=Calyptra

My exams are FINALLY over, and I want to make this one last journal entry before my sub dies XD (It's 8 PM and the sub dies at 9:45). For those who'd like to know, the exams went off well enough and I only slightly mucked up in one paper. Now checking exmaination papers here is pretty arbitrary. Papers from each college are brought to one centre in DU where teachers check. So you dunno who's gonna check your paper - Therefore you might have written crap, or pure genius, it depends on the mood your examiner will be in for the marks you shall get. So I need a favour. For all those of you not atheists, I'd be grateful if you could pray for me for the next 3 months or so (results usually come out end of July here)


Moving on to less boring topics, my dad bought me a few books recently, of which one is one is tales of the Supernatural in INDIA. Meaning tales of superstistions and ghosts and monsters HERE. I was obviously intrigued. There's one story in particular that I read that creeped me out thoroughly, but one I enjoyed as well because its was brilliantly written. I'd like to share it here with you all:


The Auto Ride


Jagdish's auto-rickshaw was parked at its usual place. The lights from the Lighthouse twinkled as he sipped his second cup of tea that night.

"Jaggubhai, I am off. Still waiting for your first customer?" It was the concierge who stood outside the Lighthouse, a well known nightclub in a Mumbai suburb, packing up for the day. Jagdish waved back. He decided that he would wait another half-hour outside the club and then move off elsewhere to look for customers.

But her was in luck. A Young woman in her late twenties walked up to himasking to be taken to Andheri, a suburb in western Mumbai. A flick of his head to indicate a yes and Jagdish was ready to roll. He had barely started when he saw another woman , around the same age as his passengerwaving her arms at him.

"What luck, two together!" Jagdish heard the beggar sprawled acros the pavement mutter. He glared at him as he ran his fingers through his hair to fluff it up like a hero ina hindi movie. "Do you mind miss, if I am taking another customer too?" Jagdish said in a language that he hoped to master someday. The passenger did not object to sharing the journey and soon Jagdish was off, chugging into the night across the roads that he had grown up on.

"I am asking full fare. No halfing, madam," Jagdish told the two of them.
"That is cheating. You should have told us before," one of the women objected.

But Jagdish's swagger won him the argument and the women agreed to pay him what he wanted. In about fifteen minutes, Jagdish screeched his auto a halt in front of Bandra lake. This was where one of his passengers was to get off. "Rs. 52.50" Jagdish told her. The woman argued a bit. But when she saw that Jagdish was not about to relent, she took out her wallet.

And then, strangely, without waiting for the money, Jagdish started his auto and fled into the night. His hair standing on end and his face a shade of white, Jagdish kept muttering, "Hai Ganarya! Hai vitha! Hai Deva!"

"What happened? You did not take any money from her. And what are you muttering?" asked the passenger who was still with him.

"Baap re! You not seeing what I see. God, save me, that is no woman. Her feet are not like ours," jagdish stammered and stuttered. Fear had clamped his hand its Jagdish's throat and his words came out in a whisper.

*My note: Here in India, superstition says witches have feet that are turned inside or are back to front. It's how one distinguishes between a normal woman and a witch. Getting back to the story...*

He stopped his auto at the side of the road to drink some water. "Her feet. All wrong. Ulta (wrong/opposite)like a bhootni (witch)," he told her between gasps and gulps of water.

"You mean something like this?" she said with a smile.
---

Enjoyed that? Do lemme know! Oh and I didn't write that lol.


As for life at the moment, I'd like to thank ~xaldien (Dan), @limetastic (Alicia) and =Isvarmt (Kristina) for being such fantastic friends.

For those who didn't get the above exchange, it probably wasn't meant for you


EDIT: Problem has been sorted, so not to worry. Though essentially I am quite the idiot for doubting him ._. and I'm sorry I did it *sigh*


EDIT 2: Everyone please go kick/hug/kiss *GaioumonBatou please! He's bought me a one month sub ...the silly but lovable twat!


EDIT 3: *Boxymoron is random and amazing. Go see for yourself


Looking forward to getting back with everyone!