Brijesh had never seen an old ancestral house passed down through generations. His grandfather had sold everything when he decided to shift to a different city and the next owner broke the old house down and built a new one.
So, when Azad invited Brijesh to his ancestral house, Brijesh didn’t think twice to consider the invitation.
They travelled a long way for about seven hours in a bus. Brijesh loved road trips in buses and cars; they allowed a deeper visual experience of the area they were driven through. Azad argued that trains could be just as good in the experience but Brijesh kept to his opinion.
The city the house was situated in had grown over the time into a tourist destination with beautiful hills and forests around. It had become quite crowded in recent times, a reason why Azad and Brijesh decided to walk through the shortcuts Azad knew off.
“Is it always like this?” asked Brijesh
“It used to be well managed with exceptions to holiday season, but now its like this every weekend,” replied Azad
They reached Azad’s house and it was a fairly modern house, and nothing in particular displayed any sign of all the years it had been standing.
“Not impressed?” asked Azad as Brijesh looked at the structure of house from outside
“It’s a nice house. I had a different imagination in mind”
“Those are all things from movies. This house has kept pace with time and modernisation and thus the modern feel”
Azad had a set of keys to the house and both of them stepped in. Azad’s parents lived abroad and came to the country for a few months and lived in this house. Once full of people, everyone had scattered to live their lives to their purpose. The house was looked after by Azad’s uncle who preferred his own apartment which was near to his workplace.
It was a 2-floor house widely spread, spacious, with rooms all around, equipped with everything a house of this kind needs.
“You can become a freelancer and live here. Looking at the house your family certainly doesn’t have any financial issues,” said Brijesh
“Live alone in this big empty house with what ghosts?” laughed Azad
“You need to tell me if there has been any ghostly experience,” said Brijesh
“Another, influence of movies”
One by one at a moderate pace Azad showed Brijesh the rooms of the house. One room in particular caught Brijesh’s attention. It had drawings and paintings of different doors, even photographs of some, on the walls.
“Whose room is this?” asked Brijesh
“My cousin sister’s,” said Azad in a tone which lacked the earlier light
“She certainly likes doors”
“Yes, she used to”
“Got bored of them?”
“Maybe bored of life”
Brijesh looked at Azad and asked, “What happened?”
“We couldn’t find her; she was just gone when she was still in school. No one saw her leave the house or anywhere in the neighbourhood. It’s funny sometimes I think it was something to do with the doors,” said Azad
“The doors?”
“Our relatives, they live all around the country as well as abroad. So, one day she had this idea of doors which connected to houses of everyone, you just open a door and you can step right in, inside the house of one of your relatives and you can go to all kinds of places in the world right from here, no one would have to be far anymore. You know children..” Azad’s voice broke
Brijesh did not take the conversation further. Although it might not be a popular topic, many children are taken away and they disappear not behind a door but within the darkness of the world we live in.
Written by Anuran Chatterji
Early Morning Memories 