‘ Take care of yourself Mr. Singh’… A man said joining his hands to Mr. Akashdeep Singh. There were all scented candles lit up, the beautiful fragrance of incense sticks made the environment religious and peaceful. It was a ‘condolence meet’ for the peace of ‘ Nirmala Devi Singh’s soul’ mother of Mr. Akashdeep Singh. The surrounding there was little sad and filled with sympathy but everybody made peace with the reality because ‘Nirmala Devi Singh Ji’ lived her life peacefully for 85 years and she died peacefully. Everybody in the family was focused on the meet except for one member of the Family, ‘ Akshat Singh ‘ the only son of Mr. Akash Deep Singh. Akshat was actually disturbed and distracted by something that happened on the day , when his grandmother received her last rituals…

‘ What are you? Who are you? What did you do to my grandma? I know she is not dead, you did something to her’, Akshat shooted the questions back to back at her. ‘ Answer me’ Akshat yelled at her. ‘ I will answer all your questions, if you let me’, she replied in a very calm tone…

2 Days ago… ( The funeral )

When all mantras, and rituals were done, And Akshat’s father gave ‘MUKHAGNI’ to his grandmother, Akshat saw something that was not very normal and was beyond his imagination. As soon as the fire lit up to his grandmother’s pyre, he saw his grandmother passing through a girl, and suddenly she vanished in her. And when he went and asked her about all these things, the girl went numb and shocked at the same time. He directly shooted the question to her. ‘ What did you do to my grandma?’ hearing his question the girl shockingly asked, ‘ you really did saw, what just happened?’

Present day… Akshat is still trying to figure out about everything he saw that day. He was so keen at knowing about everything that he took the girl home with him, and made her stay in his house.

1 day ago… ( the day after last rituals)

‘ Who is she?’ his mother asked surprisingly. Akshat was quiet.
‘Answer me’ his mother asked again. ‘ ummm… Maa! She is my friend from Hyderabad, she was in the city, and when she heard about grandma, she couldn’t stop herself from coming here, she would be staying here for a while maa! If that’s ok with you’ Akshat said seeking permission from his mother. Hearing his last sentence the girl looked surprisingly and asked him in a low voice, ‘ Am I?’. ‘ Yes you are’ Akshat frowned at her in a husky voice. ‘That’s good! Stay as long as you want beta’ his mother said smiling at her. ‘Thank you Aunty’, she replied smiling back at her. ‘ By the way! What’s your name beta?’ Mrs. Singh asked. ‘Smriti’ she replied smiling again. Akshat was bit shocked because asking her name didn’t occur in his mind…

Present day…

‘ Everything I saw that day, was horrifying and unbelievable to me’ Akshat said in trembling voice. I can never forget what I saw, you consumed my Grandma! You are ghost aren’t you?’ he asked her in the same tone. Smriti was quiet, and her silence was irritating Akshat. ‘ What did you do to my Grandma? Answer me!’ Akshat yelled at her this time… ‘ Calm down Akshat! Sometimes reality is way too mysterious than imagination. I am willing to answer your every question, but the question is are you capable of handling the truth?’ she asked in calm tone… ‘ Try me!’ Akshat said with full confidence and in a firm tone. ‘ Ok! Then listen, I am not what you think I am, I am not a ghost…’ Smriti was about to complete her sentence when impatient Akshat yelled at her ‘ Then Who are you?’…. There was silence in the room and then she said… ‘ I AM A Medium, a wall that divides human and spirit World….

To be continued….

– Madhu