A Rainy Night

Chapter-2

"Thakkkkk...thakkkkk", startled Abhijoy. The rain had again started pouring heavily, he looked at the clock, it showed one-thirty. He was sure with the sound of the knock that he was not familiar with the person standing outside. He moved to the door, leaned his ear and listened, silence from the other side. He moved back, another knock, "Thakkkkk...thakkkkk", still no voice or call. He felt little scared, he thought of moving to the door but it was fatuous to try, his body refused to budge an inch.

"Who is it?", he shouted, but it felt the voice staid shut in his mind.

He waited, still no sound from the other side. He heard the growing sound of rain, the storm was in full rage. The silence terrified him, he had long ago ceased believing in spirits and ghosts. Though ancient writings believed the existence of the third world, which discharge the duties opposite to the heavenly creatures do. But being a devoted student of psychology for almost ten years, Abhijoy had his own notions about these things. He believed, the superstitions were the conceiving of the chiefs of the different sects who compiled them in order to propagate their doctrines and to assure their authority with the help of the validity of God.

He walked to the door, and unhatched the lock and saw a figure standing in darkness. His heartbeat rose, he can hear the sound of his own heart pumping blood. At that moment all kinds of nightly activities— burglary, thievery, killings— flashed in his mind. Focusing more in the darkness, he finds a lady standing in the porch dripping in water. Her transparent white suit stuck to her body. Even in the darkness, he can feel the radiating light her face was emanating, he felt that he was being charmed by an unknown force. It was like a dream or he may have lost the faculty to differentiate between dream and reality.

He stood stunned looking the female figure standing in the porch, whether he is asleep or awake he had no means to find out, he saw her lips moving and in an instant, her voice reached his ears, "You took so long opening the door," Abhijoy's mind captured the word you, it sounded as if she was acquainted with him. He hesitated and searched for the words—

"Can I come inside?" She asked him. 

"Yes, please," he wanted to say, but no voice came from his mouth. 

He wanted to question her first before saying yes, her identity and why at this hour of the night and in this terrifying whether she was at his door asking to come in. But he could not summon the courage to speak. She came inside taking small steps, water dripping from her clothes and long hair. She headed directly into his room which was beside the main door, she moved as if she was familiar with the house. She could have been his sister's friend, or his younger brother's, he pondered. His inactive social life was popping him many ifs and buts.