Chapter 9: The Game Starts!

Shiva's sleep was disturbed by the nuisance going on near his house. He got up and went to see what was happening.

All the villagers were gathered and once again Shiva could the terror on their faces.

He went near Mohan.

" What's the matter?," asked Shiva.

" It happened again," said Mohan.

" What?,"

" The Spirit,"

" Did someone went missing," said Shiva thinking of the worst scenario.

" No, that man over there," said Mohan as he signed towards the Policeman.

" What about him?,"

" He says that he saw the Spirit this night, he was found unconscious near the area of the temple "

" He saw the Spirit?, How could it be?,"

" That's what I'm thinking,"

Just then Raghav walks in.

" Hey, what's happening here?," asked Raghav.

" That Policeman says that he saw the Spirit," Mohan said.

" But how is it possible?," said Raghav.

" No, it can't be, there must be something, we need to find it out," Shiva said.

In all the nuisance, a man raises his both hands and signs the people to calm down. He was the Sarpanch, then he starts to speak.

" Everybody please listen, the Spirit haven't killed anyone, so relax and we already know that there is the Spirit so why are you panicking over its sighting,"

" What are you saying Gokhale, we need to find a solution to this," said an old man.

" We already have the solution, but it's not the right time,"

" How long will we have to wait?," said one the man.

" I and the Pandit, we both are trying to get this work done as quickly as possible, just a matter of few days then everything will be alright,"

" Yeah, he's right we shall wait for some time," said Ramkrushna.

" Yes, and we don't have any other solution too, just be calm pray to God," Mr. Pandey spoke.

His duty was finished at twelve o'clock in midnight and now he was in the Civil dress.

The swarm of people that had gathered was decreased and shortly there were only a few people.

" Don't worry, take leave for a week and rest," said Mr. Pandey to the Policeman.

" I'm never doing the night shift now," the Policeman said.

Shiva, Raghav and Mohan walked in.

" I apologize for the trouble, but can I know where did you saw the Spirit yesterday?," said Shiva.

" Shiva, not now, he's not fine," said Mr. Pandey.

" No, it's okay," said the Policeman.

" It'll be a great help," said Mohan.

" Just a second," said Shiva and ran inside the house to bring his diary.

" Sorry to keep you waiting, okay tell us," Shiva said.

" I saw the Spirit in the forest area, near the temple,"

" At what time?," asked Shiva

" It was almost 12,"

" Twelve....., can you tell us how you saw the Spirit?,"

" It happened that me and Mr. Pandey were together, we got thirsty and went to drink water, then we went to patrol on the different sides,"

" Then?,"

" I was patrolling and then I heard some noise from the forest, at first I thought it must some animal but the voice didn't stop, I followed the voice and reached a spot where there were many trees and then I stopped, then I started feeling a little dizzy,"

Shiva narrowed his eyes on that.

" I was going to inform on the radio and just then the Spirit came out from the groove of trees, I tried to run away but I couldn't, it seemed like the Spirit holded me in one place I turned back and saw the Spirit, it was up in the air, levitating, and then I fell asleep,"

" I see, thanks for giving us time," said Shiva keeping his hand on the Policeman's.

After the conversation the Policeman left with Mr. Pandey.

" What do you say?," Raghav spoke.

" It's getting tricky," said Shiva.

" The sighting of the Spirit proves that the it's not a myth,"

" I can't say anything right now, but it's not what it looks like," Shiva rested his index and middle finger in between the eyebrows and went into a deep thought.

" What shall we do now?," asked Mohan.

" Let's go to the Library, I want to meet the Librarian," said Shiva.

" The Librarian?," Mohan asked.

" Yes, he's the one who knows about the legend, I want to know the appearance of the spirit according to the legend,"

" Yes!, that's right, if the appearance didn't match then we could say that there is no spirit, let's go,"

While going to the Library, they met Mr. Pandey on the way. He was in his police uniform.

" Pandey Uncle, you still on duty?," Raghav asked.

Shiva looked at Mr. Pandey.

" No, the Senior Inspector has called a meeting, so I was going there," said the Head Constable.

" Okay,"

******

They reached the library and found no one on the reception counter and as they swept their gazes around the library,they found an old man lying flat on the table, he was the Librarian. The three boys rushed towards the table.

" Uncle!, Uncle!," said Raghav as he shaked the body.

" What happened!?," said Shiva.

The old man woke up in a shock not having a slightest idea of what was happening. Mohan got scared and was taken aback as the dead rose from his sleep.

" Huh, what?, what's happening?," the Librarian asked fully flabbergasted.

" You're okay?," said Raghav.

" Yes, I'm perfectly alright,"

" Then why you were lying on the table like this?,"

" Oh this!, wait, you thought that I was dead?,"

" Yes it seemed like," said Shiva.

" What!," the old man guffawed.

" How can you laugh, you scared us all," said Mohan.

" Who is this young man?," asked the Librarian.

" He's my cousin, Mohan," said Shiva.

" Oh I see,"

" But why you were lying on the table like this?," asked Raghav.

" Oh!, I was just doing the shavasana the sleeping yoga,"

" At this time?,"

" Yeah, this is my daily routine," said the old man.

" Who does shavasana on the table?," said Shiva.

" It's me my boy,"

Mohan sat on the wooden bench taking deep breaths to slow down his heartbeats while Shiva sighed.

The old man man gets off the table and wears his spectacle.

" Do you have any other questions?," said the Librarian.

" Yes, can you tell us according to the legend, how that spirit's appearance was?," Shiva asked.

" Appearance, mm...," the Librarian said. " It must be horrifying,"

" Describe it according to the legend,"

" I don't remember any description about the Spirit,"

" I see," said Shiva.

" Are there any sources through which we could know the appearance of the spirit?," asked Raghav.

" I'm afraid there are no such sources because this legend has been passed on to generations to generations in the form of stories, there are no written records,"

" Oral tradition," Shiva sighed. " Anyways let's go to the site where that Policeman saw the spirit,"

******

The three boys came out of the Library to visit the site then they saw Mrs. Thackeray, she was calling them.

" Should we go?," Mohan asked.

" Yes," Shiva said.

"What happened aunty?," Raghav spoke.

" Are you boys going to school?," she asked.

Raghav looked at Shiva and Mohan and said," Yes, we are going to school,"

" Oh!, then take this, for your lunch," said Mrs. Thackeray as she gave them Apples.

" Thank you aunty," said Shiva.

" Don't say thank you to your Aunty," said Mrs. Thackeray stretching Shiva's cheek while Mohan giggled silently.

" We shall go now,"

" She's a loving lady," said Mohan still giggling.

" Yeah, that she is," said Shiva.

Then he stopped.

" What?," Raghav asked.

" Who was the richest man of this village?," asks Shiva.

" Mr. Thackeray, the husband of Mrs. Thackeray, why do you ask?,"

" And you said that he had a godown,"

" Yes,"

" I see," said Shiva." Let's visit that godown,"

Raghav and Mohan looked at Shiva with a puzzled face.