Paranormal Short Story – KILLER BEWARE
Photo credit: krosseel from morguefile.com
Soumitra never remembered the age when he understood that he had this uncanny psychic ability to travel outside his physical body.
It was a strange sensation at first. Suddenly one night he had experienced a feeling as though he was about to faint. Soon numbness crept over him until all his muscles seemed to be paralyzed. Darkness was falling!
Initially he could hear everything as if he had been normal, but the next thing he recalled that he saw himself floating near the ceiling of his bedroom and looking down at his physical body! His astral body felt weightless, insubstantial but his perceptions were unimpaired!
Everything looked in perfect order in the room and he felt no shock or horror! There was a feeling of eternal happiness.
He realized that he was connected to his physical body through a long extended strand like a silver umbilical cord!
Then as suddenly as it had come, he felt that he was floating back towards his body and gradually slid into it!
Next feeling was that as if he had regained consciousness and everything appeared as usual! Though, he felt slightly tired.
He had spoken to a friend close to him, telling his fear. Friend had nodded. “It is well known through ages of human existence that the spirit and the body exist separately. Many times the spirit travels beyond the physical body for short time and then returns”.
Soumitra looked astounded!
His friend continued, “…throughout history many respected men & women have related their own experience and answered yes. It is a well researched & documented phenomenon! But largely unknown!”
He reassured, “don’t think you should worry much.”
Over the years Soumitra had experienced this often, although he had never told this to anyone, even his wife.
In recent years he learnt that he could control his spiritual voyages although these left him in curious mixture of elation and fatigue!
Soumitra, that winter night, was in his bedroom thinking about the day. He was an IPS officer and understandably his duties were not only taxing but fraught with dangers and risks.
During that day he had taken lead in capturing a dreaded murderous gang of criminals. There were shoot outs and casualties had happened on either side.
His deputy Rabinder had told him during post operation meeting in his room, “Sir, we have been lucky that we managed to capture this gang, but they are known to be ruthless and vindictive. We couldn’t capture Joga, their leader. Sir, I suggest that you should be very careful. Shall I post a security cordon around your house for next few days till we catch him?”
Soumitra shook his head. “No need Rabinder… thanks any way! I can take care of myself. Fortunately my wife has gone to Mumbai to her mother so I have nothing to fear in my house.”
He got up and patted Rabinder with appreciation.
That winter night, the white swirling fog was deepening blurring the street lights into subordination of pale orange; the clock chimed: 11.00 pm.
Soumitra was tense, could not take dinner. He was in his night clothes, alone in the house and in a reflective mood. His mind was perturbed due to his failure to capture Joga. He wanted some peace that night.
It struck him that he could do another of his spiritual voyage, which although left him fatigued at the end but gave him a sense of happiness during the process. And why not? He deserved some of that!
He switched off the lights, prepared himself and lay on his bed closing his eyes, concentrating.
Perhaps an hour had elapsed. Soumitra started feeling those familiar but weird and wonderful sensations! And soon enough he could experience floating in the air. He looked down at his body, lying inert with eyes closed! He started feeling an inner tranquility!
This would have continued for some time, but suddenly there was a noise in the front. Soumitra floated out to his drawing room, the walls were no barrier!
Before his eyes, a key was being inserted in the main door and its handle moved down gradually!
By the time he could move out to see who was there, a shadowy figure slipped inside and in the darkness moved towards his bed room. A tiny torch light flickered.
Curious, Soumitra floated silently back to his bedroom. The dark figure moved swiftly towards his body, and in the faint light coming through the windows, went near the pillow on which Soumitra’s head was resting.
There was another pillow next to his pillow which this man picked up, got up gingerly on the bed and then with a vicious movement slammed down on his face!
Soumitra’s long police experience had already told him that this man was a killer. He was there to murder him!
His face covered by pillow was pushed down hard by the killer with all his weight; he virtually knelt on it. He held on for several minutes.
While his body remained motionless Soumitra watched from above!
Then the killer removed the pillow, switched on his torch, and looked at Soumitra’s face. His eyes had remained closed and his body inert.
The killer seemed satisfied that his work was done. Getting down from the bed he flashed the light around.
He couldn’t see Soumitra but he saw the killer.
He was Joga! It was the revenge of Joga to enter his house and try to murder him. Rabinder was right about his safety!
Joga cautiously opened the bedroom door and stepped outside.
In that winter cold, he was sweating! After all killing a police officer was an audacious thing to do! He was desperate! But he felt the need for drinking water. He knew that there was nobody in the house and he had disposed off his victim few minutes earlier.
With his confidence coming back Joga went to the water dispenser with assuring steps and drank copiously from a glass kept on the dining table.
As he turned to move towards the main door, suddenly there was a vice like grip around his throat from his rear, choking him! He tried to move violently and struck out.
While struggling he could turn slightly, he was thunderstruck!
The man who had held him in a vice like grip was no other than Soumitra!
Before the darkness enveloped Joga and he fell unconscious, he could only utter indistinctly, ” ..you are dead.. I killed you.. how..?
Soumitra smiled! His astral body had slid in his physical body and had gone after Joga!
Slight delay by Joga while drinking water had given time to Soumitra!
Nobody would believe the facts!
__END__
AMITAV GANGULY
2nd September 2015
