Pranormal Experience – The mysterious Vasanta tai
Photo credit: imelenchon from morguefile.com
The atmosphere in the house was gloomy. The ladies were huddled together in the children’s bedroom and in between sobs saying how good the lady of the house was and it was really sad that she died at such a young age leaving behind her husband and three young children.
The three children were playing in a corner while darting glances around them. They were too young to know death and did not comprehend that their mother’s last rites had just been performed.
The men were in the living room with the man of the house (MOTH) – comforting him, giving him the much need emotional strength and support.
A couple of hours later, as the summer sun set, the neighbors and family left promising they would come the next day and were just a phone call away if they were required.
The last to leave the house was Vasanta tai – the domestic help letting the MOTH know that she would come in early to take care of the children. The MOTH still grieving nodded as he closed the door behind her.
The MOTH switched on the light when he heard the doorbell ring. He opened the door and Vasanta tai brushed past him into the house. He did not say a word. She set about doing her daily chores and some additional tasks without being told. It was when she started to walk out of the house with the pots did the MOTH wake up to reality. He asked her why and where she was taking the pots.
As in the past few summers, the locality had been on low supply of water. Fresh drinking water was provided by the municipality for an hour every morning between 6 a.m. & 7 a.m. Vasanta tai said she needed to hurry and fetch the water. Once the enough water was stored for them, she had return to her house and had barely 20 minutes to stand in the queue to fill enough water for her family’s daily consumption. The MOTH simply nodded. After 20 odd minutes, Vasantha tai left saying she had finished most of the chores and will be back later in the day.
At 10:30 a.m. the MOTH opens the door to Vasantha tai. She starts apologizing and asks for forgiveness. She tells the MOTH the past couple of days were tough for her. After she had reached her house her mother had called saying her father had met with an accident and was in the hospital. Her husband and she had rushed to their village. On arrival at the hospital, they took over from her mother and were running around to get the scans done, finding donors who were willing to donate blood and raising the money to cover the medical expenses. In the frenzy though she did think several times that she needs to call the MOTH, someone would approach her & she never made the call. Since he father was responding well to the medicines and recovering fast, he was discharged and sent home after spending two days in the hospital. Her mother was now able to manage on her own so she & her husband returned to the city.
As MOTH listened to her, his face drained color, he leaned against the door frame for support but eventually plopped on to the floor.
Vasanta tai screamed for help and some of the neighbors rushed to her aid, one of them hands the MOTH a glass of water which he sipped gratefully.
His face still pale, MOTH questioned Vasanta tai – “are you sure you weren’t here the last couple of days”?
Vasanta tai nodded her head “aai shapat” but why are you asking me this?
The MOTH replied that for the last couple of days every morning at 5 a.m. his doorbell rang. He would open the door to let Vasanta tai in. She would complete all the chores, fill water etc. and leave by 6:30 a.m. She would come in again at 11 a.m. and later at 5 p.m. to check on the children and did any jobs that caught her attention. They had minimal or no conversation.
On hearing this Vasanta tai and the neighbours look shocked. None of the neighbours had seen Vasanta tai come and go. Everyday they would ask the MOTH if there was anything they could do or help, MOTH would tell them Vasanta tai has taken care of everything – getting the fruits and veggies, groceries, anything the children wanted etc.
The women gasp and one of them says loudly for all to hear, the soul of the lady of the house must impersonated Vasanta tai as she could not bear to see her husband and three children helpless. Now that Vasanta tai is back, her soul will rest in peace. There can be no other explanation!
Or is there one? You tell me….
–END–
