Driving on the Cantonment

Tap to Read ➤ Here is the story of my unusual experience of a night on the Delhi Cantonment road. Aakash Jati

The clock struck twelve. I was in a deep slumber. But someone in the world was there to disturb my peace - my Boss. As soon as I turned my side to the phone, it started ringing and as expected, it was my boss, calling me at MIDNIGHT. I assumed he had nothing left in his life to do, and he made it his job to disturb people during uncanny hours.

Answering the call, I only understood, among all the muttering, that I had to go the office, AT MIDNIGHT to give some pending data to my boss. I was not in the mood to wear formals and go there. So I decided to put on my coat on my pajama and drive up to the office in my car. I got ready in no time and came down to the parking.

I was really very sleepy and in that state of clumsiness, I banged my head hard against the shutter. Looking on the brighter side, I was now fully awake. I thought it would be best not to waste any more time and I quickly got into my car. The engines did not start at the first go. But my constant efforts to start the car forced the car to give way.

In a few seconds I saw myself on the deserted road. The road I chose was, the Delhi Cantonment road. It was a bumpy road, but was also the best shortcut to my office. This road was built in the British era, to serve as a training place for new army recruits. Many of the barracks could still be seen.

Many of the barracks were in erroneous conditions, but the Indian government is trying to keep them in good condition, to preserve the culture they withheld. I was in no mood to go through history at that time and so, kept to myself. The bleak cold forced me to roll up the windows. The journey was seeming to take more time than normal.

After driving halfway through the road, I noticed something very unusual. A small boy was playing on the side of the road – It looked like some kind of game that required jumping. He was all alone and there was no residence in that area. This made me concerned and I put my car to a halt near the child and called out to him.

He immediately responded to my call and came near. Those blue eyes, curly hair and excessively fair skin- I could easily make out that he was a Russian. I asked him to hop into the car and I would drop him to his location, if any. He seemed happy with the offer and quickly got into the car.

Once inside the car, he told me that I could drop him some miles from there. When asked why he was alone, he did not respond. Though he seemed to be of 10-12 years, he had a strong metallic voice- like he was talking with me from inside a vessel. After some interrogations, he revealed that he was indeed a Russian and of 11 years old.

When I inquired him about his parents, he told me he had lost them in a car accident 8 years ago, and he had been living alone since then, in a small hut beside the road. I was baffled by the thought of someone who had been living alone since four years of age. In one word, it was IMPOSSIBLE.

I was also surprised to see that he had an undimmed memory of the accident, as he described. I also inquired what he did for his living or if he belonged to any orphanage. He said he worked in a nearby Gas Station. He seemed very friendly and free-minded. After travelling for some time, he told that he should be stopping at a particular point.

Subsequently, I stopped my car and he came out of the car. Closing the door, he said “Thank you for giving me a ride. I will never forget your aid, Mr. Aakash.” Saying this, he disappeared into thick wisp.

I was happy to give him a ride. I thought it best to waste no more time and proceed on my way. But a few meters ahead, I applied the brakes really hard. A heavy chill ran down my spine. I never remember mentioning my name to him. Nor was my name mentioned on my car or any of the documents that I was carrying. The question was -HOW DID HE KNOW MY NAME?

I reversed back to the site where I had dropped the child. The car headlights were still on. I came out of the car with a torch in my hand, and started to frantically search for the child. This search went for half an hour until another car stopped behind me.

A suited gentleman came out of the car and asked me, “Has your car broken down?” I narrated him the incident and hearing my story, he became subdued. After remaining mute for a minute or two, he told me,” This road was a dirt track earlier. Accidents killed many here. It is said that the presence of those unsatisfied souls can still be felt here.

You were lucky that you had not lifted up any revengeful spirit“. I was stunned after hearing this. My legs shivered and I started to perspire. He also advised me to immediately get into my car and leave the place as soon as possible. I did the same and reached my office without crashing into something else again.

On reaching office, I narrated the whole incident to my boss. He made arrangements for police to investigate this case. This incident was also published in the newspaper. Police investigations were done. No trace of the Russian child was found.

Thank you for reading my story. I would like you all to express your views for it. Also I would love to pen down more stories in future for you readers to read. For giving me ideas and expressing your views, send an email to writeraakash@yahoo.com Criticism Is Extremely Welcome.