Lemons

Lemons by Piyush Naik

‘Sorry mam, only you have permission to visit the fort at this time not your friend.’ Said the security officer. While I was still thinking why the hell I was here at the first place. Alia for some weird reason had to do some research on forts and she choose Sanivar Wada of Pune just because its haunted. Girls I tell you. I watched the watch it showed 11:50 PM.

‘Okay Alia, you go inside I will wait here.’ After some five minutes of gibber-jabbering she finally leaved me all alone and went inside the fort with five guards. I was sitting all alone in the office and was bored, my mobile network was also not working don’t know why! I looked out I saw a man sitting near to a gate of the fort, ‘finally some guard is there, thank God someone is there to talk.’ I said to myself. I walked to him and sat next to him.

‘So from how many years you are here.’ I asked the guard.

He looked at me it was darker there a lot less light was present but still we could see each other. ‘From many years, to be precise 25 March 1970’

‘That a very wrong time. You aren’t scared of ghosts, this is a haunted place.’ I said.

He smiled, ‘do you believe in ghost?’ he asked, and well his face showed he knew the answer.

‘No, to be really frank.’

‘Well there are many stories o famous of this place, I will tell you one of my favorite.’

‘Sure…’ I said in excitement. He then started narrating the story.

Once there were two brothers, twins! Rahul and Rohit They looked just the same everything about them was same if they chose to change themselves with each other you would definitely not find who is Rahul and who is Rohit. But god also don’t duplicate peoples he made one change in them Rahul was righty while Rohit was lefty. Well Rahul was blessed with luck, he was good in studies and good with girls too and Rohit was neither good in studies nor did with girl. There was a girl named Depika, their best friend and Rahul’s girlfriend. Rohit never showed it, but in his heart he loved her, in his dreams she was of him. Every now and then Rahul used to get all the cherry while Rohit was not even blessed with the cake. Which was uprooting the emotion of jealousy in him.

‘Let’s go to shanivar wada.’ Deepika said, while she was sitting on the couch with Rahul, in his house. Rohit was also present in the same room.

‘It’s 11 PM, dear. And that place is haunted.’ Rahul said, while he sipped the juice.

‘That’s why it is exciting.’ Rohit said. ‘Let’s go, Bhai.’ He was playing with lemons. It was his fetish; he always used to play with lemons as if they were balls. Depika and Rohit were forcing Rahul a lot, he was in the middle of nowhere to say a no. so he agreed. They both went in the room to change the cloths, while Depika went in the kitchen. After returning back she saw Rahul was looking handsome in his black shirt while Rohit wore a red one. Then the pack of three walked to fort, sometimes excitement of reveling the unknown kills the knows. It took them a hundred bucks to get inside the fort at this hour. Then they walked in the fort. It was pretty dark in there they could hardly see their faces. Depika was tired. So were boys, and no ghost was in sight so they sat.

‘Guys I will come from washroom.’ Depika excused herself from the guys.

‘Should I come.’ Rahul asked.

‘No need.’ She said. They were sitting on the top of a huge gate. She climbed down and went towards the washroom. While the brothers just sat there.

‘Rohit, don’t worry you will pass in the board.’ Rahul said. They were waiting for their 12^th result and Rohit had screwed up exams. Rohit got up but he slipped and his lemon fell down. He got busy. While Rahul also tried to help him.

After some time… some meters away from the gate.

Depika came out of washroom she saw her love was waiting out for her. She hugged him.

‘Oh! Rohit I knew you would come even if you could not speak there in front of Rahul.’ Depika said, it was half year ago when Rahul was out of town for some scholarship exam. When she and Rohit spend more time together and she also fell in love with him and he proposed her, to which she was already ready. But till today they were unable to tell the truth to Rahul. ‘we cant wait more. Let’s do things as planned.’ She added.

‘Plan?’ Rohit asked. Depika was already tired of walking and this darkness has made things worst.

‘Come on Rohit, I told you a hundred time.’ Depika said, ‘this is last time we have your parents are not home, we can kill him here, and you take his place. He will pass boards. His future will be our future.’

‘But he is my brother.’ Rohit said.

‘I know, but listen, Jaan. If you fail and you know you will all the property your family has your dad will just give it to him… nobody remembers the losers and he is a winner and with God’s grace you can take his place.’ Depika said, ‘if you don’t kill him, I will have no other option than to marry him. You will lose me too.’ Everything was already ready but blood was not ready to take blood. ‘So go up there and just push him down. No one will ever know. Rahul is died because Rohit will die for the world.’

‘Just for you my love… just for you.’ He said and walked back to the top of the gate. Deepika stood at a distance near she could see them both.

‘Brother… I’m sorry, but it’s your fault.’ And he pushed his own blood, his own brother. The body fell down and so do lemons. He walked down and Depika also came near body. With the sound of the fall the guards also came there.

‘What happen?’ the guard asked.

None knew what happen, but indeed a couple knew what happen. Some concluded Rohit committed suicide because of the tension of result. But rumors were rumors they were just talks.

After thirty years…

A woman entered a house along with her six years old daughter. She closed the door and made her way towards her daughter’s room, she lied her on the bed. She looked at the clock it showed 25 March and time was 00:00 digital watches had just entered the market. She dialed her husband’s number from her newly brought mobile phone. But the network was not there.

‘Landlines are better.’ She said to herself. Suddenly she sensed someone ran from the door. She immediately turned back and walked towards the door. She saw in right there was none, then she look in left it was living room. The saw a candle light, ‘I don’t remember any candle’ she said to herself. Fear hit her. She looked in the room. She found a cricket bat. She took it and walked in the living room. On the wall opposite to the candle something was written. She switched on the light and read.

LEMON

Was written in color red. ‘hello?’ she lost a breadth. She heard a voice, she turned back slowly was just made her daughter to go to bed.

 ‘OH MY GOD,’ her breaths increased, ‘Rahul! What are you doing here?’ the women asked puzzled that how did she forgot to lock the door. Her breadths were still deep. Fear was the cause of it.

‘Depika! I’m not Rahul.’ The man said.

‘Yes, how can I forget, Rohit… after you killed Rahul and took his place… and then you left me. But Rohit you know what?’ she gulped, ‘I was wrong that night. I trusted you…’ Depika was speaking when the man interrupted, ‘bring me a lemon juice.’ His voice was different.

‘What? Are you mad? Just leave my house. I’m someone wife.’ The man got up and held her heck and broke it.

‘I just asked for lemon.’ He said.

Back to present…

I was a little bit shocked means I was confused too. ‘Well why did Rohit did this? Hy he did not marry Depika.’ I asked.

‘Rohit was dead. Rahul did this.’ Guard said.

‘Yeah, means Rahul.’

‘Maybe, because he learnt the truth.’ Guard said and signaled me to keep quite. A man came near the gate where we were sitting. He put a photo there and lit a candle. He looked at me surprised. I also gave him the same look. He then put lemons and walked away.

‘Is this a true story?’ I could just speak. I was still looking at the walking man.

The guard smiled and said, ‘bring me those lemons.’

I got off and went to get the lemons, ‘why you need them?’ I asked still walking.

‘Because I love playing with lemons.’ The guard said. I stopped. Something went in my body, it was a feeling known as FEAR! I turned back and Alia and five guards gave me a puzzled look. I overlooked them to see the guard.

‘Where is that guard?’ I asked.

‘Which sir we all five are here.’ The head guard said.

Oh! My god I looked at the picture and said, ‘what is its story?’

‘Every 25 march a man comes at 12 in night and places the picture here and keeps lemons and candle and the other morning takes it away.’ The head guard said, ‘his brother died here.’

‘Where are the lemons then?’ Alia asked finding no lemons near the picture and then I saw the picture.

‘That is still a mystery.’ The head guard said.

‘I will tell you. Let’s get out.’ I said.

We ASAP went out of that fort. Alia was still puzzled and I was still not able to believe which I just experienced. I told what happen there and the story which the man said.

‘You mean you were with Rahul and he told you his death story.’ Alia said, fear could be sensed in her.

‘No… I was with Rohit.’ I said.

‘Means?’ she asked, well even I didn’t wanted to know.

‘That night not only for people… but in reality too Rohit died. And now after thinking I understand. Near washroom Rahul came and Depika thought he was Rohit and revel him his own death plan and he took life of Rohit.’ I said

‘How can you be so sure?’

‘Lemons dear. Rohit plays with them and the man who was means the soul with me ask for the lemons… and he looked the same as the man in picture.’ I said ‘lemons stay away from them.’

Life and death are part and parcel of human birth but they can be bitter as lemons.

‘