Nowadays, working in corporate is not easy. Transfers and relocations have become frequent. Most staffers cannot deny the transfers, as the denial may lead to delay in promotion or worse, termination. The transfers mostly are enforced on a short notice. The staffer who is required to relocate has a short time window to move to a new city, find a place to stay, and start working.
Finding an apartment in a new city is always a challenge. Sometimes, one finds their dream home, otherwise it is straight from nightmares. My friend Rohit (pseudonym to protect the identity) found a home in a new city which reminded him of an episode of "Aahat". His story is so scary that it can easily be adopted to make a horror blockbuster.
Rohit was working at a reputed organisation. He was eagerly awaiting a promotion for a couple of years. Finally the opportunity arrived disguised as a new position at a different location. Rohit was asked to relocate to a new city and assume the new position within a week. Rohit agreed and started preparing for relocation.
Rohit looked for apartments near his office, so the commute time could be reduced. He shortlisted a few complexes. Due to the time crunch, he could not personally visit the apartments. He viewed the videos posted on a realty portal. Without seeing, he selected an apartment which was near his office, spacious, and at a budget-friendly range. He was delighted with the deal, but he did not know that the happiness was short-lived.
Rohit relocated, settled, and started working from the new office. He was enjoying the work and new challenges. He was required to spend more time in the office, owing to the new responsibilities. However, he did not mind the extra hours. Mostly he would leave his home at 8 AM and return around 11 PM. He was essentially using his home only to sleep. Everything appeared to be going in the right direction, but the reality was something else.
Though Rohit used to spend a few hours at home, he would feel unpleasant. The air would feel heavy. He would have strong desire to leave the home to breathe fresh air. Each day he would come home, remove his shoes, go straight to his bedroom, and sleep. Next morning, he would finish his chores as soon as possible and leave his home. He would feel more relaxed at the office. Initially, he attributed his discomfort to the relocation, stress, and unfamiliarity. But as the days passed, his discomfort continued getting worse. Every second spent at the home, felt more like an hour. He would feel as if the time had frozen at home.
One night, Rohit was unable to sleep. He was trying all tricks to fall asleep, but none of them seemed to work. That night he heard humming. He tried to ignore at first, but it was impossible to ignore. When he finally fell asleep. He had a bizarre nightmare. He saw himself sleeping on his own bed in the bedroom. He also saw that a woman was hanging from the ceiling fan above him. Her limbs were limp. The fan was rotating with her. Later, the woman moved her limbs, turned her head, and made an eye contact with him. Her eyes look dead and she had an evil grin on her face. Rohit woke up. He was sweating heavily. Fear had taken over him. He decided that he will vacate the apartment immediately. He also decided to stay at a hotel rather than returning to such a distressful place. His search for a new apartment began right away.
Fortunately, he found another place soon and was able to move to this new place within a week. New home was slightly expensive, but peaceful. Everything started falling in place.
A few days later at the workplace, Rohit met a colleague who used to live in the same complex where Rohit stayed earlier. Rohit casually asked him about the complex without mentioning he stayed there. His colleague told him the uncomfortable truth. Several years ago, a woman used to reside in the complex. She had committed suicide in the bedroom of her rented apartment. The cause for the suicide was not known. The apartment was sealed for investigation for a couple of years. Once the case was closed, it was made available on lease at a lower market price. Rohit asked him the apartment number. It was the same apartment where Rohit lived. The tragedy occurred in the same bedroom where Rohit used to sleep. This explained the nightmare and the discomfort at home.
Now, Rohit is relocating to a new city once again. He is getting a well-deserved promotion. He has to move to the new city and start the new role within a week. This time, Rohit will be careful. He is looking for an apartment on rent. This time he will inspect the apartment himself, check the history of the complex from various sources, and ask his colleagues for recommendations. From his own experience he has learned that an old saying "जल्दी काम शैतान का" (haste is waste.. Literal translation: quick work is Satan's work) holds true even today.
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