Standing against a pillar, in darkness, Huda recollects the story that has been shared till this moment. He, who was not taking this story telling seriously in the beginning has now started feeling connected to all the emotions that the story has managed to develop inside him. He is serious! He is nervous! He is intruiged! He is afraid! He is haunted by memories! He is trying to connect the dots. This is not the first time he is feeling these emotions altogether.
The vivacious Huda, has another side too which he keeps buried, no one amongst his friends can imagine.
He took it as his misconception. He took it as his hallucination. But deep down he knew whatever he witnessed was true!
Huda quivers even today when he remembers what he went through.
●●●●●
Walking to and fro Lolita Ma'am remembers reading stories on ghosts. She always had a fascination for Paranormal activities. The stories she read were surely very interesting. Her book shelf is mostly filled with books on ghosts and Paranormal activities ranging from stories written specifically for children to stories written for adults - serious and dark ghost stories!
There is one particular book though in her shelf that she dreads to touch and read. It is still hard to believe that she hasn't thrown it away or given it to someone. No! She cannot give it to someone else. What if it is a cursed one?! She surely cannot risk someone else's life.
But then nothing has happened to her till date! How can it be a cursed one? She has an answer to her this query too - the fact that she is a devotee of Ma Kali, has protected her till date. Is it just her belief or reality, she doesn't want to know. All she knows is, the book ain't going anywhere out of her custody.
●●●●●
Ali still remembers how it felt to be possessed by a spirit. The one week of the fourth month of the year, the experience was terrible. Only he knows what he went through and only his family members know what they went through. What all did they not try - tabeez, calling the Maulana to their place to ward off the evil spirit and what not, but nothing worked. What worked finally was the root cause of the entire problem!
Ali quivers remembering that incident.
●●●●●
Everyone in the academy knows that Dr. Shalini is a divorcee. Her sweet and friendly nature has always succeeded in winning the hearts of all in the academy right from the very first day which secretly includes Major Nair and Major Bhargava too. Major Bhargava, when asked by Brigadier Chandok to leave the academy, was leaving, he had no positive feelings for anyone other that his best friend Major Nair, and Dr. Shalini!
But no one knows the reason of her divorce!
No one has ever dared to ask her too, solely because everyone cares for her. No one wants to hurt her by any means by asking her about her past.
Dr. Shalini too never tried to initiate a conversation on this topic by herself. But today she knows, the time has arrived. She must share the story. Because today she is sure everyone will understand and won't take it as her imagination; or some fake story; or make fun of her!
●●●●●
'Coward'! This tag has been given to Yudi since the moment his friends - whether outside the academy or in the academy have got to know him better and realised that he quivers even on merely been talked by raising their voices. He tries hard to have a grip on himself, especially because he has faced humiliation because of his this nature because as per rules a man must not be a coward; a man cannot reveal that he too gets afraid. If he does that then he will be tagged as a WOman thenceforth!
