This incident took place about 8 years back and I still don't have an explanation for it.

I was staying with my parents in Kerala at the time. Myself and my little sister would take turns sleeping with our grandmom (Dad's mum), alternating daily. But sharing the room with Granny was something I disliked then due to her miserable habit of talking in her sleep. When she did, she would speak indecipherable stuff in a strange throaty inhuman voice, that would nearly make me pee in bed!

That particular night happened to be the night before the 'karkida vaavu' (a rite performed for the souls of our forefathers). It was my shift to be at Granny's side, and strangely enough it was current-cut night too. And so altogether I was certain that it was going to be a very long night for me.

A considerable amount of time passed as I tossed about restlessly in bed. I could hear the passage of every second thanks to noisy second arm of the stupid clock. Granny was slumbering happily, snoring away to glory while I was enviously watching her praying that she wouldn't start her talk.

I tried to close my eyes and dream of something good, but in vain. It seemed like my picture tube needed to be repaired. The pack of wild dogs in the nearby woods played their role by crying out in a chorus. Absolute misery!

I was all hot and sweaty; fully awake lying in bed, when suddenly it dawned on me that a certain part of my body had a cold draft sweeping across it. It was around the right leg and I peeked through my half opened eyes. There was no chance that any wind could have gotten inside the house because the night was perfectly still and none of the windows were open.

But the cold feeling was there. I opened my eyes slowly; there was something like an invisible film, flat and moving, at the tip of the bed! Were my eyes cheating me? I could feel the draft closing in on me and the film also floated simultaneously drawing towards my face. My heart raced and my body went limp. Why this agony? Why was I seeing things? I summoned up all the courage in me and got up.

I blinked furiously to rid them, of any oil that caused me to see such a transparent form and then I tried to view clearly. The floating film was still there. I tried to touch it. It shrunk shyly backing away from my touch. Then continued on its flight, this time towards Granny. I wished I could do something, all sorts of explanations rushed through my head, but nothing made sense.

The 'thing' rested gently near Gran's hand and seemed to be softly pacing towards her face! As if triggering an alarm, Gran started talking! I was on the verge of going crazy! After that I vaguely remember what happened. I shut my eyes, pressed my face into my pillow and tightly cushioned my ears. Somehow the sand man also managed to feel sorry for me and he threw some sleep sand into my weary eyes and then I managed to doze off.

The next day Gran related a peculiar dream that she had, the night before. She had seen Grandpa and according to her the dream had been very much life-like. So much so that she began to cry while narrating it. He seemed to be telling her to give the cows the bananas, and she was very cross at him for asking her to do so. Grandpa had died ages ago, when my dad was just 15 or so.

The dream had touched her a lot, so I did not mention what I had seen. I did not tell anybody for that sake because they would all think I was nuts! I didn't believe in ghosts, but till today I am puzzled about what had actually occured that night. That was something.

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