‘The only thing to fear is fear itself’-- a popular quote springs to mind in a social gathering where the young and old have settled down for a cozy chat after dinner. At a certain point, the talk revolves around the topic of ghosts and its related versions like vampires, banshees, zombies and what not! It sparks a sudden interest in everyone, especially the kids. To my horror, a boy even suggests a way to summon a demon by pronouncing a certain phrase thrice while looking into the mirror. I wonder about the impact of such spine-chilling myths on other youngsters who are absorbing every detail with rapt attention.
My mind harks back to my schooldays when a new girl joined our class mid-term. She was from Shimla and she had a bunch of creepy tales to share with us about her encounters with strange apparitions back in her hometown. It was fascinating to listen to her, albeit with a pounding heart. It seems, an adamant ghost, unable to bear the separation, accompanied her all the way to the city from Shimla by holding on to the window of the train, she and her family were travelling in. According to her, only some people with a highly developed sixth sense could perceive such beings and not everyone had this rare ability, unlike her. For once, I was glad that I wasn’t the beneficiary of this special ‘gift’. Looking back, I think she might’ve been trying to ‘shock and awe’ her way into popularity as she was a newcomer.
Way back then, if we siblings were sent to bed early on a certain weekend, it meant that our father and some relatives were planning to take out the Ouija board from the loft and use it late into the night. Thoroughly spooked, I used to cover myself from head to toe with a bedsheet, apart from smearing a thick line of holy ash on my forehead and placing a God’s picture under my pillow. What if some vengeful spirit, irritated with answering all their questions under duress, decided to torment us kids in retaliation after the session was over? Every little creaking noise from the door or window filled me with dread that abated only at the first glimpse of sunlight streaming into the room.
Well, here I am, at pains, to protect the kids from the fear of the unknown by explaining to them that there’s nothing really out there. That, all horror stories are written and filmed only to create a sensation. There’s a thriving industry using various trick shots to create an eerie atmosphere with sounds and visual effects only to convince and frighten us. For no reason we are jumping at shadows and driving ourselves crazy with our imagination. And, do you guys get it now?
I’m joined by a few more adults in the debunking exercise, only to be politely cut short by the young voices with, “Yeah! We know all that already! So, what’s new!” Of course, I forget that it’s the age of the internet.
So much for my good intentions! Slowly, I realize that I’d all along been a spoilsport while they were happily romanticizing the idea of ghosts and revelling in the weirdness surrounding it. No point in denying them the experience of getting goosebumps at first from scary legends, then gravitating towards scepticism and laughing at their own fears over time. It should be seen as a rite of passage, no less!
After a brief respectful pause, they return to their favourite phantom world, while I end up being a silent observer.
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