I have noticed that some of my words have been changed to something else. Maybe it does not want me to warn others.
My name is Bihan Chattopadhyay, and I am 36 years old. I live in a small town named Udhampur. My mother died during my delivery and after that my father unalive himself, so he doesn't have to take my responsibility. But I was quite lucky, because soon after that my uncle and aunt adopted me as their own son.
With my lovely wife, Mohini and two twin daughters, my family becomes whole. Caring parents, a lovely wife, and an obedient daughter. I couldn't have asked for anything more. By God's grace everything was going well.
But I was wrong. I didn't know something evil was lurking in the shadows and waiting to devour my family. From here onwards my tale of confession begins.
To be honest, in comparison to other middle-class families we were rich. My uncle was a money lender by profession. But after a tragic incident he retired and focused on his family and farming. He has acquired quite an amount of land from his money lending business and some from inheritance.
Our inherited land was the biggest land among all the other lands my uncle owned. Only from that piece of land we provided jobs for more than fifty people. My uncle got this land from his grandfather, and it was one of his prideful possessions. Little did he knew that this land would be the reason for our demise.
One night after nine, our servant Gopal informed me that uncle has summoned me. Seeing the time, I was surprised. It was past his bedtime, and he never liked to discuss anything in his bedroom.
My uncle believed that the bedroom was a place of sanctuary, where bodies rest and produce offsprings. So, I was surprised to know that he had called me to his bedroom.
As I entered the room, I saw him lying on his bed. He slowly got up and told me to take a seat. "It's time my boy," said Choto Baba.
I like to refer to him as Choto Baba, it's his nick name that I gave him. "You are not going this year, Choto Baba?" I asked.
"My back pains are back," said Choto Baba in a long sighing tone. It wasn't his back pain. He was suffering from lumbago. But whenever we told him to see a proper doctor, he refused and got mad at us.
It was clear why he had summoned me so late at night. Before I could speak another word, he said, "Bihan my boy, I wouldn't have asked you this, especially knowing how busy you are. But it's time for you to start taking responsibility. You can see my current health, Bihan. So, I want you to visit Neel Khana and look at the harvest."
Every end of the year Choto Baba goes to Neel Khana to inspect the harvesting. Neel Khana is a small village in Mohammadpur district, where our inherited lanes lay. I swallowed hard and said, "I trust our workers and I believe skipping one year will do no harm for us."
"It's not that I don't trust them. The real reason behind my visits is to meet with the workers and let them know, their master is still there for them." Choto Baba said slowly.
He adjusted his pillow and lay down. He was looking at the ceiling when he said, "Bihan my boy, you are my only child and the future successor to my legacy. You need to start learning the management affairs." After saying that he turned to his right and looked at me. His eyes were half closed, as he was about to fall asleep. I quietly got up and pulled his blanket up and took my leave.
Honestly, the reason I didn't want to go was that I had never been to Neel Khana and knew no one except our old manager Khan Chacha.
I worked at a cigar factory as a head engineer. So, I had to submit my leave application a week in advance. After they accepted my one-week leave, the following day I started packing.
I remember, before leaving, my wife Mohini handed me a small sack of 'Goor Ladoo and Puffed Rice' for me to eat on the road. Her cooking is something to die for. She is not only kind but also a helpful person who helps others in need. I kissed her goodbye and told her to take care of herself and others. "Have a safe journey and I will be waiting for you," Mohini said in a shy tone. I turned back and saw her sweet and kind smile for the last time.
It was a seven-hour ride to Mohammadpur, and from there an extra three hours to reach Neel Khana. As I seated in the bullock cart all my tiredness was gone. I felt a soothing feeling in my mind and body. As our cart moved on the muddy roads, its wheels slipped several times.
The roads crisscrossed the fields, separating farmlands into neat squares. The fresh air, the peaceful atmosphere and the beautiful scenery of the village quickly got to me.
But soon all these feelings were faded into dreadfulness. The temperature in here drops quickly compared to towns. Suddenly after five a bone chilling wind started to blow from nowhere. I was barely managing to keep myself together. I looked at the time. It was already eight forty-nine on my wristwatch.
Our land was on the outskirts of the village. There lies an old building, named Halder Mahal. It was once a British office building. But now it serves as a residential and storage place for us.
The cart driver refused to take me to the Halder Mahal. And the reason behind was that, if he does then he won't reach home before dinner. I tried to argue with him, but he didn't listen. So, in the end I had to walk all the way to Halder Mahal.
It would have been better if I had informed them about my arrival. Then at least Khan Chacha would have come to pick me up. After a deliberate thought I decided not to inform them about my arrival. And the reason behind such a decision was that I was doubtful that they would try to create a fake work environment to mislead me. But sadly, it backfired on me.
As I was thinking about all this suddenly, I heard a soft footstep behind me. A chilling shiver ran down my spine. The road was covered in darkness. The only light was coming from my torch. The night sky was covered with dark clouds.
People here don't leave their houses after five. And, on top of that it was a winter night. No one should be out here at this hour. My heart felt heavy as I again heard those same soft footsteps.
I didn't stop or turn back to look at what was following me. It was a straight road and at the end of the road was Halder Mahal. My hands were shaking but I tightly held the torch and started speed walking. The light danced on the road as I moved. In this eerie silence, I could still hear those footsteps. Following me like a shadow. I felt like it was slowly getting closer, so close that it could jump on my back.
I was a few feet away from the Halder Mahal, when suddenly the footsteps sounds stopped. I was breathing heavily, as I hit the gate.
As I was about to open the gate, I heard a blood-curdling howl. My hands froze in shock. I slowly turned back and saw, from a distance, a street dog was watching me. It felt like his eyes were glowing in the dark.