“Sir, brake. Please sir, stop!” He looked at his bada saab in disbelief and then looked at the rear seat to reassure himself. “He is not here?!”
The Tata Sumo came to a screeching halt. Reducing the volume of the radio, his bada saab cleared the windshield and gave Bonshi an interrogatory look. Without a word Bonshi jumped out and opened the rear door of the vehicle, groping under the seat. Then he went on to look in the boot of the vehicle.
“Kayaam was here. Sleeping on this seat. He has vanished into thin air, Sir,” he stated as a matter of fact. “Let’s retrace our way, we have to get him,” came his bada saab’s sound reply, realizing that it was the only option they had in this unexpected situation.
A few hours back they sped along, happy with the sumptuous supper that their bada saab had treated them to. Bobby took to the wheel and Bonshi, seated next to him jiggled to the beats on the radio and jabbered away. Kayaam made himself comfortable on the rear seat, snoring at times and answering to Bonshi’s conversation with "hmm... ha..." or an occasional grunting.
Shadows rippled across the road and the branches swayed in the distance. Never before had they noticed the tree trunks whitewashed on either side of the highway veiled with fog. The winds whispered adding to the ethereal night or maybe it was just their pie-eyed perception.
The highway yawned wide before them with the occasional smattering of the headlights of the lorries. It was past 9 when they had to stop for an urgent nature’s call. Bonshi nudged Kayaam in case he too wanted a break before resuming on the long road to Borpatra TE. The three of them got down on a stretch that seemed like the middle of nowhere. The rev of the engine and the loud beat of the music played in sync.
Kayaam though sleepy, was thankful to ease his bladder. He was almost done when he felt the sudden gush of wind thrown behind by a vehicle, chill him to his bones. He consoled himself with the thought of being in the warm embrace of the car soon. But when he turned, a shiver of horror ran down his spine. Neither the vehicle, nor Bonshi, nor the bada saab was anywhere in sight.
“Ruko… ruko…” Stop, he wailed. His brisk walk turned to a sprint while he shouted at the fast disappearing outline of the Sumo. But to no avail. It took him a while to process what had just happened. When it sank it, Kayaam, hesitantly crept through the deserted road.
After walking for what seemed like an eternity to him, he slumped on the footpath, tired and helpless. And then as if God sent, he spotted a smudgy illumination. The headlights of the truck pierced through the night. He held his breath and with his heart hammering, stared unnaturally ahead. He made a dash to the centre of the road with his hands held up, heavenwards. The truck driver slammed the brakes and the tyres squealed on the tar road as it skidded slightly towards the right pavement. The driver quickly sped away.
Kayaam contemplated his choices and marched ahead shoving his hands into his pockets and praying for some more vehicles to pass by. His prayers were answered but his fate remained the same. Irritated and desperate, Kayaam began walking again. The cold air was starting to seep into his skin. He navigated not by sight but by faith and memory until he approached a flickering lamp post mocking the darkness. “The Sunnu Munnu Dhaba” a drab sign read. Had it just been his imagination or had the footsteps which were following him ceased too? Or did the pitch dark night release the sounds of the plethora of nocturnal spirits?
He reached the dilapidated dhaba and found a handful of truck drivers huddled up deep in conversation. He could hear their anticipatory murmur about a “night ghost” on the highway. “He had no face…His form was so dark that he was indistinguishable from the night.” For the first time, Kayaam turned to look behind to confirm whether the footsteps had actually been a figment of his imagination.
He breathed easy as he reaffirmed his solitude. He decided to head to the washroom before settling down for the night. As he approached the blotchy mirror, he got the fright of his life as the dark hooded night ghost was inching closer to him. But having a practical temperament, he gathered his courage, shook his head and rubbed his eyes. The reflection remained the same. Was HE the dark hooded night ghost?!
He tried to make himself appear as congenial as possible and taking up a seat in the dhaba, he sipped on the hot chai, savouring every bit of it in a way he had never before.
Meanwhile, Bobby and Bonshi were driving back, Bonshi repeatedly apologized and kicked himself for not being alert. They checked every oncoming bus and truck, in case Kayaam had hitched a ride with one of them. Their eyes as well as their voices travelled all over, searching for Kayaam.
The expanses of thick dark forests did not make it an easy job. As they neared the Dhaba, they noticed the silhouette of a person standing next to a lorry. Craning his neck, Bonshi called out, “Kayaam!”
The silhouette in the black hooded jacket turned around revealing himself. The three of them finally felt their anxiety dissipate as unbridled relief washed over them.
Glossary:
Bada saab: Estate Manager
Dhaba: Roadside restaurant