The Darkness of Truth

I am putting here some spooky stories based on personal experiences which I wrote way back in 2004-2005. I have travelled a lot and still do so much is yet to come. So stay tuned.

It was some station where the train had screeched to a stop. The effects of alcohol had taken its toll on me . I was dozing off under a terrible hangover when I heard an agitated voice calling to me- Nikhil Nikhil get up. Sun raha hai tu?

With bloodshot eyes I looked at Avik. The compartment was relatively empty and I was on the upper bunk. Kya yaar ?Avik told me to get down. He had a sinister ordering tone that compelled me to do as he said. I got down and looked out through the window to the direction he pointed out. In the foggy darkness I could see that it was a small station, dimly lit.

Avik pointed towards the name- ‘Paanchmari’

What, I said.

Avik: Come on Nikhil its Paanchmari, the place where Jugs got lost.

Jugs is our co-worker or rather was our co worker. We were all working as journalists for a reputed news channel. Jugs was stationed at Paanchmari for 3 months doing a scoop. He ran into trouble with some locals over his affair with a girl. But then one fine day he just vanished. No trace nothing. No one would open their mouth though the case is still open. He never had any family except us.

Avik said that there was some problem in the rail tracks just ahead and it will take around 2-3 hours to get fixed. We can utilize that time to take a look around. I said that he was just crazy. I failed to budge him from his decision so reluctantly followed. We left Bonny our photographer to give us a call on our cell as soon the tracks were ready.

Avik told me that he remembered Jugs saying that Paanchmari police station was near the railway station. But how to look for it at night? We started out and it was quite some time when Avik’s phone rang. It was Bonny’s agitated voice on the other side of the line asking us to return. Hearing this, both of us made our way towards the platform. As we approached it we found that our worst fear had come true. Our train had left. We tried to call Bonny. Soon Bonny called again and asked us: Where are you guys this train can leave at any time. It was a joke or what since there was no train in sight. Avik reproached him by saying that how can the train leave without us when we had informed him. Bonny sounded thoroughly confused and so were we. He told us that the train was to leave in a short time but then Bonny was not drunk. We just stood bewildered on the desolate station with nothing sight. Just then we heard a scream and agitated voices of men. Someone was being chased by a group of blood thirsty men.

They were coming towards the platform. I just looked at them when I felt a strong hand pulling me behind a bush. The man who was being chased looked very familiar. Who was it? It looked like Jug ! I tried to leap out to save him, Avik’s strong muscular hands kept me back. What are you doing, just keep still he said. With tear filled eyes I watched Jugmohan lynched and chopped to pieces. Avik all this while was taking pics in his night vision camera mobile. How cold blooded one can be!Nikhil just chill Man, just chill.

I just couldn’t believe what I just saw. Suddenly I heard the distinct whistle of a train. Right at that time my cell rang and Bonny asked: Where are you guys, have been trying to call you for so long. As we came out of the bush we saw Bonny right in front of us asking what we were doing behind the bush. We became the butt of ridicule for all.

No one hardly knew what we had seen. We never had any scope of finding the answers to our doubts…the questions. The whereabouts of the train which was not there though we stood on the same platform. The sudden emergence of it and our trance like state. At least Avik and I know one thing.

The fate that befell Jugs in Paanchmari.