Shikha perked up a bit at the prospect of the adventure. She had nothing to do till Sachin came back home and that was still four hours away. Sanjana lived on the sixth floor of the other wing of the same condominium. Shikha quickly changed out of the housecoat she was dressed in. She pulled on a skirt and top and ran a comb through her usually unruly hair. She applied a touch of lipstick and was ready.
Exactly fifteen minutes later, she rang the bell at Sanjana's apartment. Sanjana lived alone and was Shikha's jogging and gym partner. She opened the door and ushered her in.
“Hi Shikha. Meet Tanya, my cousin from Singapore.”
“Hi!” Tanya was a reed thin woman with curly hair that surrounded her head like a halo. She was wheatish, and had large luminous eyes which shone as bright as the lights in the room.
“Hi! Nice meeting you,” Shikha replied, thinking, “Oh my God! She looks like a witch. Wonder if she has a broom hidden somewhere.”
“Shikha, Tanya has been doing a lot of research into the world of the paranormal. I literally had to beg her to do a planchette for me. I am excited at the prospect,” Sanjana added.
“Sanjana, Shikha, I want both of you to listen very carefully to what I am about to say.” Tanya said in deep gravelly voice. “A planchette or a séance is a method of communicating with the world of the spirits who have departed from this earth but exist in the astral planes very close to us. I will use an Ouija board I have designed myself for the purpose. But you have to follow ground rules.” She paused for breath and started. “Rule number one. Don't be afraid. Fear generates negative vibrations that draw evil or lesser spirits to our planchette. Rule number two, spirits are sensitive and they demand respect. So be respectful and don't ask frivolous questions. Rule number three, be prepared for the unexpected. The laws that govern the spiritual world are very different from ours, so the unexpected happens many a times during a séance.”
She fixed Shikha with a piercing glance and said, “I see that you are a non- believer. That does not matter. All I ask from you is to be non-judgmental and participate in this activity with an open mind.”
“Err… Tanya, this all seems to be slightly scary. Why don't we drop the whole idea?” Sanjana spoke up.
“Don't be afraid. Nothing is going to go wrong as long as I am around. And I have done this many times. Just stick to the rules.”
Tanya busied herself with the preparations. She pulled the curtains, placed a round table in the middle of the room and placed the Ouija board in the center.
Shikha looked at it with interest. It was a polished whitish wooden board with the English alphabet in capital curving downwards in the middle with the words 'Yes' and 'No' written on the two sides. Digits from zero to nine were inscribed below in a linear arrangement. And towards the end a single word 'Goodbye' stood out. The four corners of the board had a similar crescent spiked moon, all the four moons facing the center.
Tanya then lit a few incense sticks and put them in various vantage points in the room. She lit a couple of yellow candles and put them on the side. She asked Shikha and Sanjana to take their place around the table on the sides.
She switched off the lights and took her place at the table between the friends. The candles flickered and sputtered and threw eerie shadows in the room. Tanya then took out a large coin and placed it on the board.
She placed her fingers lightly on the coin and gestured at others to do the same. “Put your fingers on the coin and do not push. Leave your minds blank and listen carefully to my instructions. Don't make any sudden movements, do not scream and don't be afraid. The spirits will communicate with us through the coin.”
“Whoever is listening to me now, as I light these candles, bless this sacred place. Let the light of their flames radiate love and protection to all areas of our surroundings. I ask once more that any negative energy be released from this space. Turn our dwelling into a sanctuary and as I sit with you now, I open my heart. I surround myself with the love and light of your protection. I release any negativity that I have picked up throughout the day so that I speak to the universe with the purity of my soul. I ask that any energy be given for our absolute good. Dismiss now all energies that are not of the Highest and Greatest source,” Tanya said in a smooth manner.
She then started reciting something in a strange language. She went on in a quavering voice and Shikha listened with rapt attention. Even though she did not believe in ghosts and spirits, she felt a strange fascination. Tanya went on and on and suddenly stiffened. She whispered, “Someone is here. I feel it in my bones.”