Disturbance
1
Everyone in that area used to call that old man ‘Jyoti Dadu’. He was a very thin aged man with white hair and hot temperament. He was a celibate and lived alone in his large two-storied house. For a few days, he was feeling a little bit of ill. But Jyoti Dadu was not concerned about it. After all, it was just an effect of old age.
Jyoti Dadu had insomnia. He had to take a sleeping pill before going to bed every night.
That morning he was certain to continue this daily routine. But in the evening, he changed his mind. He had been suffering from acute depression for a few months. Sometimes he had a desire to commit suicide. But he used to suppress this wish and make his mind understand that everything was ok.
But that evening was a different one. He took his time to think about it properly. It was evident to him that no one would be affected if he passed away. So he planned to die that very night. He would devour all the sleeping pills at once.
The night was stretching its dark arms all over the city. The darker the night was getting, the more Jyoti Dadu was feeling a dilemma. He looked at the starry sky over the window. He stared at the bright stars affectionately. They would be there once again shining brightly the next night, but he would not be here to see them. He tried to enjoy this celestial beauty for the last time.
It was true that he had been watching them since his childhood. But it was not the right time for him to get nostalgic. He prepared himself. He took the leaf of the sleeping pills in his quivering hand.
But something was definitely missing. He remembered that he used to swallow the pill with water from a bottle. He got up to fetch it. He would have to go downstairs to the dining room.
Suddenly he heard his telephone ringing in his bedroom. Who could call him at this odd time?
It might be his last chance to put the receiver near his ear. He was certain that he would take the pills after taking the call.
2
‘Hello, Jyotirmay Dutt speaking’
‘Are you the postmaster Jyoti Dadu?’
‘Yes. Who are you? Is it a time to call someone?’
‘Actually I am in a big problem. I have written a letter. But I don’t know if the spellings are correct. Can you please help me? You are a Bengali, aren’t you?’
‘What the hell are you talking about? You should consult a psychiatrist immediately. Don’t ever disturb me. Go to hell!’
Jyoti Dadu put the receiver down. He was feeling exasperated. He had planned to die peacefully. But this awkward phone call made him very angry. It must be the useless son of his bosom friend Asit. Asit also liked to irritate people.
But it was also possible that he was someone else. There was no dearth of young loafers in his locality. They always got happiness by causing pain to others’ lives.
He waited patiently for another phone call. He knew the nature of these prank callers very well. He decided that he would teach him a lesson before his death so that the prank caller would not dare to disturb him again.
‘Tring Tring Tring’, the phone rang loudly. He was sure that it was him. While responding to it, he found out that his prediction was true.
‘Dadu, how can I write a letter to the aliens? Do they understand Bengali?’
‘Do you want to get beaten up? What have you started? Do you know who I am?’
‘Please don’t take it personally, Dadu. I think the aliens don’t have post office. Is it true, Dadu?’
‘ *@#%^**#* Go to hell. If you ever call me from this number, I will be compelled to inform the police. Is there nothing called law and order here? What do you think of me, *@$%##***?’, the old man prepared himself to use some more foul words.
‘Dadu, my brother is very naughty. I had told him to find someone who would check the language of my letter. I am very sorry for this disturbance’, it was a sweet voice of a young lady.
‘**^%$###** put the phone down.’
‘But Dadu, you should not have used these slangs on me. I am deeply hurt. I know that my brother is mischievous. But you don’t have the right to treat me like that.’
‘I have done the right thing’, Jyoti Dadu put the receiver down.
But something was stuck in his heart like a thorn. The lady was actually right. He should have behaved with her with modesty.
He looked at the ‘display’ and dialed the number. He could hear a mechanical voice, ‘The number you are dialing does not exist. Please check the number and dial again.’
He waited once again to get a call from the other side. But nothing happened. The more surprising thing to him was the lack of existence of the number.
3
Actually the number belonged to ‘Shiver 105’, an FM channel. RJ Sayak used to prank call various people. The call records were supposed to be part of a popular program ‘Glad To Disturb’. The female voice was a suitable example of his versatile range. That night, Jyoti Dadu was the prey to his prank call.
That night Jyoti Dadu could not die. He vowed to commit suicide one day. But he had a duty to perform. He would apologize to that unknown lady over the phone before his death.
Beware of Dog
The place was very lonesome. There was standing a large house in a corner of the village near the foothills. It almost looked like a palace. A small family lived there.
That night was a special one. A theft was about to happen in a few minutes. Jack was ready to trespass the house and test his fortune. Jack had stolen for the last time long ago. It was the ideal time to prove his capability again to himself.
The night was stretching its blanket over the hills slowly. He had a low possibility to get caught as it was very dark due to the new moon. He had been keeping a careful watch over the house for a few days.
He looked at it for the last time using his binocular. The writing engraved on the gate was shining in neon light. It read, ‘Beware of Dog’.
Jack smiled sarcastically reading those ridiculous words. He knew that there were no dogs in the house. He did not see any dog in the last few days. It might be the idea of the house-owner to write something deceptive to keep the thieves away from it. Surprisingly there was no guard also to protect the house.
Jack went surreptitiously towards the house hiding behind the bushes and shrubs. He was a modern thief, well-equipped with gadgets, a knife and a revolver. They would come handy in need.
He was able to reach the barren field behind the house. There was a glass window facing the field. Jack lighted his torch and found out that the glass was broken a bit near the latch. He entered his hand into it to open the window from inside.
Suddenly he screamed loudly in immense pain. He felt that an unknown beast was piercing its sharp teeth into his hand. The torch fell down from his other hand. He strived hard to free himself but all his attempts were in vain.
‘Help! Help!’ he cried out. He brought out his revolver and fired some shots into the window with his left hand. Suddenly the whole house was illuminated with lights.
The revolver ran out of bullets missing the target by a large margin. Someone scolded loudly, ‘What’s happening? Leave him now. I ask you to leave him now.’
A hellish wild voice rumbled and suddenly stopped. Jack felt that the beast had released him. He brought his hand out of the broken part of the window. He was still in deep pain. Two powerful hands were squeezing him from the behind.
‘Tie him tightly with the ropes to the post’, a female voice ordered, ‘We will hand him over to the police.’
The man squeezed Jack with more power. After a few moments, the lady came in the scene with a rope.
Jack looked at her face facing towards the light. There was a mysterious smile lingering in her lips. ‘Let me see your hand’, she ordered Jack before touching his hand tenderly, ‘Oh my gosh! The flesh is about to get out of the skin. Why did my father bite you so harshly?’
‘Your father?’ Jack was terrified as well as astonished, ‘Are you all werewolves?’
Everybody burst into a frightening laughter.
‘No, he is mentally ill. He thinks himself a dog. But we never imagined that his dentures would be so sharp.’
Jack was thinking that ‘Beware of Man’ would have been a better warning.
The End