Face of Horror

Indian trains are full of surprise. In the peak hours they are stuffed by people to such an extend that you are not able to move. But in afternoon, they are deserted. Feel as if the trains are totally abandoned by human race. And my horrific incident took place in one such afternoon train.

On 13th Sep, Friday I took a half-day from office, since I had to attend a friends wedding. I got in a fast train of 2:30pm in first-class ladies compartment. The first class ladies compartments are usually very small. I was accompanied by three more ladies. Luckily I got a window sit; I took my Walkman and plugged the head-sets inside my ear, set the volume to highest point. The empty train was racing with air. After two station passed, the ladies compartment was empty. My destination was after three more station. I was totally engrossed in the music, and hardly notice that a lady in white sari (Indian dress) had entered and sat on the other end of the compartment.

The fast train had to pass through a small tunnel, and then a bridge build over a creek. As the train approached the tunnel, a creepy noise echoed in my ear, I instantly pulled my ear plugs out. Something went wrong with my Walkman. The train had entered the tunnel, I looked out, the dim orange bulbs were flickering as the train passed by. I quickly turned to the other side of the compartment. I looked at the women sitting on the other side of the compartment. She was looking outside, her long; waist-length hairs had covered her face. Her dark black hairs were flowing along with the air, but I could hardly see her face. I raced my eyes to her hands; she had many scratches on her left hand, specially one scratch reddish and unhealed. The blood over the wound was still fresh and was shinning beneath the train light. As I was staring at the wound that looked really filthy, the women slowly moved her right hand on her left hand; her fingers were shapeless and rough. Her nails very long and crooked. When her fingers reached the wound, she slowly started digging into her wound with her nails. It was a sickening sight.

My stomach started groaning. I felt as if I will vomit. I covered my mouth. I looked out, the train was slowing down, and it had not yet crossed the tunnel, felt as if time had stopped. I looked back at the women, she was still digging into the wound, and then I saw her legs, Oh God!! Her legs, her legs were turned backward, I felt a wave of fear passing through my spine, and I freezed. The women slowly turned her face towards me, I could clearly see her face now, it was pale white, she had big eyes and the dark circles were very prominent. Her eyes were watery and shining, felt as if she will cry. Her lips had a dark blue color as if she had just walked out of freezer. As I stared at her, she gave me a wicked smile, her pale blue lips stretched, the crack on her lips covered with droplets of blood. As she widened her smile, I could see her teeth, her two teeth were missing, gave a feeling of black holes. And then her face expression changed, her eyes become narrow, wrinkles covered her forehead. She started sobbing. I felt as if a small baby was crying and then slowly her sobbing turned into howling and finally she gave a wild scream. The noise hit me like an electric spark, I started shivering. I gather my guts and closed my eyes. The screaming stopped; The train moved a bit faster. The air from the window hit my face, I tried to get stable and find some reason to calm my self. I slowly opened my eyes, there was no one on the opposite side of the compartment, she was gone, Oh my GOD!! Was I dreaming, what happened? I was sweating very badly. My mind started relaxing. But then suddenly I felt a something moving, without turning my head I looked through the corner of my left eye. she was there sitting in front of me, till now the blood had covered her lips and had flowed down her chin. She was very close to me, staring at me continuously. I was frizzed to my sit, felt as if I had no energy and I couldn’t move.

And then I heard the most dreadful voice, I had ever heard. As her lips were opening wide to speak each n every word, the blood flowed on her sari, creating a dark red patch of blood on her sari. I could hardly understand what she was saying, her voice was harsh and rough, for a moment I felt like I was hearing double voice, voice as rough as a man’s voice.

All I could understand was "I loved him, but he deceive me", and she pointed her right hand above my head, her nails were covered with blood, and some flesh that she had scratched from her left hand wound. Slowly and scarcely I looked up, on the walls of the compartment was written with blood “Raj 980234567890 ”. Two three blood droplet felled down on my face, I tried to clear it with my hands, my hands were also covered with blood, and then for first time I cried loudly and looked back, she was gone, the train took speed and a blow of light hit my face as the train came out of the tunnel. I was still trying to adjust according to the light, when the train ran over the bridge, the metal bridge started making loud voice, and then again I heard a scorching scream, I looked at the door. She was there standing on the door, her hands stretched wide open, facing the door, she turned back, her eyes were full of water, and for a second, apart from my scary feeling, I felt her pain touching my heart. Tears started flowing down my eyes and then in a minute she pushed her self out of the door, with a scary scream. I gather my guts and stood up, my clothes were wet with sweat, I looked at blood written name and number.Then I fainted.

When I gain my conscious I was in hospital, I saw my parents sitting in front of me, with tension on their face. My mom gave me a tight hug and told me how I was found unconscious in the train compartment. I narrated the whole story to my parents, but no body believed me. They said when I was found unconscious, there was no blood marks or any number written on the compartment walls. May be I was dreaming and felt unconscious.

It took me two months to recover that horrifying incident and to assure myself that it was just a bad dream and nothing else. Today I don’t dare to travel by first class ladies compartment. Because even today when the train passes the tunnel and over the bridge, I could feel the scream echoing in my ears and the pain of a betrayed women stabbing my heart.



Word Count: 1222

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