Story - An Unwelcome Guest

This is my first blog and i'm publishing a story written by me. I'm intending to publish all stories that i write here.... So hoping this to be the first of many to come....

Enjoy reading and you're free to comment!


It was a summer evening, my summer vacation was on and I was sitting at the computer playing Fifa when the doorbell rang. I answered it and to my despair there stood my uncle with his family at the doorstep. It wasn’t him that I minded but it was their son, my first cousin, Ankit who got on my nerves.

He was of the same age as me. I often wondered why did he have to be “so nice”??? He was the goody goody child of the family, always obedient, stood first in his class and did everything that “I didn’t”. Whenever he was around I had to put up with additional taunts from my mom, always comparing me with him! So I hated his presence. As for his nature, he wasn’t a malicious child, but still I couldn’t help hating him for all the taunts he brought upon me! My behavior towards him was pretty neutral, I made it a point not to express my displeasure directly to him, for I knew when mom’s temper flew high, nothing could hold her back.

Well here he was at the door and I couldn’t probably bang the door on their face (How I wish I could!). I ushered them in and had them seated in the living room. I informed mom and dad about their arrival. During the course of conversation my uncle revealed that they intended to spend the week at our place.

My mom had been inviting them over for a long time and she was pretty excited at the prospect. She immediately made arrangements for their stay. The guest room was allotted to uncle and aunt while Ankit was to share my room. I gave an unhappy look but hastily changed it seeing the glare in mom’s eyes. Grudgingly though, I led him to my room, he began unpacking his bags and to my utter surprise he had brought BOOKS!!! That too school books. I was staring at him in disbelief when my mom entered the room. She saw the look on my face and when she realized the reason for it she commented at me by saying that “It’s just you, who bids a farewell to books at the start of vacation!” I thought “he’s hardly here and it’s started already, Oh God! This is gonna be a long week!”

And wasn’t I right, the very next morning, I was awoken by some kind of chanting voice, as I got up rubbing my eyes, there was Ankit in crimson robes performing his morning prayers. I dragged myself out of bed and glanced at my bedside watch, it read 5:30! I gave a deep sigh, I thought “here goes my vacation!”. I never used to get up so early even when I had my exams going on and now I had to get up every single day of his week long stay at the unearthly hour! There was nothing to be gained by complaining so I got up and somehow stumbled to the bathroom, still heavy with sleep. Splashing my face with the ‘cold’ water, I wondered could there be some worser torture!

My question was answered at breakfast when mom asked me to take Ankit’s help in studies while he was staying with me! Me and study during the vacation….. But I couldn’t argue for my marks didn’t speak of my dedication towards studies so I had to oblige. So in the evening I had to open my books and put up a show that I was studying. As I lay on the bed wondering how to rescue my sabotaged vacation he sat at the study table working out maths. He caught me staring at him and asked:

“Do you want to ask something?”

At first I thought of declining then I thought I’d rather ask some random doubt so I fumbled into the history book for a word to ask. I was reading medieval European history at the time, the period which was known for its witchcraft, exorcism and the likes. So I asked him what a ‘spirit call’ was?

His face changed color at my words.

He said: “Where did u read about that?” I showed him the book where there was a casual mention of witchcraft and the various arts practiced by them. He took a moment to regain his composure and then said “I don’t want to talk about it” and turned his attention to his maths book.

But I saw that he was no longer working out sums but simply looking blankly at his book. I could see that he was sweating, though the air conditioner was working. The very mention of the witchcraft had freaked him out. This little incident was enough for me to formulate my plans to save my vacation…

The next day I stopped by at the town trick store and bought a fake planchit board which could be manipulated to communicate whatever the operator wished. It had a little magnetic hook, beneath it which could be moved to control the coin placed above it. I bought some candles too. Then all I had to do was to wait for an opportunity and it turned out that I didn’t have to wait for long, my uncle and aunt expressed their desire to watch a play at the local theatre. They had managed to get only four tickets so my parents accompanied them, with the result that I found myself alone with Ankit.

It was around 8 o’clock in the evening when my parents left and I knew they wouldn’t be home till eleven. Here was my chance and I immediately got to work. I suggested Ankit to have his evening bath, it was pretty humid so he agreed and went off. This gave me an opportunity to set up the room for the spirit call(fake though!).

I quickly unburdened the study table of Ankit’s books, then dragged it to the centre of the room. Then I took out the stuff I had sneaked home from the trick store. I put the planchit at one edge so that I could insert my hand underneath it. I lighted the candles and put out the lights. This done I sat down waiting for Ankit to finish his bath and enter our room. In five minutes or so I heard footsteps, I quickly placed a finger on the coin placed on the planchit and assumed an expression of extreme concentration and began to move my lips as if I were chanting spells. I saw Ankit freeze at the door through the corner of my eye, then after a moment or two he mustered the courage to speak. He uttered a pretty meek “Sandeep” at first, when I failed to respond he began to approach me timidly. Watching his timid behavior made me want to laugh but that would have spoilt the act so I suppressed my laughter.

Once he was close enough, he shrugged my arm, I gave him an alarmed look. Then pointed at the chair across the table with a sense of urgency and uttered ominously, “You must not stand!!!” Hardly had the words escaped my lips, that he plunged at the chair across the table. There he was where I wanted him to be, now for the real trick….

I began to move the magnet randomly beneath the board causing the coin to execute the same motion. I asked Ankit to place his hand on the coin, he hesitated, then obliged seeing the look on my face. As soon as his hand touched the coin I moved the magnet to centre of the table and began giving it a circular motion. This greatly puzzled him while I gave a bright smile. I told him in a whisper “The spirit is here …”

On hearing these words he began to literally shiver! I warned him not to remove his hand from the coin and he obeyed meekly. I then told him that he was to pin down the coin so the spirit would answer questions relating to him. I said in loud voice, “What does Ankit’s future hold?” I made a quick movement of my hand and the coined wept across the board to the ominous scull etched on the board. This drained the colour of Ankit’s face. I assumed a worried look and asked in a concerned but firm voice, “Is there a way to avoid the danger?”

I could see the gratitude in Ankit’s eye and for a moment I felt guilty for my actions but then I remembered the gruesome routine that he was going to lead me into if he stayed further. The guilt vanished as soon as it appeared! I resumed my prank, I sequentially moved the coin from letter to letter and Ankit read out, “G”, “O”, “H”, “O”, “M”, “E”.

Hardly had he read out the last letter that I put out the candles. Ankit gasped but I hushed him up, then I spent about a minute in silence to heighten his anxiety. At the end of the minute I walked up to the switch on the lights, and I could see Ankit was still in a state of shock. I moved about restoring the things back to their original positions without uttering a word! Finally the only thing that had to be restored was the chair on which he was seated.

I placed a hand on him and he was startled, I patted him and asked him to lie down on the bed and we would discuss what was to be done. He got up and walked up to the bed listlessly and then sat down! I sat beside him and looking straight into his eyes I said in a voice filled with conviction, “You must not ignore the message!!!” He was about to speak when I continued my talk, “When your parents return today, persuade them to leave. You must not mention the spirit stuff, spirits communicate with only one person, they don’t like it when their predictions are communicated to others.”

I could see that my last sentence again shook him, he didn’t want to be in the bad books of spirits, and I was fairly sure that he wouldn’t mention the matter to anyone!

I glanced at the watch, it was half past nine. We were supposed to have our dinner by the time our parents returned so I excused myself to set the table. Now while setting out the plates for dinner, I thought to myself, “now the ball is in his court, lets see how he plays it.” Once the table was ready, I beckoned him to join me for dinner. He was lost in thoughts during the dinner, and I made it a point not to disturb him. We finished our dinner in silence then I asked him to retire to our room while I cleared the table, but it seemed he was still frightened, he didn’t want to be left alone in the house! He offered to help me at clearing the table but it seemed more of a request than an offer. I gladly accepted (I didn’t take any pleasure in doing the chores!).

By the time we finished, it was close to eleven and now I also began feeling tense. What if he let me down? What if he told the truth? I would then be getting the treat of my life!!! Now all I could do was to watch patiently.

Soon our parents arrived. They were tired and went to their bedrooms. I saw Ankit enter the guestroom, where his parents were putting up. My tension heightened. It was hardly five minutes when he walked out with a look of relief on his face and I could guess that he had succeeded in persuading them to leave. I waited no more and went straight off to bed.

The next morning when I woke up I saw that Ankit was packing his stuff. (Could there be better sight to see in the morning!!!) I didn’t bother to get up today. At breakfast later that day I learnt the reason he had given his parents. He had told his parents that his friends were doing a summer crash course in communication skills and he also wanted to join. “Poor guy, got himself more studies this vacation”, I thought.

That summer vacation turned out to be the best so far. I realized the importance of a vacation when I found it at risk. Then having rescued it, I put it to use in the best possible way- goofing around and enjoying myself to the limit!!!