Macabre Birthday

by: Chandra Ghosh Jain   

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Those of our guests who had retained their normal appearance were helped into the grisly masks of Udanta, and I of course lent my makeup(very generously) to any one who wished to use it. Papa was the only recognisable one in the crowd, he had resisted all attempts, saying that even the ghouls would be petrified, then they would lose their jobs, so at least for their sake we should leave him alone. It was oddly the boys, who made a beeline for my makeup, the girls were somehow more conservative, even the most uninhibited one didnot want to really lose her identity totally. The boys or should I call them young men, were more eager to experiment, as if by colouring their faces they would put on a different persona. The garden lights appeared dim in the evening fog, but the party was just picking up momentum. One could hear shouts and screams of pleasure, as each tried to outdo the other in giving frights. The food was also in accordance with the theme, Dracula’s soup, followed by Frankensteinien Delight,Dr.Jakyll and Mr.Hyde special,witch Hazel’s mish-mash,topped by the Tantrik’s Secret Sweet. The food was laid out ,and the young people were repleneshing their energies as and when they wanted to. Mamma just plonked herself on the chair and wiped her perspiration, even in that cold and ordered a glass of water, it was at that point when suddenly the lights went off. Being in Delhi this was nothing new, Mamma had organised the generator, but the few minutes before the lights came on, there was a perceptible change in the atmosphere; a chill which had nothing to do with the weather, had crept in. The children, huddled together, the laughter was more subdued and Ayesha,began, “Didi, I want to be dropped back, Tanya and Rohit, all live near my house.”A fine drizzle added to the general depression, everyone was rushing into the house,crowding into the covered verandah.Vipul,wandered into the room,he asked, “Where’s Arushi and Sanchit ?” “They must be coming in,”replied some voice vaguely.

The drizzle soon became a heavy down pour. Udanta, observed a little anxiously,”Mamma, I can’t see Arushi here, where could she have gone?”Perky little Piyali answered a little irritatedly, “She must have gone to the bathroom.Infact Sanchit has also disappeared.”This was followed by titters of laughter,and some one from the back said, He must be in the loo too.” But there was an unsaid fear that hung in the room.In the dim light the faces appeared grotesque and unrecognisable.The shadows large and distorted.”We will check the rooms as soon as the lights come on,said Mamma, no need to panic.”Did I know, or did I feel that it was an unfamiliar voice making those comments?Or is it in hind sight that I say all this.

A beam of head light swung on to the verandah, in the dim one bulb light, with the rain going on unabated, it was a scene straight from one of the horror shows that Udanta loved to watch. “We have come to take Neha home”. A wave of relief swept over us, “Bye Neha, Bye Pulkit,” chorussed several voices. “Neha, will you drop me ,my house comes on the way,” requested Suvarna. “Yes, of course, hop in fast, commanded Neha’s father.

There were still most of the kids left who would have to be dropped by Papa,as we were herding them in the Van, Sanchit was still missing. Mamma’s nerves were frayed by then, luckily the lights came on, it gave back our strength. I went upstairs to look for him, suddenly I turned around and there he was, tall and thin standing behind me. “You made me jump out of my skin,I complained, Where were you all this time?” He stared at me, chillingly and said in a voice far too mature for him,”I have been with you all this while.” He smiled slowly, his rather pointed canines appeared a shade of red.....