Haunted Milk Booth (1090 words)

Please note this story is not for fickle hearts😆

Inspector Palani stood to attention. "What is the matter, Palani?" asked the Superintendent of Police.

"A strange thing, Sir. People and even vehicles have avoided using the main road beyond the district hospital after dusk since a month or two.. They use instead the narrow road in the residential area that runs parallel to it. There is often a bottleneck as two cars cannot travel on that narrow road side by side. There is no platform for pedestrians either. It is a mess, Sir."

"Why are they not using the main road? Make the narrow road one-way," said the Superintendent.

"It is haunted, Sir, near the Avin milk booth. It seems the ghost there is violent."

"What nonsense are you blabbering? Aren't you a man in uniform? Post two constables with patrol cars this evening on duty for the night. We can convince people tomorrow and tell them it is safe, and that policemen would be there daily at night."

"I did ask two constables. They refuse to go out of fear," said the inspector.

"What crap? Issue them written orders. I want them there tonight. Report to me tomorrow morning" roared the Superintendent.

The next morning, the Superintendent got a call at 7 am. "I am Palani here. An untoward thing has happened, Sir. Both the policemen were found dead near the Avin booth. There was a big crowd there. I had the two men checked by a local doctor. It seems they died of heart attacks."

"My God! Send them immediately to the hospital for postmortem. Inform the families. I will mention this to the Commissioner. Meanwhile, I will ask for two armed commandos to be put there tonight to unravel the mystery," ordered the Superintendent.

At 6 am the next day, the Superintendent got another call. "Palani again, Sir. Something strange and malevolent has occurred. Both commandos were found dead, shot at close range. Some people nearby heard gunshots and rushed there in a group. There were none seen in the vicinity. Even the cigarettes the commandos were smoking were still burning by the side of the chairs they were sitting on, Sir."

"What are you telling, man? This is unbelievable. People will laugh at us. Call the Homicide branch and ask them to have the place thoroughly examined. Have the place cordoned off. I will inform the Commissioner."

The evening newspapers screamed:

Ghost on rampage. 

Stunned two policemen to a heart attack. 

Last night two commandos were spurred presumably to shoot at each other.

 Police clueless.

In the evening, the Superintendent told Palani, "I could not talk to the Commissioner as he is out of station. I have decided to go myself and investigate. I do not wish to send others."

"Sir, can I go with a couple of policemen?" asked Palani.

"No, I do not want to risk sending or taking anyone without personally checking. Do not fear. I don't believe in ghosts and can unravel the mystery. I will have a CCTV camera fixed there tomorrow."

At 4 am the next morning, Palani’s mobile rang. It was the Superintendent’s wife. "Mr. Palani, my husband went out in the evening and is not answering my calls to his mobile after midnight. Can you please check immediately and tell me? I am very much worried."

Palani rushed to the spot. He found the road deserted. It was past 4:30 am. When he reached the Avin booth, he was shocked to see the Superintendent squatting on the ground in bare body, tearing his shirt, filling his cap with mud, and laughing hysterically like a madman.

"Sir, please get up. What are you doing? Why have you removed your shirt? Are you OK, Sir?" Palani said with concern and shock as he gently lifted him.

"He he he, I have arrested the ghost. The Commissioner will be happy," he said, looking in no particular direction even as he jumped up and down in frenzied laughter.

Palani looked nervously at the mental wreck before him. It dawned on him that the problem had assumed ominous proportions. Maybe, it falls in the domain of a tantric, he thought.

He realised he needed an ambulance or a vehicle with two men to move the Superintendent to a hospital. He turned and rushed to his motorbike. As he was about to start the bike, he heard a shuffling noise from behind the milk booth. Startled, he looked intently at the dark area, trembling in fear with his heart pounding feverishly and a cold tingle passing through his entire body. Lo! It seemed like a dark and strange figure ambling towards him in an unusual gait. It was still dark. He switched on the light of the bike to see that the figure had mysteriously vanished.

Gaining composure, Palani decided to arrange for an ambulance and a couple of policemen. As he drove, he saw after a mile an old man sitting outside his hut. Stopping the vehicle, Palani asked him, "How come you are sitting here fearlessly  when people say the area near Avin milk booth is haunted and the ghost is ferocious?"

"Yes, the ghost menace started after the light in the lamppost opposite the booth got fused. They have not changed the bulb and the ghost is running amuck, threatening people who pass through that patch when it is dark," said the old man.

"Is it only a recent problem after the fuse of the bulb?" asked Palani.

"Don’t you know ghosts avoid light and bright areas? Are you not aware the milk booth operates nowadays only during the daytime? You seem to be a policeman. Get the bulb replaced immediately and have some additional lamp posts in this short stretch. There would be no further problem," he answered.

"Surely, it will be done today itself. Thank you," replied Palani.

Wondering how such a simple solution from the illiterate man evaded the police, he proceeded to get the Superintendent removed to a hospital after informing his wife. He instructed the electricity authorities to do the needful the same day without fail.

Palani's wife, who was pacing in the hall at her home from early morning, heaved a sigh of relief when she heard the motorbike stop outside her house.

A couple of days later, there was a short report in the newspapers,

The menace of ghosts has been busted successfully!

Thanks to the adroitness of Inspector Palani

As a titbit, readers would be happy to know that the old man at the hut received from an unknown source an undisclosed sum as a token of appreciation for the help in the resolution of the problem.