The Gift Shop

Mr Chabra’s gift shop was very popular back in the day. It was the first modern styled gift shop in my neighbourhood.



When I went there as a child for the first time, it was a completely different world. The variety of toys there would make any child want to stay there forever.



The shops had gifts of all kinds for people of all age groups. It was in the inner side of an open shopping complex and the way it was placed, it was out of sight from all other shops and you could smell the shop from the starting of the small passage that led to it.



Mr Chabra managed the shop with his father and his father who was a bit strict towards kids, was otherwise a very nice person. If you went to the shop, you would come across any one of them or both of them.



A few years later, Mr Chabra’s father stopped coming to the shop. I heard a faint rumour that he was bedridden due to some health issue and later succumbed to it.



Sohan was quite older to me. While I was still in seventh grade of school, he was in college. Our mothers were friends hence we came across each other occasionally.



Now, there are several things which we learn about when we have grown to a certain age because our parents think or other elders think it might not be appropriate for us at that point and this is one of them.



Sohan was looking for a part time job to finance his gaming hobby. At that point this area was still in its developing phase and thus there weren’t many decent places where you could find work.



Sohan found his first work in a newly opened computer café which was specifically for gaming. One went there and got a card which allowed them to play games for a certain time period based upon what they paid for it. It was an instant hit in the beginning with children and adults alike frequenting the place.



I don’t know why, but the place closed down one day after a year and a half, thus Sohan was out again to look for another part time job. He found out that Mr Chabra was hiring.


Mr Chabra had hired several people to run the shop but none of them stayed for a long time despite the pay being better than what was being given around. Everyone knew Mr Chabra’s nature and he was always kind, at least to the customers.



‘Maybe when no one’s there he behaves rudely with those who work for him’ was what the rumour was. There is no lack of reasons to doubt a good man in today’s world.



But, Sohan still took up the work, I mean I would have taken the work too. It felt so good to be in that shop. All the rumours about Mr Chabra were put to rest, he did not behave like everyone thought, instead he started keeping game cd’s at his shop on Sohan’s suggestion.



But there was a problem, not with the owner but with the shop. Sohan started working at 4 pm every day and Mr Chabra would go home for an hour or two. But, Sohan never really felt he was alone in there, it was always like someone was there with him, but he ignored it thinking it to be the effect of all the items kept there, especially the action figure and other small decorative statues of people. But then he learnt something one day.



“It is definitely Mr Chabra’s father,” said Atul who worked at the medical store in the same complex and came to talk to Sohan when Mr Chabra went home



“Isn’t he…” Sohan did not finish the sentence



“Dead? Yes, but he is still here in other form, if you understand what I mean,” said Atul



“I don’t understand,” said Sohan



“The last guy who worked here, Lalit. He told me there is a ghostly presence here and the presence is only felt when Mr Chabra is not around. Lalit literally begged me to stay here when Mr Chabra was not there but I too have my work. I think it’s definitely Mr Chabra’s father or a ghost is following you around,” said Atul



Sohan decided it was better not to put too much thought to the topic. But as is the human mind, when something of such nature is put in it, the mind does wonder.



Sohan did think about it but was fine at managing his thoughts and keeping his mind focussed on the work and things were well, until one day a man who was a customer arrived to return an item. Mr Chabra wasn’t present at the shop.



It was a small wooden box to keep paper napkins.



“Was something broken?” asked Sohan looking at the box from all angles



“Its lid opens on its own,” said the customer



Sohan opened the lid and found no mechanism which would make the lid open on its own.



“Are you sure? I mean why would it do that” asked Sohan



“So, you think I have made it up to return the item?” asked the customer a little annoyed and spoke further, “you don’t have to return money, just replace it”



Sohan didn’t argue further and quietly replaced the wooden box and the customer went away. Sohan kept the box out of sight though and the thoughts about what Atul had said began to bother him but he did not get carried away by them.



The customer returned a few days later again. This time Mr Chabra was there.



“My wife says she hears a man coughing from the room where this box is kept,” said the customer, “where did you order these boxes from?”



Sohan handed the box to Mr Chabra.



Mr Chabra looked at the box and spoke, “these were ordered by my father, he loved the design work on the box”



“What am I supposed to do now? This is the second time, there is definitely something wrong with these, maybe they cut down a cursed tree for its wood. I want refund,” said the customer



Mr Chabra did not say anything and went to a corner of the shop and bent down to search for something. He returned with another wooden box.



“Although this looks a lot different, there won’t be any problem with it. I assure you,” said Mr Chabra



The customer tried to argue about wanting a refund but Mr Chabra assured him it would be fine and the customer went away.



Sohan waited for a while and then spoke, “Do you believe him?”



“There are many things beyond our understanding in this world,” said Mr Chabra



“Your father.. does he have to do something with it?” asked Sohan



“Maybe”



Sohan did not feel comfortable with the answer and asked in a low tone, “Is he here?”



Mr Chabra looked at Sohan for a few seconds and said, “He is always here”



Sohan quit work after a few days at the end of the month. I don’t know exactly when the gift shop closed down but it was closed when I got to know about this. I wish I could have gone there to see for myself what such a presence feels like.

Written by Anuran Chatterji

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