(Recap– In the previous episode, I narrated, one Mr, ‘B’ in my neighborhood, suddenly left his house on becoming enraged with his wife. I went to his place to commiserate his wife….)
On being faded up for not finding any information about Mr. ‘B’ at the local friend circle level, Mrs, ‘B’ begun to ring on to distant located relations. Truly say, our this province is so widely spread in shape of hilly territory and Mr. ‘B’s close relatives mostly dwelt in the far away surrounding region where his younger brother happened to stay permanently. Obviously, it was just few hours after disappearance of Mr. ‘B’ where under no circumstances he could appear in person. But wife in advance dropped the message in advance of his leaving the house abruptly, and requested all to inform her, in case, he appears there to have a sojourn.
On the very next day, on the advice of the well wishers, she too lodged a FIR ( First Information Report) about the disappearance of husband at the nearest Police Station. Further, it’s a common tendency in Indian people, be they men or women, under distress they too are given to the habit to approach necromancers, soothsayers or sybil. Fortunately, we are rich in numbers of such type of quakes in the society. This type of people run their business on the sentiments of people in distress like Mrs. ‘B’.
Now, firstly come to the so called appropriate actions taken by the Police Department. Since, CCTV are commonly installed at various places on the houses and shops on main roads. Police at the first preference checked the road that was less crowded and led to the dense jungle side location. This road traversed through this dense woods and won the notoriety for finding the corpses of missing persons who used to leave their house in adverse circumstances and entered this dense woods. At this road, Police primarily traced out the presence of a wobbling man whose semblance was akin to missing Mr, ‘B’.
Secondly, some soothsayers, who claimed to be harnessed with the spiritual power to peep into past and present time revealed their peeping experiences in a horrible way. Some one proclaimed again, finding him traversing through thick jungle while other in trance of astral travel found him standing on the bank of a huge river running in full stream. He was found for a jiffy on the side of the river but later on disappeared! It was a direct message enwrapped in circumlocution, Mr. ‘B’ had drowned himself in the stream of big river. The percentage of soothsayers who claimed his drowning outnumbered the thick woods’ claims.
This all perplexed Mrs ‘B’, she again approached to Police Department, if some new development was there. There, she was informed, the chap whom description was in semblance to Mr. ‘B’ was traced out but came up as old habitual smack substance addict and he was put in “lock up.” Along with, police personnel helped to console her that on the same day, another person with the same description was caught on the CCTV surveillance on the Inter States Bus Terminal of the city. He was boarding onto a motor bus. In nut shell, I found Mrs ‘B’ in a disoriented mental set up and it was not unusual under the adverse circumstances she had been put in. I tried to console her and offered my efforts to help her in this drive to find out the where about of Mr, ‘B’ and came back.
Further three days passed on and no where about of Mr, ‘B’ was in hand. At one specific day, I reached back home at noon time. Again my wife insisted upon me to visit Mrs ‘B’ since other people in colony too had visited her to console repeatedly. When I reached her place, two other ladies from the neighborhood already were present there. One of them had served for long in the Electricity department of the Government and recently had opted for the retirement under the Volunteer Retirement Scheme of the government. Another was a “house wife” but educated one. Otherwise also, all women in my colony are educated one, if they are judged on the credential of their educational certificates.
Here, some where deep down to the core of her heart, Mrs. ‘B’ was convinced that her husband had drowned himself in the running river to end up his life. But she also fostered an anguish that by his this act he had put her into a shameful situation since she was to blame for provoking this suicidal misconduct. Her face openly betrayed her expressions. Her eyes were moist with tears and expressions of grieve and anger in combo rested on her face. Not only she but those two another “educated” women too were convinced that Mr. ‘B’ had ended up his life by jumping into the running river stream. The way, they consoled Mrs. ‘B’ was evident of it.
It was blissful for me to listen their conversation ( You see! How deeply we Indian common people rely upon the soothsayers.) The lady retired from the Electricity Department was saying, ” It’s quite untoward on the part of brother ‘B’ that he chose a river fifty Km away to drown himself. If he had had some sense, he could end up his life by throwing himself before the approaching train at the near by Railway Track. At least, his body remains could be recovered easily. And if not, still some old time deep Wells full with water also exist in the vicinity, he could try his attempt there. ( In the first part of this blog, I already have emphasized about the description of Railway Track! Why that description was needed that can be correlated now.)
Really say, yet officially no any information or confirmation of such mishappening had been related, but these women had assumed and were convinced on the proclamation of soothsayers and sibils and were trying to mourn in advance, as if, Mr. ‘B’ had passed away in all certainty. But there goes a saying, ” if end is well, everything is well.” Same happened here. In between their conversation drive, the main gate of the house was knocked by some one. We all came out. There stood post man with a small envelop of “speed post” category in hand. The address scribbled on it was of Mr. ‘ B’. Mrs.’B’ requested me to receive the post for she was entirely not in possession of her all the faculties.
Astonishingly, on the envelop, the name of sender was Mr,’B’ and he himself was the addressee. It was obvious, the letter had been sent by Mr. ‘B’ and he intended that in every circumstances this post be delivered to his home. Mrs. ‘B’ in her confused state of mind asked me to peruse the contents of the letter loudly which I followed in the presence of all. It read as , ” Dear children, ( Mr.’B’ had addressed not to his wife but to children which were supposed to be or not to be present on the scene) You need not worry about my where about. I was constrained to leave the house under torture. I am disturbed entirely. No sooner, I gain back equanimity I will come back, your dad -‘B’.”
The same thing occurred accordingly. After one week Mr. ‘B’ landed back to his home. The interesting thing in this matter was, during this period of time, he had stayed with his same brother in the far away city. Not this only, all his “near and dear” there, knew about his “planned disappearance” and they too had been contacted and requested on phone by Mrs, ‘B’, in case they come to know about his where about and inform her. But she was not informed by them. You see? How some times women behave? Even, educated one also, as we found in this anecdote about their relying on the predictions and claims made by soothsayers. (End of the blog.) Penned by — Vinay Pharasi —–
