As per the ritual of every year we were at our granny's place enjoying the summer vacations of 2008. I was 15 years old girl who always remained focused in studies and was a mature kid since my childhood. Along with my mom and younger brother(12) we were around 15 people in the house 4 aunts, 2 uncles, a loving grandmother and we 8 cousins. It was 20th June when our youngest cousin was turning 5. We decided to celebrate the day with full zest. All the children were assigned to decorate house, ladies were in kitchen and uncles were handling all the other arrangements. Being the eldest one i was leading the entire team. As it was Rajasthan and June those heat waves were very cruel. We were sweating like somebody opened a tap and forgot which was too a rare sight there. As ACs were not common in those days we were the happiest faces under the slow moving fans. As it was a town, if electricity remained for 3-4 hours continuously we used to celebrate those grilling afternoons with kulfis. Mom and aunts were too drained out in preparing Aloo Tikki and Cholae Bhature. We were all set with a enthusiastic smile that masked the tiredness. It was 7:00pm, time for cake cutting we all circled the hall and in chorus we sang the birthday song eyeing the huge pineapple cake. Soon, the food was served with a tempting aroma it let us forget the flood of sweat we are drowning in. All ended well with the scoops of ice cream and handful of choclates to kids. As we all grabbed our pillows the spark of the room vanished with a power cut.
"Oh, no!" We all screamed in disappointment.
"Don't worry go on terrace. It's nice up there"
Granny suggested
"Yipee" all the kids shouted in excitment.
We started convincing our parents and finally carrying pillows and sheets we all gathered on terrace. It was beautiful. We all were giggling,crooning and some of us were running and playing. A beautiful summer night it was. All the terraces were occupied. Some were seen waving newspapers or hand fans to rescue from the mosquitoes. The moon was reflecting our smiles. In between of all this we heard a loud voice
" I will kill you all"
We ignored it initially considering it to be some family dispute in the neighbourhood.
But the pitch grew louder.
" Will kill you, will kill you, will not leave anyone"
It was a hoarse male voice in rage. All the kids were instructed to sit and make no noise. Suddenly, a woman with long hairs covering her face climbed up on our adjacent terrace. She was looking nerve chilling scary.
She started screaming
"I will kill you, kill you, you destroyed my home"
I was so confused how can a woman talk in a male voice.
" What happened to her?" my mom questioned my aunt.
" Nothing new may be 'he' came" she replied  emphasising on 'HE'.
"Oh! not again. Should we take kids down ?"
Other aunts asked
" Not needed. It's a daily thing. She will settle in an hour. We all are habituated now nothing to worry about." Eldest uncle explained.
Meanwhile we all the kids were guessing what probably it could be. We started bombing questions
" What is happening? Is it dangerous? Who is he? How can a lady talk in a man's voice?"
"Don't worry all of you just stay down on your places and sleep without uttering a single word now else she will fly up here and harm us" our younger uncle took the advantage of the situation to settle us all as he was predicting it to be never ending night otherwise.
" BHOOT" I whispered to my cousins.
"What? No not possible. Mom says there is no such things" my brother said
" Yes, she is right. Otherwise how is it possible to change voice" other cousins too joined.
" Do not panic now we have younger kids too they will get scare" I warned.
" We can start chanting the mantras we know"
I added further.
Everbody agreed and we began the chanting with whoever knows what in our cave we made under the sheets. It was too hot in there with no space to breathe but still we continued to save our family.
Meanwhile things were getting worse the loud voices were now piercing the sky. It was getting more clear and sharp.
" Why did you broke my home?" she kept on shouting
There was nobody alongside her to stop.
" That well she is talking about. For road construction purpose that dry well was covered"
Uncle said to my mother indicating towards a spot on the road opposite to our house.
" It's a JINN as they say who use to be in the well and is now disturbing her and many other ladies of this area" aunt added.
Silently I kept an ear over their conversation too. Hearing this all my concepts since childhood shook.
" it's a JINN." I broke the news in the gang.
"Jinn, the one in Aladdin. It's for good only then."
Somebody from the gang questioned with a happy face.
"No, they broke his house so he is back to take the revenge."
" What? This sounds scary" one among us asked.
The throats were drying badly of the non stop chanting we were doing.We all needed water but 
We couldn't take the risk of any sort of liquid intake as it would lead to the urge of going to washroom and neither of us could afford that.
As my mother stood up and leaned to monitor the situation. A loud voice broke the silence we were enjoying from last 20 mins.
" You sit down, I am not scared of you, I know you worship alot but I am more powerful. "
I hugged my mom from behind and pulled her down.
"It's nothing kids. It's all fine."
"You will not look there" i requested her.
" Ok fine. Will not do it" she promised me and kissed my forehead.
It was past 1:00 pm no electricity, no air it was getting suffocating under the open sky too. The humid heat was enveloping us all. With ice creams and cold drinks stored in the fridge we were not at all excited to have them. Although the mosquitoes were having their feast.
As our bladders were about to burst we all planned to trail towards the washroom
in a queue. Nobody was allowed to break the chain. Chanting continued throughout and we went down. As i was the first one to get free i sat near my granny and asked her " Is this JINN for real?"
"Jinn what JINN ? She asked surprisingly.
" The JINN of the well who is back for revenge."
" Is she dancing again today?" She smiled and asked signalling towards the adjacent wall.
I simply nodded a yes.
" Hmm. Who told you this story?"
"I overheard while elders were talking"
Two three cousins joined me in the conversation.
" It''s nothing kids. Ghost and everything else is a myth. Just don't believe in all this nonsense." She preached us.
" But she is changing voices and screaming with open hairs like a witch" my younger brother asked innocently with big eyes.
" All this is a rumour and cooked up stories. Truth is different."
She laughed and frowned simultaneously.
All of us were now in granny's room surrounding her bed to listen the true story.
"Then why is she behaving like that. And what is the truth?" One of us asked
"She is playing all this to protect herself from the violence of her husband. He beats her for silliest of mistakes. He want to conquer her soul and wishes to make her a puppet who just dances on his notes."  She disclosed.
"All the ladies around the area have found a way to escape from this inhuman behaviour towards them by using this paranormal approach. After winters passed these ladies made a story of 7 JINNS who were residing in the well and due to the road construction they scattered."
" Why after winters?" I asked in confusion.
"Because winter nights are chilling they can't run out of their houses. You can call it their summer vavacations too. " Granny explained.
" These women are not so educated but they are intelligent you see. Isn't it so creative?
Whenever any of the lady senses danger. They rub their lamp and their JINN appears to fullfill their wishes atleast for that night." Granny completed.
" But why all this. These ladies work so hard and then tolerate abuse too."
"Look kids you all are very innocent but we elders are not that pure souls. We make mistakes and still want to prove ourselves correct which leaves us supressing and dominating others physically and mentally "
" Promise me to keep it a secret. For the sake of  them who are trying to fight it in their own way." She requested us.
I understood it all and just then the room glowed with tubelight as electricity was back it cleared the picture entirely. I could feel the air evaporating the sweat. I went upstairs alone and  saw her she was quietly lying on the terrace folded in herself. "She must be starving" i thought and dropped 2 packets of food and bottle of coldrink for her and her Jinn . She looked up but i hid and saw her thursting herself.
My mom patted me from behind. I cried hugging my mother and she consoled me saying " WE ALL NEED A JINN OF HOPE."
" BE KIND & COURAGEOUS " she qouted and took me downwards.
Till today whenever I see a woman struggling with some paranormal stuff it reminds me of the lesson i learned on that summer night.




   
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