When I reached Auli, after 6 hours journey from Mussoorie,
it was already 7pm. The early winter sun’s rays were wiped out of the horizon
long back. So I didn’t have much of a choice than to head back to Joshi-math to
spend the night and again come back to Auli and start the journey towards
valley of flowers the next day. There is no hotel or accommodation system in
these regions, unless you have your own tent and a support team.
So after a 30mins drive I reached Joshi-math. There was no
hotel but only one lodge of Bharat sevashram. So I took my luggage out of the
car and went to the reception, only to find it empty. After a quick search here
and there, finally a middle aged man possibly wearing all the woollen garments
that he possessed came out and announced before I could say anything that “koi
room nahi khali hai! There is no vacant room!”
The words hit me like a solid stone. There was no other
hotel or anything where I could rent a room nearby. So not getting a room over
here meant to spend the night in the car and possibly get pneumonia and end the
journey even before it started. I wondered how the Indian mentality has changed
over the years. Now a days people come to visit remote areas like Auli and thus
this shortage of space. I was about to request the man once again when the idea
of bribing crossed my mind. In India bribing is the ultimate and the most
effective option to get a job done illegally. But I guess my intentions were
telegraphed to his grey cells as he said with a grave expression, “Look if you
are thinking even to pay more and get a room then let me tell you that is not
possible. All the rooms are full, even I am staying at the reception.” I felt embarrassed
by his look, as if I was trying to bribe the president of India. He continued, “Its
better if you leave right now and go and see in the locality, if anyone is
willing to lend you a room of their house.”
I was preparing to leave when probably by hearing our
hustle, a woman possibly the man’s wife came out and said something to him. In
reply he said “But if she comes back then what?” In reply she said something
again, which I couldn’t make out. After this kind of a discussion for a few
minutes, the man finally came forward. I acted as if I didn’t hear anything
which they had said and put forward a straight face. The man said, “There is a
room which is empty but not totally. The occupant went for an adventurous lone
trip to Auli last week, she was supposed to be back yesterday but possibly due
to this bad weather she is stuck in the mountain, so you may use the room for
the night. But remember, if she comes back you have to vacant the room then and
there.” I agreed without any further questions. It was not my business to ask
who was that woman or why did she go on such a journey on her own. I just felt
glad that I got the room.
Later that night in the bed I felt guilty for not enquiring
about the woman. She might have been stuck somewhere, possibly in some sort of
trouble or even might be dead. This thought gave a chill in my spine. I tried
to brush away those uneasy feelings and tried to focus on my trip. Tomorrow I
will go to Auli and then the day after may be somewhere..... But I couldn’t concentrate
on it, the thought of the woman came back to my mind again and again, as if I
had known her for a long time as if she was very close to me as if she was
watching me. I jumped out of my bed to get rid of those crazy thoughts. I tried
to make myself believe that I should not think about a person whom I don’t know,
hell I even don’t know her name. I tried to concentrate on the things of the
room. Beside the bed there was a small table and a big cup board. The cupboard
was locked, most probably contained the belongings of that woman. Suddenly I
felt an urge to see her belongings, what she wears how she smells like, who she
was!! But I controlled my sudden curiosity and went back to bed and again the
strange thoughts started coming back.
There was no evidence that this room belonged to that woman
except for a faint fragrance of her belongings, I thought. I thought what might
have happened to her. Lost in the woods or may have fallen somewhere and broken
a limb, may be some wild animal attacked her or maybe she is dead. I could see
her face eyes shut; frost on her face, body rigid and............. I woke up
with a start. Thinking too much about the woman, I didn’t realise when I had
fallen asleep. I was about to have some water when I felt someone was watching
me. I felt as if someone else was also there in the room. But then I thought I
was thinking too much and tried to sleep again. I thought about her again,
about life may be last week she was alive at this moment and now she might be
dead. I felt a chill as I realised all through the night I considered her dead,
as if someone else was making me think that way, it was not me.
Suddenly I went out of the bed I had almost lost control of
myself as I rang the bell for room service at 2am in the morning. After a while
a man came to my surprise and before I could apologize for waking him up at
this hour, I said “Open the cupboard I want to see what’s in it!”
He tried to protest but again I surprised myself as I said, “Just do what I say;
there is no time to waste!” I was scared of myself, this was not me, someone
else was talking for me. I didn’t know what was I doing, why was I interested
in an unknown woman’s belongings.
He came back with a bunch of keys but after trying it, he said its locked from
inside as well. He said it happens sometimes as the furniture is too old. But
after a little struggle it finally opened and I saw it in horror what lay
inside the cupboard, there was no cloth, no belongings of the woman, but there
was the woman herself. There lay the body of a woman hanging, her tongue coming
out of her mouth and face dead white. There was a letter near her feet, it read
“I can’t continue with this life anymore. I thought of dying
in the mountain but then came back to the room un noticed and decided to die
here instead, easy and simple”
PS : Inspired by Algernon Blackwood
