A Story of an Evil Grandmother
At the very edge of the village stood an old, broken-down house where Grandmother Radharani lived. She had crossed seventy years of age, but her eyes were still as sharp as a vulture's. The village children would run away at the mere sight of her, because no one ever saw a smile on her face—only her teeth bared in a constant grumbling snarl.
Radharani had a strange habit. Every full-moon night, she would go alone to the mango grove behind her house and sit there in silence. If anyone asked, she would say, "My son will come." But she had no son. Everyone in the village knew that her only son, Manik, had—many years ago after a bitter quarrel—left the house at her own hands... or rather, he had stormed out and never returned.
One full-moon night a year ago, little Riya from the village accidentally wandered into the mango grove. She had been playing with her ball, and it had flown up into a tree. While standing under the branches searching for it, she suddenly saw Grandmother Radharani sitting on the ground. In front of her was a small wooden doll. A red thread was tied around the doll's neck, and Radharani was whispering,
"Come, Manik… come… this time I won't let you go…"
Trembling with fear, Riya began to back away. Suddenly, her foot touched something. She looked down—it was an old, dirty photograph. In the photo was a boy's face, but the eyes had been blackened out, scratched away violently. On the back was written: Manik, 1998.
Riya let out a scream. Radharani slowly lifted her head and looked at her. Her eyes had turned blood-red, and a thin smile played at the corner of her lips.
"Did you see, child? My son is still with me. It's just that… his body has gone a little too far away."
From the next day onward, Riya could no longer speak properly. Only faint whispers came from her throat, and at night in her sleep she would murmur,
"Grandmother… let go… let him go…"
The villagers say that Radharani still goes to the mango grove on every full-moon night. And those who have dared to go close enough to look claim that a shadow sits beside her. Around the shadow's neck is tied a red thread.