LOST
Sanjay was the son of NRI parents, born and brought up in USA. He was born to parents of Indian origin that was about all that was Indian about him. Curiosity about the mystic lands of India made him want to come to India to explore. On his trip to India he came to know about a remote location in the northern mountains where mysterious things happen and people strangely vanish. He fell for the temptation and headed to the mountains. He got the address and manged to find his way. There he found a well maintained, beautiful looking house, on the outskirts of a village, set amongst beautiful snow covered hills and tall coniferous trees.
"Will you have tea or coffee sir? Or will you have dinner?“ asked the caretaker. "I'll have dinner after I freshen up, show me my room and give me half an hour", said Sanjay. The caretaker took him upstairs to the first floor bedroom. As they walked up Sanjay could not help but notice the weird frames, though he kept quiet for now. At the dinner table Sanjay started a conversation as he enjoyed the hot meal. "So where do the owners of this house stay", he asked. "They live in the city", replied the caretaker. "So they don't come here too often?“ Sanjay asked. "No, not really, they used to come when this house was new, now they have not come in a long time", the caretaker replied. "I have to ask this now, those people in those frames above, who are they?" asked Sanjay. "These are the people who lost their today in between the past and the future", said the caretaker. "What? I don't understand that", said Sanjay with a grin on his face. "You ask too many questions sir. Curiosity is not good around here, please beware. If you are done I will show you the house then you can sleep, you must be tired", said the caretaker.
The caretaker took him around the house showing him the kitchen, the other bedrooms etc. He lit up the candles in the living room, along the stairway and in the first floor passage explaining that power failures were common in the mountains. They walked up to the first floor to Sanjay's bedroom. The caretaker was walking back but Sanjay couldn't help but notice a couple of doors at the end of the passage. "What's behind those doors old man?" asked Sanjay. The caretaker looked at Sanjay straight in the eyes and said, "whatever you do, do not go into those rooms". "Why? What is there?" asked Sanjay. "Curious again. You ask too many questions. I have told you not to go there. If you do, you will be responsible for your own fate", said the caretaker angrily and walked away to his own abode outside the main house. Sanjay retired to his room. He changed and made himself comfortable in bed.
Sanjay was unable to sleep because of his curiosity. "What is behind those doors that they want to hide", he thought. He tried to sleep but all he managed to do was change sides. "Strangely behind those very rooms, on the outside walls, are those photos in the hall room. Could there be a connection there", his mind was racing and all sorts of thoughts came to his mind. Even though he was nervous he could not curb his curiosity and decided to go check out those rooms. He stepped out of his rooms and walked across the passage. The candles cast big black shadows everywhere which seem like dark creatures of the night. He reached the end of the passage, a little nervous now.
He turned left first, to one of the two doors opposite of each other. He opened the door and entered in. "It's dark in here, can't see a thing", he told himself. As he searches for the light switch, the door shuts behind him with a thud. Suddenly there's a bright orange light almost blinding. Sanjay felt his heart become heavy, a strange feeling of grief and sorrow engulfed him. He tried to shield his eyes from the bright lights using his hands. The room became hot and he felt as if his body was burning. Then, he saw some figures, black figures, demons with red and orange flames emitting from their hands and head. Their eyes were orange as well. When they spoke they would throw out flames. He saw some dark figures bullying a child, he saw some ragging a young student, he saw one person crying beside another dead figure. He could hear all sorts of strange sounds of people talking and that's when he realised that these were not random, these were all his painful memories. All incidents from past that he still carried in his heart. Him being bullied at school, him being ragged in college, his best friend's death etc. The pain was so intense it was like he was living his past once again. That's how regret of the past is, isn't it? It burns you, it burdens you and robs you of today's peace and happiness. He opened the door and quickly ran outside and shut the door behind him, weeping profusely.
He turned around and to his shock the passage had disappeared, only the section between the two doors now remained. He quickly opened the other door and ran in. Again the door shut behind him with a thud. He covered his eyes and waited for the flash of lights that he had earlier experienced. Indeed there were flashes of lights, though, this time they were blue in colour. The room went cold and he felt a numbness in his hands and legs. He saw dark figures again, cold blue monsters. He saw an old man in a wheelchair, a sick man, he saw a woman walking away with a child, he saw a man's figure who is chasing money as it continues to fly away in all directions etc. The grief in his heavy heart is replaced by intense worry, he could feel his heart racing and that's when he realised these are the things about his future that he has always worried about. About being alone in old age, about his health, about securing his money, about his family and how much they would support him etc. He couldn't bear this feeling anymore, he had a sinking feeling in his heart. That's what too much worry does, robs you of today's peace and gives you all sorts of mental and physical problems. He quickly ran out and closed the door. There was no where to go now. Between the door to the past and the door to the future he was lost. He fell to his knees, held his head in his hands and shouted as loud as he could, but no one could hear him. Slowly the only light above him faded, he was engulfed in darkness and lost forever.
The next morning the caretaker opened the main door with the key he had. As he entered he immediately saw up and saw Sanjay's photo frame inline with all the other photo frames that Sanjay had been so curious about. He sighed and said to himself, "another one gone. Could not curb his curiosity. In between the regrets of the past and the worries of the future, another one has lost his present". "I'll just come later and clear his stuff. I have a couple of days before the next guest. Hopefully I get someone who lives in the present and who is neither too bothered by his past nor too worried about his future", he thought too himself as he closed the door and walked away.
He reached there on a gloomy morning and even in day time there was an eerie feel to the place. Believing totally in science and that there's a reason for everything, Sanjay was not worried about the stories he had heard. He knocked and an old caretaker opened the door. He was a frail man who had seen too many winters in these mountains. Dressed in a white kurta and pajama wearing a brown sweater and monkey cap he just stared at Sanjay. "Namaste Chacha", said Sanjay, assuming Chacha would not know English. "Main aane ka message Bheja tha", Sanjay spoke in broken Hindi. "Yes, I was expecting you, please come in", said the old caretaker. Sanjay was stunned. "You speak fluent English"! exclaimed Sanjay. "You should not judge a book by its cover sir, I have studied till 10th in an English medium school. Now please come in, it's cold and it's getting dark", said the old man. Sanjay walked in and was taken aback by what he saw. It was almost like he entered a grand palace. High ceilings, huge paintings, beautiful sofas, lavish carpets, candles, dining table etc. It seemed that this house belonged to someone of royal origin. As he looked around, he saw on a wall above, some photo frames of people who did not seem related, those frames did seem weird.
"Will you have tea or coffee sir? Or will you have dinner?“ asked the caretaker. "I'll have dinner after I freshen up, show me my room and give me half an hour", said Sanjay. The caretaker took him upstairs to the first floor bedroom. As they walked up Sanjay could not help but notice the weird frames, though he kept quiet for now. At the dinner table Sanjay started a conversation as he enjoyed the hot meal. "So where do the owners of this house stay", he asked. "They live in the city", replied the caretaker. "So they don't come here too often?“ Sanjay asked. "No, not really, they used to come when this house was new, now they have not come in a long time", the caretaker replied. "I have to ask this now, those people in those frames above, who are they?" asked Sanjay. "These are the people who lost their today in between the past and the future", said the caretaker. "What? I don't understand that", said Sanjay with a grin on his face. "You ask too many questions sir. Curiosity is not good around here, please beware. If you are done I will show you the house then you can sleep, you must be tired", said the caretaker.
The caretaker took him around the house showing him the kitchen, the other bedrooms etc. He lit up the candles in the living room, along the stairway and in the first floor passage explaining that power failures were common in the mountains. They walked up to the first floor to Sanjay's bedroom. The caretaker was walking back but Sanjay couldn't help but notice a couple of doors at the end of the passage. "What's behind those doors old man?" asked Sanjay. The caretaker looked at Sanjay straight in the eyes and said, "whatever you do, do not go into those rooms". "Why? What is there?" asked Sanjay. "Curious again. You ask too many questions. I have told you not to go there. If you do, you will be responsible for your own fate", said the caretaker angrily and walked away to his own abode outside the main house. Sanjay retired to his room. He changed and made himself comfortable in bed.
Sanjay was unable to sleep because of his curiosity. "What is behind those doors that they want to hide", he thought. He tried to sleep but all he managed to do was change sides. "Strangely behind those very rooms, on the outside walls, are those photos in the hall room. Could there be a connection there", his mind was racing and all sorts of thoughts came to his mind. Even though he was nervous he could not curb his curiosity and decided to go check out those rooms. He stepped out of his rooms and walked across the passage. The candles cast big black shadows everywhere which seem like dark creatures of the night. He reached the end of the passage, a little nervous now.
He turned left first, to one of the two doors opposite of each other. He opened the door and entered in. "It's dark in here, can't see a thing", he told himself. As he searches for the light switch, the door shuts behind him with a thud. Suddenly there's a bright orange light almost blinding. Sanjay felt his heart become heavy, a strange feeling of grief and sorrow engulfed him. He tried to shield his eyes from the bright lights using his hands. The room became hot and he felt as if his body was burning. Then, he saw some figures, black figures, demons with red and orange flames emitting from their hands and head. Their eyes were orange as well. When they spoke they would throw out flames. He saw some dark figures bullying a child, he saw some ragging a young student, he saw one person crying beside another dead figure. He could hear all sorts of strange sounds of people talking and that's when he realised that these were not random, these were all his painful memories. All incidents from past that he still carried in his heart. Him being bullied at school, him being ragged in college, his best friend's death etc. The pain was so intense it was like he was living his past once again. That's how regret of the past is, isn't it? It burns you, it burdens you and robs you of today's peace and happiness. He opened the door and quickly ran outside and shut the door behind him, weeping profusely.
He turned around and to his shock the passage had disappeared, only the section between the two doors now remained. He quickly opened the other door and ran in. Again the door shut behind him with a thud. He covered his eyes and waited for the flash of lights that he had earlier experienced. Indeed there were flashes of lights, though, this time they were blue in colour. The room went cold and he felt a numbness in his hands and legs. He saw dark figures again, cold blue monsters. He saw an old man in a wheelchair, a sick man, he saw a woman walking away with a child, he saw a man's figure who is chasing money as it continues to fly away in all directions etc. The grief in his heavy heart is replaced by intense worry, he could feel his heart racing and that's when he realised these are the things about his future that he has always worried about. About being alone in old age, about his health, about securing his money, about his family and how much they would support him etc. He couldn't bear this feeling anymore, he had a sinking feeling in his heart. That's what too much worry does, robs you of today's peace and gives you all sorts of mental and physical problems. He quickly ran out and closed the door. There was no where to go now. Between the door to the past and the door to the future he was lost. He fell to his knees, held his head in his hands and shouted as loud as he could, but no one could hear him. Slowly the only light above him faded, he was engulfed in darkness and lost forever.
The next morning the caretaker opened the main door with the key he had. As he entered he immediately saw up and saw Sanjay's photo frame inline with all the other photo frames that Sanjay had been so curious about. He sighed and said to himself, "another one gone. Could not curb his curiosity. In between the regrets of the past and the worries of the future, another one has lost his present". "I'll just come later and clear his stuff. I have a couple of days before the next guest. Hopefully I get someone who lives in the present and who is neither too bothered by his past nor too worried about his future", he thought too himself as he closed the door and walked away.
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