Dulari

Being alone in dark place is a wonderful experience. When you know that for miles ahead there is no one who can listen to you, it open you up. You suddenly find yourself singing at the top of your voice, you laugh, you become so normal.

But if you have never seen darkness and never been alone in the dark it can scare you to death. Especially so in the haunted road to Governer’s house in Nainital.

Gulati met all the criteria for being the chosen one. It’s a privilege when a ghost chooses to meet you. A typical ghost is harmless and friendly. It’s a shy creature, scared of light. Scared of practically everything that isn’t scared. Ever increasing encroachment of light into its habitat has made it an endangered species. As an adaptive change the ghosts have become fiercely territorial and sometimes they tend to overreact when you fail to fulfill their simple requests.

Gulati was born and brought up in Delhi. But when he got a job in Holiday Inn, he had to move to Nainital. The job paid him well but he had to work till late night. There were only two routes from the hotel to his home. The shortest route goes through a ridge called Anyarpatta. A place which in Kumaoni means “completely dark”. For Gulati, this route, did not exist.

If you follow the other route you will have to first walk down, almost a mile, to the center of town. Its not dark. You can also purchase something for your kids. The trouble starts when you have to climb up on the road leading to Governer’s house. It’s an elegantly built road. It overlooks the lake and goes up in a smooth incline. But that too is little dark. Lit only by the reflections of the light on the other side of the lake. But it is not that scary. If you are walking and afraid you can wait at the start of the road. From there you can hitch a ride or you can just wait till someone comes along and go up together.

Gulati had been in the town for a year. He knew all these options. He also knew enough of stories to avoid going alone. The story of the construction worker who fell from that sheer overhang above the road. He was breaking stones for the road. As he fell through the five hundred meter drop on the cliff face, he lost grip of his hammer. The hammer wouldn’t have saved his life but it would made his life easier after death. You know it is difficult to find a lost hammer in the dark. If he sees a passer by he requests to be shown torch light so that he can find his hammer. He is not a friendly ghost. The overhang that he was braking was left as it is. Time and again the stones fall from it directly on the road. Some people say that it’s the work of that ghost. Even those who don’t believe it, never forget to look up, while passing under that overhang.

Today it was a bad day for Gulati. An accounting mistake cost him 2 hours of explanation. How could he make such a basic error in adding the numbers. Now he was doomed. It was eleven O Clock in the dark night. The road to the town was deserted. Even in the town all the shops were closed. Only a few Nepali workers were smoking Bidis around a bon fire. He stopped by mustering courage.

“Come sahib..Come near the fire” The Nepalese made space for him
“No..My kids are waiting. Enjoy”.

He stood near the fire for a minute and then moved on. Two cats were fighting in the street. Gulati was scared. He took to the next street. He was shivering and mumbling a prayer as he moved on….“jai mata di..jay mata di”

Soon he came to the brightly lit crossing where the road starts to the Governers’ house. He waited, in vain, for some passerby so that he can tag along. No one came. The chill of the wind got into his bones. He knew that his kids would have gone asleep waiting for him. But his wife must be awake. She never eats until he came.

“For five rupees, I could have asked a Nepali to accompany me to the house. What a stupid mistake.” He cursed himself but he had come too far.

He smoked. Waiting impatiently for someone.
Finally someone came. Wrapped heavily in clothes. Gulati was relived and waited impatiently. The person walked too slowly for patience but at least some one was there.

“Sahib, Can you give me company? I’m afraid of dark”
Gulati was taken aback. She was a poor woman. He was looking for a support and found someone who wanted his support. In a quick, accountant like calculation, Gulati thought two are better then one. Even if both are scared.

He replied in a highly confidant tone.. “Yes sure”
The woman didn’t ask what Gulati was doing alone standing there. Gulati didn’t ask where she was coming from in such a late night. They both needed each other so badly.

“Where do you live?” Gulati asked
“Next to the college?”
“Oh”. The college was father than his home. He felt relieved that she would accompany him to his home. But then he asked.
“but my home is just before the first gate. Do you want me to leave you to your home?”
“No sahib. I can go alone from the gate” Gulati was relived that he doesn’t have to go any further.

They both walked in the dark. The woman walked too slow. Gulati tried to increase her pace by walking just a little faster but soon she was out of breath.

She had cough. She made strange sound as she took breath. It irritated Gulati.
“Did you take some medicine?”
“No sahib. What good are the medicines for me. besides I have no money”
“What do you do?”
“nothing..my husband does.”
“what?”
“majoori” [construction work]
“ok..where?”
“wherever he gets work”

Gulati was quite confidant now. He felt good that he had mastered his fear.
The woman slowed down to a crawl. Finally she stopped.
“Sahib. You go. I will come by slowly”
“No..no..take a little rest..Don’t worry..I’ll take you to your home”. Fear raised its hood again. After all it has he, who needed a company.

There was no other option. They were not even half way through the road. On top of that the haunted turn was ahead of them. Gulati just wished he was home. He imagined how he would tell the story to his wife. How he saved a woman. A quizzical look of her wife’s face came to his mind. He smiled.

“Chalen?” [Lets get going]
The woman stood up.
“Its so cold..you would freeze to death” Gulati said
“Death doesn’t scare me..besides I’m carrying two shawls over a sweater”
“what?” Gulati interjected ignoring the second part. “but you were scared of the dark”
“yes I am”
“So am I” Gulati conceded to himself but is manly pride didn’t allow him to utter the words.

“Are there any wild animal here?”
“No sahib”
“I hear some sounds when I come home” Gulati said.
“just the fallen leaves..the wind..or may be there are. I don’t know”
“You believe in ghosts?”
“I don’t know”
“then what are you afraid of”
“men..Sahib, you know for women that its not safe to walk alone”
“no..no.this is very peaceful town..I came from Delhi..It is a hell compared to this”
“delhi? Where is it sahib?”
“far away”

The woman again slowed up. She rested her arms on her waist, stretched her back a little and uttered a sigh. Then she started moving.

“You should not be afraid.” Gulati said..They were near the haunted turn .
She didn’t respond..
“When you do then you should pray to god”
“which God..sahib”
“Pray to any god. Mata ki kripa sai sab hota hai”[Everything goes well if you pray to the goddess]
Gulati started chanting “Jai mata di, Jai mata di” with each step.
The woman meekly followed.

The prayer gave him strength. He was feeling quite well.
“Would someone be awake at your home?” Gulati asked
“oh no..its twelve..who would be awake so late” he answered his own question, looking at the watch.

Twelve was too late. “Uff..My wife must be waiting. The food would have gone cold”
Gulati increased his pace. He knew that the woman would find it little difficult.
“These Pahadi people have got a stamina. She can walk if I can.” he said to himself, avoiding a look on the woman because he didn’t want to accept her request to slow down or stop.

They were near the first gate.
“So we have reached..You can go from here” Gulati said.
“..It a straight walk from there.. And the university has put light all the way till the end” He continued..“There is little gap you will have to cross but don’t be afraid.. nothing will happen”

There was no response from the woman.

“If you want me to take you to your home I can. Its just ten minutes from here. I'm anyway so late” Gulati said. Still no response.

He was so relived that he had made it to his home. He will never work so late. He will quit his job if they force him. There are thousands of jobs in Delhi. He was lost in his chain of thought.

And then the turn came where the road split..
“Do you..”
He looked back. The woman was not there.. He was surprised. He went to the side of road to look back but the woman was nowhere to be seen. The fear struck him like a thunderbolt.

He ran. With all the strength he could muster.

My dog started barking heavily. I went out to inspect. Gulati came running towards me. He was sweating heavily. He just grabbed me. I asked him what happened. He was speechless. I gave him some water.

Slowly he came back to his senses. He told me about the woman.
“Oh..Dulari” I laughed “You must have met her. She cooks dinner at my uncle’s place..You know its far away and she usually gets late. ”

“You know her?” He asked incredulously.
“Of course I do. She cooks really delicious food”..
I added, looking at his numb face.“You dinner is waiting for you..so is your wife. Go home”

He walked on. Exhausted.

My brother asked with a look of surprise. “Who is Dulari?”
“I don’t know” I said.
Gulati was knocking his door and looking back...sheepishly.

“You saved him from heart attack”. My brother said
We both laughed.

The dog continued barking furiously.