THE GHOST
-1. The Dreadful Curse

Sage Suryananda took his seat beneath a banyan tree and looked at his students who were eagerly awaiting his recital of a new story that evening.  All of his stories taught the children to follow good principles and be virtuous in life.  The Sage glanced at his students and addressed them benignly, “Dear students, like on some previous occasions today I want you to tell me the moral of the story after I have narrated it to you.”  All of them excitedly agreed to it and the sage began the recital of his new story. ************* He carefully put aside the wild and thorny bushes that came his way.  Subtly he moved along in the jungle of Champa holding a bow and arrow in his hand.  With his forehead corrugated, eyes focused on his target, King Mahirat was a picture of concentration.  He was of a medium complexion with charming eyes, thick moustache and had a burly physique all of which matched his stature of being the ruler of his land. Hunting had always been his favourite sport but that day it was proving to be rather frustrating.  His target, a deer had managed to give him the slip which was something that had never happened until then.    As he was making his way in the wild, he suddenly found the deer peering at him with its wide eyes.  It was a beautiful animal brownish in colour with a greyish tan, had big antlers and even had a few white spots on its body. Even as the King was taking aim, it once again leapt forward and suddenly disappeared in the bushes.  The King, too swiftly followed in hot pursuit and as he pushed aside the bushes, he was taken aback by what he saw.  Just a little afar was a sage sitting on a big elevated stone lost in deep meditation.  Beside him grew different varieties of plants and flowers which were happily swinging in the evening breeze.  There was also a little pond nearby which had crystal clear water replete with bright red lotuses and lilies.  Colourful birds chirpily flew from one tree to another flapping their wings in gay.  All this momentarily distracted him but he soon diverted his attention in searching for his prey which was nowhere to be seen.  Then suddenly from behind the back of the sage, two eyes propped up and anxiously looked at the King.  Noticing this development, Mahirat stood on guard eagerly anticipating the next move of his adversary.  Nothing happened for a few moments.  Then, the King slowly moved in an anti-clock wise direction in an attempt to take the deer by surprise from behind.  Proving too clever for the King, the deer too moved in a similar direction that resulted in further frustration for Mahirat.  “O Sage!”  the King shouted in his baritone voice.  “Get aside!  I want to kill that deer which is taking refuse behind you!” This had no impact on the sage who continued to meditate.  Again the King called out to him and still there was no movement from the sage. As if taking advantage of the diversion in the attention of the King towards the sage with a swift move the deer jumped and disappeared behind a cluster of trees.  Taken by surprise, the King trudged along to go after it but alas!  This time the deer had made good its escape!  It was nowhere to be found! Mahirat realized that it was now getting dark and it was not advisable to venture further deep into the thick jungle.  He decided to return and on the way once again happened to pass by that stretch where the sage still sat in meditation.  Looking at him, the King lost his temper and vented his anger on him.  “I called you so many times but you would not listen!  Are you deaf?  Because of you, that deer escaped from my clutches.  How can you show such disrespect to me?  Have you forgotten that I am your King?”  Mahirat roared in anger. Still, there was no response from the sage.   This further incensed the King.  He quickly moved towards the pond, took a handful of water and moving towards the sage splashed it on his face.  This made the sage open his eyes with a start and he looked over his body to see as to what had so cruelly disturbed him from his meditation.  He then looked at the King with a questionable expression.  Mahirat tried to justify his action which infuriated the sage who was the renowned Pariketu.  With his eyes flaring in anger, he rebuked the King thus, “Just because you happen to be the King, you think that you have become the master and we your slaves?  You feel that whenever you pass by, people should leave aside all their assignments no matter how important it is and run to serve you and extoll you?  Once a dedicated ruler, you have now become delinquent intoxicated as you are by your immense power, influence and wealth.  We have had enough of your tyrannical rule.  From today, leave alone serving you no one will even notice your presence barring me.   You will never be able to use your hands again to insult someone in this despicable fashion!   I curse you to become invisible alongwith your body belongings of today!  No one will feel you, hear your voice and you too cannot feel anything!  Touch something and you will only see your hands penetrating through it!  You will be alive but still lead a non-existent life.”  He took some water in his right hand from his kalash, closed his eyes, muttered some prayers and then splashed it on the stunned King’s face.  In one moment, all the ego and arrogance of the King vanished in thin air.  He fell at the feet of the sage and to his horror realized that his hand passed through the feet of Pariketu!  He knew that the curse had already taken effect! “O Sage!  Please do not be so cruel to me!  What will happen to my kingdom without me?”  He pleaded. “You are not indispensable!”  The sage retorted. “Spare a thought for my Queen Mandira!  With the effect of your curse, she will never know that I am alive and I will not be in a position to tell her that I am alive!” The mention of the Queen suddenly sent an expression of shock in the sage’s face.  He closed his eyes tightly and hung his head down for a few moments.  Then, he slowly lifted his head and opened his eyes.  His anger was now replaced with sudden tinges of remorse and utter dejection.  All this while, the King continued to plead for mercy. “O Rajan, once given I have no power to completely take back the spell of a curse.  However, by my powers I can certainly work towards reducing its impact on you.  Return to this place in exactly two months.  If I find that you have undergone a metamorphosis, I shall then tell you the next course of action.  During this period you can feel and touch food items and such other genuine items which are essential to eat food.  You can feel yourself only during your ablutions.  During this time, you can even use water normally.  On other occasions, the curse will have its impact for the next couple of months.  You will also not feel the necessity to take bath for you will always feel fresh and clean.”   The King wanted to get rid of his quiver and bow which were of no use to him now for he could not even feel them.   The sage kept them with him.  As according to the curse the King would be invisible alongwith his body belongings, even his bow and arrow were not visible to anyone except Pariketu.  “O King! There is nothing more I can do for you at this moment.  You may leave!” concluded the sage.