The Black Night

Trisha Chakravorty**,,

Power cut in India is a common thing and has troubled us for years but the power cut on 31^st of July, 2012 left some special effect on us. For years the boys and girls hostel was side by side, but the biggest nightmare they got, when they were ordered to shift to the new boy’s hostel within two days.

                  The boys shifted happily leaving the girls behind with happiness and sorrow. The girls were happy because they can live freely but sad too because their friends left them and went afar. Nevertheless, the shifting was going on since morning and by the evening the boy’s hostel became empty. The building was standing right in front of us which looked scary due to darkness. On the top of everything we were fighting with humidity and heat since morning. 18 states of the country were facing power cut together. One of the biggest black out India has ever seen. Due to high level of humidity the sticky sweat showed its power on us and powders and deodorants were losing their action fast.

                      It was evening and electricity was still not restored. We could not use our laptops, i-pods, telephones much because we were saving their electrical charges. The rooms felt stuffy. There was no breeze and it seemed that nature was also depended on man -made electricity.

             Finally we decided to go to the terrace. Since it was rakshabandhan the next day, and many students who lived nearby left for home to celebrate. We went to the terrace and were sitting on the cemented benches and discussing about current affairs. Suddenly two among us turned issues to arguments. To change the situation we started playing antakshari. Everything was fine till I started singing the song “gumnam hai koi”. Everyone joined me and we had a nice time singing song. Hours passed by and our discussions were various. Suddenly someone said she heard some rumour regarding some spirit in the hostel. The atmosphere became heavy. Suddenly someone said this whole hostel is constructed on graveyard. We started making fun of the graveyard turned to hostel… To my astonishment, I saw a shadow on the further end of the terrace.  I went forward and chased it. But nothing, nothing was there.  Suddenly, Priyanka screamed and shouted RUN… I came near  and asked her what happened? She couldn’t breathe and took time to say she saw someone behind me. Others laughed, I too laughed but some part of me made me believe her.

                 All of us were feeling uneasy. The huge empty boys hostel was looking scary, without any life and movement. By god’s grace the power was restored. We were about to go but the power went off. We were stopped by an unbelievable vision. A huge ray of light passed over head and like reflections been seen on the floor of the terrace. It was something like faces. Some unidentified faces. It was not our shadow that was sure. Tensions raised and heart beat started beating faster and faster.

           It was still and silence prevailed everywhere. From the further corner of the terrace, some sound came. We could see none but still could feel some footsteps. It was like someone was walking towards us. The open space felt so suffocating. It was really hard for us to breathe as if someone was controlling everything. I just looked around and saw a lighted room in the boy’s hostel and was relieved to a path of light but something clicked me. When the entire nation is in darkness then how come this happen? This was surely something unnatural.

                      The next evening I found myself lying on my bed, surrounded by my friends, and my wardens. I could not get up. I was shivering with high fever. The whole episode of last night came back to me. I had so many questions but those were unanswered. Overall I could not figure out the mystery and why I heard ‘Help’ before I fell unconscious.

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