The Genesis
Our world, an ancient and exquisite creation, bore witness to the whims of the gods. It was a gift bestowed upon us, yet at times, a canvas for divine retribution. In the beginning, when nothingness stretched into infinity, there existed a cosmic essence—a force known as Shakti. Shakti, the true progenitor and embodiment of light and creation, emerged from the void.
In time, Shakti gave rise to three cosmic beings—Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwar (Shiva). These divine entities, often referred to as the gods of gods, embarked on the journey of creating and shaping both other deities and our world. Each god personified distinct facets of existence: the Sun god heralded the day; the Moon god presided over the night, goddess Lakshmi embodied wealth, while Yamraj embodied death, and so forth.
Yet, in the duality of existence, akin to the radiant Shakti, there existed another primordial energy—an ancient darkness, whose origins remain shrouded in mystery. This obsidian force, devoid of a name, remained an enigma, its potential unfathomed and referred as dark energy. As Shakti breathed life into the gods, dark energy breathed life into demons or Rakshasas. Thus, a perpetual struggle and conflict ensued between gods and demons, a cosmic battle born of their contrasting natures.
The gods embodied the seven virtues—chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility—while demons were forged from the seven deadly sins—pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. Humanity, however, bore the dual imprint of both divine and demonic qualities, a testament to the ongoing cosmic struggle.
Over countless centuries, the gods emerged as victors in this celestial conflict. Consequently, the human world was fashioned more in the image of the gods, although remnants of darkness continued to lurk in the shadows.
Following the creation of the human world, a pact was struck between gods and demons—neither would set foot on this realm. Thus, they established six realms for existence: Shakti's realm, heaven, the human world, hell, the demon world, and the realm of darkness. Humans, while not cosmic beings were mortals endowed with powerful souls, infused with a blend of Shakti's light and dark energy. Their souls emitted a gentle blue aura, while their physical forms were shaped from the four primal elements: earth, fire, water, and air. When a human is born, they drew energy from these elements, and upon their passage to the afterlife, this energy returned to its elemental source, preserving the cosmic equilibrium.
Dusky Skies
Our tale unfolds in a desolate corner of Pakistan, where a sinister terrorist organization, known as Lashkar-e-Mohammad (LEM), conducted its nefarious activities. Their member train very hard to infiltrate other countries to create ruckus. After an arduous training session, their leader, Hamid, summoned his young trainees for an urgent meeting.
Hamid proclaimed, "Allah has bestowed this world upon us, not upon those infidels who slaughter Allah's devotees for their petty gains. Indians have shed the blood of our Kashmiri brothers for far too long, and they continue to oppress our Muslim brothers. It is our solemn duty to seek retribution. Remember, my brave soldiers, Allah awaits our offerings—the heads of these non-believers. Prepare yourselves, for tomorrow, you shall embark on a journey. From here you will ride for China. From China you will find your way to Nepal, Bangladesh, and finally India, you will cross the borders of West Bengal, arrive in Kolkata and from there you will start your journey towards Delhi. Now, go and rest, my valiant warriors. You have prepared for many years for this."
As the men rose and left the tent, one among them, Abdul, appeared troubled by these orders. He hesitated, and wanted to speak to his leader about his hesitation. In a fleeting moment, he witnessed Hamid's eyes transform into abyssal darkness before returning to their usual state.
Hamid inquired, "Abdul, do you have questions in your heart my boy?"
Abdul stammered, "Yes... No... I mean...um nothing, I... I will prepare myself."
Hamid reminded him, "Always remember, you do this for Allah and you will be welcomed in jannat, my boy."
Inwardly conflicted, Abdul thought to himself, "Islam teaches peace; Allah does not need bloodshed nor death. My mother told me that Allah is everywhere. Yet, my leader expects me to take lives. Am I doing the right thing?"
With these troubling thoughts, Abdul retreated into his tent, beginning the preparations that would shape his destiny.
A Nice and Warm Life
The tale unfolds with a young lad named Suhas Chatterjee, fresh off completing his 12th standard board exams, his sights now firmly set on the daunting IIT JEE exams and the allure of college life that lay beyond. Suhas belonged to a household of five, his family consisting of his grandmother, mother, father, and an elder brother. In the heart of their village Chaitanyapur market stood Suhas's father's grocery store, managed jointly by his father and elder brother. Chaitanyapur is a small village with several ponds, farmlands, a high school, a hospital. Chaitanyapur, as a village is quite developed. Suhas's father's grocery store is also very popular in the area.
Suhas, though hailed as the class topper, bore a striking contrast to the stereotypical high-achiever. His mind often meandered aimlessly, his attention flitting from one thing to the next. He acknowledged his shortcomings for distraction and attributed his academic success to god's will, convinced that he was somehow uniquely favored, much like any other youngster his age. His mother, Ragini is a typical housewife superstitious and always worried about her sons future. His father, Akshay was hardworking and very emotional, although he liked to hide it. Suhas's brother Anshu, was very casual and took everything very lightly while his grandmother, Durga devi was very protective of her whole family. The Chatterjee family is very warm and welcoming.
On a typical morning
Suhas shouting: "Ma....Ma...Ma...Ma...”
Suhas's mother Ragini responding loudly: "what...what...why are you screaming... I am in front of a burning stove."
Suhas replying loudly: "I came from morning exercises and I am hungry, give me something to eat, I am going to the tournament"
Suhas's father Akshay responded loudly: "tournament? Tournament? Is this how you'll pass your IIT exam?"
Grandmother, “can someone in this family talk in normal voice.”
Ragini while gently stroking her hand on suhas's head: "my sonu, monu please study a little bit for this one week, you'll definitely get into IIT....uff what a bad smell...go and wash yourself and don't come out unless your smell is gone. No one's gonna want to be your friend because of your smell. today is Tuesday, go to the temple after you wash up."
Suhas moaned: "Maaaaaaa....huh.huh..ok fine going"
Anshu: "Ma, you said one week but isn't his exam three days later."
Grandmother: "go...go...you have studied enough the whole year. now go and have fun."
Akshay shouting and interjecting : "what have fun...ma...that's it, no more tournament, start reading or the cricket ball won't be the only thing that will be hit today by the bat"
Suhas lamented: "ahhh....I don't even have a life, when can I enjoy and do something in my life"
Ragini retorted: "here take your breakfast, wash up, go to the temple. once you get a job, then you can enjoy your whole life."
Anshu: "Ma I am going to the shop"
Akshay: "when I was your age, I already was doing business, no one was putting food on my table. If I had your resources I could have become a doctor by now."
Suhas: "that's not even possible, you have to atleast study for more than 10 year....ma ....ma ...ma"
Ragini: "what now, I am infront of a burning stove"
Suhas: "you again gave me fry potato and roti, it's the same thing I eat everyday."
Ragini: "if I have to go to you I will beat you with slippers, now eat silently and start studying"
Akshay: "yeah ....what she said...study"
Suhas commenced eating with a sigh, as this routine was all too familiar. The life of Suhas's family was unremarkable, firmly rooted in the everyday. Suhas remained proud of his status as the class topper, and nothing extraordinary seemed to disrupt their mundane existence. That day in the evening Suhas met his friend Sajal for regular chatting.
Suhas: "let's go get some samosa"
Sajal: "naaa .... I have some stomach problems"
Suhas: "god, you can't eat anything, it is super annoying."
Sajal: "bro please tell me how much you have studied first, cause I think I have to skip one year just to study for IIT-JEE. Give me some tips on what to study for these two days."
Suhas: "wo....have you seen that girl, I think she's from our junior batch"
Sajal: "focus...dumbass....focus....my life is at stake."
Suhas: "yeah yeah I did the physics and math, but I have to go read the chemistry now. The reactions are not getting into my head."
Sajal fretted, "If I don't pass, I'll lose my head!"
Suhas advised, "No matter what you do, give it your all, so you won't have regrets later."
Sajal sighed, "It's easy for you to say; you're the topper. Oh, I almost forgot to ask, which train are you taking?"
Suhas clarified, "The exam starts at 12, so I'm catching the 8 AM train. It'll take an hour and fifty minutes to reach Sealdah, giving us much time to relax, clear our minds, and sit for the exams. Besides, we will get some good look at city girls in that time."
Sajal nodded and proposed, "Please, I am not feeling the romance here but I will go with you. Are you going alone?"
Suhas responded, "No, my brother will go with me."
With that said, Suhas and Sajal made plans for the exam day and both left for their homes.
Akshay, concerned, asked, "Why was he out? Shouldn't he be studying? Why did you let him go?"
Ragini defended her decision, "No, no, he needed a break. He studied diligently all afternoon."
Suhas interjected, "Ma...Ma..."
Ragini, clearly irritated, questioned, "What now? you did go to the temple right."
Suhas inquired, "Should I bring some tandoori roti and tadka dal?"
Their grandmother chimed in, "Go on, I'll give you the money."
Ragini, sternly, warned, "If you step out, I'll chase you down with my slipper. I've been cooking fish all day, sweating over a hot stove, and you want..."
Akshay concurred, "It's your fault."
Anshu added, "So, who's accompanying him to the exams?"
Akshay affirmed, "Of course, you will. I'll manage the shop."
Anshu inquired, "What time?"
Suhas replied, "Dada (elder brother), we're catching the 8 AM train, and Sajal is joining us."
Anshu nodded, "Alright. got to find my own place to chill there."
Akshay said to Suhas, "If you pass the exam, I will feed you all the things you want to eat. Now, go study."
Suhas with a sigh, "Okay."
This is how a typical day in Chatterjee household pass. Suhas, with his eyes filled with dreams of his successful future, goes to sleep after a long day of studying while his family also goes to sleep with their own thoughts and prayers. In his dreams Suhas roamed in the skies with his backpack like he was flying all around the world. Below was the see with several fishes.
The birds chirping, sun is shining bright, the fishes are swimming in the same way Suhas is flying above. Suddenly the sky and the sun turned reddish and he started to fall in the ground. He fell in a pool of blood, not much deep but he found himself on a lifeless land. Suhas saw several dead bodies holding his body as they pile up on him, seven large pillars around him, the sky starts to move and the sun became a yellow eye looking at him. Several creatures whose features were not clear to Suhas were coming to catch him.
He also saw several flashes of a woman with two twisted white horns, one muscular armored person with a spear, two golden boots with bull horns and a sword buried in the ground.
Then everything became black around Suhas and in front of him, he saw two giant eyes looking at him. Black flames were coming from those eyes.
Suhas pleaded to let him go and suddenly he woke up from sleep sweating all over the bed. He was breathing heavily, but soon he calmed himself understanding it was just a dream. Suhas drank some water and went to sleep. The rest of the night was quite peaceful for Suhas.
Incident in Sealdah station
After the swift passage of time, the day of the exam had arrived. Suhas commenced his preparations, not through rigorous study, but rather by offering fervent prayers to his favorite deities—Lord Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva (Maheshwar), Saturn, and the goddesses Saraswati and Kali. In his belief, these divine beings held the key to his future fame and fortune. Born on a Saturday, Suhas regarded Lord Saturn, the god of justice, as his guardian, thus he offered special devotion to Saturn alongside his other deities. With his worship complete, he bid farewell to his family and embarked on a journey to the city of Kolkata, where the exams would take place. Accompanying him were his elder brother Anshu and his friend Sajal.
On the train, Sajal nervously remarked, "Man, I'm so afraid; I may have peed a little in my pants."
Suhas whispered in Sajal's ear, careful not to let his elder brother overhear, "There are so many people heading to the exam, yet not a single good-looking girl in this packed train."
Sajal whispered back urgently, "Bro, not now. I know you're the class topper, and books come easy to you. I get it, but not now."
Suhas sighed, "Ehh... mood killer."
Anshu interjected, "Hey, I'll be waiting outside the exam center. If you two need anything, just let me know."
Suhas and Sajal replied in unison, "Okay, dada (elder brother)."
As the train approached Sealdah station, a major railway junction serving trains from all corners of the country, the platform offered complete shade and a bustling atmosphere. Sealdah had it all – food courts, KFC outlets, jewelry stores, and a constant throng of 200-500 people, except during the night. On a busy day, Sealdah is one of the most densely populated and vibrant platforms in the world. As the train drew closer to the platform, the anxiety of the upcoming exam began to creep in on Suhas and Sajal, even though they didn't openly acknowledge it.
Finally, the train came to a halt at Sealdah station. Passengers started rushing towards the exits, each with their own agenda – catching another train, going to work, school, college, or, in Suhas and Sajal's case, to take the exam. The trio, Suhas, Sajal, and Anshu, disembarked from the train and stuck together in the densely packed queue to exit the station. The crowd slowly made its way towards the exit.
Anshu reassured them, "Many people are at the exit; we'll be moving slowly, but once we're out, it'll be easier. Stay close and keep an eye out for pickpockets, okay?"
Suhas commented, "Thank goodness we arrived early."
Sajal, his anxiety palpable, fretted, "I can't calm my nerves. What if I don't pass? Should I enroll in college or stay home and study?"
Suhas, as they inched toward the exit, encouraged him, "Just give it your all. You'll pass. Now, hush; you're making me anxious."
Sajal pleaded, "Bro, you'll stay with me, right?"
Anshu assured them, "We're almost there. Once we're out, I'll hail a cab. That'll be faster."
Suhas nodded, "Yeah, yeah."
Sajal, reaching out to touch Suhas's shoulder, asked anxiously, "Please, you'll stay with me, won't you?"
Suhas reassured him, "Yes, I will. Don't be afraid."
Sajal sighed in relief, "Okay then."
Suddenly, a bullet pierced through Sajal's body, and he fell to the ground. The LEM terrorists had arrived at Sealdah Station and began shooting randomly. Many, like Sajal, were shot and killed instantly. Their leader, Jaffar, shouted while firing his gun into the air, 'Everyone, get down on the ground now.”
Sakib another LEM laughing with amazement: "look at all those women and children, crawling like insects. Master told us the truth, Kafers are weak.
Suhas looked at Sajal's lifeless body, blood pooling around him. Suhas started to cry and glanced at Anshu. Then, he shifted his gaze to the terrorists who had taken control of the station. Nine terrorists had spread out, even overpowering the armed police, who were armed with outdated weapons. Two of the terrorists had gone to the upper executive floors with sniper rifles for surveillance, while the remaining seven blocked all the exits with dead bodies to prevent Indian defense forces from entering. Sakib and Jaffar was roaming around the station to neutralized all threats inside.
Atif, another LEM to Jaffar the leader of the group: "janab, what's our next move. We failed to reach Delhi as our contacts were caught. Why did we siege here."
Jaffar, "Our job is to strike fear in the hearts of the kafers. I we can't go towards Delhi then we will do it in Kolkata. Now secure the exit Atif."
Suddenly a two year old kid started to cry.
Sakib: "what is that despicable sound? Whose kid is crying?"
A woman stood up with her 2 year old boy in her lap: "please my kid is hungry, he needs to eat. Please let us go."
Sakib rushed toward the woman with his weapon, using the butt of the gun to strike her head over and over again. The child fell to the ground, crying louder as his mother took her last breath. Sakib then shot both the child and the mother before callously celebrating. The entire station fell silent as the gruesome scene unfolded before them. Witnessing this, a male and female armed police officer raised their weapons to shoot Sakib. However, the man was shot several times by a sniper on the upper floors, and Jaffar shot the female officer in the arm. The injured female officer lost her weapon as she crawled toward it. Suddenly, Sakib stood in front of her, decapitating her in full view of the horrified onlookers. Suhas seeing that became more than horrified. Anshu was trying think how both him and his kid brother leave the station alive. The Indian defense forces, police has started to barricading the station area. the sound of shooting and screaming made them more active as they started to use microphone and ask the terrorists for negotiation. One of the armed guards, Ishwar Singh, a Punjabi CRPF soldier became very agitated, but he remain calm. Ishwar slowly reached towards his weapon and waited for his turn. The terrorists started roaming around and shooting whoever they feel like. The rest of the people just lied down without causing any noises.
Jaffar: "Sakib, we don't have much time, we need to leave this premise and go towards the high court. If we are able to blast there, it will send a nice massage."
Wakib, the strategist of LEM, suggested: “We can't use the exit obviously. I have an excess bomb that can blast two blocks easily. We'll set the timer for two minutes, shoot into the crowd to make the defense forces and the crowd busy, and then escape through the opposite route, heading for the tracks. We can walk to the next station, which isn't far, and then make our way into the city. The police will be occupied with the casualties, and we'll get away.”
The person most conflicted at that moment was Abdul. He said to himself, 'I was trained for this moment; I should not falter. But they're killing innocent people, including children and women. When I face Allah, will he truly welcome me with open arms, my body soaked in the blood of his creation?'
As Abdul pondered, Wakib called him, 'Why are you standing there? Come to the tracks; I'm about to start the bomb. You watch my back.' Then he yelled to all the terrorists, 'Get to the tracks and aim your weapons at everyone here.'
The nine terrorists gathered near the tracks to exit the station, where there were no barriers yet. Wakib set the bomb for two minutes, and everyone loaded their guns. Abdul, consumed by his inner turmoil, looked at his firearm. He hadn't shot anyone in the station before, but he felt responsible for the deaths that had occurred. He pictured his mother's face and heard the faint call to azan in the distance. With a swift shot to Wakib's head, he opened fire on the unsuspecting terrorists while shouting, 'Allahu Akbar.' Abdul was able to kill three more including Atif.
Jaffar and the remaining terrorists shot Abdul repeatedly, as he fell to the ground, lifeless. Then, Ishwar Singh shouted, 'Jo bole so nihal, sat sri akal,' shot and killed Jaffar and Sakib. The remaining two terrorists surrendered to Ishwar. Four minutes had already passed, and the bomb was still active, as noticed by Suhas. He glanced at the bomb, Sajal's lifeless body, and Anshu. Realizing that they would all die if nothing was done while the shootout continued, Suhas summoned all his courage, stood up, picked the bomb and ran toward the tracks with it."
Anshu, watching it, shouted, "What are you doing?... Stop... stop."
But there was no stopping. Anshu started to run after him, but he remained far ahead. The bomb began its countdown of the last 10 seconds. Suhas reached the far end of the tracks, where no one was present, and he threw the bomb with all his strength. However, it didn't go far enough. Suhas started to run back to the station. The bomb's countdown: 5... 4... 3... 2... 1.
A massive blast shook the entire station. Suhas was hurled away by the blast and hit a wall with his head. The shrapnel from the bomb pierced through his body. Everyone, including Anshu, tried to find cover from the blast. Some time later, Anshu cautiously approached Suhas, who was lying on the ground. Anshu called to him repeatedly, pushed him, but Suhas didn't respond. Anshu started to cry loudly as he realized Suhas had died.
Anshu, while crying, said, "What am I going to tell Ma? Why did this happen? Can someone help my brother, please, please help me."
But no one answered. People were running to save their own lives. Police and armed forces arrived and secured the area. The two remaining terrorists were arrested. Ishwar Singh came to console Anshu, but he was inconsolable, crying and shouting. Anshu was taken to a nearby location for treatment while Suhas's body remained on the ground. Eventually, all the bodies were taken for forensic examination. Sealdah station was sealed off for the entire day. The bomb squad, along with the police and armed forces, thoroughly searched the station and tracks. With one call from Anshu, Suhas and Sajal's families broke into tears.
Like A New beginning
At night, the whole station was cleaned and sealed off for the day. Two individuals arrived at the place where Suhas's lifeless body lay. One of them was a thin and tall guy in formal attire with a backpack, while the other was a heavier guy wearing shorts and a T-shirt.
Fat Guy: "So, how long are you planning to lie there like that? You should get up. Come on, I am Bishu."
Suhas got up, confused: "What is happening? I had an exam. Where is my brother?"
Tall and Thin Guy, named Ratan: "come on sleepy head, rise and shine. Btw you know you're dead right. I am Ratan"
Suhas, disbelieving: "Dead? Are you kidding me? Let me go, weirdoes. I'm going home."
Suhas walked towards the exit, but after going a few steps from exit gate, he encountered an invisible barrier. He couldn't pass through it. He then headed towards the tracks in the opposite direction, but once again, he hit an invisible wall. So, he touched the wall and started to walk alongside it. As he walked, he realized that he could phase through shops, metal rods, and other objects.
Suhas stopped and called Ratan and Bishu. They appeared out of nowhere in front of him, as Suhas said, "I'm really dead, aren't I?"
Suhas became overwhelmed with sadness and started to cry, but there were no tears because he had no physical body or tear ducts. The sudden realization of his loneliness and trapped in the place where he died intensified his sadness.
Ratan said with a little uncaring way: "we are very sorry for your death...bla bla bla...I guess you wanted to be the hero...bla bla...but many things happened here today. You need to know this. So get up kid."
Bishu said to Ratan and Suhas, "Wait don't be harsh on him. look kid I know you are sad and probably want to be alone, but you shouldn't be alone. This is not a good place to be alone."
Depressed and afraid of being alone, Suhas went with Ratan and Bishu. As both of them shouted and called out, two more souls joined them, named Ashok and Bhajan. They started telling Suhas their own stories.
Ratan: "I was a salaryman working for a company. I had a wife and daughter in Narayanganj. Five years ago, on a rainy day, I came to Sealdah to catch a train, but it had already started to move. I ran and managed to catch the door of the last carriage, but I slipped and fell onto the tracks and under the wheels."
Bishu: "I died in a stampede at this station three years ago during the Puja festival. I was a vegetable seller."
Ashok: "I...I...I was a bbbbook seller. I...I ....I was t...t..trying to s....save my new wife from m...m...muggers who wanted her j....j.... jewelry, bbbut got stttabbed. Th.....thi...this was f..f..four or five years ago."
Suhas: "Wow, you're a hero, man. Your wife survived."
Ashok: "Ye....ye...yeah, s....s..she did, but unfortu..tu.tunately, I s....s..saw her with ano...no..th..ther man and a ch..ch..child at this st...t..tation. Ch...chances are she rema...ma..married."
Everyone sighed heavily and said, "Women"
Bhajan: "I came from Bihar to start a new life here three years ago. That big metal fan you're seeing in the ceiling broke and hit my head, and I died."
Suhas: "Bihar, wow, you speak Bengali really well. I thought people in Bihar spoke Hindi."
The four souls looked at each other, and Ratan said, "He is new... tell him."
Bishu: "We don't speak in Hindi or Bengali; we speak the soul language. So, for instance, I will understand you even if you speak in different languages other than Bengali. To speak a language, you need a voice and a mouth, and we don't have that, so it's like a signal that one soul generates, and the other one detects."
Suhas: "Right. Wait, so you all died a long time ago, but this station is so old. There must be more people who have died in Sealdah, right?"
Bhajan: "You're right. People die in this station all the time, but you have to understand that when someone dies, the Yamduts or soul reapers come for their souls. Only the unfortunate ones like us are left behind. But there are other reasons for our reduced numbers too."
Bishu: "Bhajan, stop... not today... he has to know about a lot of things first."
Suhas: "Wha...what's the matter?."
Ratan: "hey.....do one thing. Come outside of the exit."
Everyone went to the exit gate and looked towards the city full of light.
Ratan: "What can you see?"
Suhas looked at the city, but he could see the entire city which should be beyond his sight, countless auras some smaller and some very bigger roaming throughout the city. He got scared and ran back inside the station.
Ratan: "Now tell me, what did you see?"
Suhas: "How can I see that far, and what are those things?"
Ratan: "did you get it what you saw. You don't have eyes dummy, didn't you have any questions how can you still see."
Bhajan: "We souls do not have a shape or mouth or voice or anything. Our souls have two layers—an outer layer and an inner layer. The outer layer, after death, resembles our old bodies, it is called soul body."
Suhas looked at himself and saw that he was not wearing the white shirt and black pants but a blue T-shirt and black sweatpants, which he regularly wore when used to go and meet with his friends. At that moment, he also remembered Sajal's face again. He started to talk so that Sajal's memory wouldn't come to his mind.
Suhas with a little bit fear said: "are those souls."
Bishu: "Yes."
Suhas: "Okay, I get it. So my appearance is what I remember most. Okay... but how can I see those things without eyes?"
Ashok: "It's a soul's eye. Your inner layer is the energy core of your soul that stores all your life experiences, energy, and also appearances. It senses energy in front of you, whether it is living or dead. It's said that soul energy comes from the elements, and when you go for the afterlife, you leave that energy behind, which will be mixed with the elements."
Ashok: "A...a..at least if an....n..nyone else d...d...doesn't claim it first."
Bishu: "That's enough. Let's take him to our hideout."
After saying that, all four souls started to climb straight up to the station rooftop with only their hands. Suhas tried to climb the metal bars, but he phased through it. He didn't understand how this phase-through things worked. As he didn't phase through the earth itself but phased through almost anything in the station.
Ratan: "aaahhhh....who is gonna babysit him. He can't even climb to the rooftop. Well I am not going to the be in floorduty all day today."
Bhajan: "He could be in danger; I am going with him."
Bhajan jumped from the rooftop and landed in front of Suhas. Both of them lay down on the platform.
Suhas: "Thanks for being with me."
Bhajan: "No problem."
After sometimes, as they were lying on the ground.
Suhas: "Hey Bhajan, I can't sleep."
Bhajan: "We don't. We can become exhausted if we use our energy, but we don't usually sleep."
Suhas: "What about gravity? Why do I not sink into the ground?"
Bhajan: "all I know is that we phase through when our soul body is soften and since we are obviously accustomed to gravity so whenever we lie in the ground or imitate walking like living beings the part which is in contact with the ground automatically get harder by drawing energy from our soul energy store."
Suhas: "Sounds very complicated. Hey, teach me how to touch."
Bhajan: "Of course, you don't need to tell me that."
Suddenly, an announcement could be heard that the train schedule for the next day would be normal.
Bhajan: "Well, listen to that. So many deaths yesterday, but life goes on."
Suhas looked at the clock and saw that it was 2:00 AM. The day of blood and death had passed. He tried to close his eyes but remembered he had none and that it was his soul eyes that were seeing everything. As things grew quieter, Suhas felt his sadness and depression slowly consuming him. The day passed, and Suhas watched the most beautiful sunrise he had ever seen. He saw sun emitting all the seven colors of VIBGYOR as auras. These auras landed in the
Suhas: "I have never seen such a nice sunrise."
Bhajan: "Well, once you get used to it, it will feel quite normal you know."
Suddenly, trains started to arrive, and with them, a huge number of people rushed in. Some people checked the bloodstains that had not been washed properly, some rushed for their business, school, college, work, and so on. The exit was blocked again by people. Bhajan sat below a coffee shop and try to hear the cricket scores, while others were still above the rooftops. Suhas watched as so many people walking towards him, and he gave them space, but ultimately, some people phased through him to go their own paths. Suhas remembered that he was not alive.
One man came in front of Suhas and asked when the next train was.
Suhas answered with enthusiasm: "I don't know, but I can see the chart and tell you."
Suddenly, a woman behind Suhas answered, "Probably after 20 minutes."
Suhas understood he was talking with his wife, not Suhas. Depression and sadness once again hit him as he found himself so lonely, he couldn't even say anything. So he ran back to Bhajan to talk with him about anything, just to divert his attention.
Suhas: "Sealdah is such a big station, isn't it? I think if I were not with my brother, I would be lost."
Suddenly, from far away, he saw his mother, father, grandmother, and elder brother with Sajal's parents in Sealdah station.
Suhas, with all the love in his heart, called out: "Ma.... Ma.... Baba (father)... Dada (elder brother)... Thamma (grandmother)."
He called them over and over, jumping with his hand waving. But they didn't hear him. So he ran towards them, trying to touch them, but he couldn't. Anshu took his parents and grandmother to the place where Suhas had died. Ragini and Akshay both fell down, crying loudly. Anshu and grandma also cried but tried to console Ragini and Akshay. While watching his parents cry like that, Suhas started to cry, wishing for someone to take him to the afterlife so that he didn't have to see his parents cry in pain like that. Suhas called out to all of them over and over but no one listened. Ratan, Bishu, Bhajan, and Ashok stood a little bit far while watching him silently as Suhas's pain made them remember their losses which they worked hard to forget. Suhas screamed and shouted for three hours until his family left. As they onboarded the train Suhas cried and begged so that they would take him with them but no one heard his voice. Suhas spent the whole day face down, lying on the platform where he had died. At midnight, when the station was empty again, all of them came near Suhas and said, "Suhas, I know you're hurt but it's time that you know what our world really is."
Suddenly a spirit, came out of nowhere and hit Bhajan's face as he flew away far. The spirit looked like a half humanoid half-dog. The spirit has white long hair, dog like muzzle and sharp teeth and 8 feet height. The disfigured spirit was standing right in front of Suhas, with his long hand and legs. He imitated a dog and was howling like it. Suhas was so afraid, he couldn't even move.
(To be continued)
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