THE TREASURE HUNT (A ghost story!) (Blogprint)

Two weeks had gone after father’s death. Ramarao’s only relation from his parental side had been severed. The old man had spent his entire older life uselessly, searching for a huge hidden Treasure, for which he believed he had a clue about its location and retrieval. Ramarao had to sell off his wife’s meager golden rings to do the last rites for his father.

Ramarao’s father had been without job for the most period of his life. He had accumulated a huge debt and the pressure to repay them rested heavily on Ramarao’s shoulders. Except for a family pride that their forefathers were once kings of a segment of land under Chola dynasty, Ramarao was virtually a pauper now. He just could not manage anything with his paltry income as a peon in the local Bank. If only he could locate the treasure that his father failed to locate in his life time!

Rama Rao’s father had only one property: An old steel trunk box. Ramarao took it out from the attic, brought it to the back yard and opened it. There were a pair of Dhoties, worn out shirts, some account note-books, a few ball point pens without refills, an old non-functional time piece, and a thick and worn out diary.

Ramarao became curious. Was it likely that his father might have cracked the clues to the location of the fortune? Perhaps he might have reached very close to it but just missed it? Perhaps Ramarao can try and make the final lap and grab it?

Ramarao opened the diary and leafed it through eagerly.

The Diary had no date entries. His father must have been scribbling whatever he felt compelled to jot down. The first page started like this:

“This is the copy of the Original 8-point-Prophesy written in the Palm-leaf manuscript that my grand-father retained; it had been handed over to him by his father:

1)      The Treasure belongs to the dynasty and to none else.

2)      The 2nd and 3^rd leaves contain the clues to reach the village

3)      The 4^th and 5^th leaves contain the clues to reach the Palace.

4)      Only a Ghost shall ever get to know of it.

5)      Only the Ghost has the power to guide you to get to it.

6)      The 6^th leave contains the clues to the Mantra to evoke the ghost

7)      The 7^th and 8^th leaves contain the list of contents in the Treasure.

8)      Thy shall record your progress for your son’s benefit just in case you fail. None else shall know.

“As the palm leaves have almost started crumbling, I have transferred the contents to this diary.

“My great-great grandfather had succeeded in deciphering 2^nd and 3^rd leaves of the Palm-leaf scripts and recorded his findings. Part of his recordings were lost in floods.

“My great father had succeeded in deciphering the 4^th and 5^th leaves. Part of his recordings were lost in a fire accident.

“My father succeeded in deciphering the clues to the Mantra. But he had left no  records about it. My mother died in my childhood. Only my grandma brought me up. She said my father was successful in establishing contact with the Ghost. His further whereabouts were not known.

“The following pages contain all the accumulated knowledge of our forefathers and my successful deciphering of the missing clues. I have succeeded till the level of getting the Mantra to invoke the Ghost guarding the treasure.”

Ramarao forgot time and surroundings. With his heart pounding , he read thro’ the diary in one go.

His father had given all the guidelines to reach the Place, a small village down south in Thanjavur district, at the banks of River Cauvery. He had given the road map of the specific street and ‘Ghost Palace’ where the treasure is located. He had given the Mantra to contact the Ghost. He had deciphered the list of contents in the Treasure. Ramarao read the list with heavy breathing:

400 sovereigns of Golden Ornaments

600 sovereigns of Pure Gold Coins

200 ‘veesai’ silver Vessels

300 diamond and precious stones

A collection of Countless number of Gold and silver Coins of Chola Period, Mourya Period and Pallava Period.

But why the hell didn’t his father get the hidden treasures?

The last entry in the diary had the answer. “I was free to start my own venture to find the treasure only after my 50^th age. Till then my grandma thwarted any of my attempts towards it. By the time I got all pieces of the clues together, I am already seventy. My health is waning. My fear about Ghosts, deeply implanted in my heart by my grandma right from my childhood refuses to go away. However deeply I think logically, however badly I want to grab the Treasure, this fear is not permitting me to face the Ghost. I wish and hope my son is bold enough to face it and grab the treasure for the well being of our future generations; It is the ancestral property; we have our right to it”.

Ramarao got up. He was thrilled. He had no fear of Ghosts. “Perhaps I am the one destined to lay hands on the hidden treasure!” he thought.

* * * *

The ‘Palace’ was nothing more than an old bungalow. It looked eerie. It was dilapidated beyond repair. Thick shrubs had grown wild right from the gate to the Main entrance of the Bungalow. In fact, it was not at all difficult to locate it in the street. Every one in the village called it the “Ghost House”. Even anti-social elements seemed to be afraid of the Ghost and hence it was remaining in the street across centuries, un approached and  unexplored. Old persons in the street vouched for hearing deafening blasts from the bungalow; They confirmed that those who dared to enter never came back.

Ramaro went there fully prepared. A couple of powerful search lights; Huge gunny bags; A country made pistol for his protection; A couple of knives; a crow bar for digging; Anti-venom medicines obtained from an old Ayurvedic physician, Packets of Bread, chilly and onions and salt; A large can of drinking water; a thick blanket.

 He climbed over the Main gate after 10 PM after the streets were deserted. He used the crow bar judiciously to open the Main Doors of the bungalow. They creaked open and the noise they produced reverberated in the huge hall with echo.

RamaRao looked around the huge Hall using the search light. Dust, dirt, dilapidated furniture, a huge chandelier, Cobwebs, a central staircase leading to upstairs. The scenario reminded of some of the Bungalows he had seen in thriller Movies. Ramarao had memorized the mantra to call the Ghost. With heart pumping at double the normal speed, with sweat soaking his Shirt, Ramarao shouted aloud:

“Egaenil oaramaR ajaR ot sgnoleb ti”

“Egaenil oaramaR ajaR ot sgnoleb ti”

“Egaenil oaramaR ajaR ot sgnoleb ti”

There was a noise similar to tearing of a cloth. A flash like a lightning momentarily lit up the hall and the Ghost appeared right in front of RamaRao. It was a strange sight; A bit repulsive. The ghost looked like an old man in his sixties. Strangely its looks somewhat resembled Ramarao’s. It was sort of semi-floating in the air, split into two halves. A portion above naval was up and the portion below naval was floating down with a large gap, as if ripped open by a huge blast. Internal organs were visible – as if seen across smoke – and it was somewhat gory.

“Ah, welcome, welcome. At last there is a man with a spine from Raja Ramarao’s lineage” the ghost talked in a rumbling voice. “What’s your name?”

“Rama Rao”

“Oh… that settles the matter. ‘I-t b-e-lo-n-g-s t-o R-a-j-a R-a-m-a-r-a-o l-i-n-e-a-g-e’ – that is the mantra and it is true. I am here to help you. What’s your plan?” asked the Ghost.

“I have come prepared; With tools, gunny bags, food and water. Tell me where to dig; I’ll do it, collect the treasures and depart right away…” said Ramarao with confidence.

“Not so easy, dear Rao. We need Rock Blasting Gelatin bombs and igniting device. I will tell you what you need in detail. Did you tell your wife about your mission?”

“Ramarao hesitated. “I gave her some hints.”

“No. You should not tell any body except through your diary to your son who would read it when he grows up, just in case you fail – I wish you don’t. Now go back; Tell your wife that the mission is cancelled. Write down the happenings till today in your diary. Come back next week with all the material – secretly. Your wife should never know.”

Next week. Ramarao was back at the Bungalow. The Ghost was very friendly and receptive. It took him to the next hall. It was too huge - about 100 feet in diameter with no pillars; with very high dome. At the centre of the hall there was a huge Granite circular slab; about 20 feet in diameter. The hall was stinking. It looked horrific. There were parts of Human skeleton and skull strewn around. For the first time Ramarao became scary.

“That is it. Below the slab is the treasure. You have to blast it with the gelatin Sticks. You see, there are 2 pits there – closer to the periphery, diametrically opposite to each other. On one pit, a trigger for blast is already set. You see, it is covered with a gunny bag. You have to fill up the second pit which is open, with the gelatin sticks and arrange ways to ignite them.”

The ghost gave elaborate instructions and Ramarao followed them. Once he finished it, the second pit was fully covered, with a protruding handle.   As advised by the Ghost, he covered the prodtruding handle with a gunny bag.

“Now, You have to jump on to the first one – the trigger, with your belly down, impacting with your full body weight on to it. It will trigger the blast in the 2^nd pit that you have just filled up with explosives and by virtue of the blast at one side and your body weight on the other side, the stone slab should tilt and open! Ready? …. Cheer up, You bold and mighty Ramarao, within seconds you will see the Fortunes! The treasure that your forefathers failed to lay their hands on! One….Two….Three….Jump!”

Ramarao jumped! There was a deafening blast and a lighting flash. Momentarily he felt excruciating pain at his belly. The blast took place right under his belly and not where he set up the explosives!

The Granite slab was intact. But Ramarao could now see from up above right through the slab as though with x-ray eyes, the treasures – shining gold ornaments, pots and pots of gold coins, glittering silver vessels – everything.

The prophesy number (4) was now obvious to him. ONLY A GHOST SHALL EVER GET TO KNOW OF IT!

 Copy right: CVRAJAN