INTRO 00:00:00
Welcome to OBSCURUS, your weekly dose of paranormal fiction. Every Wednesday OBSCURUS features new short stories and serialized novels written by novelist, screenwriter, and voice-over artist Biswajit Banerjee. The realm of the paranormal stretches far beyond the usual horror story. So, while you will get to listen to lots of ghost stories on this podcast, there will also be many tales of lesser-known paranormal themes. To get us started, here's your host Biswajit Banerjee.
HOST TALK 00:00:47
Welcome to another thrilling episode of OBSCURUS, where the shadows come to life and the unseen whisper secrets into the night. I'm your host, Biswajit Banerjee, and tonight, we continue our journey into the dark and mysterious world of our serialized novel, 'SHE WANTS TO KILL.'
Last week, we witnessed Ravi's terrifying night as he faced another chilling encounter with the ghostly girl. Despite his wife Kavita's attempts to comfort him and rationalize his experience as a dream, Ravi's fear and confusion only deepened. As he struggled to differentiate between reality and the supernatural, his mental state became increasingly fragile.
Tonight, in Chapter 5, 'Who's That in the Side Mirror?,' Ravi's day starts on a surprisingly positive note. Mr. Jacobs, his boss, grants him leave without any fuss, allowing Ravi to enjoy a day of rest, e-football, and comedies. However, as he prepares to visit Dr. Malhotra in the evening, his world is again thrown into turmoil when he spots the ghostly girl in the side mirror of his car. This brief yet chilling sighting leaves him paralyzed with fear, questioning his ability to continue driving. The encounter is a stark reminder of the ghost's relentless presence and the deep-seated fear that grips Ravi's mind.
Before we dive into this gripping chapter, I want to remind you to visit our websites, biswajitbanerjee.com and obscurus.buzzsprout.com, for more exciting content and updates. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel, where you'll find exclusive behind-the-scenes content, interviews, and much more. Your support on Patreon is invaluable to us and will help us bring you more thrilling episodes, so please consider becoming a patron. The links to our websites are in the show notes.
Also, for those looking to improve their English speaking skills, check out my training program, SPOKEN ENGLISH FOR NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS. It's designed to help you gain confidence and fluency in English with tailored lessons and interactive sessions. We have exciting plans to expand to Patreon and other forums where you can support us and get more exclusive content.
Now, without further ado, let's dive into the fifth chapter of 'SHE WANTS TO KILL' – 'Who's That in the Side Mirror?' Get ready to be drawn deeper into Ravi's harrowing journey as the lines between reality and the supernatural blur even further.
SHE WANTS TO KILL 00:04:23
CHAPTER 05 - WHO’S THAT IN THE SIDE MIRROR?
Written and Performed by Biswajit Banerjee
00:04:52
In sharp contrast to what Ravi thought, Mr. Jacobs allowed the leave without a fuss. It was turning out to be a very good day as Ravi spent his time resting, playing e-football on his computer, watching comedies on the television, and spending some romantic moments with his beautiful wife.
As he prepared to visit the Doctor in the evening, Kavita offered to come along. Ravi said it wouldn't be necessary, and he would easily manage things alone.
In a while, he was on his way to Dr. Malhotra's clinic. As fate would have it, his upbeat mood got a beating when he spotted the same girl in the side mirror of his car while waiting for the green signal at a crossing. She just went past the field of the mirror in a flash. He was sure that it was her. It couldn't have been anyone else. Even that short period was enough for the cold stare of her eyes to push a chill through Ravi's spine. Would he be able to drive anymore, he wondered. The chill had already induced a paralyzing effect in his limbs. It was a terrible mistake not allowing Kavita to come with him. He wished the red light continued for some time as driving immediately looked like a challenging prospect.
Ravi looked at the electronic timer on the pole of the traffic lights. It showed exactly sixty seconds. He wasn't sure if he would be able to vanquish the paralyzing effect in that much time to be able to drive again. As he saw the remaining time period move into single digits, someone knocked hard at the window glass in his immediate vicinity. Ravi turned his face with a start. No, it wasn't the girl. It was a beggar – an old woman knocking the glass with metallic rings in her fingers. She coned up the fingers of the other hand and brought them close to her mouth, repeatedly indicating she was famished. Ravi couldn't help but be pleased with the woman, for her knocking on the window had a medicinal effect on him. The second shock seemed to have met the first shock with the result of both getting destroyed. Now, his limbs were active again. He brought down the glass pane and handed the woman a hundred rupee currency note. She looked astounded at the magnitude of Ravi's generosity.
"God bless you, son," she said, moving her way through the vehicles.
Meanwhile, the signal had turned green. The timer showed around twenty-eight seconds left for the signal to remain green. The vehicles behind Ravi's car had started honking in the most discordant ways possible. This is one huge problem on Indian Roads. Most people in charge of the steering wheels exude very little patience, discipline, and respect for the traffic rules. The problem is of criminal proportions in the metropolises. The people behind Ravi had hardly waited for fifteen seconds since the light turned green, yet the wait had driven them to madness.
Ravi raised the glass again and drove towards the clinic. In just over twenty minutes, he was in the parking lot meant for the patients. He sensed a movement on the rear seat as he maneuvered the car with the reverse gear. No one was there, but he could feel the air becoming heavy. Quickly, he moved the car to one of the marked areas in the parking lot and rushed out of it. The air outside felt better; it was a clear indication that there was an ethereal presence inside the car.
00:09:21
By the time he was waiting at the reception of the clinic, fear and anxiety had completely overpowered him.
The telephone rang on the receptionist's desk.
"Yes, Ma'am," she said after picking up the receiver, "Yes, Mr. Ravi Sharma is here; I will send him in."
Then she looked at Ravi and said, "You could go in, Mr. Sharma."
"Thank you so much," he said, walking into Dr. Malhotra's chamber after lightly knocking on its door a couple of times.
"There you are, Mr. Sharma," Dr. Jyoti Malhotra smiled, "please come."
"Good evening, Doctor," Ravi smiled back and took a chair.
"Good evening. So, how are you doing, Mr. Sharma?"
"The problems are continuing, doctor," he replied.
"Really," Dr. Malhotra exuded concern, "the medicines aren't working, you mean?"
"Doctor, with all due respect to what you are doing, I don't think any medicines can cure my problem."
"O yes, I know what you will say. Your problem is a ghost, and medical science cannot prevent ghosts from coming. Isn't that what you want to tell me, Mr. Sharma?"
"These days, I have stopped speaking my mind, Doctor," he said with dissatisfaction. That's because whenever I try explaining what I am going through, I get reactions like that."
"I am really sorry if my words hurt you, Mr. Sharma. Trust me, I did not intend to disappoint you."
"O please, Dr. Malhotra, you must not say sorry. I have great respect for you. The truth is that a large part of the normalcy that has returned to my life is ascribable to you. I will always be grateful to you for all you do for me. I do not blame you or anyone else for not taking my words seriously; that's because what I say sounds weird, and I completely realize that."
"Thanks for your appreciation, Mr. Sharma," she smiled, "and I, too, respect you a lot. You are a wonderful human being and a very obedient patient. However, I would just like to correct your thoughts on what I think about your experiences. Please understand that I take your words very seriously. I have told you this before, and I would like to tell you again today that I fully understand that you are speaking the truth. You really see that ghost, I know that. I have never disputed your experiences; those experiences are really happening to you. And I also know those experiences are as real as any other experiences of your life, big or small. All I am trying to say is that your faculties are deceiving you. What they present to you as the truth is, in reality, the untruth."
"But Doctor …"
00:12:33
"Let me complete, Mr. Sharma. The human mind is very powerful. Despite the great advancements that medical science has made, we understand very little of the mind. But we do understand that one's mind could quite easily deceive oneself."
"You mean my mind is deceiving me?"
"Yes," she nodded, "you are thinking so strongly about that ghastly girl that your mind gets enough fuel to concoct her images."
"But she is so real."
"You are coming to the same point repeatedly, Mr. Sharma. I know she is real, but only because your mind makes her real for you. But the truth is she simply does not exist."
"I beg to differ, Doctor."
"I understand it is not easy for you to accept that explanation. I also know that my explanations might annoy you somewhat. But as a doctor, I must tell you the truth."
"Doctor, do you believe there is something like an inner voice?"
"Perhaps you are talking about intuition or gut feeling."
"No, Doctor. Intuition or gut feeling, I believe, are like the surface phenomena of what I call the inner voice. The inner voice is a deeper happening. While intuition or gut feeling may go wrong, one's inner voice is hardly ever wrong. I am not sure how much, as a person of science, you would appreciate this, but Yogis and Rishis are believed to have rich inner voices. Every person has an inner voice, but it is usually dormant."
"What are you trying to tell me, Mr. Sharma?"
"I am not boasting of myself, Doctor, but I have a good inner voice."
"I am still not clear what you are driving at?"
"Well, Doctor, my inner voice tells me the bloodless girl is not an illusion. And that's what matters to me."
"Your words don't impress me in the least, Mr. Sharma," Dr. Malhotra said in a tone of disapproval. What you are telling me does not prove that the ghost is a reality. I am sorry, but I must tell you that what you call your inner voice is nothing more than a thought or suggestion coming from your brain."
Ravi didn't reply, for Dr. Malhotra was talking in the expected lines. No matter what he said, she would not change her opinion. And why would she? She was, after all, right in her own place.
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
"I have said what I had to say."
"Please place your trust in me, Mr. Sharma."
"I have full trust in you, Doctor. I know you are trying to bring me out of the mess I find myself in. It is just that the problem is deeper than you think."
00:15:45
"Okay, let me make an effort to understand your problem better," she said like a true professional, not losing her patience and empathy even by a trace. "Tell me now, when did you last see the bloodless girl, Mr. Sharma?"
"On my way to your clinic."
"You mean today?"
"Yes, about an hour ago."
"What happened exactly?"
Ravi narrated the events as best as he could.
"That is frightening indeed," She said thoughtfully, "have you ever wondered why she is after you."
"Yes, I am not sure why?"
"But you are sure of her intent."
"That's right," Ravi said, "she wants to kill me."
"Just try to reason, Mr. Sharma. If she is real, then she must be a powerful ghost. That's because unless she is powerful, she cannot have such a strong material manifestation. And she has been appearing before you for close to sixteen months now if my estimate is correct. Tell me, if she is that powerful and her purpose is to kill you, what has been stopping her from giving shape to her intent? You should have been long dead. The fact that you are alive is a possible indicator that she is nothing but a hallucination. Don't you see reason in my words?"
"But Doctor, I have felt her. The other day, she moved her fingers on my skin, and I felt her dead cold nails."
"Sorry, Mr. Sharma, but even that doesn't prove anything. Hallucinations are perceptual errors that can take any shape – seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. Those dead cold fingernails aren't there, Mr. Sharma. Even the owner of those nails does not exist. It is all in your mind."
"If what you say is true, does it have a cure?"
"Mr. Sharma," she smiled, "what am I for, and what have I been doing in the past sixteen months or so if there is no cure? Of course, there's a cure, and trust me, you will be fine very soon. The reason you are hallucinating is that your mind is distressed, and lately, you are not sleeping enough. The terrible accident you had still has a strong impact on your mind. Your mind has not been able to come out of that shock. At a conscious level, you might not be feeling that distress. But it is ingrained deep inside your mind; your subconscious mind is afflicted with the trauma of that accident. The worst part is that the hallucinations your mind is generating are making things worse. In other words, hallucinations caused by the distress are strengthening the distress, and then the distress, in turn, is causing even more powerful hallucinations; it has become a vicious circle. It is like the cause and effect constantly strengthening each other."
"So what do I do now?"
"Do what I have always been advising you to do – number one, take my medicines regularly, and in case of a severe problem, simply let me know; number two, try to relax and do things that please you, you told me the other day that you like comedies … so watch plenty of comedy shows … number three, even if she makes an appearance, give your mind a suggestion that you are dealing with an illusion and it will make no difference to your life; number four, and remember this is very important, sleep well."
"I have been trying to follow your advice to the best of my abilities, Doctor."
"Keep trying, and things will improve."
CONCLUDING REMARKS 00:20:29
And that, dear listeners, was Chapter 5 of 'SHE WANTS TO KILL' titled 'Who's That in the Side Mirror?' Ravi's brief moment of normalcy was shattered by yet another haunting encounter with the bloodless girl, intensifying his fear and anxiety. His visit to Dr. Malhotra sheds light on the conflict between his experiences and the rational explanations provided by medical science, leaving us with a gripping sense of suspense and intrigue.
As we move forward, expect more eerie encounters and unexpected twists that will make you ponder what is real and what is a figment of Ravi's troubled mind. Next week, we will uncover more about Ravi's attempts to seek help and the mysterious forces plaguing him.
Don't forget to visit our websites for updates and additional content, and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Your support on Patreon will help us bring you more episodes filled with suspense and mystery. Also, check out my training program, SPOKEN ENGLISH FOR NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS, designed to help you gain confidence and fluency in English.
Thank you for joining me on this eerie adventure. Until next time, keep your senses sharp and your lights dim, for the shadows are never far away. Stay curious, stay cautious, and always be ready for the unexpected.
Following my talk, enjoy the thematic music for this episode titled 'NEVER RESPOND TO THEM,' an AI music composition by me that perfectly encapsulates this episode's eerie and unsettling atmosphere. As Ravi grapples with his ghostly encounters and the chilling presence of the bloodless girl, the haunting melodies of this composition underscore the tension and fear that permeate his experiences. The music enhances the narrative by reflecting Ravi's inner turmoil and the persistent sense of dread that defines his journey. This piece is an auditory embodiment of the episode's suspenseful and mysterious themes. This is Biswajit Banerjee signing off.
THEMATIC MUSIC – NEVER RESPOND TO THEM, AN AI MUSIC COMPOSITION BY BISWAJIT BANERJEE 00:23:08
OUTRO 00:26:02
Thanks for listening to OBSCURUS. If you like what you heard, please subscribe and visit biswajitbanerjee.com for more information about Biswajit's books, movies, documentaries, and other creative pursuits. We shall see you next Wednesday with another episode of OBSCURUS. Till then, take care!
