An Eerie Encounter

I never believed in Ghost or God since my adolescence. Last year in winters, I was going to my village, Tundav at night. Time was around 2:15 AM, I guess. That midnight’s horrifying experience has challenged my beliefs when I encountered something paranormal.

I was going back to my village for spending time on the weekend. I traveled by train and I arrived at my village’s railways station at 1:30 AM in the midnight. My home was 5 km far from the station. I had a bag with me with lots of boxes of sweets in it. I hopped out from the train along with the bag and stood at the platform. A cold wind blew and I shivered from head to toe. I saw few people were sleeping on benches. They all were wrapped into shawl and muffler. I shouted in quivering voice, “Any rickshaw driver going Tundav?”

No answer.

“I’ll pay double money…” as I said, two guys promptly woke up like a corpse from its grave.

“Ji Sahib, this is my rickshaw…” he speedily walked towards me, “…Let me take your bag.”

I smiled and handed him a bag. Next moment I was in auto to the way home.

As I lived a little away from the station, so we had to cross a heavily forested area on the stony road. This area had minimal traffic even during the daytime. Also, there were no street lights or any shops. Only crops filled farms and huts were nearby. At night this area was covered in pitch black darkness. Only the headlight of the auto and the moon was providing some illumination to drive further.

Gusty of cold wind was freezing my bones. I wished under my breath to reach early at home so I can warm myself up. To my surprise, suddenly the driver stopped the auto.

I quickly grabbed my phone and turned on the torch, “Why did you stop the auto?

“I didn’t sahib… but we did a big mistake by taking shortcut…”

“What…? Are you drunk or what…?”

“No sahib…”

“Then start the auto and drive. I am freezing here.”

I noticed that he looked frightened. He was unblinkingly staring at the banyan tree. He tried four or five times to start the auto but couldn’t start. “It will not start sahib. Not until she allows us…”

“What the hell are you talking about…? Do you want more money?”

“No Sahib. We are trapped here in her zone! I thought it’s just a story to scare the people. Shankar was right. She appears at midnight in white saree with untidy hairs and…and… Oh God… she…she has long slit on her neck…!”

“Hey listen, I am giving you Rs.500, Shut your mouth and drive me to my address or I will walk out with my bag…”

“No…No…No Sahib, you can’t simply walk from here now. I-It isn’t a wise idea. You see… there…” He raised her brow and saw his frightened wide eyeball, “….that woman is not a woman… she…she is…” she opened his mouth, but didn’t say. Instead, he whispered near my ear, “She was brutally murdered by her own father two months ago.”

I grabbed him by the collar and furiously said, “Stop your drama, greedy. I don’t see anyone there… I understand your tricks to get more money. If you are really scared to drive from here, then let me drive it…” as I was about to come out from the auto. He pleaded with both hands, “Please sahib, I am not greedy. Believe my words…” he shifted his eyes on my bag and said, “Sahib, do you have food in your bag?”

“What…? You want food…?”

“Sahib, you won’t understand these, but if you have, then please offer me some.” He looked pale and sick.

My mind was in shock to hear his demand. I opened my bag and gave him one box of sweets. He took the box and walked out from the auto.

“Hey…hey… where are you going…?” I shouted loudly. He continued walking like a deaf guy.

I got scared by his strange behavior and come out of the auto. I flashed the light to his direction. Everything around me was pitch dark. A cold wind was slithering on my body. As I heard a throaty voice near to my ears, “DON’T CROSS THIS AREA WHEN I AM AWAKE…!!” and ice-cold finger slide through my throat. I instantly screamed on top of my lungs! Eerie feeling ran down to my spine! My body was trembling like I’d touched an electric wire!! My heart was pumping like a marathon runner. I tried to open up my mouth to speak, ‘Who are you…’ but voice suffocated inside the throat.

“What happened, sahib?? Are you okay?”

“N—nothing. It was j—just an owl, I guess.” I lied and angrily barked, “Shall we go now if you are done!”

“Yes, Sahib. I hope now it will start. Save us, Hanuman Ji… I am your devotee…” he prayed and chanted some mantras.

As I get in the auto, Bag had disappeared! Another shock banged on my heart. “Where is my bag now? It was in the auto!” I flashed the light in a rickshaw and around the area, but couldn’t find it. I looked at him doubtingly.

“Sahib, I didn’t touch it, I swear to God. I think we must go now. You can come here in early morning to find it. This place isn’t safe to stay.”

I thought, nothing important was in there except sweets boxes, “Okay. Let’s go.”

He started the auto in just one pull. Feared mind and body came at ease. He accelerated the auto in its full speed even on the bumpy road. As its dim light spread on the road, I saw my bag near the banyan tree. I tapped his shoulder and ordered to stop the auto. But he didn’t stop. He continuously shook his head saying, “NO…NO… NOT IN HER AREA”

Fifteen feet further he stopped the auto. I hurriedly turned on the mobile torch and ran towards the tree. As I picked up the bag, I felt it very heavy. Suddenly, the cold stormy wind blew and I shivered like a cat. A throaty voice entered on the eardrum and my body became paralyzed! “TOLD YOU NOT TO COME HERE. LEAVE THIS BAG. IT IS MINE NOW. I LIVE HERE.” And a white human-like shape appeared—sitting next to my bag. As I saw her wicked distorted face, my knee dropped down in shock. Her evil laugh echoed into my ears and I fall unconscious in the next moment.

Fortunately, I wasn’t dead. An early morning I opened my eyes. I was at my home! Mom, dad and my siblings were gathered around me. As I said, “H—how did I get here?”

Seeing me safe and sound, they took the breath of relief.

“The rickshaw driver,” Mom said, “…Such a gentleman. He brought you here when you fell unconscious on that witch’s feet! If he wouldn’t have returned to get you and your bag, then God knows what terrible would have happened to you.”

Dad furiously said, “Don’t you know what’d had happen in our village 2 months back? Mohini has become a Ghost!”

“W—who, who is Mohini?”

“She is the one who was murdered by his father.”

“W—why…?”

Nobody answered. They looked at each other. Dad said, “You better rest. Now you are safe.”

I lay back on the bed.

Mom ordered to my younger sister, “Lakshmi, take out all the boxes of the sweets and throw it to cows…”

My neck tightened up when I heard her. “Mom, why are you throwing it away…? It is the best in town. That chamcham is very sweet and juicy!”

Mom didn’t say anything. She went to the kitchen and brought a box of chamcham. She took the piece and brought it near my mouth. As I ate, it had no test at all! Instantly I threw it in the box’s lid.

Mom said in a firm voice, “That witch sucked out all the sweetness.”

“Then why did you let me test it?”

“Because you don’t believe in things until you experience, isn’t it? Now, will you tell me Ghost or evil spirits doesn’t exist, huh??”

I found myself dumbstruck to her question.

Later I knew from my siblings that, Mohini had physical relationships with her uncle. When her dad found out the reason of her blooming belly, he slit her neck with crops cutting tool and buried her body under the banyan tree. Even today many travelers see her roaming around the area at midnight.

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