Don't you Turn!

'Oh! Great lord Hanuman save me, please protect me', Mudit was gasping for breath , while trying to get out of the marshy area ; holding tightly the stooping branch of an old banyan tree in the middle of the dark night at around two.

'Don't you turn !'

'Who is this ?Where are you?Save me Lord '. Mudit screamed helplessly when he realised that the slender long moustache of the banyan tree growing near the marsh which had been his savior since last half an hour or so was slipping out of his palms , leaving his hands bruised up.

'No, Mudit no. You can't end up like this. Your  expectant wife is waiting for you. Your part is growing inside her. You have to pull yourself out'  , Mudit ,desperate to get himself free from the handcuffs of eerie marsh began to talk to himself aloud.

The more he tried to pull himself out of mire  he felt he was being forcefully dragged inside.

" Leave my feet ." Mudit felt two hands tightly grasping his feet . His heart was beating louder than a wedding drum.

Mudit gave a last try and fell out of the marsh like a huge heap of mud on a roadside.

'Don't you turn.'

'No, not again.' Mudit put his wet mud covered fingers in his ears. But, still he couldn't escape the echoing words.

He got up on his wobbly legs which were finding it difficult to hold his weight. He saw a fresh water spring a few metres away . He went under it to get rid of the weighty mud which had put an extra covering,an extra layer on his clothes. His eyes were becoming heavier. He wanted to sleep there and then. But, his sixth sense was warning him not to rest as he sensed if he would give in to sleep he won't be able to view the next morning.

'It would end. It would end for sure.Help me . Somebody help me'. Mudit began to wail making a cocktail of fresh spring water by mingling it with salty tears which were bursting out of his eyes .

'Don't you turn.'

Mudit saw  reflection of a tall person in the water. He rubbed his eyes to get a clear view. It was someone for sure but why his features were not visible clearly .mudit tried to make head and tail of what it was when that reflection uttered.

"Don't you Turn back".

Mudit ran out of the spring. Already it had been four hours since he had been trying to get out of the dense forest where he had ended up. He remembered how his wife and his maid had objected to his visit to that area which had earned the title of being spooky.

Mudit , a young engineer was one of those few fortunate freshers who could  grab the government job .He was working with the department which built and looked after various dam projects throughout the nation. It was hardly  three months when he had joined at Chamba one of the remotest districts of Himachal Pradesh but his performance was uphill. He was going to  work as an assistant engineer on a dam project on river Ravi. Since he had come to Chamba along with his wife Amrita he had been extremely occupied in his work. It took him hardly a few weeks to impress his seniors and earn a special place in their eyes. It was second year of his blessed married life . Amrita was a very understanding life partener

 but somehow she was not happy with the turn of events since they had shifted to Chamba because  Mudit had begun to drink in company of his seniors and had a lot of official gatherings to attend. Amrita had only one companion an old lady whom she called bua who was working as a helping hand for her. Bua as everyone addressed her in that area due to her warm nature and age told Amrita about a patch of forest in Chamba which was considered sinister by the locals it was said that whosoever dared to walk wishfully or drifted there by chance  at night was never ever seen again alive.

Mudit had when told Amrita that he was going to attend a wedding  with his seniors near the forest Bua had advised him not to go there. Mudit had laughed at his wife and Bua for talking about the ghost stories in 21st century when Bua had realised that her warnings were not going to have any impact on him she had suggested him not to  turn back if somebody called him from behind and to remember Almighty specially Lord Hanuman if he happened to encounter someone from the world of non living.

Mudit had enjoyed the wedding ceremony but at around 10 o'clock he told his boss that he wished to get back to his home as Amrita was new to that city. He was startled when one of his seniors pointed it out to him to avoid getting off the car anywhere on the way ,as it wasn't safe due to some spirits which were said to be seen there. Specially he was told about a headless spirit which roamed there at night. Mudit who had never believed in any paranormal activities could not suppress his laughter at the superstitions of even educated people.Rest all from his office had stayed there as they were terrified to return before sunrise while Mudit because he didn't want to leave Amrita alone was returning back in his official vehicle when his old ambassador had broken down on the way .The chauffeur had gone out of the car to get some help. While going away he had also warned Mudit to sit in the car till he returned as that area was considered cursed. After waiting for almost for an hour for the driver to return Mudit had come out  and wandered into the thick foliage. He had lost his way and it was  at around 12 o'clock at night when he had heard the sound of footsteps following him. He thought for a while that it must be his imagination but soon the sound of footsteps came closer and closer. Before he could turn and look back he heard in a hushed up voice,"Don't you turn".

 Mudit could  not say anything or turn but he felt a pat on his shoulder.

"'Who is this?" Mudit waited.

"Don't you Turn." Mudit began to feel giddy when he heard the voice which was  coming as if from a deep trench.All his education ,his wisdom ,his scientific bent of mind left him behind . He began to chant all the holy names including Lord Hanuman. He wished he had paid attention to chanting of Hanuman chalisa in his childhood by his mother regularly as if it was a ritual. He could have memorised a few lines.The feeling of being followed by had not left him and since last two hours he had been wandering and  had ended up in a marsh.

Mudit was clueless about what to do but he decided not to turn . He kept dragging himself for another hour when he felt a strange pressure on his chest. He felt as if tons of heavy things were being piled up on him one by one.

"Don't you Turn." 

"Stop it. Come in front of me ." Mudit shrieked trying to balance himself. A rivulet of perspiration began to flow down his temples. He was on his knees and unable to stand on his feet. Mudit felt two hands strangling him ,pinning him down on the ground. He forcibly when raised his head he almost forgot to blink his eyes for a couple of seconds. Was it true or was he hallucinating ? How could that be possible ? It was a headless form, a spectre ,a sight that was hair raising. Mudit made frantic efforts to shake off the shackle of eerie hands . He was almost crawling on ground before collapsing when he found himself in a trap,a ring of darkness.

"How are you ?"an old man asked him.

Mudit , next morning found himself on a cot in a small but tidy hut.

"Who are you? Am l alive?Mudit was still trembling to remember whatever had happened last night.

"Yes, you are alive son. Last night you were knocking at our door before becoming unconscious." The old man spoke up again," l am a vegetable vendor and live here with my wife.,"

" You are very fortunate that you have come alive and in your senses out of this forest at night,where even the priest of the village can't think of venturing out at night," The old man's wife spoke up this time while handing him over a cup of tea," l think you had not dared to turn and look back." 

A chill of horror went down the spine of Mudit . Yes, he hadn't turned back.

Soon people from Mudit's office came that way in search of him as the news of him being missing at night had spread like a forest fire.

"You know Mudit when the driver came back near the car and found you were not around he had rushed to inform us. We all had prayed for you throughout the night. And with the day break started to look for you ." One of his seniors spoke up.

" Thank you everyone but what was the hurry you could have started after breakfast." Mudit decided not to share his ghostly experience with anyone and rushed home to be with his better half.

"Where were you Mudit?" Amrita was indignant.

" Actually I had stayed with all since no one wanted to return back at night." Mudit spoke up with difficulty.

" But your outfits are narrating an entirely different story . Were you wrestling in mud?"Amrita spoke up again.

"Actually l had slipped on the way. Amrita, l will never go  for any night out again.l promise you.l will never leave you alone."Mudit said while heading towards the washroom.

"But, if you do go at night remember never to turn back." Bua spoke up while mopping on the floor.

Mudit felt as if the grip of those invisible hands had again glued him but this time on the floor of his own room .