The Headless Man
“Last evening, I went to meet some of my old friends. They live on the other side of the railway tracks. We had a wonderful evening. One of their wife had gone to her mother’s place, so we gathered at his home.
He prepared bati with delicious mutton curry. Ahhha… It tasted so good. Moreover, the weather too had changed for the better. There was a sandstorm and then it began raining. We couldn’t get out from his house till quite late. I think it was already midnight by the time the rain stopped briefly. The peacocks were still calling for more rain… we could hear them shouting ‘minh-aao, minh-aao’. It was such a sweet voice in the darkness of a wet night…”
“Deenu Kaka…” Jai said.
“Ahh… yes… yes… So, we got out from his home. I was the only one who had to come this side of the railway tracks. It was all dark around so I decided to take my time. There was no need to hurry. Moreover, I had to beware of any snakes that may be slithering about in the dark. I carried an old torch with me. I used it sparsely. I tell you it was such a lovely night… the sounds of crickets… the fragrance of the wet soil… the silence all around…”
“What happened then, Deenu Kaka?” Sneha asked, impatiently.
“Ahh… yes. I didn’t want to walk all the way to the railway crossing. The next train would be passing through and I was sure that the gates will be closed so I thought I’ll take the short cut. I crossed the barbwire, crossed the railway tracks… I could hear the train somewhere far…far… away, whistling. Do you know sounds carry quite far on silent nights?” Deenu Kaka said, enjoying himself. His legs kept moving up and down as he pedalled.
“Then?” urged Sneha.
“Then? Then I crossed the railway tracks, pushed my way through the bushes and crossed the barbed wire on the other side.”
“What’s the adventure in this?” demanded Jai from the seat at the back.
“Arrey… Beta ji. The adventure has not even begun,” Deenu said, enjoying the conversation.
“Accha. Please tell us what was the adventure,” Sneha turned her head to look up eagerly at Deenu.
“Yes… yes. I’m just going to tell you that. So, I crossed the barbwire and squeezed myself out from between those rods of the fence around…”
“… You managed to get through that fence?” Jai asked, astonished.
Deenu guffawed which slowly transposed into a cackle. “Yes, I did. I’m just like a cat. I can get through the narrowest of places. Why… in Sarpanch ji’s godown I get in…”
“Deenu Kaka… what happened after you squeezed through the fence?” Sneha asked.
“Oh yes! I switched on my torch for a few seconds to ascertain I wasn’t about to step into a ditch or a puddle. Then, I switched it off…”
Sneha sighed loudly.
“What happened, bitiya? Are you alright?” Deenu asked in concern.
“I’m alright. I’m only wondering if you’ll be able to complete your story today and before we reach Somu’s house,” Sneha replied, rolling her eyes.
Jai giggled.
“Of course, I’ll tell you the entire story before we reach your friend’s place,” Deenu assured the girl.
“Good! What happened next, Kaka?” Sneha went on to ask.
“Next… I started walking homewards. And, then in the silence I heard some sound. Once… twice… then again… and again…”
“Sound? What sound?” Jai was curious to know.
“Footsteps!”
“Footsteps?” chorused the two children.
“But how’s that possible? You were alone you said,” argued Jai.
“Yes, absolutely. No one with me,” Deenu insisted.
“It must’ve been the sound of your own footsteps,” Sneha reasoned.
“No… No… Bitiya ji. It wasn’t.”
“Then, it must’ve been some late-night traveller just like you. Someone who had visited his friends and was going home,” Jai provided his argument.
Deenu Kaka shook his head from side-to-side. “No, it wasn’t.”
“Then, what was it?” queried Sneha, impatiently.
“Well, I heard the sound and then someone called to me.”
“Someone called to you? Who called to you?” Jai asked with excitement.
“The person whose footsteps I could hear.”
“That’s so obvious. I mean who was the person? Did he call you by your name?” Jai rephrased his question.
“No… No… Not my name. But I didn’t turn around and look. You see, I had been told by my elders and parents about such things. They used to warn us children… to avoid turning around and even replying if someone called out to us.”
“That even our Amma warned us about when we lived in the city,” Sneha said. “What’s so special about that?”
“Hmm… but you’ve no idea what happened next,” Deenu tried his best to keep the mystery alive.
“Yes, we will once you focus on telling us that,” Sneha muttered under her breath.
“What did you say, bitiya?” Deenu asked innocently.
“Nothing, Kaka. Please carry on,” Sneha replied.
“So, my elders had warned me that it isn’t auspicious to turn around in the dark, on lonely roads if anyone calls to….”
“Why?” asked Jai again.
“Well, because it could be anyone… by anyone I mean anyone…”
“Who ‘anyone’, Deenu Kaka? You’re not making much sense,” Sneha said in an impatient voice.
“You know… You know… from the other world…”
“Other world? What other world, Kaka?” Jai enquired.
“Well…” Deenu Kaka cleared his throat.
“Kaka, forget the other world!” Sneha urged. “Tell us who was it behind you.”
“Yes… Yes… So, I kept walking. I began chanting the names of all the Gods and Goddesses I knew. And then, I felt a tap on my shoulder… I almost jumped out of my skin!” Deenu said, his voice ending on a squeak.
“What? How interesting!” exclaimed an overjoyed Jai.
“Believe me beta ji, it wasn’t interesting at all at the moment. I almost fainted,” Deenu murmured. “The person then spoke in a husky voice…”
“What did he say, Kaka?” whispered Sneha.
“Beedi… Give me a beedi…”
“A beedi! He wanted a beedi!” laughed Jai. “That’s all. O God! Deenu Kaka, you made such a story of this.”
“Arrey beta ji. That’s not all,” Deenu Kaka said in a hurt voice. “I passed him a beedi, over my shoulder without looking at the back.”
“Deenu Kaka, now this is really funny! Why didn’t you turn around? What was there to be so afraid? The man was just asking you for a beedi,” Jai still laughed.
“After that the man asked me to light his beedi,” Deenu said in a hushed tone.
“So…? What about it? Many people ask others to light their beedi. I’ve seen that happening almost always,” Jai said lightly.
“I took out the matchbox from my pocket, struck a matchstick and turned around to light his beedi,” Deenu Kaka said dramatically in a soft voice. “Guess what I saw!”
“What?” Sneha asked on a similar note.
“The man… he… he had no head!” announced Deenu Kaka.
“What you’re saying! Is this true?” Jai exclaimed.
“No… This can’t be true!” shrieked Sneha, rubbing the goosebumps on her arms. “How horrifying! What did you do then, Kaka?”
“My legs started wobbling, my teeth started chattering…”
“Did you light his beedi?” Jai asked, enjoying the tale.
“I did. He puffed once and thanked me. I turned around and began walking fast. He too began walking fast. Finally, I broke into a run. I reached the Station Master Sahib’s bangla. I crossed the barbed wire and got into his garden.”
“But why didn’t you get in through the gate, Kaka? What if you got stuck in the wire and he caught you?” Sneha queried with concern.
“Arrey bitiya, my elders taught me that when you’re followed by such elements, it’s wiser to cross a barbwire than open gates. He would have just followed me through it; he was so close behind me,” Deenu Kaka enlightened her.
“Ohh… I didn’t know this,” Sneha simply said.
“Then what happened, Kaka? Did the man leave?” Jai was more interested in the tale.
“Yes, he waited on the other side for a couple of minutes, then turned and walked away.”
“Then, you came home after that?” Sneha asked.
“Arrey Nahin… Nahin… Bitiya. I had enough for one night. I knocked on the door of my friend’s room. He lives in the outhouse of the Station Master Sahib’s railway bungalow. He works there. When he opened the door, I told him everything.”
“He believed you?” Jai asked.
“Of course, he did. He’s used to all these things. He told me a story about the bungalow and the big banyan tree in its garden,” Deenu Kaka informed them.
“You must tell us that story sometime, Kaka. You simply must!” urged Sneha.
“Yes, yes. I will. I couldn’t sleep all night. When it became little light, even with the rain pouring down… around five o’clock I came home. But I didn’t want to come home walking so borrowed my friend’s bicycle. I kept peering this way and that even while riding home,” Deenu Kaka gave a dry laugh. “I half expected to see that fellow again.”
“Just imagine! What if he had been waiting for you, Kaka?” Jai queried with a sly grin.
“Ohh… That’s quite a scary thought,” Sneha shuddered at the idea.
“Bhagwan Ji! Save me!” Deenu Kaka trembled visibly.
“So, this is your friend’s cycle…” asked Jai. “I was wondering if we can…”
“No… No… I can’t give it to you to ride,” Deenu Kaka read the boy’s mind. “I was going to return this cycle to him when I saw you both walking down the path. I’ll drop you at Somu’s place and go straight to my friend and keep it back. I want to get here before it gets dark…”
“Good idea, Kaka! What if that man appears again?” giggled Jai.
“Hey Bhagwan Ji…” murmured Deenu Kaka.
“Stop it, Bhaiyya!” Sneha shuddered again.
Jai burst out laughing aloud.