The Woman by the Highway (1339 words)

It was a cold night, with gusty winds sweeping across the highway. I had hoped to reach home by 11 p.m., but I was still five hours away. An unexpected delay meant I couldn't leave until 9:30. By then, I was hungry and exhausted, so I stopped at a roadside dhaba for dinner. The meal took another forty-five minutes, but I was determined to drive through the night, even if it meant going without sleep until morning.

The highway was almost deserted, except for the occasional truck lumbering past. A fine drizzle had begun, and from the dark clouds overhead, it seemed as though it could turn into heavy rain at any moment. I kept the car at around 70 kms an hour, cautious because the road was wet. Now and then, I passed a small hamlet where a few dim lights glowed from lonely huts to break the monotony of the drive.

I had promised my wife that I would be home for dinner. By now, she must have been anxious, wondering why I was delayed. I reached for my mobile phone only to discover that its battery had completely died.

It was a little past midnight when the car came to a halt suddenly. I was puzzled because I had filled the tank before setting out. I tried starting the engine several times, but it refused to come alive. Outside, the darkness was absolute. A couple of lorries passed without stopping, while another driver slowed down and offered me a lift. I declined, still hoping to get the car running.

I stepped out and looked around helplessly. Just then, a flash of lightning briefly illuminated the landscape, and I noticed a house some distance away from the highway.

I wondered why anyone would build a house in such an isolated place, with not another dwelling in sight. Yet the faint light glowing through its windows gave me a sudden sense of relief. At least there was someone there.

I walked towards it and knocked on the door. When there was no response, I knocked again. After what seemed like an eternity, I saw a face appear behind the window.

I was surprised to find myself looking at an exceptionally beautiful woman who appeared to be in her thirties. Her long black hair fell over her glowing shoulders, and there was a faint expression of surprise in her eyes. A slight smile appeared on her lips, making her even more enchanting.

“I’m stranded. My car has broken down, and if I had a torch, I could at least open the bonnet and see what’s wrong. It’s pitch dark outside,” I explained.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t have a torch,” she replied. “And my husband isn’t here either. He could have helped you.”

I lingered for a moment, unsure what to do. From the corner of my eye, however, I noticed that she was looking at me with what seemed like curiosity, even interest.

When I finally turned towards the gate, she called after me.

“I don’t want to send you away. I was hesitant because there is no one else here with me, but it would be cruel to turn you away in such a predicament. Please come in. You seem to be a decent person. You can leave early in the morning.”

I hesitated, then accepted her invitation.

Inside, the house was warm and strangely quiet. I sat down on a large sofa while she disappeared into another room. A moment later, she returned carrying a pillow.

“You can sleep here on the sofa. I expect my husband to return only tomorrow morning, and by then you will probably have left. Please make yourself comfortable,” she said.

At close quarters, she looked even more striking. There was something dignified about her manner, and I caught the faint fragrance of lavender perfume whenever she passed near me. Yet there was nothing improper in her behaviour. Apart from a coy smile now and then, she did not attempt to encourage my attention.

After she left me alone, I found it difficult to sleep. My thoughts kept returning to her, the mysterious house, the isolated road, and the beautiful woman who had so unexpectedly offered me shelter.

I heard a door close somewhere inside the house, followed by the distinct sound of a bolt being drawn.

“A cautious lady,” I thought. I don’t know when sleep finally overtook me.

Around three in the morning, I heard the sound of a door opening. Half awake, I wondered if her husband had returned earlier than expected. I was too drowsy to get up, and  I remained on the sofa and drifted back into an uneasy sleep.

When I finally awoke, birds were chirping outside, and the pale light of dawn was filtering through the window. I sat up and noticed that a light bed sheet had been placed over me. The faint scent of lavender still lingered on it.

I stared at the sheet in confusion. She had not given it to me when I went to sleep. She must have come into the room sometime during the night, perhaps around the same time I had heard the door open. But why had she covered me without waking me?

Before I could make sense of it, I heard the sound of another door opening.

I turned around. An old woman stood there.

She was bent with age, her face lined and strangely grotesque. Yet she smiled at me as though we were old acquaintances.

“I hope you had a good sleep,” she said. “When I came in around three, I found you lying there, all crumpled up, so I covered you with the sheet.”

I stared at her. “Where is the young lady I met last night?” I asked. “She told me she was alone. Are you her mother?”

“No mother,” she replied with a strange, smug smile. “No one else came here. I am alone.”

“That cannot be,” I said. “I saw a beautiful young woman, probably in her thirties. We spoke for quite some time. I was even…”

The old woman tilted her head and asked,” What do you mean by  you were even… ?”

“I was attracted to her,” I admitted, feeling increasingly confused. “There must be some mistake.”

A strange smile spread across the old woman’s face.

“Really?” she whispered. “Were you attracted to me?”

“ No! I told you, she was a charming young woman.”

The old woman began to laugh. Then she looked directly at me.

“See now,” she said. “Is she the young lady you saw?”

Before my horrified eyes, her face began to change.

The wrinkles disappeared. Her bent frame straightened. Her grey hair darkened and lengthened, cascading over her shoulders. Within seconds, the grotesque old woman had transformed into the beautiful young lady I had met the night before.

She laughed again, but there was something eerie in the sound.

I stared at her, unable to move.

Then her beautiful face began to fade. The flesh seemed to dissolve before my eyes, revealing the pale outline of a skull beneath. Her laughter grew louder, echoing through the house like the shriek of something that did not belong to the world of the living.

That was enough. I turned and ran.

I ran through the doorway and out onto the road, screaming as I fled. Behind me came the terrible figure, howling with laughter, following me through the darkness.

And then, I woke up.

I was sitting behind the wheel of my car, still parked on the highway.

A crowd of anxious strangers had gathered around the vehicle. One of them was banging on the window, trying to wake me.

“Are you all right?” someone shouted.

I looked around in bewilderment. The morning sun was already high, and there was no house in sight anywhere.

My hands were trembling. I looked at the passenger seat.

There, lying neatly folded beside me, was a light bed sheet.

The faint fragrance of lavender filled the car.