INTRO 00:00:00

Welcome to OBSCURUS, your weekly dose of paranormal fiction. Every Wednesday OBSCURUS features new short stories and serialized novels written by novelist, screenwriter, and voice-over artist Biswajit Banerjee. The realm of the paranormal stretches far beyond the usual horror story. So, while you will get to listen to lots of ghost stories on this podcast, there will also be many tales of lesser-known paranormal themes. To get us started, here's your host Biswajit Banerjee.

HOST TALK 00:00:47

Welcome back to OBSCURUS, the sanctuary where the veiled layers of human experience are delicately unraveled. I'm Biswajit Banerjee, your conduit to the profound narratives that compel us to reflect, question, and understand the deeper meanings of our existence. Today, we journey together into the concluding chapter of "I AM ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU," an odyssey that promises to leave an indelible mark on your hearts and minds.

In the previous installment, we witnessed the poignant struggles of Sudhakar, a man ensnared by the remnants of a tragic accident, who, through the innocence of his son Parikshit, begins to realize the paramount importance of family and the moments that truly define our lives. Their story is a testament to the power of resilience, the importance of presence, and the transformative journey of rediscovery after loss.

As we peer into the horizon of this tale's conclusion, a gripping twist awaits, challenging the fabric of reality and the bounds of human capability. What does fate have in store for Sudhakar and Parikshit? Can a bond between father and son transcend the confines of the physical world? Prepare to be immersed in a narrative where the possible and the impossible blur in a dance of courage, love, and the sheer will to protect those we hold dear.

But before we embark on this final leg of our journey, allow me to extend a heartfelt invitation to delve deeper into the world of OBSCURUS at biswajitbanerjee.com and our podcast home, obscurus.buzzsprout.com. Here, you'll find a haven for curious minds, a place where stories are not just told but experienced, leaving echoes that resonate within the soul.

Besides, I'm thrilled to share another facet of my creative journey on my YouTube channel. I present my musical compositions alongside the rich tapestry of infotainment, from enlightening English Communication classes to captivating documentary films, insightful personality development advice, and invaluable tips on writing and podcasting. These songs, written and sung by me, are close to my heart, each melody and verse crafted with the same passion and depth that I bring to every story we share on OBSCURUS. I invite you to explore these musical journeys, each note and word woven from the fabric of my experiences and reflections.

Your support on platforms like Patreon and others, where we will soon debut, is the lifeline that enables us to venture deeper into the unexplored realms of storytelling. Your engagement, curiosity, and passion for the narratives we share fuel our journey into the heart of the unknown.

As we prepare to unravel "I AM ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU PART 2," I invite you to subscribe, share, and participate actively in this journey. Together, we will explore stories that challenge, inspire, and reflect the intricate mosaic of human life.

Let us now tread cautiously yet boldly into the concluding chapter of Sudhakar and Parikshit's story, where the essence of their bond is tested in unimaginable ways. In the world of OBSCURUS, every ending is a new beginning, and every story is a bridge to understanding the unfathomable depths of our shared humanity. Join us as we venture forth into the unknown together.

I AM ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU PART 2 00:06:17

Written and Performed by Biswajit Banerjee

00:06:43

The little boy spoke the truth. Indeed, I needed to do more in the direction of work-life balance. Business always hovered in my mind, even when I was back home from work. I couldn't remember having spent even ten minutes in a stretch with my son before the accident forced me to stay home. Sadly, during the long months I spent at home, my primary concern was fighting with my mind's devils. The thought that the break from work gifted me with the opportunity to spend quality time with my son never crossed my mind. I had never been a great father – the little boy mirrored the truth.

“I am so sorry, Parikshit. You are right – I was working like a robot. But I promise you – I will be a changed person from now on. I will be back from work much before you go to bed, and then I will play with you or tell you stories – I will do what you want me to do." 

"Is that a promise, papa?" 

"That is one hundred percent promise."

"What is one hundred percent promise, papa?"

I laughed and kissed him again. "By 'one hundred percent promise,' I mean an unbreakable promise."

"So, you will never break your promise."

"Never, Parikshit."

Our conversation was interrupted now and then by people coming over to welcome me. Parikshit was indeed not happy about these interruptions. I wondered if it would be a good idea to walk away from the main seating area to some other place on the hotel terrace where I could talk to the child to his satisfaction. Probably, it wouldn't now look indecent to move to a different place – I reasoned. I had already exchanged greetings with most of those who mattered to our business. Most of the rich and the powerful were now eating dinner. Just to make sure that walking away with the child would not cause any dents to our business prospects, I had a word with Daljeet, Manjeet, and Parineeta. They smiled. Daljeet said I had already done what I was required to do, and there was no harm in moving to a more silent area with the child. 

00:09:34

The two of us—son and father—walked close to the terrace's railing. Parikshit again rounded his arms around my legs.

"Look how the city looks at night," I said.

"Isn't this a tall building, papa?" 

"It is very tall. We are about two hundred feet from the ground."

"What if a person falls from here, papa?" 

"Why are you asking that question?" 

"I just want to know."

"Well, if someone falls down from here, he will not survive."

"You mean he will die?" 

"Yes."

"Will he die even if he has supernatural powers?"

"Supernatural powers! No one has supernatural powers, Parkishit."

"Are you sure no one has supernatural powers?"

"Yes, Parikshit, I am quite sure." 

Parikshit went silent for some time. 

"You seem to be in deep thought, sweetie."

"Papa, those distant lights you mentioned …"

"What about them, Parikshit?"

"They are so beautiful, papa."

"Yes, sweetie, they are beautiful. The distant lights look like stars that have descended to the ground."

"Do stars descend to the ground, papa?"

"No, Parikshit. In reality, the stars don't come down to the ground."

"So, they are fixed to the sky." 

"Well, sweetie, to tell the truth, the stars are not fixed anywhere. And what you call the sky is not a solid object. It is free space."

"Free space!"

"Look, Parikshit, you are too young to understand what I am saying. You will learn all this stuff in school." 

"But you can tell me, papa."

"You may not understand, dear."

"I will understand, Papa. Mama says I am a big boy now. Tell me about the stars."

"Okay, the stars are nothing but big balls of fire, like the sun we see during the day." 

"The stars are like our sun."

"Well, our sun is also a star."

"The sun is a star?"

"Yes, sweetie. It is just a star."

"But our sun is big in size. The stars are small."

"Parikshit, the sun appears big because it is closer to us than other stars. The stars look small because they are far away from us. Our sun is a moderate-sized star. Many stars you see in the sky now are much bigger than the sun."

00:12:34

Moments after speaking those words, I realized that Parikshit no longer had his arms circling my legs. I looked down and found there was no one next to me. Then, my eyes fell on the corner of the terrace to my left. Parikshit was close to a part of the railing, which had a large space between the top and bottom rails due to several missing balusters. 

"What are you doing there, Parikshit?" 

"Papa, I wish to hang from the top rail of the railing in this space." He pointed at the space in the railing.

"No, don't do that. Have you gone crazy?"

"But my favorite hero does similar things."

I swiftly moved towards him. 

"What are you talking about, Parikshit?" 

"Spirit-Power Man, haven't you seen him on the television, papa?"  

00:13:37

Now I knew what he was up to. A cartoon character by the name of Spirit-Power-Man was very popular with the children of his age. The story of the television cartoon series is a strange one. Many people had objected to the plot of the storyline but the Supreme Court of our country found nothing objectionable about the series. So, the court dismissed the petitions some parents had filed in the court, praying that the broadcast of the series be stopped since it could have a negative impact on the children. The story goes like this – a man called Zuzin is weak and forgetful. People often bully and humiliate him. Every time he is bullied and insulted, he goes to the terrace of an abandoned high-rise building. The building has fallen into disuse because it is haunted by fifty spirits who do not let anyone inhabit it. The terrace of this building has a railing with a large space due to missing balustrades. Upset about being bullied and humiliated in a cruel world, this man tries to commit suicide by jumping through the space of the railing. He holds the top rail and inserts his body through the space with the intent of jumping. Moments before jumping, when this man has his feet in mid-air with his hands grasping the top rail, the power of the fifty spirits moves through the top rail like a wave of current passing through a conductor and enters his body through the hands gripping the top rail. When he releases his hands, he doesn't fall under the influence of gravity. Instead, he flies in the air, powered by the supernatural abilities of the fifty spirits inside him. So, this ordinary man called Zuzin turns into Spirit-Power-Man. These supernatural abilities are available to him for the next ten hours, during which time he teaches all those people who bullied and insulted him a lesson. 

"Papa, I will hang from the top rail, and the spirits will enter my body." 

"No, Parikshit, do not do any such thing. The stuff that you see on the television is a pack of lies. You will fall; do not move into that space. Stop right there, Parikshit." 

My son didn't listen. He held the top rails and moved into the space. 

"You do not know anything, Papa. One can get supernatural powers of the spirits by hanging from the top rail of a terrace railing of a tall building such as this one. What is shown on the television is true. I also want to become a Spirit-Power-Man."

00:17:13

Now, he hung from the top rail with his feet in mid-air. 

I shouted. "Parikshit, keep holding the rail; do not let go."

My little son didn't listen to me and released his hands. I couldn't have saved him if I had gotten even a second late. In a flash, I moved my hands into the free space and held his body mid-air. With my legs pressed against the bottom rail, I sat with my child in my hands for quite some time. My posture was the most awkward one, to say the least, and pulling Parikshit back into safety wasn't easy. Any haste or incorrect movement on my part could mean the end of the little one. Meanwhile, people had gathered behind me. I could hear a mix of anxious voices. 

"No, this can't be happening." Parineeta's quavering voice echoed around me.

The panic-stricken voices of Daljeet and Manjeet added to the commotion. I pressed my right knee harder against the lower rail to steady myself. The child now cried. Clearly, by now, he had realized how close he was to death. Soon, I started feeling Parikshit's weight in my arms. My arms couldn't take his weight for long. Unless I did something quick, there was little chance of pulling him back to safety. But the quick action couldn't be a rash one. Without precise movements, I even risked going over the terrace's edge with the child. My mind raced, trying to figure out the precise action that could save Parikshit's life. Then, in a swift jerk, I pulled the child back to safety.

Parineeta hugged Parikshit tightly as tears endlessly rolled down her cheeks.

Daljeet walked over to me and put an arm around my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

I nodded.

Manjeet also approached me and said, "It was a miracle!"

After Parineeta regained some calm, she turned to me and said, "How could you do it, Sudhakar?"

"I had to do it, Parineeta; I couldn't have allowed fate to play another dirty game with us, could I?"

"But what you did was impossible, Sudhakar," Daljeet said.

"A father can make impossible things possible if it comes to saving his child's life."

"What you say is true, Sudhakar, but your action was no less than magic!" Manjeet said.

Parineeta came over and moved her fingers through my hair. "I never believed in miracles, but you proved me wrong. I still can't believe what I saw with my eyes today—a father saving his child's life simply by using mind power."

I smiled. "Well, yes, mind power did play a role, my dear, but I couldn't have saved his life with my mind alone if I didn't have strength in my arms, could I?"

"Arms!" Parineeta said.

"Why do you look so surprised, Parineeta."

Tears welled up in her eyes again. "Sudhakar, you ..."

"Hey, what's wrong, my dear?"

Parineeta wiped her tears and said, "Your arms were severely injured in the car mishap. The doctors amputated your arms, Sudhakar."

"We saw the child magically hanging in mid-air and then more magically rushing back to safety," Daljeet said.

"It was as though two invisible hands were holding Parikshit in mid-air before pulling him back to the terrace," Manjeet explained.

The ugly truth that I no longer had my arms unveiled itself in my mind again. This is the truth I couldn't come to terms with for months together. Only when my little son asked me if I would attend a parent-teacher meeting in his school did I finally realize that I had to accept the truth and move forward. When I saw my son putting his life in peril, I forgot my handicap and did all I could to save him. But how did I save his life? By mind power alone? I had no clues. I felt the presence of my arms, or what I may call ghost arms. Can a person whose hands have been amputated generate the ghosts of his arms in times of crisis? I certainly had reasons to answer that question in the affirmative.

"I am sorry, papa." Parikshit's words broke my chain of thoughts.

The tears on his face had dried up, and his gaze conveyed gratitude and awe.

"All that matters is you are safe, sweetie. Never again be inspired by the Spirit-Power-Man."

"Your father is enough of an inspiration, Parikshit. You don't need anyone else to inspire you." Parineeta said, patting the child's head.

Parikshit and my eyes met again, and we both smiled - a stamp of our unbreakable bond.

"Thank you, papa."

"You are welcome, son. I am always there for you."

THEMATIC MUSIC - COUNTLESS LIGHTS, AN AI MUSIC COMPOSITION BY BISWAJIT BANERJEE 00:24:04

OUTRO 00:26:58

Thanks for listening to OBSCURUS. If you like what you heard, please subscribe and visit biswajitbanerjee.com for more information about Biswajit's books, movies, documentaries, and other creative pursuits. We shall see you next Wednesday with another episode of OBSCURUS. Till then, take care!