Chapter 26: chapter 26

My mother-in-law asked my younger son to bring the bath soap from the bathroom which my father-in-law had been using during his illness. I don't know exactly what she had to do with the soap. My son told me that when he entered the bathroom, he suspected someone had taken a fresh bath inside, and a pleasant odour emitted from the surroundings. I didn't want to scare the boy. I talked wisely, "Son, maybe you got the essence because it had been locked for a long time." He retorted promptly, "No!! Mother, I got the sensation like grandfather had taken his bath in the bathroom. I am damn sure about it. Yesterday night I was feeling scared to lock the main door. I felt someone was following in my footsteps. " The mattress on which my father-in-law slept during his illness was sun-dried. His pillow, towel, dustbin, spectacles and water bottle were discarded in the mortuary. He went for his heavenly abode simply in a piece of loincloth, his most comfy attire at home. The doctors strictly didn't allow anybody to touch his infected corpse. One of our elderly relatives brought a pure white cloth to get him wrapped. I shed a drop of tears when I heard it from my son.My mother-in-law felt uncomfortable the other day. She visualized the frame of her husband standing at her door. He thrashed three pieces of cloth in a jerk upon her. The impetus was so real that she woke up with a sudden start. She switched on the light and didn't find anyone. She seemed terrified and started listening to the guru's mantras on her mobile to get rid of the reflection. She was unable to comprehend whether it was a dream or a reality. She consulted an exorcist like a holy person whom she revered as her elder brother. Over the years she had acquired blind faith in him. He was a greedy lot, ready to do anything for money but my mother-in-law was so innocent to reckon his deficiencies. She considered him her Godfather. He took some time when asked about the reason for that vision. He phoned her to say, "I sat for meditation and found that your husband's spirit is roaming around in your house. It wants to get freed. His soul is trapped inside the four walls of your house. It will not go until all his last rites are conducted fruitfully. He is yearning to leave this materialistic world but he can't. " The exorcist knew that it was impossible to proceed unless we recovered. My mother-in-law asked for an alternative," Till then what can we do to quieten his soul?"He answered diplomatically," He had suffered a lot on Earth. He is carving for his redemption. These things should not be prolonged. If you are unable to do it now, then you should feed an elderly man of his age to calm him for the time being. He is enraged because of the delay."This revelation frightened her to the core. Every day she pestered my husband for the conduction of last rites. She kept looking for a suitable man to be fed, keeping in mind the pandemic situation. According to the exorcist the conventions could also be conducted in the Jamshedpur gurudwara but the hassle of travelling kept her screwed for some time. Gradually, we got uncanny experiences in the house. I occupied the common hall with my younger son after testing negative. I was dishevelled and enervated after fighting the virus. It drained me of all my energy and appetite. The food tasted bland, the vomiting tendency made me despise food all the more.