My mother used to tell me that when she was young she and her friends used to keep peacock feathers in their books and wait for them to multiply. I think today’s children are too intelligent to believe such stories. But even then, there is no shortage of them in the school’s premises.

This time, it was ‘Direct communication with Ghosts’ in our school. Whether it started from the secondary section and spread to the high school section or vice versa – nobody knows. But suddenly, everyone was ‘talking with the ghost’.

It was Ritu who caught the infection first in our class. One day she claimed that she had talked with a ghost who had answered all her questions. Rekha, Sandhya, Sheila and I were her closest friends and so we felt we should be given a chance. Sandhya had lost her imported pen and she wanted to get it back with the ghost’s help before her father caught her. Sheila wanted to know whether she would get the eluding pass mark in Math for the second term exam at least. I only wanted to know whether I would become a doctor.

Anyway, after much pleading, Ritu agreed to introduce us to HIM to us next Friday (I was told that somehow the ghost liked only Fridays and Tuesdays very much.)

The venue was decided to be Ritu’s house on Friday at 6:30 p.m. (much as we would have preferred the midnight hour, the request was turned down as none of our mothers allowed it). We all went to Ritu’s house on Friday. We were greeted by her mother and her uncle Raj who was studying in IIT, Bombay and had come home after his second semester.

The stage was set in Ritu’s room. Curtains were drawn. A square was drawn on the floor (Ritu had smuggled the chalk piece from school). On one side was written 0 - 9 and A – Z. on top there was ‘YES/NO’ written in the center. A candle was lit and Sandhya got ready with a paper and pencil. I was to ask the questions. Rekha fetched a coin and kept it in the square. Ritu’s eyes were closed and she sat steadily with her finger on the coin. I started my questions:

Q: “Have you come?”

Pause: After repeating the question three or four times, the ghost arrived.

Q: “Have you come?”

A: Y-E-S. (The coin moved hesitantly).

Q: “Who are you?”

A: Albert Diselva (Wow!)

Q: “How old are you?”

A: 32 years

Q: “When did you die?”

A: 1868

Q: “How did you die?”

A: Plane crash (WHAT! In 1868?)

Q: “Which flight?”

A: Pan-Am

Q: “Are y…?”

Alas, exactly at that point, Sheila burst out laughing and broke the spell. Ritu opened her eyes with a sharp retort, but was shocked to see Uncle Raj lying down behind her on the floor and pushing the coin with a long pencil. And all hell broke loose as we went after him, throwing whatever things we could get.

Two weeks have passed after this. Sandhya is still looking for her pen and Sheila is yet to find out her Math marks. Ritu says now that however hard she tries, the Ghost refuses to come. She says this is because HE feels Uncle Raj has insulted him.

Author – Amritha Krishnamoorthy, VII A.