The black cat purred ominously. An owl hooted at a distance, its distorted sound echoing in an unnatural cadence, like a warning.
Frank yawned and stretched his hands. He almost tripped as he stood up on his feet. He still needed to get over his awkward floating tilt. Scratching his dry, shaggy hair with his pointed nails, he eyeballed around. The neighborhood was as still as his ceased heartbeat. Every spirit drowned in deep slumber.
Dusting his scruffy t-shirt, he floated out of the graveyard.
Hardly three-months-old in the dead-zone, he still wasn’t synced-up to his ghostly abilities. His feet waded in the air, while his arms flailed haphazardly as if scampering on an invisible treadmill. He zoomed to his favorite spot at Bandra Bandstand. There he spotted his ex-girlfriend, Suzie who had crushed his heart with her ice-cold arrogance. He clasped his chest, sadly realizing his missing heart was now just a faint outline.
It seemed like she awaited someone. A dapper young man in blue blazer waved at her from far. She blushed.
Cheater…
Frank had truly loved her, dispensing ceaseless affection and wealth, while she showed interest only in the latter part. As he kept paying her mobile and shopping bills, she hooked up with her rich, old boss. When confronted, she had unapologetically confessed to have felt nothing more than ‘brotherly’ affection towards him- a consolation that pretty girls gave to ugly boys! His heart had broken into million pieces that day. And on his way home, he met with his death in the form of a road accident.
All set to trap another rich bloke, eh? Let me help.
Shutting his eyes, he forcefully pushed in through the other guy’s body.
“Hi John,” Suzie smiled coyly. “You’re looking handsome.”
“Thanks, but why are you looking like a behen-ji? And you smell awful too!” He retched.
Suzie grinned, masking her annoyance. She wouldn’t look beyond his bank balance, after all.
“Girl, is your teeth always stained or did you deliberately match it today with your yellow top?” He snorted.
Suzie’s patience ran out. “Moron!” She spat and stomped away.
Frank exited John’s body, as the latter scratched his head, perplexed, wondering what had happened. Frank laughed his inexistent lungs out. Murmuring welcome, he floated away.
Back home feeling relieved, he noticed few sobbing men exiting the graveyard.
“Hi,” a soft voice called. “I’m Rita.”
A pretty girl with short, silky hair and hazel melancholic eyes stood with stooped shoulders.
“I… just arrived,” she said tearfully.
“Hey, don’t worry. Believe me, this is a much safer place than outside,” Frank smiled. “Let me introduce you to our happy soul neighbors.”
Holding her hand, he levitated. She giggled at the newly discovered skill.
At midnight, after the meet and greet session, she whispered, “you’re fun. I like you.”
Frank beamed. Did he feel a spark in his chest? He wasn’t sure. But the euphoric soul somersaulted and looked forward to a new dawn.
Pic Credit- Photo by Frank Mckenna on Unsplash
Glossary:
Behen-ji: a slang used for a woman who’s dressed in an uncool, rustic manner.
