Surreal Ghost Stories of My Childhood

                          Jhansi is a historic city, a very old one; having witnessed the massacre of thousands of sepoys in the famous war between Rani of Jhansi and British in 1857. I do not know whether this may be a reason but yes during our childhood we have heard a number of ghost stories of Jhansi town from our granny, uncles and aunts. Although I myself never witnessed any ghost but experienced many a times there in Jhansi. We have seen our Baba remaining absent on new moon nights, on a number of occasions to witness exorcist rituals in a neighboring village. He used to tell us in the morning about the happenings of previous night and we used to enjoy those. He used to tell us how some special souls were welcomed on some medium and how the medium used to behave like the dead persons as if he was alive.

                          Once Baba started a dairy farm under partnership near Pahuj Dam. He used to collect milk from various rural households and return back after the sun set with a wolf like pet canine to protect him from any dangers. Once he got late and the dark had spread all over when he was returning. He then took the shortcut route of railway lines to make haste. After some times the only company, that ferocious dog stopped, started groaning and after gazing here and there suddenly ran away as fast as it can. Baba was alone in that dark evening walking between the rails. But he soon realized that he was not alone and being followed by someone. On peeping to his back he saw a big wolf was following him copying his gait. When he stopped, it also stopped and when he started, it also started. After sometime it transformed into a buffalo. Baba got frightened and started his Brahmastra – Gayatri Mantra while walking in brisk speed and lastly reached his farm safely. Next day the villagers forbade him not to take that route as the demon ‘Bhainsasur’ had its abode there and they also said that he was lucky enough to survive that night. Baba never dared to disobey them for his own unknown fear.

                       Another one is still interesting. When I was in my matriculations I have taken tuitions for mathematics. There a boy used to come who most of the time remained asleep as if he remained awaken through out the night. Once the tutor called his parents and pressurized him to know the reason. What he revealed that day, remembering that causes some fluid flows through my backbone even today. They were actually outsiders and after coming to Jhansi had purchased a house near Daru Bhondela (the elders may remember) on the way to Gudri Bazar without having any knowledge that the house being a haunted one. Earlier many occupants faced ill fates. That boy in his dreams every night used to see an old man who used to tell him that he got his heir in him and asked him to dig the floor and took away his hidden fortune from there. That old man also used to take him on tours at nights to various places like Mumbai, Jaipur, Ahmedabad etc. and gave him sweets from the closed shops. Every night he used to travel a new city with that old man and used to see the sleeping city. His parents also confirmed the fact adding that at night he never awakes as his soul-less body remains on his bed. As far as I know very soon they left the house and left Jhansi too.

                          Next one is more interesting. It was the days when Sharma Bandhu started their Ram Katha in Jhansi. They used to perform in Ramleela Ground, Sadar Bazar. We used to go on foot in a large gathering to listen their luscious Bhajans. At night we again used to return together. One night Dinu Kaka (Late Dinabandhu Biswas) said that he had to go to his duty of Telephone Operator in the night shift and so he left us earlier. On our return when we reached the Chandmari place near Court in Sadar Bazar we saw Dinu Kaka stood on the road frightened holding his cycle. On enquiry he told us that one man was going in front of his cycle who suddenly fell down and his head parted from his body and started rolling down to the trench with loud laughters. From his condition we had to believe him that he might have encountered with a ‘Skandh-Kata’. We then took him with us but he was a bold man so after going a while he left for his office.

                          One more instance I want to share with my brother Habla (Sri Shibshankar Chatterjee) who had experienced when he was just out of his childhood and at the threshold of his youth. Once in a Bijoya Party at our home he was sent to Navbharat Restaurant in Sadar Bazar to bring some food stuff from there. He went on bicycle but was taking much and much time in his return. Some of the guests started even leaving. When he came back he was sweating profusely and was a little nervous. At that moment we didn’t ask him but when all the guests left he revealed a horrified incidence which he experienced that night. He went to the restaurant easily but on his return he took a little lonely route through Jhansi Club and Suraj Prasad Girls’ School. There are some ‘Mazars’ on that road. When he reached there, he experienced a rock on his pillion. It was so heavy that he was unable to paddle. He smelt the danger so he didn’t give up and carried on to paddle. The road had become lengthy and was not ending. When anyhow he reached Suraj Prasad Girls’ School he felt a relief and sped his bicycle in full speed. That’s why he was profusely sweating and horrified after reaching home.

                          Now is a story with your lovely Durga Bari Premises when I was at my early childhood. Some Kali kaka used to come from Mathura for our Pratima construction. He used to come intermittently for some days, stay in the adjoining room to the Dalan, take his food from a few neighboring houses and then return to come after again after a few days. It was the time when Latu dadu (Late Latu Lal Chatterjee) had expired. We all know that he is the man behind purchasing of land and earlier construction of the old premises of the present Durga Bari. On that evening Kali kaka returned from the burial ghat after burning of the mortal body of Latu dadu. After taking a bath and had his dinner he became busy in his job of completing the construction of idol. Suddenly he listened the voice of Latu dadu from his back asking him when his ‘domete’ will be complete. He turned to his back and replied him that it would be complete soon. Immediately he remembered that Latu jetha was dead and he himself witnessed that the burning of his body. He sprang to his feet and ran on his lungi straight to our house shouting ‘Chhokuda, Chhokuda, ….’. That night he slept in our house but from then on he never stayed in nights at Durga Bari. However, after many years in the year 1986 one decorator from Gwalior cutting the thermocol sheets at night had the same experience. He, too left Durga bari after seeing a face watching him all the time and never worked at nights.

                          In Durga Bari we experienced many a times, sudden switching on of lights on stage while gossiping at the gate on the way to our home after our games in the evening although we were quite sure of switching off of all those lights. Some of us were frightened having had some very bad experience there at nights. One may ask Habla (Shibshankar Chatterjee) and Bapu (Prabhat Tarafdar) about their experience of a sudden attack by some invisible spirit that was throwing them like ball in the Office room of Durga Bari at a midnight when they were sleeping there.

                          Our house, as many of you know is quite spacious and a big portion of it remains unutilized throughout the year. There we had experienced many times the existence of some spirit. My maternal uncle had himself seen such spirit who never harmed him. My grandpa was very bold and courageous. He never believed all these and used to laugh on others on this matter. But even he had to experience the wrath of them one night. When he grew very old and his mobility to distant urinal from his room became difficult in rainy nights he used to collect his urine in a pot and throw it away in our garden to wash it away in rains. One night on listening to his groans we all hustled to his room. He was sweating profusely and was a little nervous. After his ease he told us that he saw a child entered his room from the closed door. Then it became a long giant and suddenly sat on his chest threatening him not to throw his urine here and there. On our arrival it left his room laughing. My grandpa was frightened for a while but he became normal as before without any fear but he never threw his urine again. He used to laugh whenever remembered this story.

                          The incidence which I am going to write now was witnessed by me, Ma and my Masi. For the sake of saving the families from any embarrassment I will change the names of the characters. A young Bengali lady in her early thirties, Kumud used to teach my younger brothers while I was taught by a non-bengali man of approximately 40 odd years. One evening the iron door in the backside of our house sounded heavily as if closed by force. My grandpa told my mom that Kumud came but the children hadn’t come back from the playground. Ma assured him that she would wait meanwhile gossiping with her as it was twilight and they would return before it turned dark. But nobody entered our house. We all returned and after washing our hands and feet we sat to study. My tutor came from another gate and we sat on a verandah near garden. After some time we all listened a scream of Kumud aunty, “Whoever is there save me. He’ll kill me.” I sprang on my feet and turned back to the room. Afterwards came in the garden with Ma and a torch-light. We saw clear marks on the ground showing she was pulled over the earth by holding her arm. Her sandals were left near the iron-gate and her specks were broken lying on the path. That night her family was informed and after she was brought to her senses they taken her away. After a few days when she regained her health she came in the morning and narrated her story that some bad spirit was after her and used to thrash her in loneliness. She left the job and you won’t believe despite of all the exorcist exercises resorted by her family she died one day due to her falling health condition on repeated tortures from that spirit.

                          I do not want to enter into any controversial discussion relating to ghosts, spirits etc. I just shared some experiences with you. We Bengalis are very fond of ghost stories. Numerous books on Ghost Stories are available of very famous writers in the market. I don’t know how many of you have enjoyed ghost stories over a cup of tea and ‘telebhaja’ on a wintery night where added flavor is the load-shedding of electricity. We had fortunately one widow granny and one aunt (Itu Pisi) who had profound stock of such stories and very artistic way of telling such stories. I still remember those cold winter nights when we used to confine in our only cemented room with a coal oven with its fading warmth and enjoyed such ghost stories after our studies. However we had to take the help of popular songs aloud to go to our bathroom or other rooms.

                          Many argue that such stories may affect the tender juvenile minds and render them as frightful. But I think the old stories from ‘Thakumar Jhuli’, ‘Arabian Nights’ and many others which we listen from our grannies actually enhance our imagination power. One more thing, with listening of these stories children used to finish their food easily from their grannies. Had these stories not been there we would have missed the ‘Gupi Gain Bagha Bain’, ‘Khudito Pashan’, ’Harry Potter’ like stories today.