Hope

“You are our only hope..”

I’m hearing these words since childhood, to be precise, from third standard in the school. First I heard it from my teachers, then from my friends, then from the family and finally from my lover.

I am Naresh, born and brought up in the city and I am a typical urban chap. I have my own likes and dislikes. But what makes me different from others is I am always happy. You may wonder why I am telling you these things. It’s because I am happy when I keep my promises.

Going back to where we began, the statement “You are our only hope” was first said to me when I was in the third standard. Our school was one of those institutes which gave much importance to sports and arts. Each year whole the students were divided into six groups and competitions were held. Winning the competition was like conquering Mt. Everest. I was the part of RANGERS. 

There was one other team, STRIKERS, whom were equal in points with us. Both these teams were competing for the first prize and there was only one more item left. It wasn’t the last item, but it was postponed to become the last event. And that was (can you believe it!!!) none other than Lemon and Spoon. Rest of the things you can predict. A hero was born that day. “Young Naresh wins RANGERS gold!” said the title of the school magazine that month. I still remember that day when the teachers and other team mates came near me and said – “You are our only hope..”

Years passed. I was now in a position to join a B-School. My family is not among those rich families, but we are not that poor also. Obviously I had to take a bank loan for carrying out my studies. On the day of the admission, my Dad and Mom said, ”Son! You are our only hope..” Whenever I hear this statement I feel motivated and I tend to do extraordinary things. I did my studies very well and its been one and a half years now. I was a hero of my college for I'm good in studies as well as "other activities".

I was going to attend an interview in the college. It was from the best company which visited us so far providing very good salary and golden career opportunities. In short, it was like a dream job. Then came my friend Sudev with a message, Sandhya is not well.

Who is this Sandhya? Sandhya is my lover. She smiles the way no one else in this world smiles. Her smile makes me forget all the worries. Her smile turns the whole world upside down for me. I’m madly in love with her. Same is the case with her also. She is madly in love with me.

So the information that Sandhya is ill is the worst on for me while going for an interview. I called her over phone but there was no response. I got tensed, I got worried. I lost concentration and in the end I lost the interview.

Now I am in my room reading the company profile of a multinational company who is coming to conduct the interview tomorrow. I have just came back after meeting Sandhya. She is well now. She had told her parents about our matter. Her parents said they will agree for our marriage only if I get a good job. And that good job is waiting for me tomorrow. I can still remember the last words she told me before leaving

“Naresh! I have to do what my parents say. So if you cannot get a good job, I fear I’ll lose you. So it is important that you win tomorrow's interview.. YOU ARE MY ONLY HOPE...”

The Sound of Footsteps

I write whenever I have mood. To be frank, my stories are never on the favorites list of any of my relatives or friends. Even my close friends are of the opinion that I should be a little more serious about writing. Thankfully, nobody is against my writing. They all want me to improve it.

I want feedback to improve. But those who read my stories say only about the content and not about the style of writing or presenting the stuff. So I decided to start a blog so that if I can make other people read my blog, I would get the required feedback. On November 16th of the year 2007, I started this blog. Unfortunately, I couldn't write anything more after that. The reason, of course, my laziness. But I'm trying to be back on track. This time, with a story. Please Read and Comment... Your opinion is valuable...

It was a Saturday evening. I was sitting in my class. Four days since the college reopened after the Pooja holidays and I was already bored. I checked my watch. 4 pm. ‘The bus would come only at 4:30’ I thought. My classmates were all busy. Some guys were playing volleyball, others cricket and most of the girls were engaged in chatting and surfing the net. I was not in any of these activities for two reasons. An accident that happened in my graduation days had injured my leg and I was neither able to run fast nor jump. And I was fed up with chatting and surfing. I remembered that there was a chessboard and a caroms table in the college. I went to that room and found that those seats were already occupied by some seniors. I sighed. Now I understood my present situation – I was alone with absolutely nothing to do. Every other person of my class was busy with one work or the other. I was the only person alone. What to do??? I asked myself. Maybe a walk would do me good, I realized. I decided to go for a short walk in my college campus.

My college, Sri Durga Institute of Management, is located in the midst of a forest. The land was kept unused for years and it was our college authorities who cleared the place and built the college. There was a road from the main gate which was about one kilometer in length. On both sides, there were big trees with its overhanging branches and the place was somewhat haunting. I was walking through this road. It seemed the time was 6.30 even though the actual time was just 4.15. I felt a chill down my spine and I knew it had nothing to do with the cold. I remembered those first days of the college when my seniors used to scare us by telling about a ghost in the campus. Many of them had seen a white fume like substance moving very fast through the forest. They had said, “You should be careful while walking through the forest. Sometimes the ghost would follow you and you would hear footsteps. And even if you hear any footsteps, do not look back. Ghosts do this to trap you. If you turn back and see the ghost eye to eye, it would mean only one thing… DEATH!!! ”

I don’t know why, some fear was arising in my mind. I had an uneasy feeling that something bad was about to happen. I could feel the presence of a supernatural power in the woods. I looked up at the tall trees. Somehow I had the impression that these trees were not harmless as they seemed to be. I tried to free my mind by thinking about some other things. “There is no such thing as ghosts” I thought firmly in my heart. But suddenly, there was a disturbance. A sound. Really faint but getting louder…and closer. I strained my ears to hear more clearly. The sound was getting nearer and nearer. Very Near. And then with a shudder, I realized what it was. FOOTSTEPS. And with a jolt in my head, I realized. Maybe the seniors were right. The ghost of the forest is following me. Trapping me. Hunting me. The sound was so close that I couldn’t resist. With all the bravery I could muster, I turned back and I was stunned to see just the trees and the road beyond and nothing else. Not a living soul. The trees on the both sides seemed as hands coming to take me away and tear me apart. I could sense the fear boiling inside my heart. I ran as fast as I could with my injured leg back to the college.

*** *** *** ***

I was in the hostel with my friends. We were chatting and eating food items which were brought from home. I was trying to forget that gruesome event happened in the evening. Suddenly, I remembered that I had to wash the clothes. I took leave from my friends and went for washing the clothes. We wash the clothes under a pipe which is on the left side of the hostel building. It was around 7.30. I was alone. I didn’t want to be alone but what can I do? I didn’t tell any of my friends about the evening incident because I thought they may not believe me and they will make fun of me. I started to wash clothes. A few minutes passed.

“Hi! You alone..?” a voice came from behind and I suddenly turned back. I was relieved to see my friend Hrithik there.

“Yeah man... Join me. I think you too have something to wash.” I replied.

“Yes Yes. I have last four days’ clothes to wash. By the way, you were absent in the first two days. Where were you?”

“At home only. I was sure no class will be there in the first two days after a holiday.”

“Yeah man. You are right. I could have also come late.”

I nodded.

“Hey yaar, just a minute. I forgot to take the other bucket. I’ll be back soon.” Hrithik went to pick his bucket. I was alone once again. I continued to do my business.

Apart from the sound of water falling from the pipe, the place was so silent. Suddenly, I felt like hearing something else. I turned off the pipe. Now I understood it was not my feeling, it was the truth. I hear a sound. The same sound I heard in the evening. Yes, it’s the sound of footsteps. My body became cold with fear. I didn’t know what I should do. The sound of footsteps was coming nearer and nearer to me from my front. But there was nothing in my front other than Hrithik’s bucket. I prayed to god to bring Hrithik back soon. The sound had stopped, only for 2 seconds. It started again. Shall I run? I thought. No. There is no use in running. If it’s a ghost, it will catch me no matter what I do. I was about to faint. The sound has stopped again, just to restart after 2 seconds. At this moment, I think the God Almighty had heard my prayers. Hrithik appeared with the bucket.

“Hey Hrithik! Do you hear that soun…?” I couldn’t complete my question as Hrithik came running towards his bucket. He took his mobile phone from behind the bucket.

“Why can’t you call me after seeing my mobile ringing??” he asked angrily.

The sound of footsteps had gone somewhere. I didn’t know what to tell Hrithik. Whether I should answer his question or say I didn’t heard the phone ringing because I was concentrating on some footsteps. But I didn’t have to think a lot. Hrithik’s phone started ringing again and the sound of footsteps came again. Hrithik ignored the call.

“Some unknown number. Oh! I forgot to tell you. This is my new mobile, given by my brother. It has got very good sound, you know. Today, I thought I lost this. I missed it in the evening and was searching the whole campus. How is my ringtone?” he said.

He played the ringtone. It was the sound of the footsteps. The same footsteps I heard in the evening and just a few minutes ago. No one in this world can say what I felt at that point of time.