Long and short fictions

The Departed

Udaya was not able to come over her loss though it has been months since it happened. Days passed, yet there was no sign of her sadness fading.

She came over from London to this coastal Indian town for the last rites of her older brother, who died an unexpected death in the line of his duty.

It was unbelievable that Mahesh, her loving sibling was no more. She was still stunned and unable to digest the hard loss.

She sat like a statue submerged in the flooding fond memories all through the procedure conducted by the priests. Her eyes couldn’t stop searching for the tall man, who she thought might just come yet. Her mind refused to believe the obvious.

Her younger brother, Hitesh made offerings to the sacred fire as directed. Everyone’s eyes welled. A kind of deathly silence spread in the room. They say that the departed soul stays around those who were close to him. As per their culture, the soul finds a way out of the mundane world of attachments only after a few weeks. Call them superstitions or baseless beliefs, that’s the way it has been for thousands of years.

A fortnight later, Udaya went back to London, where she ran an agency supplying domestic help or office assistants among other things to those in need.

Still in a limbo she was unable to give full attention to the tasks before her.

Her colleague and friend, Sandra watched the way Udaya moved like some kind of automaton, not interested in attending to any work around the office. Sandra wanted to pacify and bring solace to her.

During the day, she suggested this occult practice, which brings the soul to its near and dear. Udaya paid full attention to what Sandra told her. She intended to pursue her goal, come what may. Her sense of absolute sorrow drove her to set forth on this peculiar journey of meeting her dear departed brother, Mahesh.

Will she be able to do so? She wondered.

------

The smell of perfumed candles wafted out spilling on to the porch and beyond.

It was six in the evening and the shroud of darkness covered a quiet world. A pale crescent moon flickered above, playing hide and seek with dark clouds. Udaya stood on the semi dark threshold of the address, her colleague Sandra had provided. Standing on the dark porch, she noticed that it was not a busy suburb and people kept to themselves inside their houses. She felt the autumn chill creeping in as she pulled the edges of her jacket close together.
She pressed the bell and waited holding her breath.

“Enter,” said a raspy voice.

She stepped in and at once and felt that she was in a twilight zone. Dancing shadows of the dark curtains on the walls were like souls under torture in hell’s fire. The air felt cold and heavy. An antique mirror hung on the wall with candelabras on either side of it. The candles were lit, their light moving like a pendulum with an occasional shiver. The ominous silence was punctured by heavy breathing and stealthy steps. Udaya looked around searching for the source of these sounds and found none.

For a moment she felt like running away from the room. But she was held back by her strong will.

There was a figure sitting at a table lit by an ancient lantern hanging on the nearest wall. She approached the person with trepidation. She saw a middle aged woman of pale complexion, dressed in a long dark gown of silk and a flowing skirt. Her dark hair was long with streaks of auburn. Her pale blue eyes stared intently at the flat board before her. Thin Hands with fingers adorned with shining rings of different stones and with crimson painted nails, were on either side of the board, one of which was holding a small heart-shaped piece of wood.

Udaya moved closer and the woman looked up at Udaya, her sea green eyes unfeeling.

“Udaya, take your seat,” she said curtly nodding at the seat facing her.

Udaya sat down on the opposite chair upholstered in with red velvet. In the center she saw an Ouija board. It was a flat board with the letters of the alphabet, numbers 0-9, the words "yes" and "no," and sometimes "hello" and "goodbye".

The mistress mumbled a prayer of invocation addressed to the invisible presences. She said looking into the void,

“Is there anyone who wants to communicate?”
A deathly calm pervaded the room.

“I see someone tall and with a pleasant smile,” she said.

Her hands held the planchette, ready to take the message.

She started uttering the words as she perceived from the spirit, while the planchette moved firmly on the board indicating the words of the message.

“Hello, Udaya!”

Udaya sat up. Her eyes reflecting fear and joy. Am I with Mahesh really?

The message comes through clear and concise.
“Yes, it’s me dear sister. I see you crying all the time. Stop that. Here is something you should know….

What was the message? Why did he die?


Word Count: 857
Picture prompt: The Ouija Board
Written for Chapter One hosted by 🦉 Owl-oween