonely house by the neighbor boy.
Eventually, few more days passed by without any noticeable happening. Then came the night which dreaded me as much as to death! It was a full dark night. I used to sleep on the roof as it was less fearful. I was in the deep slumber as I heard someone talking to me in local dialect (Hadoti), "sab gaya... Tu atthe kayin kar riyo che? (All are gone, what are you doing here?) So cold and authoritative was the tone of the voice that I immediately woke up. I stood up and searched on the whole roof. Not a soul was there! Now I was afraid to death, my friends. I already stated that there was no adjoining roof to the house so there was no chance of somebody intruding from there! I overlooked the other roofs to see if someone was there? To my bewilderment the roofs were empty! And sound I heard was so impulsive that it seemed someone whispered in my ear! Now it was a real terrifying experience for me. I somehow spent that night in the hostel with my friends there. I need not to explain where I spent my rest of the holidays!
After the end of the holidays, when I went again in that house, it was only after all the inmates of the house were back. As I mentioned earlier, I used to do home tuition and landlady's son was also one of my student. During teaching hours, I narrated him all the incident and asked what might be the reason behind it. He was hesitant in the beginning but when I warned about leaving the house and tuition, what he explained really thrilled me.
The gist of his description was that it was not a new thing for the family. The owner of the house (boy's father) was a policeman. He was accidentally killed in a road accident while chasing a smuggler. After the accident his presence was felt many a times by the family members on the roof of the house. He was a peaceful soul and never harmed anybody. (No harm my foot. I was almost dead with fear!) Now I came to know why the rooms were so cheap in this house!
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