Man In Shadows

Hey folks, the experience I'm going to share with you is of my dad. This occurred when he passed away 3 years back, and we (me, my cousin and my 2 uncles) had gone to holy place to do his last religious rituals. To understand it properly I'll tell you guys little about my religion, and little about the ritual.

I'm from Goa India, Hindu by religion. When someone dies in our family, we burn him and collect some of his remains in a vessel and get it home. But not inside, we tie it out on a tree or something and keep it there itself for 9-10 days. On 11th day we have to do this last ritual of the ashes (vessel) and then immerse that remains the sea. After doing the ritual, we do blessing in the house and end the entire ritual. From what I have experienced, I can say we cannot let the vessel touch the ground. The one carrying the vessel can eat only fruits I don't know why that is but I was given strict instructions.

My dad was really very religious and god fearing man. He loved to visit the temples, holy places, and all that kind of events. He had a wish to go to few places but in his life he couldn't make it possible. NARSOBAWADI (Karnataka-India) is one of it. It is kind of specialized for doing the last ritual so my maa recommend us to go there and do the ritual. It is around 5 hours drive from my home town, 230 kms. Since I had to do all the ritual, I was carrying the vessel whole time.

We left from home on day 10th evening so that we reach at WADI by night. We had booked a room in rest house there so our plan was to reach at night there, stay in the room, do the ritual in the morning, come home by evening and do the blessing.

As we had planed we did reach at WADI at night. It was almost dinner time so we all went to a restaurant to eat. Since I was holding the vessel I didn't leave the car. My cousin and uncle went to eat. I put on the music on phone and was just intending to kill the time until these guys come.

While just looking here and there, I saw someone standing bit far from where our car was parked. I tried figuring it out what that man was doing. It was a football ground or something, and with faint street light I could see his shadow-like image. I tried and tried but couldn't understand what he was doing. Soon my uncle and cousin came and we left for our room. This thing almost went off my mind.

We reached at rest house and since we had to wake up early next day, uncle suggested us to call it for the night. I couldn't keep down the vessel so I decided to sit on a rocking chair and try not to sleep. As night got deep and deep I failed to keep my eyes open. When I opened my eyes again it was almost 2.45am. It had started raining. I got up from my chair and went near window to see the rain. I again saw a man-like shadow at distance from our room. This time I could see it bit clearly. It was a man with normal cloths sitting on a bench. His head was facing the ground. I got bit scared that time. I took a blanket and sat on the chair again. Prayed for the sunrise. I didn't had guts to go and see that man again. For some reason I didn't panic, I took blanket over my head and sat quietly until it was time to leave.

At morning around 6 we went to do the ritual. Almost for 4 hours I had to sit and do what priest told me to do. At the end priest gave me some flowers, some stuff of the ritual and vessel. Told me to go near the sea, take a dip in, and immerse everything in the water.

While walking towards the sea I had little tears in my eyes. It was the time for me to let go of little bit things I had of dad's body. I reached near the sea in no time; I took a dip, got out of the water and was going to immerse the stuff and ashes in the water. While doing it I again saw this shadow of a man. He was standing with his head down. I got really scared; I tried to finish it off soon and rushing from that place to the ritual spot. When it came to immersing the ashes, I couldn't open the vessel. At one hand I was really scared and other was panicking. After trying hardly I opened it. While immersing the ashes I looked at the shadow, but it was gone. I tried to see if it had moved to somewhere else but I didn't see it again. I calmed myself down, I prayed to dad, the immersed the entire ashes and left from there.

After that I didn't see such shadow or something related to it again. It's been almost 3 years for this but I never shared this experience with anyone. I know I'm a terrible story teller but I hope I have succeeded and did justice in telling you guys my experience. Really forgive me if I have failed in it... Thank you