100

It was the first Saturday after school had reopened and we were waiting to get back to our park. During the vacation we had made friends with a few kids living in Manasarovar, the apartment block across the park. We played on the swings, monkey bars, see-saws and everything else that was available. We even made space for a cricket pitch, and as long as we took care the ball did not go anywhere near the sandpit where the little kids were playing the adults were fine with it.

Raring to go

After breakfast, all of us, that is, the kids of Mayfair Apartments, gathered in the lobby. As usual Mridula was late, and we had to run up and down the stairs getting her to finish her breakfast and join us. Pradeep was impatient and irritated at having been kept waiting for over an hour. Raj and Veena were quiet, as always, and then there was me...

We charged through our driveway, across the road and were just about to run into the park when we saw our friends from Manasarovar, huddled together under the big neem tree.

“What’s the matter?” shouted Pradeep.

The Manasarovar gang looked shocked. Their eyes as big as saucers as they beckoned to us.

“Cut the drama guys,” said Veena, “we’ve lost enough time as it is. Come on! We need to get in before the other kids come in...”

The Manasarovar gang were aghast. They put their fingers to their lips asking us to keep quiet and then frantically waved us over.

Puzzled, we trooped over. In hushed tones, they told us what had happened.

“We came to the park about half an hour ago...”

“We were running in, shouting and laughing...”

“To see who would reach the swing first...”

“And then, Aditi just stopped in her tracks and Sujith bumped into her...”

“She couldn’t talk...she just kept pointing...”

“And, when we looked...and...”

“What?” shouted Raj, impatiently.

The M gang looked up scared and shivery and then Mukul whispered, “The swing was moving... It was as if there was someone swinging on it...but we couldn’t see anyone.”

“Hah!” said Mridula. “I am sure someone is playing a joke on us. May be its that gang from the other street. Remember, how we had to fight them to get to the swing?”

“No Mridula, it’s not them. You have to see it to believe,” said Sujith, emphatically.

“I don’t believe this nonsense,” said Raj. “I am going to check...”

So saying he marched off to the park. We were scared, but we did not want to miss out on the ghostly swing, so we followed.

Raj flung open the park gate and marched inside. The swing was still. He went up and jumped on, and began to swing. Up and down, up and down... He was swinging quite high now. And then, without warning, he fell off. While he was still on the ground, the swing stopped and within seconds resumed. Raj crawled out from under the frenetic swinging, white faced and trembling.

We watched the swing go up and down, up and down with no rider.