Who Is Always With Us?

The story I'm going to say is not evil. It's about love which is forever, even after death.

It all starts after my grandma's death on March 7th, 1997.

We were a joint family; it includes my Grandpa, Mom, and Dad, Uncle (Father's elder brother), Aunt (Uncle's wife) and 1 month old sister (uncle's daughter).

My Grandma died of heart attack at the age of 45. She was suffering from a disease which made her unable to walk; she used to drag her leg and walked slowly. After her death, everyone in my family was depressed, especially my mom because she had great bond with my Grandma. So, everyone was warned to be careful for a year. (It's believed that the death person's soul/spirit is not free until its 1st death anniversary, they stay). After all the rituals, incidents started happening the same night.

Everyone was asleep and suddenly my aunt started shouting and came out of her room crying. Everyone came out of their rooms shocked, they asked what happened? She said that my grandma came in her room, grabbed her hand and said "Why didn't you make my favorite sweet rasgulla (Bengali sweet)?" and she disappeared. My aunt had red dark marks in her wrist like someone had grabbed her hard. They checked the room but nothing was there. My Mom said her to make sweets tomorrow morning and keep near any river or pond (it's in our rituals to make favorite food of the deceased person and keep them near river/pond). My Aunt did what was said to her and she didn't dream of my grandma again.

After few months, same thing happened to my grandpa. He came screaming out of his room, he had scratch marks in his chest, he said that Grandma and Jimmy (our dog who died 3 days before my grandma) had came to his room, grandma was smiling at him and Jimmy was playing and he scratched him. Everyone checked the room twice but nothing was to be seen. Suddenly they heard a sound. "Jimmy", Grandma called. "Bow, Bow," Jimmy's voice. Everyone was frozen; they searched the whole house but couldn't found anything. They spend that night in one room, awake.

Few months later, after I was born in February 1998, it was a quiet morning that day. My Grandpa, dad and uncle left home and went to their offices. My Aunt took my sister and went to market. My mom and me where alone at home. I was awake and playing with toys, she left me in bedroom and went to kitchen. She was cooking when she heard a voice, someone was singing a sweet soft song. Mom came running to check on me, what she saw made her terrified. I was asleep and my grandma was beside me, singing a sweet song, tapping slowly on my chest. She stopped, looked at my mom and smiled, she was gone again. Mom said everything to everyone. They thought it will get over because after few days it was going to be 1st death anniversary of my grandma.

It was 7th March 1998, all rituals were done. Everyone was relieved that Grandma is free now. But they were wrong. That day my uncle was returning from market on bike, when a truck lost his control and was about to hit my uncle. Someone grabbed uncle's hand and pulled him to side of the road. The truck crossed my uncle and crashed. My uncle was searching for the person who saved his life but no one was there, leaving the truck driver. The truck driver came to my uncle and asked if he was fine. My uncle only got hurt on his left ankle. The driver said "If that woman didn't pull you, I would have hit you and you must have died". My Uncle looked at him and just asked him how she looked like. He said she was wearing yellow sari and was unable to walk. My uncle came back home and said what happened to him. My Grandpa said "Your mom is protecting you all, she will never leave us".

Next night everyone was sleeping when my mom heard a sound like someone was dragging something and my mom knew. That sound use to come when my grandma use to walk. She knew she is walking inside that house. Mom was not able to sleep, she just said "Mom, please let me sleep" and the sound disappeared. Mom was smiling, said thanks to my grandma and slept. She didn't say anyone about this.

My Dad was the dearest to my grandma, she use to wave her hand on my dad's hair while sleeping. After her death, dad still felt like someone was waving its hands slowly on his hair. He knew it was her; he only shared this to my mom.

After that my grandpa sold that house, and we shifted apart. Grandpa, Dad, Mom and me came to Mumbai. My Uncle, aunt and sister went to Kolkata. (We used to live in Durgapur village).

Years passed but we still felt her; her presence was there. It was my 9th Grade when the most unbelievable incident happened to me. I was returning from my classes with my friends. Rohan, Afreen, Zehen, (names changed) and I were standing and talking. Suddenly my friend Payal (name changed) called me and she was across the road where we were standing. I was about to cross the road to reach her when I paused in middle. I was frozen of what I was looking at. My grandma was there in front of me smiling, tears in her eyes, and she whispered slowly "Sonai" (my nickname). My friends were screaming, shouting to move because a car was about to hit me, but I was unable to even move, I was paralyzed and couldn't hear what my friends were saying. My Grandma came slowly, took my hand and pulled me across the road. The car driver kept looking at me and went, but I was still looking at my grandma. She kiss my forehead and then I was distracted from behind, Payal came running to me, asking if I was fine, but I turned again to my grandma but she was gone, disappeared again. My friends were continuously asking me what happened but I was quiet.

I went home and started crying. I said all this to mom, and she said "It's her 16th death anniversary today". I went near her photo and whispered "Thanks for protecting me, Love you".

She was just protecting us, which she couldn't do maybe when she was alive. She is, and always will be, with us.