Believe it or Not

This article has been submitted by Shristi B for the CLATGyan Blog Post Writing Competition. If you think this article is a good read, ‘Like’ this article on Facebook (the button is at the bottom of this piece) or post a comment using the ‘comments’ section below.

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The other part of the world, the life after death, do they exist? Most people deny it. They say spirits and ghosts are just human imaginations. But why then are we afraid to switch off the lights at night when we are alone? Why are we so curious when someone narrates their ghostly experience? Why do we avoid those stories at night and even if we listen to them why the stories haunt us at night?

Now let me tell you my own experience.

I was playing with her. I had some more friends and we were on the terrace. 6 years back she worked as a helper in my home. Then she got married but was killed by her in laws for dowry. I don’t know for what the terrace was so beautifully decorated. I could feel the soft breeze blowing.  I said that I missed her very much. She reciprocated. She told me she was very fine there. On the other hand I was very conscious that I was on my bed, sleeping. I knew it was a dream. Then she told me she has to go now but she’ll come to me again. She asked me what I wanted?  I said her that my mother’s away, I just want her. And I woke up. Strangely, although I am chickenhearted, yet I was completely normal. Not the least bit of fear touched me. In the morning, I remembered what had happened last night. Maa says dreams are just a picture of whatever we think on during the day. I thought- did I think about her last day? No, why should I? My exams were near and my mind was already tormented by physics, chemistry and maths. I shoved away the thought and started with my own traumatic routine. It was 10 a.m. my phone rang. It was maa. “I have got transfer order back to Ranchi”. Unbelievable! That was what I asked from her! And I had to believe in the unbelievable that happened! You may say…. what a coincidence! But Wait. She had said that she’ll come back. And she did. This time she was wearing a white lehenga. She was very happy. Merrily she said to me that Nazia Di (our neighbour) has given it to her. She was dancing wearing it. I guess she liked it very much. I woke up next morning. The day went wonderful. A dead person became my lucky charm! I believed it because I felt it.

Hold on!  I have one more. While I was on my aunt’s house for my vacations, I saw something which I had heard before from some people. It was around 12:00 of night. We were woken up by a strange hissing sound. We thought that must be some snake but holy cow! No! It was my sister who was sleeping beside me. She was hissing like a snake…. but the thing that gave us goose bumps was that her mouth was foaming. With the white foam gushing from her mouth she woke up, her eyes red. She told us some story about how she was cut into pieces and thrown into a river. All the spirit in her wanted was that she be given the last rites. And you know, her body was found in fragments in the same river which she mentioned. My sister slumbered for the next 20 hours and then came back to normal. Now these incidents compel me to think on the greatest mystery of life after death.