Moonlit Darkness

Memories are like sand, they keep slipping away from you with time. However, whenever you pick up a handful again it gives you the same tingly sweet feeling. Ashok came out of his small philosophical bout finding himself standing surrounded by piles and piles of sand everywhere. The sand dunes that had brought the memories of his childhood were now meeting him after so many years like a long lost friend forgotten with time. However, what had brought him back to the real world was his present, small hand of his 5-year-old daughter Chloe tugging him towards herself. Ashok brushed his other hand in his jeans to remove the remaining bit of sand, ready to follow his daughter. Chloe was by now jumping up and down excitedly saying that the cab-driver uncle had managed to make the repairs and start the cab. Ashok and Chloe joined his wife Megan in the car, ready to make the remaining small journey onwards to Ashok’s native village.

As the cab pulled up before his old house and Ashok with his family got down, once again memories came rushing towards him like a sandstorm hitting his face. Ashok remembered how he used to run around everywhere in the house, on the roof, in the veranda, to escape from his mother, who ran after him with next morsel of food from his plate to feed him. These memories he so desperately wanted to avoid by not coming back here or was it the emotions that came with them that were alien to his logical engineer’s mind, just like sand for someone’s eyes. But, it was his wife’s wish combined with his daughter’s demand that made him finally relent almost five years after his marriage. In fact they were here to celebrate the double occasion of their fifth marriage anniversary and Chloe’s 5th birthday together (oh yes they had gotten married on the day Chloe was born and it’s another story how Mr. Forever-Alone Ashok had gotten hooked to the green eyed Megan).

A hand yet again broke Ashok’s chain of thoughts, this time on his shoulder. As Ashok turned to see who’s hand it was, he came face-to-face with a face that was about a decade older than the one he had seen last.  Both the hand and the face belonged to his childhood friend Mukesh. That time too Mukesh’s hand was on Ashok’s shoulder to support and console him as he gave fire to his mother’s pyre. All her life, his Mother had done everything for Ashok, as he meant the world to her. For all the success that he ran after, his failure to not even say last goodbye to her still haunts him.  Today she was no more part of his life and he had not been able to do anything for her all her life.  With that regret at heart, Ashok had decided over the burning fire never to return to the place that had nothing for him other than those memories and the guilt.

That was the last time the two childhood friends had met face to face. The two were inseparable souls in their childhood, living very close by to each other, they were mostly found together involved in some mischief or the other. Time took them slowly apart as they grew up to become young men. While Ashok went to one city to get his engineering degree, Mukesh went to another to become a doctor. Even though they kept in touch over phone and mails, professional commitments made the communication few and far between. While Mukesh came back to his native village to take up the long vacant position at local government dispensary, Ashok went to USA to work for an MNC. When Ashok had left after his mother’s death Mukesh had taken care of the house. As per his mother’s wish Ashok did not want to sell the house and over the years Mukesh had overseen that the house is maintained well without omitting its old world charm. Today the house was fully prepared to receive its rightful owners after a long wait. As the two friends’ wives and children were meeting for the first time, the introductions were made and the party moved inside.

Spending each day together both the families grew closer together rekindling the old friendship of the two childhood friends. When the touring family had finally shaken off the jet lag, they all went to the fort at the outskirts of the nearby city and the Purnamasi Mela (full moon fair) that was organized there just like in the childhood days of Ashok and Mukesh. After a fun outing both the adults and young ones thoroughly enjoyed they came back to continue the celebrations of the special day for the family in the evening.  Ashok opened the champagne and bourbon whiskey that he had specially brought to celebrate the occasion. The drinks were followed by a wholesome meal of local delicacy of Laal Maans (Red Meat) prepared under the direction of Mukesh’s wife Sarita.

After dinner it was time to say goodnight, Mukesh once again insisted that his friend and his family move to his place now that they had spent these few days at their house. His house was rebuilt by Mukesh to have more modern amenities that would be more comfortable for both Megan and Chloe. Both of them denied having any such difficulty as Mukesh had kept this house too in best of conditions. Megan also loved the old world feel of this house, colorful paintings adorning its walls. It was her long-standing wish to visit India even before she met Ashok and then she wanted to visit his roots more. The mysticism and colors of India had always fascinated her, and now that she was finally in such an environment, she wanted to enjoy it a bit more in its pure form before they went back to modern life. In return, Megan invited the couple to stay one more night with them, but the next day was working for Mukesh with many patients lined up, so they had to refuse.

As the other couple took their leave for the night, Megan announced that to enjoy the beauty of the full moon night she would want to sleep on the roof as Ashok was saying they used to do in their childhood. Ashok was really not very keen on the idea and he even cited mosquitos, which was quickly repelled as a lame excuse with all the available mosquito repellents. The truth was his friend’s insistence specially for tonight had brought back some particularly peculiar memories from his childhood. Guess no matter how educated you become some superstitions ingrained in your childhood only just get pushed deep inside your subconscious but never leave you fully. Smiling over this thought, he agreed to his wife’s proposal.

From the rooftop, the surrounding scene was pretty much how he remembered from childhood days. Yes now on the side of the village there were electrical wiring going on and more houses built in modern style. However, the other side the mountain that had gone up from just besides Ashok’s house remained mysterious as ever. On top of it was the old palace that his mother used to say it belonged to their ancestors, but over time like the family that owned it the palace too had lost its glory and now stands deserted for years. No one ever really went there now. In the childhood, the hill might have looked dauntingly higher and the palace more sinister in dark but even today in the full moon night the scene still had a mystical foreboding aura to it.

The long shadows that fell from the palace with the full moon coming up behind the palace brought back some forgotten memories of one such night from his childhood. That full moon night Ashok as a young boy not much older than his daughter now was sleeping with his mother on the roof. Suddenly a howl stronger than any animal shattering the silence of the night awoke him. His eyes opened and the scene before him seemed to him like one of those shadow plays that he had seen at the Purnmasi mela last month. In this play the sky became the backdrop, and the mountain, the ruins of the palace, some barren trees scattered in that area made for the props. Then little Ashok saw the protagonist of this play, was it some kind of beast or a man Ashok could not recognize. However, its shadow drew a facial structure of a wolf like creature and his body was upright like that of a man with a slight hunch, but the overall shape and size was much larger than any man or animal he could recognize it as. This was perhaps some mythical beast, Ashok thought scared out of his wits, just as the creature jumped around from one place to other with an alarming level of agility. Sometimes he was on the porch of the palace and sometimes on one of the trees then sometimes he went out towards the mountaintop. All the time giving out that unearthly howl, a howl of agony or anger Ashok did not know, but every time he heard it, it filled him with a cold dread like never before. Ashok looked towards his mother sleeping besides him, somehow remaining completely unfazed. Just as he was thinking of waking up came the next howl of the creature that shook him to the core. He shirked and hugged his mother and hid his face under her sari as if it would save him even from the devil himself. Immediately his mother’s assuring hand came over him, patting him she pulled him close that made him feel so safe that Ashok drifted into sleep. Such a scene was played many times afterwards and every time a scared Ashok hid his face with his mother’s sari and she assuring him to sleep.

Now the times had changed and with it the scene too. Of course this time Ashok did not have his mother to reassure him back to his sleep when he was awaken by the same howl tonight. What was worse that the howl sounded much closer to home. Ashok's eyes fluttered open and he sat up in a flash. The next one came just from the corner of the roof as the creature had climbed up on it. Seeing his fiery eyes and inhuman structure Ashok's mind was paralyzed with fear, which filled him and overcame his complete being. Not just that he didn't have his mother's protection this time, it was he who had to play the role of the protector for his little girl and wife and he realised he was simply no match for this unearthly being. By the time, he could gather his wits the beast or whatever you want to call him, was upon him. By the time he could register the fact that his wife and daughter were now in mortal danger from their screams, the creature had backhanded him with mighty force that took him flying towards the roof relling. With a solid thud at the back of his head, he fast started losing his consciousness with barely enough time to hear Megan screaming their daughter's name..."CHLOE...CHLOE...NO...NO...NO"!

Cool water mixed with breeze on his face and icepack on back of his head brought Ashok back out of unconsciousness but what really brought back his senses was panicked face of his friend Mukesh over him and sound of sobbing of his wife from behind as complete terror of the situation set in within his senses. He tried getting up as fast as he could to gather some news of what happened only to be pushed back by his friend gently. He said, though it does not seem he had suffered any big damage, but a concussion cannot be ruled out so he had better take it easy. However, taking it easy was last thing on his mind, he could not bear the fact that he was did such a poor job of protecting his family and now he had lost his little girl...his lifeline forever. That thought panicked him further and he started murmuring Chloe’s name asking what happened to Mukesh. It was then he saw Megan for the first time, eyes bloodshot from all the crying and face ashen from fear made a grotesque contrast on her otherwise beautiful face. What was at least matter of some solace for Ashok was that besides the damage terror and continuous crying had made to her features, Megan seemed unharmed otherwise.

"You need to find her...you need to get my baby back to me from that beast...” were her repeated ramblings and it again shook him out of his state of psychological paralysis. Mukesh's gentle warnings could not stop him this time. He just had to go and go now to find his little girl and bring her back even if it meant fighting the devil himself. He ignored the wooziness and throbbing at the back of his head and started to move towards his wife. He held her hand, pressed it lovingly to reassure her that he will bring her baby back, and then went forward towards the door to get out to the unknown to fight the unknown. But he was held back by hand of his friend on his shoulder, Mukesh wasn't ready to let his friend go face whatever demon it was out there alone. Since childhood, they have been inseparable souls, taking on the world together with their witty and naughty antics. Mukesh had never known love of a mother but Ashok's mother had never made him feel it and loved him equally. If in childhood stealing fruits from neighborhood, garden's and wiggling out of tight situation together never made them hesitate to leave each other's back, some years of separation or some fearsome unearthly being will not come between them today as well. Mukesh had a gun in his hand and he would hear nothing but go with Ashok on this mission. Hence, the two childhood friends yet again came out together this time to battle an unknown demon to rescue their little girl.

The mountain path was rocky and full of thorny plants, the moonlight night was helpful in seeing the path but that did not make it any easy to make the climb with no used path. No one ever came this side, not even the village cowboys with their goats so there was just no passageway marked or created, it was only their indomitable willpower to not give up that kept them climbing up despite several cuts and bruises in their hands. Ashok had taken the family sword from the top of the rack as his choice weapon that was now slinging on his back. He really did not know much of sword fighting except the play fighting he and Mukesh did around Dussehra and Diwali with wooden swords. However, he knew if it came to it, he would cut the demon to pieces to save his girl even if it took all his strength. He also knew his friend and brother Mukesh would always have his back as he did all those years back. Any other alternate narrative he just refused to let into his head.  As the two friends were going up reaching for the ruins  of the old palace the moon had started its decline towards the horizon and with it their guiding moonlight, as if with it taking away the hopes of a rescue in to the darkness of the night. But the two friends had never ever had known to lose hope and courage even when almost a dozen elder boys had gheraoed them during one of their mischief gone wrong in their childhood. The odds tonight might have been more against them but they still refused to let go of hope and courage.

They say moonlight of a full moon plays trickery on the mind, turning the sanest person into raving lunatic. The scene they found before them after reaching the palace and searching its broken down corridors and rooms was one such that can make anyone doubt their sanity. Perhaps it is also true that touch of an innocent child can turn the most monstrous beasts into an angel. May be not all but in this case it seemed to be an unbelievable truth. From all the vicious scenarios they might have tried hard to repel from their minds, the scene before them was very much different. An angelic child exploring the face of the devil himself with utmost curiosity, but what was more astounding was the beast was no more devilish but much more human like now. The eyes had no more the bloody gleam but had tears running down, the face had no more murderous villainy but was that of a man unkempt for years battling through nature's hardship lost in some unknown time and space now back to finding someone long lost through the eyes of this little girl before him. For those few moments both Ashok and Mukesh were dumbfounded, what started out, as a nightmare from hell, had now turned much weirder.

Perhaps it was the sound of old leaves n twigs crushing under their feet or maybe a new burst of wind coming from behind them carrying their scent to the man-beast, his attention suddenly turned towards the two new guests at his dwelling. Seeing them his features once again turned more beastly and the murderous gleam in his eyed returned to an extent only to be replaced by bewilderment when Chloe called out to Ashok... "Daddy..." and jumped up and ran towards him. This got the two men ready to protect her with their weapons and beast ready to pounce on them. But before the battle of life and death could start Chloe had already reached Ashok and said, "don't hurt him, he is friend!!!" This was a huge surprise for both the men and Mukesh asked her, "Chloe, what are you talking about?!" Chloe then pointed fingers at far end of the room, towards another corridor; a dead-body of another much larger beast with his head detached from his body was lying around. "That monster came here and he saved me from him...he has not harmed me, he is good, uncle!” said Chloe.

While the astonishing conversation was going on there was another silent conversation going on between Ashok and the Man-beast. Although Ashok still perceived the man-beast as a threat, but what he had seen before his eyes and what Chloe just told Mukesh, made him think. He was badly injured; gashes around his neck and chest were clear and deep, while Chloe was completely unharmed despite the ordeal. Ashok now realised that the howls and roars that they were deliberately ignoring throughout their journey up, so that the thought of those being sign of a macabre enjoyment did not make them feel hopeless about futility of their mission and fear and despair made them paralyzed to continue were actually war cries of these two deadly beasts.

Moreover, as the man and the Man-beast looked at each other there seems to be a sense of recognition coming over in each other’s minds. The full moon was almost at the verge of taking a leave for the night, the mix of moonlight, advent of dawn had created a mystical luminosity around, and in that, Ashok seeing the Man-beast found some uncanny resemblances to his own features. It was as if he was seeing himself, around 25-30 years older, much more weather beaten and toughened up under harshness of nature. It was perhaps a similar sense of recognition in the Man-beast that made him soften again or it may be due to finally his injures overcoming his supernatural strength and will power that he stumbled and fell down, trying to steady himself he took refuge with one of the pillars nearby. Ashok asked Mukesh if he could look into the wounds of this creature/person whatever he chose to call and if he could help him.

Although in his practice, Mukesh had come across many weird cases but this patient seems to be right up there. As he approached him, only thought Mukesh had was that this was something beyond his medical expertise, the wounds seemed fatal and blood loss was constant and he had no clue about such creature and how to cure them. But as he started approaching the man-beast the same sense of recognition that had come to his friend, also came to Mukesh, and with it came memories of his last conversation with Ashok's mother on her death bed. She was weak by the time her illness had taken over her entire body. Mukesh could not listen to all her words properly and what she was saying felt to him like drug induced senseless rant of a person disillusioned while on their last breaths. She was saying that the rumours of a beast lurking in the ruins of the palace on mountain-top was true, and it was none other than her husband and Ashok's father, cursed by the bite of another such creature on a full moon night. So more he went closer to this man/beast and saw his features he realised, words were not senseless rants but hard truth, this was indeed Ashok's father living a cursed life.

Despite his own apprehensions and protests of his patient, Mukesh was able to get close enough to inspect the wounds, they were indeed fatal, gashes in stomach and other places were bleeding profusely. It was only due to his unnatural and superhuman power that he was alive, but for how long, he was not sure and even if by some freak miracle, he did survive his eyes showed how tired he was of living this cursed life.  As Mukesh heard approaching footsteps of Ashok and Chloe, he had again gone back to those fateful moments before Ashok's mother's death and words she said then. That time those words did not mean much, as he was frantically trying to save the woman he loved like a mother. Now in the dying moments of this moonlit night he remembered what she had said. Only the family's traditional silver sword had the power to free him of the cursed life but none dare approach him in his full strength on a full moon night.

The sound of something falling to the floor besides him and Ashok's hand on his shoulder brought Mukesh out of his reverie. The family sword had fallen just besides him from the hands of Ashok, as if to make Mukesh realise that it was now his only opportunity and responsibility to end this cursed life of this man and fulfill last wish of Ashok’s mother. Mukesh asked Ashok to start the journey back and he will join them soon as otherwise each moment's delay must have been making life difficult for Megan. Realisation also dawned upon Ashok on why was his best friend was telling them to move ahead. He realised his friend was trying to save Chloe from any unpleasant scene that might scar her innocent child's heart forever or  him the unpleasant act he simply didn't have the power to do even though like his friend he too now had realised that was the only solution. Death is the panacea for all.

After some difficulty, finally Ashok managed to make Chloe leave her 'new friend' in her uncle's care and move ahead with him to the waiting arms of her mom with a promise to see him soon. They were almost three quarters way down when yet another howl pierced the silence of dawn to wake up all the sleeping nature around them. First ray of sunlight falling upon the headless bodies had turned them into ashes leaving just a dark spot on the ground. As a mark of respect and honour, he pushed the sword into the ground where the body's head would have been. As Mukesh started his quick descent to meet up with his friend on the way down, he realised the past was well and truly behind them now as a new future awaited them.