Sangi's Ghost Kills Codelia

It was during British rule in India. The viceroy appointed a Governor for each province. Luther served as the Governor's senior security officer.

The Governor asked the local landlord to spare his bungalow to Luther. The landlord readily agreed and moved to another bungalow.

Several locals worked in housekeeping and gardening. The British housemaid stayed in one of the bedrooms.

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Luther's uniform consisted of a white full-sleeved shirt tucked into black cotton pants with gold-coloured, two-inch-wide long silk stripes along the sides. The coat was full-sleeved and made of red cotton, with a collar that covered the neck. The collar had four gold-coloured stripes. Beneath the gold stripes, the coat had gold-coated buttons. A four-inch-wide striped silk ribbon ran from the right shoulder down to below the left chest. Both shoulders had decorated straps, beneath which gold-coloured chains indicated their status. The full-sleeved coat had decorations at the wrists. The coat also had gold-coloured silk stripes at the waist. All the security men had moustaches and small beards.

Luther had a cylindrical cap, tapered to a half-cut cone at the top. The caps were white or black, depending on their designation.

All of them wore black shoes. They stood at attention.

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Lady's dress

At home, Codelia wore sleeveless gowns that reached their knees. In public, she went with long sleeves and a full-length white coat below the knees, fastened with front buttons. She decorated herself with a white beaded necklace. A white, circular, flat-topped cap covered their hair. She covered her hands with gloves. White trainers covered their feet.

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Luther was six feet tall, with a strong, muscular build. He exercised every morning on the tennis court with his friend. In the evenings, he and his wife had drinks. He drank 90 ml of whisky, while she drank wine and enjoyed nature from the balcony. The maid provided snacks.

A swinging bed hung from two side-by-side trees by sturdy ropes. Luther and Codelia enjoyed swinging on summer nights. 

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Codelia became pregnant, and they wanted the child to be born in a British hospital in London. During that period, travel from Bombay to London was by steamer and took about two months via the Suez transit route. The British maid accompanied her.

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An Indian maidservant, Sangi, had been helping the British maid earlier. Now the entire responsibility for household work and cooking fell to her. Sangi was twenty-five years old, beautiful, with a well-proportioned brown body.

Male servants assisted with gardening and other household tasks.

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One Saturday night, Luther asked Sangi to prepare snacks to accompany his whisky. He was completely drunk, and when Sangi served the food, he lost control and took her to the bedroom. She was afraid and did not resist. After a while, she dressed, weeping. Luther presented her with the gold locket and chain. Sangi was astonished to see the locket and chain, as it was Codelia's most admired piece. Luther thereafter enjoyed Sangi.

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After about a year, Codelia returned to India. Luther enjoyed Codelia's company and that of their child.

Sangi was working as usual, hiding the locket and chain in her blouse.

 For an officers' function and their families, Codelia searched for her gold locket and chain but could not find them. She suspected Sangi, the only person with access to the house, and watched her closely.

When Sangi swept the house, the locket slipped out of her blouse and hung from her neck. Codelia asked, "Where did you get it?"

Sangi signalled to Codelia, indicating with her hands that it was her grandmother's gift. Codelia doubted the locket's design was British but left it at that without further questions.

That night, before going home, Sangi removed the locket and buried it in the mango tree's roots.

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 The Governor's wife hosted a party for all the ladies of the Governor's security. Codelia, dressed in an elegant gown and fur coat and accompanied by her British maid, arrived in a horse-drawn carriage. The party began at 6.00 pm. The weather was chilly. They enjoyed French wine, and music filled the air. The Governor's wife danced to the music, and Codelia joined her. The Governor's wife appreciated Codelia's dancing. The party ended at 00.30 am. Codelia returned by 1.00 am.

As Codelia went to the party, Luther asked Sangi to arrange his drink in the dining hall.

He was heavily drunk, as usual, and his physical desire led Sangi to his bedroom. When they finished, Codelia came in and saw Sangi's dishevelled hair and saree. In a highly intoxicated state, Luther was asleep.

Codelia understood what had happened and glared at Sangi. Sangi lowered her head.

She asked her, "Where was the chain?" Sangi signalled, "Madam, I returned it to my grandmother."

Codelia became furious; having drunk, she lost her senses, and her eyes blazed with anger.

She took Luther's gun and shot Sangi in the head. Sangi fell to the ground, blood streaming from her head. Sangi died on the spot.

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The British maid was frightened, took Codelia to bed, and sprinkled water on her face. Codelia regained her senses and feared the consequences of what she had done.

The British maid went to Luther, woke him, and he came and saw Sangi dead. He sat for a while, then washed his face. He said to Codelia, "If you had a grudge against Sangi, you should have dismissed her from our household service. Why did you kill her? I will be held responsible for this killing. The Governor would order an investigation and arrest me."

Then all three dug a pit in the backyard and cremated Sangi. They cleaned the hall of bloodstains.

Luther calmed the local SI from opening a case. He asked the SI to keep Sangi's husband silent.

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Codelia and Luther continued to live in the same house. But Sangi appeared in Codelia's dream every night at 2.00 am. She would cry out in fear and wake up. Luther would get up at her loud cry, give her water, and console her. Luther would say, "Sangi is dead, and we buried her. Who are you afraid of? Would Sangi come from her grave? No. Don't have any such ideas."

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Luther asked his assistants to find another house. They found a bungalow suitable for Luther. Codelia accepted and moved into the new bungalow. It had a small backyard. There were no trees.

After the Luthers vacated the house, no one took it on. It remained vacant for about a year.

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Gourish Krishna (GK) and Mukta Sri (MS) have been married for two years. GK went to London to study law. After returning to India, he joined the bar at the provincial court. He was searching for a house in the city.

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The landlord had the house painted and new curtains installed. He had the furniture repaired using the latest materials. The house had Italian marble flooring. The bathrooms had large two-person bathtubs with showers. All sanitary fittings were from Britain. It had an open well with clear drinking water. When MS saw the renovated house, she was attracted to it. GK acquired it at a very low price.

On an auspicious day, GK and MS moved into the house after performing Sri Satyanarayana Vratham.

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GK and MS lived happily together. After three months, MS went to the backyard to clean and water the trees. She hired maids to clear fallen leaves and weeds and keep the pathways clear. While clearing under the mango tree, she was surprised to find a gold locket and chain. She called a local goldsmith to examine it. He cleaned it with soapnut extract, tested its quality with a Kasuti stone, and confirmed it was pure gold. He added, "Such locket designs and chains were not from India. This must be from Britain."

MS was happy to have a foreign gold locket and chain.

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That night, as GK and MS went to sleep, MS wore her new gold chain and locket. GK was surprised to find it. MS explained how she had got it. They enjoyed the night.

 When they were fast asleep, Sangi's ghost overtook MS. All these years, Sangi had been waiting for someone to wear the locket and chain. MS lay unconscious. Sangi's ghost put the chain around herself, then searched for Codelia.

Then the ghost realised that they had shifted. The ghost went to Luther's house and found Codelia and Luther fast asleep. The ghost was enraged when it saw Codelia. It sat on Codelia, tore her throat, and drank her blood. Codelia made no sound but recognised Sangi by the locket and chain.

  After killing Codelia, the ghost decorated MS's neck with the locket and chain. Then Sangi rested in her grave.

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When Luther got up, he was terrified to find Codelia's throat slit and her dead. He assumed it was Sangi's revenge. He feared Sangi might kill him too. He asked his superiors for a transfer to London, and they accepted. He, along with his child and British maid, moved to London.

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MS and GK lived happily in that house thereafter.

The End.