THE SCARY STORY

Thats how it started....

It was yet another night at the power plant township. It was a cold night and I had taken dinner early. I was evidently hungry. The lights were off in almost all the residences. My flatmate was also fast asleep.The November breeze made a clangarous noise as it struck the trees.

But for my bad luck,  I just finished 2 ghost movies at a strech. With the virtue of excessive imagination, I  always had bad sleep succeeding my encounters with these movies. I turned off the light and got under my blanket. I turned on the A.C. It served me more like a sound conditioner.  I fear the silence the most and this noisy A.C made it a point to cut-off all possibilities of mute-ness.

It was not an easy escape though.

I could hear someone telling me "You are the chosen one. We have come to share our sorrows. We died without fulfilling  our wishes . You have to help us."
I got out of the blanket and in the darkness everything around me : the curtains ,  the dim shadows ,  the wallpapers looked like demons. I was observing the shadows near my bedpost .I couldn't locate the owner of a shadow . I tried holding to everything around me but nothing claimed the ownership. I got out of my bed and switched on the light . It was perfectly fine ........... Everything intact.

I told myself " Dont be a baby. Cant you see that there is no trouble around here. This universe works on rational. "

I felt relieved. Turned off the light and got back to my mission. Then some bizarre thoughts crept into me. " What really happens when one dies. What will one feel while dying. " The more I tried to shew away these thoughts the more they occupied me.

Terrified I jumped from my bed to turn on the lights when the current went away. It hardly happens here in NTPC. That meant something. There was silence and darkness. My senses were at their best. I could hear some noise coming from under my bed:
                                          TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP

I got up but didn't have the courage to look under the bed. I removed the curtains to see if the street lights were on. But they weren't. It was an odd coincidence. I decided to wake my friend who was sleeping in her room. But to my shock the room was locked. I was shocked to death.
This wasn't usual. I was trapped. I cluched to my raksha and ran back to my room. I bent to look under the bed. But there was nothing and the voice ceased.

Suddenly , something watery and cold dropped on my face from I dont know where. I wanted to move or at the least shout. But I was so constrained. I couldn't do anything. It was as if I was chained. Suddenly someone clutched me from back . All I could hear was
                        " KOUSALYA SUPRAJA RAMAPORVA SANDYA PRAVARTHATHE"

Thats how it end .... my dream...

My mother was beside me trying to wake me.

She said " After going to hostel this girl has learnt all these bad habits . Sleeping till nine. Where is all this going to end. My good gods."

THE ART OF BARGAINING

 Dhilikka, Hastinapur,The Sulthanates, Mughal empire ..................  THE DELHI

It is the political front of India. It is a reflection of our nations' progress, pride, history and not to forget CULTURE . I got a chance to stay in Delhi. Although it was for a month it was worth the stay because I realised the rule of the day : THE ART OF BARGAINING.

This city has much to its credit : its a blend of everything on earth . the great walls of Indraprastha fort, the omnipresent  Mughal architecture ,the imperialist set-ups ,the narrow streets , slums , skyscrapers , shopping plazas and not to forget the PWD paragons. The greatest wholesale market in Asia is in its kitty: CHANDNI CHOWK .It seems as if each road , lane and building has a story to tell. If you take a wrong turn then your world will change. Towards right is the great city with all its flavour : there are great malls where people throw money. It doesnt mean they dont care for money . They are well versed in the art of bargaining which forbids bargaining in any of these branded shops with all the designer clamor. That means they can't make the poor hearted rich owners to suffer because of them. My cheers to their magnanimity.

Well, if you take a left then you are into darkness. So much of darkness that your shadow glows. Shops scattered everywhere with  noise and rubbish engulfing the streets. Lepers and beggers waiting to swallow you if you give a faintest thought to help. These long strech of roads can offer you anything on earth. And this is where you can learn all about THE ART OF BARGAINING. As a beginner to this art I was taught the first lesson by some experts:

START BARGAINING AT 1/4 th OF THE RATE THEY DEMAND.

But it worked amazingly well because the altercation will finally settle on atleast 1/2 of the demanded price ( which itself looked meagre to me).

So dear tyros try this logic. It works everywhere.... Bargain more if price is less. Because thats the secret of our country's prosperity :

STREET LIGHTS ARE MEANT FOR DAYTIME. THE BRIGHT BECOMES BRIGHTER AND DARK  DARKER ......