Echo

Dedicated to Richard Matheson.

"I am pretty sure that before any place becomes a so-called hill station, they check off a pre-requisite list of points that should be there on it - a lover's point, a sunset one and now one of these - an echo point.", said Amar while walking up the steps with Anjali.

"Well, if someone was considerate enough to not go to a typical tourist place, we may not have ended doing the typical tourist thing.", quipped Anjali as she tugged at his jacket.

Amar looked back at her, furrowed his brows and said: "Oh come on Anju, what can you expect if you give me a day's deadline to chart out a trip?"

"Ummm...I don't know. At the very least, something better than the half cooked place where the entire town goes on a weekend."

"Give me time and I will give you Goa", Amar joked as he clasped her hand tightly.

"Yea right. But this isn't that bad also. The view must be pretty good from up there. Some of the locals were telling me that the same place is also called the suicide point."

"Really? There is such a dearth of points out here that the poor echo point has to double up as a suicide point also? And considering that it's almost dusk, we missed it tripling up as a sunset point also."

Anjali assumed that tone of persuasion, one which reminded Amar of his boss, "Amar, it isn't that bad. And it's sort of exclusive."

Amar sighed and said: "Women.. One moment she is cribbing about the place and the very next she is defending it. And why is this place so exclusive?"

"This may annoy you further but this is the echo point that most tourists don't know about. They constructed a new one a few kilometers from here. That's the one that was mentioned in the hotel brochure."

"Why would they have two echo points?"

"To ward off curious tourists like us from this one. Our helper, Shanti told me that the special part about this echo point is that not all the names that you shout out echo back. Only specific ones."

"Wow, an echo point with an attitude.", joked Amar, wondering why Anjali was so interested in having conversations with the local people of any place they visited. Her souvenirs were tales that were woven in the lanes of small towns, however unbelievable they may be.

"You never know. There may be a reason behind it. I tried to ask Shanti, but she avoided the topic, going to the extent of telling me to not to come here. But before I could persuade her to give me the directions, her husband came by, scolded her for being so superstitious and provided me the directions to the T. But I still don't know why she was so reluctant to tell me.", ruminated Anjali.

"Nice view.", said Anjali as she felt a deep draft of fresh air brushing her face, one which was luckily left untouched by the prying hands of urbanization.

"Yea yea, you mix a few hills, garnish them with forests, lace the preparation with a stream, add a few tiny houses and your valley is ready to serve."

"Whose imagination is being overly active now, Mr. Amar?", smiled Anjali.

"Okay, let's get on with it. I go first.", said Amar as he drew in a deep breath and shouted:

"ANJALEEE!!!"

No echo.

"I knew this climb was not worth it. Your turn madam."

"AMARRRRR!!!"

As expected, still no echo.

"What a wash out! Let's go Anju. Maybe this is why Shanti told you not to come here. The echo lease on this valley has expired. To top it off, there isn't anyone else here otherwise we would have clicked a pic together. And as it is, it's beyond dusk. We should probably get going."

"Wait up Amar. Savor the view. How often do you get to be in the presence of such a wonderful sight? How often can one be in the awe of so much beauty? And that too in the period between evening and night."

"Okay, let's fool around for a while. Let's be in the awe of nature till you start finding this place awe... fully boring.", said Amar.

"Now, now. Let's not give up that easily. Let's try out some other names. Go on..."

Amar went to the left end of the railing.

"RAJEEEEV!!!"

Nothing. To the right.

"RIYAAAA!!"

“Let’s go Anju..”

“Okay, just give it one more shot and we are out of here.”

“Here goes nothing...”

Amar peered down the railing and shouted:

"SHANKAARR!!"

And the valley echoed.

"SHANKAAR!! SHANKAR!! SHANKAR!!"

"That's interesting. Are there some weird acoustics at play up here?", said Amar took a step up over the railing and looked down.

Before she could react and Amar could reach for the railing, an unknown force accompanied by a strong gust of wind pulled Amar over the edge. His arms flailed, his pale face wore a puzzled look and the shock choked his voice as the cruel forces of nature ripped him apart from her life, and flung him playfully like a broken toy, into the cold embrace of the valley.

Anjali reached out to him, but it was too late. All she could do was to stand there, watch him plumb the depths and be devoured by the growing distant darkness.

She shouted out to him, "AMARRRRR!!"

And the valley echoed.

"AMARRRRR!!! AMARRRRR!!! AMARRRR!!"

The reason that seeped into her mind made her skin crawl. Reeling from the terror, she felt a sick churning in her stomach. She knelt down with tears streaming down her face, her hands trembling like a leaf in the wind and her mind still grappling to come to terms with reality. And amidst her sobs, her quivering voice asked - "Whaahhhhhyyy?"

The wind answered with wails and whispers. Voices filled her ears - laughter, sobbing, broken pleas and dark promises. They called to her, urged her to join them, to join him. But beneath all those voices, she heard something else - Amar's voice, his last human words: "Let's go Anju."

She ran. Down the steps, two at a time, her feet barely touching the ground. Behind her, the voices rose to a furious howl, clawing at her back like cold fingers. But she kept running, leaving behind the echoes of those who couldn't.

That night Shanti woke up screaming in her sleep, begging them to leave her. Her husband curled up to her, held her tightly and while he was hushing her, she asked him, ridden with guilt: "Why did you tell them?"

"I had to. It has been over an year since they were fed. Better them than us."

The next year, another such couple was led to the same point at dusk. And one of them shouted Amar's name.

From the valley's rotting heart, Amar watched.

Shankar's haste had been a mercy he wouldn't grant. No. He would let him see what lurked in the dark. Let him understand what waited below. Show him what he would become. Then, slowly devour him.

He slithered up the ravine, his form a twisted echo of what he once was. The rusted rails welcomed his touch like an old friend.

He waited. Everyone looks down. Everyone.

Soon. Not soon enough.

A new name echoed through the mountains. Shanti woke up screaming.

Life went on.

The valley was fed. For now.