Dear readers, its almost 5 years!
Entire world is struggling with Covid-19 outbreak and Indian Government has ordered complete nationwide 'Lockdown' until further notice to avoid the virus' spread. Its been 11 days since I am at home without job. I request all of the readers please follow the safety instructions and practice social distancing until these virus has been eradicated. Stay home, stay safe!
I was getting bored sitting at home and today, remembered this site where I have yet another story to share with you guys. This was when I was very young, may be 7 or 8 years old. It was my first encounter with a super natural entity and only after this incident did I came to know that things like these exist. My young mind had stored only the highlights of the event. But thanks to my Mother, Aunt and other relatives who were present there, they filled me with the details which I had failed to capture. It was the time when my grandfather was alive and he had a major role here in saving our lives.
Here's the story-
It was my cousin's marriage. My paternal aunt's son, Babu. It was the first marriage function I attended in my big family (lots of relatives) since my birth. The wedding was to be taken place in a village called Ramnagar near Mysore Road. The bride was of that village. The arrangements were swift and my aunt hired an old house in the village for the relatives to stay. The house which looked worn out, was may be 50 years old. There was a large hall with 6 rooms. But 4 of them were locked and only 2 were used for the guests to sleep. The 'khaprail' roof tiles were broken in some places and and there were pigeon nests in the corners of the hall. The walls of the house were cracked in most of the places and mud bricks were visible from them, though the walls seemed very thick. And this was after it had been cleaned to make room for the guests. My aunt had to arrange for lanterns, candles and lamps as there was no Electricity connection.
Approximately 60 kilometers from Bangalore, we reached the place in the morning. Around 35-40 people including my family occupied the house and within couple of hours, got busy in arrangements. I remember having lots of fun playing with my young cousins at the backside of the house where there were plenty of trees while our parents were busy in preparations as the Nikah was to take place the next day. In the evening a feast was arranged for the bride's family and some 30 people from the bride's side attended it. I was amazed to see so many people, but nonetheless, enjoyed the party. We assisted our elders in welcoming and attending the guests by providing them chairs, drinking water, washing their hands before and after the dinner, checking if any guest needed anything... Well, whenever I recall those days, I can't stop smiling.
The feast was over by 10 in the night. The ladies were busy with washing the utensils and cleaning the carpets before arranging the beds. Men were outside planning for the next day with my grandfather. But in the midst of all these, there was one thing that was bothering me. I was afraid of the dark! Even in our own home I was uncomfortable during the nights and darkness, and this place was obviously unusual to me. The very place which was fun and adventurous during the day for me had now become an old creepy house with candles, lamps and lanterns. Fear gripped me from inside and I decided to go to my mother to stay safe. My cousins came to me and insisted that I go sleep with them in the other room, but I refused saying I felt more comfortable here. They made fun of my gutlessness and went to their beds.
The discussion ended and as everyone were tired, they quickly allotted places among themselves to sleep. They have to get up early in the morning and start preparations. I tried to sleep but couldn't. My mother fell asleep trying to make me less agitated, massaging my scalp with her fingers. There was an eerie silence all over. The shadows of the candles and the lamps were scaring me drawing smoky ghostly figures in the air. Again I tried to shut my eyes and concentrate on sleeping. Finally when I failed, I decided to weep so that my mother would wake up, take me in her arms and make me sleep. But again I thought not to disturb her as she was very tired. It was a very difficult situation for me and there was a brief struggle before I had begun to doze off.
After what seemed like only a couple of minutes, I came to senses with a sudden jerk and loud banging noise. I saw my mother holding me close to her and most of our relatives were awake and were sitting on their beds with frowned faces. Some said, maybe it was a mischief of a drunkard or some local miscreants are having some fun at this odd hour. There was another loud bang. The noise was coming from the main door which was closed from inside. My mother was terrified and was holding me tightly. When I asked her what was happening, she didn't reply and whispered me to keep mum. I can see the worried faces of my uncles and aunts and my cousins in the room. There was this eerie silence except for the loud banging noise and our heavy breathing. Another loud bang sounded, much louder than before. Suddenly we heard someone yelling outside- "Darwaza kholo" (Open the Door) followed by yet another loud bang. All of us started shivering with fright and the unexpected cold breeze. The voice was so scary that the people present there admitted that they had never in their life heard such ghostly voice before.
My uncle and two other men who were in the hall got up and asked, "Kaun hai?" (Who is it?)
"Pehle darwaza kholo" came the rough reply. (Open the door first).
Again someone asked, "Kaun ho tum? Kya chahiye?" (Who are you and what do you want?).
The banging continued followed by malevolent metallic screams commanding to open the door.
"Darwaza kholo jaldi... Ye meri jagah hai... Darwaza kholo..." (Open the door at once... This is my place... Open the door).
Banging went on one after the other, 'Bang...Bang' as if something heavy was thrown on the old door. Though the door didn't look strong enough to withstand such harsh treatment. Everyone feared the door may break any time and the entity would enter the house. There was a sense of fear and everybody in the room sat up. I heard some of the men in the hall whispering to each other, perhaps to discuss what it is and what should be done.
Whatever was outside, seemed very angry. This time it screamed, "Darwaza khol Babu. Nahi to main ise tod dunga." (Open the door, Babu. Or else I will break it). This was the moment of utter shock which sent chills to everyone's spine. Babu, my cousin must have been crestfallen. His mother was terrified with her mouth wide open. But no words came from their mouths. Some of the children started crying as silently as they can and their mothers tried to keep them silent. How on earth does it know Babu's name?
"Babu...darwaza khol" (Babu...open the door) The way he said 'Babu' this time was very frightening. The hoarse whisper echoed 'Baaaaaabuuuuuu...' The voice is still fresh in my mind even today.
"Jo bhi ho, chale jao yahan se" My grandfather screamed back. (Whoever you are, leave from here) He was sleeping in the main hall with other elders of the family and my uncles. We didn't see what went on outside our room and just heard noises. I came to know about the following events later on.
The answer was a thundering laughter. It said again, "Babu, Darwaza kholega? Ya main andar aajaun?" (Babu, will you open the door or should I come in?)
It was really a hair-raising situation. It was as if everyone had lost their minds. What if the spirit enters the house? My mother and aunts started reciting verses from the Qur'an. My grandfather got up and reciting the verses, went near the door. My uncles went with him trembling, repeating the verses, but stopped him when he was very near to the door. Near the door was a drum full of water. My grandfather took a jug full of water and continued reciting for sometime. He instructed my uncles to stand behind him. The banging had stopped but the entity was screaming, "Ye jagah meri hai" (This is my place). Grandfather blew some air into the jug and taking some water in his palm, sprinkled it on the door. He repeated this several times on the door, walls and floor near the door. As a result, there was monstrous heavy breathings on the door as if the spirit had been caught by someone and is struggling to free himself. The screams were ghostly. He kept on shouting that the place belongs to him. My grandfather again started muttering the verses and sprinkled water over the door. The violent screams continued for a moment and then faded away.
There was complete silence after this. But my grandfather seemed breathless and was about to faint when my uncles caught him and took him to his bed. He was feeling a bit dizzy and everyone gathered around him in the hall. It took a glass of water and couple of minutes for him to be able to calm down. He told everyone not to ask or discuss anything about the incident. He said he will speak to them in the morning.
One of my uncles came inside and informed us that everything is fine now and that we all should go back to sleep. We'll have to get up early in the morning. Everyone went to sleep with lot of questions unanswered.
When I woke up in the morning, everyone were already busy with the chores. My mother told me to have a bath and get ready. There was a small old cabin like room in the backyard which they used for Bathing. While having breakfast, everyone assembled and discussed about the previous night. My grandfather had feverish conditions and seemed a little weak. He asked my aunt (Babu's mother) from where she had rented this house. She confessed that one of her distant relatives recommended this home as she was short on money. The house was abandoned from many years, but the land was bought by her relative recently. She broke down before everyone and apologized for her foolishness. My grandfather criticized her actions and for putting everyone's life in danger, mainly her son's. He also revealed that the spirit would have possessed her son and then would have killed the people in the house one by one. The spirit had made the house its place. And they were lucky to have survived the attack.
With lost of hesitation, the ceremony was finished within midday and before 4 in the evening, everyone left the house for good.
During my college days in Ramnagar, I drove numerous times through the same area. Fine complexes had been built where that old abandoned house had once stood. Now the place is almost unidentifiable.
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