A Windy Tale for a Windy Night

The night was pitch dark because a tree outside fell down and cut off the electricity. Everything was quiet except for the patter of raindrops on the window pane.

- Rohini Chinthia

Grandpa just finished a phone call and was reading something by candlelight. Sunny, Mini and Bunny sat huddled on the sofa unable to fall asleep. The candle flickered eerily, casting weird shadows on the wall. So, the conversation naturally steered to ghosts.

“There are no such things as ghosts,” Sunny and Mini said firmly to Bunny.

“It is your mind playing tricks on you.” Grandpa interrupted, “Get my trinket box, Mini.”

Mini brought it and Grandpa began telling a story. “I will narrate a rather strange incident, but I wouldn’t call it a ghost story. It happened many years ago, when I was still with the railways. Tell me what you think of it after you hear it.” The kids were excited because Grandpa was a great storyteller.

So, Sunny, Mini and Bunny wrapped themselves in blankets and listened.

“Krishnan, Gopal and I were assigned to lay tracks at a scenic spot,” Grandpa narrated. “Gopal always whistled a peculiar but happy tune. We could hear it a mile away. He always used three high notes to announce his arrival. We also had a caretaker, who was most dedicated to Gopal.”