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Chapter One The Attic Diaries

Reading was not her passion .Yet, for the past few days, Priya had been spending a good number of hours reading; reading those dusty old diaries that she found in the attic of her new home. Her mother had asked her not to bother about that closed room. But well, forbidden things always arouse curiosity. Curiosity coupled with boredom made her search for the attic keys .It took a whole day to find them and on a stormy evening while her parents were not at home, she opened the attic door. There weren't any rats, lizards or such beings as she had expected. It was just a dusty old room .Priya found a lot of things in it-many books, old clothes and dusty wooden furniture which included two cupboards and a study table. Of all the things she found, what drew her attention were those diaries and she has been reading them for the past few days. Right now, she is inside that room. Her parents are not at home. So fearlessly she opened those attic windows to let the sunlight in. As the birds chirped outside she sat down to read one of those diaries. The first entry read thus

JANUARY 1ST1995- Sunday

The New Year party was a blast. If dad had not asked me to come home early, I would have still been there, at Johns house. .This year instead of the backyard the party was conducted in the terrace of Johns house .So we had a better view of the Cochin Carnival. As usual John played his guitar and Abu sung along. It was not worth listening. Abu and I left the party shortly after 12. We were the first ones to leave.

JANUARY 2ND 1995-Monday

Woke up late today and thus reached school late. As usual, the late comers were asked to meet the principal. He gave us a very boring lecture about discipline. I accidentally yawned in between and got extra scolding for that. And more scoldings saying that 10th standard students should be more studious and more disciplined if they wish to score well in the board exams. Chemistry period was free today because Gopalan Sir was on leave .Of what I heard from Sukanya, Gopalan Sir saw someone near the graveyard yesterday and grew so scared that he fell ill. What a coward!

Priyas cell phone rang downstairs .She closed the diary and rushed to her bedroom, picked up the phone and said hello The voice in the phone replied Halloo Priyu, its me Neha Priya: hiii whats up in Delhi? Neha: nothing muchso how is your new place Priya: Kochi is really boring ...I wish Dad had not got that transfer I miss Delhi a lot Neha:You will start loving it when you get new friends .After all its a city ,there will be plenty of cool stuffs there Priya: But Im miles away from the centre of the new city. My house is at Fortkochi, its an ancient part of this city. Most of the buildings here are about a century old. All the big malls are across the bridge and you know my parents, they wont let me go that far. I really dont know why so many tourists come here. They seem to love this place Neha: Well anyway, what took you so long to pick up the phone? Priya: I was reading a diary Neha: Whos diary? Priya:Someone named Unni Neha: Whos Unni? Priya: I dont know .I found those diaries in the attic Neha: Must me the old resident of the house Priya:None has lived in this house for more than a decade Neha:That sounds spooky .So what has that Unni guy written in them? What exactly does he do? Priya: Well, he was a schoolboy when he wrote the diary. Thats all I know Neha: HmmHow are your parents? Priya: As miserable as usual Neha:Thats bad. I hope theyll start liking the new place soon and will get happier soon Priya: Since its my parents, the chances are rare

Neha: Hey I think Ill hang up now. There is another call coming Priya: Ok then bye. Neha: Keep sending messages. Bye bye. Take care. Priya hung the phone and went back to the attic to read those diaries.

JANUARY 3RD 1995-Tuesday

Today morning I overheard the newspaper boy telling dad that he heard some howling noises near the graveyard at dawn .He believes that there is a restless spirit at the graveyard .I believe that it was a good excuse that he had made up for being late in delivering the paper .Today was a half day at school, so we went for swimming in the beach and had lots of fun in the water .Then we went to that new restaurant near the beach, and we ate a new kind of crab dish flavored with raw mangoes which the owner claims to be a traditional Japanese dish. Im sure that it was something that the cook just made up unless mangoes grow in Japan. Meanwhile we overheard more ghost tales .Someone was claiming that he saw an old man wearing a torn suit at the graveyard after dusk.

JANUARY 4TH 1995-Wednesday

Nothing much to write about today. I was not well and didnt go to school. Quite a boring uneventful day

JANUARY 5TH 1995-Thrusday

Still ill. I had spent the entire day in bed.

JANUARY 6TH 1995- Friday

Feeling much better. Doctor said that I can go to school from monday onwards. While in the hospital I heard more ghost tales. Many people seem to believe these stories. Some even seems to connect it with certain people who died years ago.

JANUARY 7TH 1995-Saturday

I went to Abus house today to copy the pending notes since I couldnt go to school for a few days. On the way back home I came through the path near the graveyard. It was unusually windy .Ive never seen such harsh winds in that area before. Anyway the wind didnt bother me much. There was not even a single man on that usually busy road. I guess those ghost stories are the reason. Reached home safely .When I told my mother about this she scolded me for going through

that path .I argued that it was that shortest way home. She says that its not safe anymore and warned me not to go thought that way again.

JANUARY 8TH 1995-Sunday

Everyone has been talking about that graveyard ghost, everyone at school, everyone in my neighborhood, everyone I meet at the restaurant, at the beach, at the temple, at the parade ground. .Many claims to be eye victims. But each persons description is different. Some saw a woman; some saw skeletonssome saw shapeless white figures. Some say they heard the ghost singing etcAnyway John and I went through that path today also...we didnt notice anything other than those winds

JANUVARY 9TH 1995- Monday

My sister fell ill. She must have got it from me.

JANUARY 10TH 1995-Tuesday

At school Gopalan sir told us that the last date of the project submission will not be extended further .And those projects submitted after the end date will not be accepted . John, Abu and I havent yet started doing it . And the end date is 14th January. We are planning to cut class tomorrow and are going to finish the project in the school library. The new librarian doesnt bother much if we sit there during class hours.

JANUARY 11TH 1995-Wednesday

Went to the library in the morning .Only after reaching there did we remember that we didnt know what the topic Gopalan Sir had assigned to the class for doing the project. The morning bell had already rung by that time .The teacher might have had already entered the class. So we couldnt enter the class without being caught .And hence we waited in the library for two periods chatting about the graveyard ghost .More interesting stories were coming up each day During the break time , we went to the class and got the title of the topic from Reena.The rest of the school day was spent at the library. The project is still not over .We might need to cut class for two more days.

JANUARY 12TH 1995- Thursday

Spend the entire day doing the project .Nothing much to jot

JANUARY 13TH 1994-Friday

The project was almost over by the last school bell. We just had to type the project report and print it .So we three were at my house after school. Took around two hours to type, add pictures, and do formats and modification. And then when we

tried to print it, the printer got stuck for some unknown reason. So we copied it to a floppy disk, and went to Abus house .Took the prints and came back through the graveyard path. When we reached the graveyard, John wanted to check out whether there is actually a ghost in there. I was about to tell John the same thing .So we went near that old rusted gate and looked inside the graveyard through the grills of the gate .There was nothing other than the dusty graves, trees and weeds. It was motionless except for the flying bats and the dry leaves flowing in the wind. We slowly opened the gate and went inside. We walked quite a long distance, and yet found nothing unusual or scary. Then we heard a voice from behind saying What are you boys looking for? We turned back. It was an old man in a torn grey suit; his skin was pale, eyes swollen and nails dripping blood. We screamed and ran out through the way we came in .Strong wind started blowing. Lots of shapeless white figures started appearing here and there .We didnt stop to see. We ran as fast as we could and didnt stop until we reached home. I didnt tell my parents about this.

JANUARY 14TH 1995-Saturday

Had a horrible dream last night in which both John and I were still at the graveyard. We were surrounded by more ghosts, stronger wind, and louder noises I woke up at dawn with a shock. I took some time to get over it. I first thought of staying at home today. But later decided to go since 14th was the last date of project submission. As I was getting ready for school, my father reminded me that today was second Saturday.. The three of us had forgotten that today we had no school. Well Gopalan Sir never checks the calendar while announcing due dates. That meant we had to submit the project only on Monday. Well in that case for the first time in my life, I have finished my assignment in time.. I usually do everything in the eleventh hour. In the evening John, Abu and I went to the beach .We told Abu about our graveyard visit. As we three were returning back home, Abu asked me not to forget about taking the project report to school on Monday. But the report was not with me, I told him so. John didnt have it either .Then Abu reminded us that he had handed over the report to me when we were leaving his home. And yes, he was right .It was with us when we left his house .But either John or I have lost it or miss placed it somewhere .Later we figured out that one of us might have dropped it while running out of the graveyard. Since we did not have enough time to complete a new project, we decided to visit the graveyard again. We decided to go at noon tomorrow .Hoping that noon will not be as dangerous as the moonlit hours.

The door bell rang downstairs .Priyas mother had returned back home. Priya closed the diary, locked the attic room and rushed back downstairs to open the front door. Her mother handed over some bags and Priya carried them inside. Her mind was still in those diaries. It was beginning to

get more interesting than ever .She was eager to read the next entry of the diary. What took you so long asked the mother. ErrI was in the bathroom replied the daughter. Did u iron your uniform questioned the mother again. Priya: err. I forgot that Mother:hmm...well...Well then do it now. I hope u havent forgotten that tomorrow will be your first day at the new school Yes, indeed tomorrow is Priyas first day at school the new school. Both her new school and the old school were parts of The Kendriya Vidhyalaya Sangathan, so it was easy to get admission despite it being in the middle of an academic year. A couple of hours later her father came home, drunk as usual. He has been an alcoholic and workaholic as long as Priya can remember. It was a usual thing to see him drunk, he never drinks too much nor does he create problems for others. He needs one peg every once in a while, everyday. And thats it. Always looks gloomy and weak. Priyas mind was in those diaries even while ironing the clothes, preparing the dinner, having the dinner, and while going to sleep. She couldnt go to the attic because in the eyes of her parents, the attic was still a closed ignored room.

Chapter Two New School; New World; New Friends;

The next morning she went to her new school. Since it was her first day, her mother accompanied her. They met her class teacher at the staff room and the teacher showed her the class. Her mother left. She went inside the class and sat on the front bench not knowing what else to do. It felt quite strange, like being in an alien world. Minutes later a plum , fair girl came near her and said Hi...Im Lavanya. Lavanya Lakshman Im Priya Nair she replied Lavanya: Where were you before? Priya: Delhi Lavanya:cool. So where do you stay right now Priya: At Pulliyathingal...That giant old house opposite to the Seashore Restaurant Lavanya: Isnt that place haunted? Priya: What? Lavanya:Well thats what Ive heard. No one has lived there for a long time. Priya: Its my ancestral house. For the past 23 years my father owns it .We were in Delhi so we couldnt take care of the home properly and my father didnt want to give it for rent Just then the school bell rang

Lavanya: Its time for the assembly. Lets go. You will have to stand in the back of the queue with that height .How tall are you anyway Priya: 5 8 to be exact Lavanya:cool

Priya smiled. It was nice to hear someone say that her height was cool .Usually she was made fun of her height .Indians girls are never that tall. Starting with the prayers, the long lecture by the principal, and other items, the school assembly took around 20 minutes to end .Back in the class Priya sat near Lavanya in the last bench at the right corner. When the class teacher came in .She asked Priya come and stand in the front of the class. Then the teacher said Good morning everyone. This is our new student Priya. Now Priya why dont you introduce yourself to the class Priya didnt know what to say, since she didnt have any other choice she spokeerr...My name is Priya.I am coming from Delhi I... Oh so you came from Delhi this morning to school interrupted a boy from the last bench in the left corner. Amrith...Shouted the teacher Do you wish to stand outside the class? No Madam . . . Sorry...I was just joking he said Ok Priya ...you may continue said the teacher So Priya continued. I came from Delhi last week .Today morning I came from my new home which is quite nearby. My father works in the MES. And my mother is a housewife. She didnt know what else to say , so she simply looked at the teacher. As though she understood what Priya meant, the teacher asked Ok Priya...What are your hobbies? Err. Well mainly Eating, Sleeping, Chatting and roaming around with friends in Delhi The entire class laughed. So did the teacher. Seriously? asked the teacher no interest in arts? Literature? Sports?

Priya: well I play basketball .I was the caption of my schools basketball team. I like watching cricket and football and off late I have stated reading also Teacher: Thats nice. Ok Priya you can go back to your seat now. Now class we shall continue with the lesson...Hmm... Where did we stop yesterday? Priya went back to her seat .According to what Lavanya said , the class teachers name was Savithri Sasikumar. She taught English and indeed she taught quite well. Time went quite fast .Four periods and one 10 minute recess later, the bell rang again. But this time no teacher came in. Its Chemistry period. Gopalan Sir always comes in late explained Lavanya. A few minutes later a short, plum balding man came in, and started talking class. Thats him Gopalan Sir whispered LavanyaHes earlier than usual today During the lunch break Priya met almost all her classmates. Lots of new names and lots of new faces .She will take some time to memorize all those names. Her eagerness to read the next diary entry made her to rush back home after school. She gulped her evening snacks and ran up stairs. Where are you going? asked her mother as she ran. Errto check whether my uniforms are dry .I had put them to dry in the.the top of stairs she lied. Mother: Oh well...ok .I am going to the market. Come and close the door from inside when I leave...Do you want anything from the market? Daughter: No Once again she was back in the attic .She sat near the open window and read the next diary entry.

JANUARY 15Th 1995 Sunday

I have a lot to write about today. As planned Abu, John and I went to the graveyard at noon. The Iron Gate was wide open when we reached the spot .My hands started sweating, not because it was hot. We went inside and scrutinized the surrounding. It was a cloudy day. The ground was

covered with dry leaves and twigs .Creepers, weeds and trees accompanied the graves.

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After a long search, Abu found the printouts lying near a bush. As he walked towards the bush, he slipped and fell into it.Abus head hit on something solid and started to bleed. We rushed to that bush, to help him. He said he was okay and there wasnt much of bleeding. John pulled and threw out some branches from the bush to know what Abu had hit upon. And to our surprise it was some sort of electronic machinery, we could not recognize what it was .But as Abu said, it was certainly used by humans, not by ghosts. We searched the entire graveyard, found more machinery; large fans, a projector plus some more electronic things which we couldnt identify. We decided to tell it to our parents. As we were walking out of the graveyard , a jeep entered the premises and stopped near the gate .That old man whom we had seen yesterday ,came out of the jeep along with some other people. They were at first shocked to see us and so were we. That man walked towards us .This time his clothes were neither torn nor were his nails bleeding .He introduced himself as an archeologist and told us that he was planning to do some excavations here., These illusions were made to scare people off so that they wont interrupt in his excavations He also made us promise that we wouldnt tell anyone about what we had seen here and gave us 500/- rupees each to keep the secret. I do not believe his words .There might be some other hidden intensions .Abu agrees with me. He says that since we didnt see any pickaxes or other digging instruments, archeology was certainly not his aim. John says its better not to bother about it. Anyway we got back our project. When I came back home, mother asked me to accompany her to take my sister to the hospital. . While we were at the hospital, a man covered in blood was brought in .He had a dozen injuries and it looked as if he was struggling to breath. Despite all this the poor fellow was trying to speak, but without much success. This was not an unusual site in hospitals .The weird thing was that he was found this way near the graveyard. I overheard the nurses telling so. When I came back home I phoned Abu and John .John suggested that we should tell others about the so called archeologists using the graveyard .But later we three decided that first we shall go and meet that injured man and hear what he has to say before proceeding any further .There are chances that it might be just a coincidence that he was found near the graveyard. At the hospital it took some time to find the right room. And when we reached the room, an old nurse stopped us from getting in. She said that the patient needs rest and we should not disturb him. When asked about his condition, her reply was that he was recovering and that if we wanted to talk to him we could do so tomorrow during the visiting hours.

JANUARY 16TH 1995-Monday

At last submitted the project report .I am glad that headache is over.

11 Since we had school we could not go to the hospital in the morning. The evening visiting hours began at 4 pm .We reached the hospital at around 3:30 and waited near the cabin till four. At four, we went to that room .But it was empty .When we enquired to the nurse she replied that he died a few hours ago .According to what she had told us, he was recovering, but somehow his oxygen mask fell off and that had caused his death .Later downstairs, we saw his post mooted body being taken to the ambulance. John recognized him as one of the men whom we had seen at the graveyard at noon on Sunday .Frankly speaking I didnt believe that the displacement of the oxygen masks was an accident. Abu went and asked at the reception about where the body was taken to .The reply he got was that it was none of his business. The dusk had set in by that time, so we returned home after coming to the conclusions that any further action should be taken with caution. People who kill their own colleagues are indeed dangerous. We decided to discuss about this tomorrow after school TH

JANUARY 17

1995-Thrusday

We decided that before we tell this to anyone, we must find out what exactly is going on at the graveyard. And the only way we could do so is by another graveyard visit. But as John said, if they see us then our mission will fail. So the only way to find out what was going on is to hide somewhere and watch what they were doing. Abu pointed out that it is not as easy as it sounds .When will we go? We had to go and choose a place for hiding when they are not at the graveyard. .And then we need to wait till they come back. But for that we need to know when they will work and when they leave. The three of us had a very long conversation about this .But still were unable to find out a plan worth doing.

JANUARY 18TH 1995-Friday

During chemistry class today at school, Abu poked me from behind and gave me a piece of folded paper .In it was written Lets observe them and find out the timings I didnt understand what he meant .So I took out a piece of paper, and wrote What??? and passed it to Abu. He poked again and passed another paper The graveyard, you idiot .Let watch them for a few days and then we will know around what time they will leave . And just how are we going to do that? .Dont we have classes? I replied in another paper. No need to go during the morning hours .We shall watch after school said another paper from Abu.And I wrote back ok. Minutes later he poked me again .This time he wrote Tell John I took another paper, wrote and passed to John who was sitting in front of me. John replied thus Lets watch during study-leave. Syllabus is almost over, so study leave might start next week itself. And as I was reading his note, Gopalan Sir caught me .He read the note and asked what we were planning to watch. Since we could not tell him that the truth, we told that we were planning to watch a movie. And that indeed was a spark which made him give us a lecture about how studious the 10th std

students must be. After that boring lecture he made us stand outside the class. There we two continuous Chemistry periods today and we were expected to stand outside till the end of both the periods. We stood outside for sometime, and then went to the school ground. The 9TH std students were playing football. We joined them.

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JANUARY 19st 1995 Saturday

So here is the final decision. We will first observe them during the study leave .Those old solitary buildings near the graveyard make a great watch out .No one

HELLOO said a voice from somewhere. Priya looked outside the tall attic window. .A girl was standing on the terrace of the neighboring house .She wore an orange salwaar with the shawl covering her hair and swept around the neck. Im Shamna she said Whats your name? Priya she replied. Shamna: I was not here for a week .Thats why I couldnt come to met my new neighbors Priya smiled and asked Where were you for a week Shamna: At my home Priya gave her a confused look. As though Shamna understood why Priya was confused she explained This is my husbands home. My husband, mother-in-law and I live here. Priya was surprised. Shamna did look very young and very pretty too. Shamna: You must be studying at school I suppose Priya: Yes, Im in 11TH STD this year They both talked for a long time. Priya told Shamna where she had come from, whom all where there at home, where her father worked etc. Shamna told Priya that her husband was a lawyer, his name was Imran, and she got married a few months ago and so on. The two girls liked each other .And while they were taking Priya saw her mother walking through the street towards their home. So she bid goodbye to Shamna, closed the attic and went downstairs. The next day at school during the lunch break a boy asked her So you are the one who lives with the ghost? .

He was a tall lad with a swarthy complexion that well suited his jet black hair. It was the same guy who had passed comments during the English class yesterday. There are no ghosts at my house she replied with an unfriendly tone To this he replied Well thats what Ive heard .Some years ago a boy from that home died .After his death his mother became too depressed and was sent to a mental hospital. His soul still rests there and that soul was what made his mother ill. Next, you will turn ill and he started laughing Priya: Shut up Boy: By the way I didnt introduce myself. The name is Menon .Amrith Menon Priya:Did I ask? Amrith: Hey...Dont get angry .I was just kidding. That boy was my cousins classmate .Anyway there cant be any ghosts if you live there .Even the ghosts cant tolerate you And he started laughing. Priya: Why the heck before she could continue he went away laughing. Hes like that said Lavanya who was sitting near by A really weird one. Always out of his nuts The classes went on as usual. While returning back home with Lavanya and others Priya enquired Are there any graveyards, nearby? Yaa, there are. Said Sara, one of her new classmates Not one, but many .Why did you ask Priya: Err. ..Simply. Is the beach nearby Sara:Yaa .Do you want to go .We could go on this Sunday or Saturday After reaching home, she tried to slip into the attic again, but failed. Her mother was at home. So she went out to the backyard for a walk. It was indeed a big plot. The backyard was full of weeds and overgrown grass. Well the entire house was not well

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kept, and the backyard was worse than the building. It really looked like a haunted mansion. Mother never had bothered to clean it. Mrs. Nairs poor health didnt permit her to be much active and it seems to get worse after coming to Kochi. The mother was capable of doing small chores like cooking, but the heavier ones were always left undone. Priya doubted if her father had ever seen this place. They had not arranged anyone to clean the house before they reached the city.Priya had spent her first day at Kochi dusting and cleaning her new home with her father while her mother rested .Mr. Nairs workaholic nature made him join his office the very next day and hence half of their house was still in chaos. She decided to clean it, at least the backyard. .Someone had to do it. Hello Priya said a voice from the other side of the wall. It was Shamna. She was putting out washed clothes to dry. Hi said Priya I was just planning to clean the backyard Shamna: Do you want any help..Ill be free in a few minutes Priya: If you really mean it, Id love to have company Shamna:Yeah , why not.. Its better than sitting at home not doing anything. After all I dont have many friends here They worked and chatted together .And during their conversation Priya asked Do you know who lived this house before us...that is about fifteen to twenty years ago Shamna: No, But my husband might know. Ill ask him if you want As always Priyas mother sat at home while the girls cleaned the backyard. Mrs. Nair was mostly silent, sitting alone and thinking about something. The daughter never bothered to ask why.Priya was more close to her friends that to her parents. The next two days were Saturday and Sunday .And so she was at home. When her mother went to bed at noon, she ran upstairs to read the diary
No one lives in that Dutch Mansion now, it had been left that way for years ever since its owners left Fortkochi. There are only three other buildings in that area .And all three of them have been vacant for years. We are going there with our books and food. Abu will watch the graveyard during the first two hours, while John and I study. Then during the next two hours I will watch, while the others study. Then it will be Johns turn. Once we find the timings at which the crooks enter and exit the premises,

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we shall go and hide there. Then well find out what exactly they are doing and will report it to the press and the police. John said he shall bring the camera, if possible. Study leave starts next Wednesday. I am really exited .It might turn out to be a really adventurous tale which we can narrate to our schoolmates once the crooks are caught.

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JANUARY 20ND 1995 Sunday

A lazy Sunday. I woke up at dawn without the aid of the alarm clock. Instead of studying I was thinking about our plan. We could have started it today itself. I went downstairs and dialed Abus number in my landline .His sleepy voice shouted at me over the phone for waking him. Assuming that John would do the same, I didnt phone him though I did really want to talk to them. Dawn is the perfect time for studying, but I didnt feel like studying. I walked to and fro in the visiting room for sometime and then gazed out of the window. The sun still had not fully risen. The sky looked awesome with the spreading of the first rays.. The stars, moon and the darkness were gradually disappearing. I wished to watch this site from the beach. My parents were still asleep, so decided not to go. Occasionally a car or cycle went through the usually crowded road. The chirping of the birds was audible. I never knew that there were so many birds here. I opened the front door and went out to see those birds. I sat down on the dew-kissed grass to watch them. There was a mynahs nest on my gul mohar tree, which I had never noticed before. . A humming bird was busy sucking nectar from a hibiscus that grew in my mothers garden. As I moved a bit closer, it flew away. A kingfisher flew above my head .I looked up. The sky has changed its hue to light blue. Cool breeze was blowing. I lied down on the ground with my eyes fixed on the sky. The sky looked bigger than ever from that angle. I slowly feel asleep. I woke up a couple of hours later hearing my mothers scream. She was terrified to see me at the front yard. I told her what had happened. But she still believes that something went wrong. The morning and noon was uneventful. In the evening I accompanied Imran to Ernakulam. He wanted to buy an outfit for his farewell party at school and he wanted me to select it for him. He has always liked my tastes.Imran and all his friends are sad about leaving school. Their school life ends tomorrow and day after tomorrow they will have the farewell party.

JANUARY 21rd 1995 Monday

Nothing much to jot about today. All our portions are over. Modal exams are coming soon, followed by the board exams. In class, Gopalan Sir gave us along speech .It became quite sentimental in the end as if we were gone forever He is always too emotional. One more day to go. Im looking forward to Wednesdays adventure.

JANVARY 22th 1995 Tuesday

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The 12th std students farewell party was conducted today at school .The 11th std hosted the party. Even though we were not invited, we sneaked into the auditorium in between our classes. There were many stage programs conducted; some boring, some quite ok and some very sentimental. The event was over by 3, but the seniors stayed till about 5:30 at school, talking, crying and writing the last lines in the memoir. We three stayed with them, watching and talking. I cycled home with Imran. He was damn depressed. On our way back home, he was telling that he had no idea about which college to join or in which city he would be in the next academic year. He had studied in this school since his 1st std and had so many pals and memories associated with it .Now they all were moving apart. It would never be the same again. They had no way of keeping in touch other than letters and those land line calls. But no one would bother to write, stamp and post letters, its a long procedure .And those landline calls are too costly .So that meant its adieu forever. Now after the exam, he will be standing at the crossroad of life, wondering what to do next. He spoke a lot and made me sad. Two years later I will also be in the same condition. After reaching home I spent a lot of time thinking about what Imran had said. Later phoned Abu and John and talked about tomorrow. Our investigation would start tomorrow. We shall go there in the morning and return before dusk.

JANUARY 23TH 1995 Wednesday

I didnt sleep well yesterday because my mind was filled with ecstasy .In the morning, packed my bag with books and lots of food and a bottle of water. Reached Johns house at around nine, and then we both went to the Dutch Mansion where Abu would be waiting. At half past nine, we three had already chosen a room in that Mansion to study and watch the graveyard. That room had a many windows, mostly broken ones, facing the graveyards. We didnt have to open the windows. The cracks in them were so large that we could view the graveyard through it. After having a breakfast of bread and jam, Abu went and sat near the cracked window while John and I sat to study on the floor. Every twenty minute or so, either John or me, would go and ask Abu whether he saw someone or something. And during Abus turn the answer was always no. By eleven, John replaced Abu. An hour or so later, John called out .A truck went into the graveyard. We noted it down in the book which we had brought particularly for this purpose. By the time we returned, we had seen three trucks and one jeep entering the graveyard and one man and two trucks leaving the graveyard. We werent able to study much in the beginning. But later as time passed, the watching process started getting boring and hence we were able to study.

JANUARY 24ST 1995 Thursday

The timings of the graveyard visitors that we noted down today had no relation with yesterdays timings. It seems like our plan might not work. Anyway we are going to the mansion again tomorrow. We need to make a new plan.

JANUARY 25th 1995 Friday

Again the timings did not match. But one thing was unique, there werent any visitors during the early hours of the day .Unless there is anyone staying at the graveyard, there would not be anyone there. So we decided to go tomorrow morning .We are not taking anything except food with us tomorrow. That reminds me, my history text and some notes are still there at the mansion. Ill take that later. Anyway we are first going to find a suitable hiding place and then well hide till we find out what was going on. After finding that, well come back home as soon as possible. John is bringing the camera tomorrow.

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Priya turned to the next page. It was blank. And so was the rest of the diary .She flipped the pages. There was nothing more. She searched the cupboards as she had found the first diary from one of the two cupboards. She found lots of academic textbooks, notes and plenty of English and Malayalam novels. Priya wanted to see if there were more diaries or any other sort of hand written works of Unni. The search went on for sometime. The cupboard didnt have anything that interested her. She searched the study tables drawers next and found two more diaries one of 1993 and one of 1992 She read the first few pages of the diary of 1992, but her thoughts started wandering back to the old diary. She wished she could somehow find out what exactly had happened at the graveyard when the trio visited it.

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Chapter Three Imrans Story

On Sunday morning as Priya had nothing much to do, she visited Shamna. Her neighbor was watering the roses and hibiscus in her well-kept front yard garden. Priya entered the premises saying a big hi and then suddenly noticed a man cutting away weeds that grew between the roses bushes. This is Priya Shamna said. And Priya, this is my husband The tall man smiled at her .Shamna was barely as tall as his shoulders,. Well hello PriyaMy wife had been telling about you .Shamna is really glad to have a new friend .You see she doesnt have much friends here as shes new to this city .Anyway did you get admission in school ? Yes replied Priya and before she could utter another word Imran started speaking again

Pardon me if I speak too much. You see I have the habit of talking a lot. It once seemed like a curse to me. But now I find it as a boon as it had helped in my proffesion.You see Im a lawyer .And lawyers need the gift of tongue, I think Shamna might have already told you that Im a government lawyer at the Ernakulam high court. Priya nodded .Imran continued with a smile. So how do you like the new city? I suppose you prefer Delhi .But I assure you that Kochi is far better to live in, though it is not a big metro like Delhi .Ive been to Delhi for official purposes. Life there seems so hectic, stressful and too busy to pause. By the way am I boring you? No Priya lied Assuming that Priya might be bored, Shamna interrupted Priya was asking me about the ones who lived in her house previously. I told her that you might know Priyas face brightened up as Shamna had put in her favorite topic. But Imrans smile faded in a fraction of a second.Havent your parents told you anything? questioned the lawyer Priya: No. All I want to know is about Unni. Who was he? What is he doing now? My parents never tell me anything is because they do not have time for it .Dad is always busy and rarely at home. My mother is sick, she doesnt talk much to me .I dont think it is going to hurt anyone if you tell me about Unni Imran expression looked as if he had been given an electric shock. Priya and Shamna exchanged confused looks, not knowing what had shocked Imran.After a few seconds of silence Imran spoke again Is she still sick? Your mother I mean .I thought she might have recovered after all these years. Priya: You knew my mother before? Imran: Well...Yes. I have known your parents for a long time. Anyway, who told you about Unni? Your cousins, uncles or aunts? Priya:No of them. I see them only once in a year or so .My dad is too busy for anything. I found some books that belonged to Unni in our attic .I dont really know much about him

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Imran: All I wish to say to you is that, Unnis tale is something that no one wishes to remember. I dont wish to ruin your mood with that story Priya did not ask any more questions. For a few seconds no one spoke. Then Imran diverged into a new topic. So Priya, do you like gardening? Priya: Well not much .We didnt had much space in Delhi, so I never had bothered about growing anything. But now that I have a big plot, I might clean it up and plant something Imran:Gardening is one of my favorite hobbies .Last year for the flower show at Marine Drive , I won the 3rd prize for the best maintained garden in the city .Anyway ,what are you planning to plant in your garden first ? Priya: I dont know Imran: How about some roses. We have almost all varieties of roses in this garden .We will give you some good stems that you could plant. Priya: When can I have them? Imran: Why not right now.Shamna will help you choose the right stem. And as he told, his wife did cut off some good stems of roses for Priya. Along with it she gave some stems of jasmine and hibiscus. Imran explained exactly how to plant them, water them, manure them etc. Priya: When is the right time to plant them? Imran: The sooner, the better After a frank thanks and goodbye, Priya went home to plant them. But by the time she reached home and started to dig the soil, she had already forgotten half of what Imran had told her. She hadnt listened properly in the first place, because she was still wondering why Unnis topic changed Imrans mood. She went back to her neighbors house with some questions in her

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mind .As she reached the front gate she could over hear the conversation between the couple. They were taking about Unni and so Priya decided to hide and listen what they were saying to quench her curiosity. His real name was Praveen Imran was telling to his wife But his parents used to call him Unni and so did everyone else. He was a good friend of mine and my junior at school. A very cordial and helpful fellow, he had been. Unfortunately, died at a young age .When he was just 14 .The reason behind it is still a mystery. You see, him and two other friends of his, was missing for a few days. The police were informed of the missing boys .After a few days of search their rooting dead bodies were found near the an old mansion .Through further investigation the police could prove that they werent killed at that spot .But were dragged there after the murder from a nearby unused graveyard. One of police men died while they were searching the graveyard. That too was an unnatural death .A huge old rock fell upon him when he was at the graveyard .The rock could have never fallen without an external aid but none of his colleagues were able to find any external aids .The investigation was stopped soon after his death. The weird thing is there were lots of other unnatural and unexplained events related with it .A few days before they were missing, Unnis mother found him sleeping in the front yard in the morning. He had been sleeping in his up stair bedroom the previous night. And when he was asked it his sleepy voice said that he had come there to watch the birds. But that indeed was not the reson.There was some force that attracted him to the yard; the same force that might have attracted the three boys to the graveyard. I do believe that if Unni had unknowingly come down to the front yard, then the trio had unknowingly gone to the graveyard. That same day I had gone with him for shopping at Ernakulam. I found him preoccupied with something. There was indeed something bothering that fellow. When I asked him about it he didnt give me a solid answer as though he was hiding something.

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There were similar deaths reported about the graveyard before and after this. And that part of the old city became isolated and still continues to be isolated. Many say that these were the tasks of ghosts. But I do not believe in ghosts. At the same time neither I nor anyone else has a good explanation for what had happened. The saddest part is that his family was never the same after his death .His mother got so depressed that she had to be sent to the mental hospital .She was given shocks several times to prevent her from being too violent. His father drowned himself in drinks .His sister was sent to their grandmothers home so that she could be taken cared off. Later when his mother became a bit better, they moved to a different city to avoid his memories. The more his parents thought of him, the more ill they became .I still do remember that scene, when he was found. The most horrible thing Ive even seen. They were drenched in blood, almost all their body parts crushed or injured .The injuries looked so bad that even if they had survived it would have been really hard for them to recover. That scene still haunts my dreams He stopped .Paused for a while. His eyes were wet. Promise me that you will never tell this to Priya he said to his wife Whats wrong if she knows? questioned Shamna You see Priya is Unnis little sister. She was just around 2 years old when Unni died and since her parents have kept mum about Unni, she doesnt know that she had a brother. I suppose if she knows about this, she will go and ask her mother and that will make her ill again. Her father too does not wish to talk about it. Priya went back home, not uttering a word. Priya did not eat her lunch that day and had been sitting in her bedroom from then on .Her mind was full of questions. Was it really true or was Imran playing a prank on her, she wondered. It is true that she was born 15 years after her parents wedding, but did they have a child before her? Was this the reason behind her mothers abnormal behavior? Is this why her father is this way?

She suddenly remembered the promise that she had made to Sara and Lavanya. The girls had planned to go to the beach at 2:30 pm. Priya checked her watch .It was already 3 pm. Soon she dialed Lavanyas number. Half an hour later the three of them were at the beach watching the waves, eating groundnuts and chatting. And during their conversation Priya enquired Are there any unused graveyards near the beach? Yeah, why? asked Lavanya Well you see, I found a diary .She told them the entire tale from finding those diaries to overhearing the conversation between Imran and Shamna. Quite interesting!!! Said a male voice from behind. The girls looked behind them. Amrith?? What are you doing here asked Sara Just roaming around as usual he replied Anyway Priya I think Imran was just playing a prank. The stuffs about Unnis death is true, I have heard that part of the story before. But the rest is probably Imrans creativity.Unnis real sister must be older than us, probably studying in some college somewhere Lavanya: How can you be so sure? Amrith: All you need is commonsense to realize that this story is fake. Unfortunately you just dont have it. Where on earth do parents deny telling their child the fact that she had a brother? Sara: Mind your own business. Did any one of us ask your opinion? Amrith: Will you girls believe me if I disprove it? Sara: And just how do you plan to do that? Amrith:Whats your date of birth, Priya? Priya: May 24rd, 1993 Amrith: Whats written in those diaries on May 23rd Priya: The last diary entry is in January Amrith: Im talking about the 1993 diary, if he really is your brother then hell be writing a lot about his sister on the day she

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was born. Lets go and check out that page .There wont be anything. I am damn sure Within half an hour the four of them reached the attic..She flipped the pages and found out the entry of May 23rd 1993 and read it aloud.

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May 24th 1993 Monday

At last my sister has come .My family had been waiting for this day for a long time. The date that doctors had predicted is still 2 days away. None expected that shell be born today. I was at school when she was born in the hospital. My father picked me up at noon after getting the permission from Principal and took me to the hospital. On entering the room I saw a cute baby, draped in white cotton cloth, lying near my mother. Her eyes were barely open, her hands soft and weak. Being a big brother, I was allowed to take my little sister in my hands. She was barely as big as my arm .When I took her she opened her eyes a little, as though looking at me. Her lips moved a bit. I think it was a smile. I am not sure. Her hands were still held tightly closed. I kept her near our mother again. I sat there looking at my new sister for a while. Then went out as my mother asked me to buy a few things. When I was back with those baby items, my maternal uncle and his family had come. As time passed by more and more relatives, friends and neighbors came. The room did become a bit crowded. Abu and John came straight from school to see my little sister. .Everyone had bought along some gift or another with them. And the table in that room too became crowded. Mother asked me to take them home. And I took them home with Abu and John. Now since my grandmother is staying with us for a while, there wont be any more non-veg food in the kitchen. She doesnt permit any of it at home. That doesnt bother me much. Ill just have to visit the restaurant more often. And I like the restaurant visits. Mother and my sister are not yet back from the hospital. Theyll be back in a few days. I brought some sweets from that Guajarati store across the street to distribute at school tomorrow.

Priya looked at Amrith and asked Now.. do you believe me? .A tear ran down her cheek.

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