I was walking towards the store. ‘Why is Ashish Sir absent from the past five days? What could be the reason for his absence?’ I thought. Soon I reached the store and purchased a blank CD from there. I needed the blank CD because I needed the MS Office 2007 software on it. It was available with Sayli (Prateek’s sister), on her PC. She was also my Tally teacher at the S.S. Academy, where I used to go for my English coaching.
While I was on my way to her home, I observed the empty streets. It was unusual, especially during the noon time. No vehicles, no passengers, no stray dogs, it seemed so strange. I was about to cross a road, when a vehicle passed rapidly from the front. I thought, ‘There might be an India-Pakistan Cricket match today, that could be the only reason on the earth for so much silence and peace in the surrounding.’ I continued walking. I saw Sayli’s house from the distance. As soon as I reached there. I heard some sound, it sounded as if someone was crying. The sound grew louder and louder as I approached the main door. Since there was curtain on the main door I wasn’t able to recognize of what was happening inside. When the curtain floated in the air due to the force of wind. I was surprised to see Sneha (my aunt’s younger daughter). She was sitting on the floor. It felt awkward to find Sneha over there. This wasn’t expected. Immediately I started running towards my home.
As soon as I reached my home, firstly I made a call at my aunt’s residence. It was ringing. Whosoever picked up the phone, was definitely not from our family. I spoke, “Kaun bol raha hai?” (Who’s speaking from the other side?). The reply made me stunned, “Tumhi kon bolat ahe?” (Who are you?), was the reply. This was different. How could this be just possible? None of my relative living there knew how to speak Marathi and the person who was speaking from the other side, her sound was not familiar to me. I continued, “Mai Ankit bol raha hu.” (I’m Ankit). “Ankit! Kon Prateekcha mitra aahe kaa tu?” (Ankit! Are you Prateek’s friend?). To confirm that the receiver was Prateek’s Aunt, I replied, “Mala Saylishi kaam hootn.” (I had some work with Sayli). “Ghari ye na tar! “(Come home!), was the reply.
‘How could this be just possible? When I’m at Sayli’s place, I find my cousin over there. And when I’m calling at my Aunt’s place, the receiver is Prateek’s Aunt. Why so strange? What is happening?’ My mind was continuously ringing with such questions. To get confirmed again, I went to Sayli’s home.
When I was standing in front of her house, near the gate, the sound of someone crying was still coming from inside. This time I saw Chelsea (Sayli’s dog), she was sitting near the main door. Usually she would bark at me, on finding that I have arrived there. But, she was silent this time. Not even a single movement that I could find in her, in my presence, except for her eyes. This was strange. Again, with the blow of wind, the curtain flew. I observed closely, it was Sneha who was sitting on the floor, near the sofa. But, she was not the one who was crying. My heart pumped faster than usual, clearly indicating that fear was in my every nerve. I decided to go inside and see from where the sound was coming. The sound grew louder and louder as I was approaching towards the main door. I moved the curtains to one side of the door. Sneha sat in the same position. She slid towards her left and asked me to sit on the sofa. I turned my gaze towards her left. I was stunned, when I saw my aunt there. She was also sitting on the floor, aside Sneha. She was continuously staring at one point on the ground. She was numb. It seemed to me at that point, as if the whole room was crying, but, actually none of them was. I saw Sneha again, this time she was laughing continuously. She asked me again to sit on sofa. I was about to sit, when I saw that the sofa was about ten feet in length. The mattress was kept over something. Something which I cannot forget in this life. It was Shreya (my aunt’s elder daughter). It seemed to me, that first she was laid down and then the mattress was kept on her. Only her head popped out. Her eyes were closed. A thin stream of blood was continuously flowing from her eyes and nose. The blood fell drop by drop, from her face, it assembled near one leg of the sofa. Sneha was continuously laughing, and was asking me, that why I was not being seated. The scene made me shiver and I was sweating like anything. I turned to Sneha and then saw my aunt. My throat choked when I saw that my aunt was continuously staring at me. Her eyes wide open. She was standing, just behind me. Her eyes were red!
I woke up, trying hard to breathe as much as possible. I was sweating. I drank the full bottle of water which was kept on the table. I saw the clock. It was 3 a.m. When I got my senses back, I realised it was just a dream. It was The Unforgettable Dream.
