I saw a Ghost

I saw a Ghost

It was the summer break of 2010; I was in my pre final year and had stayed back in college for the vocational training.

DURGAPUR hot as always, I stayed @ room 310 Hall-1, my roomies had gone home and I was left all alone. An empty mind is a devil’s playground but what about an empty room? All day long I used to play games, watch movies and yeah! Pornography. It was hot as hell to step out of the room, can’t just blame myself.

Everyone has some kind of phobia, I am afraid of darkness, it’s called Lygophobia. Whenever I sleep alone I never turn off the lights, yeah coward! People call me that but I experience nightmares when I sleep in the dark.

Anyways back to the story, for dinner I went to the college back canteen. The route from hostel to back canteen was quite long so I always took a detour along the workshop area. What appears normal in the day can appear pretty much daunting and scary at night.

The way to back canteen via workshop looked deserted, nothing but just a bunch of old workshops with windows broken and shutters down which gave it a look of the haunted. Whenever I looked through those windows it seemed someone was looking right at me, it gave me an eerie feeling. The only thing that gave courage was the dim street light.

And in my mind I used to utter “as I walk the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil as the lord is with me”.

THE ROUTE

Days passed and that route became regular for me. I reached canteen safely had my dinner and farted on the way back to the hostel. Nothing really happened but the place still spooked me somehow. Whenever I crossed the workshop my mind played games with me, I thought that someone would call my name from behind and as I turn my head I would see a headless ghost, or that I would see lady in white or a hand waving me from the broken window s of the workshop and I was determined if any of these things ever happened I would run so fucking fast as if I am supposed to win a medal for India in Olympics.

With these thoughts I was getting paranoid but nothing happened in the way.

People say “The best surprise is when you do not expect any surprise.” That’s what the Ghost had in mind I guess.

One fine night around 7:45 pm I decided to go back canteen. Before I locked the room I made sure that G.I.JOE: Rise of Cobra, Percy Jackson lightening thief, Jennifer’s body, Tera Patrick J and few more movies were on download.

I locked my room and went to room 216 where John & Rio were cooking food. I asked them if they wanted to tag along. I left their room and walked out of the hostel, just a few steps ahead of the hostel gate, I felt someone behind me.

If it was the usual days I wouldn’t bother turning around to see who it was but since it was summer break and very few people stayed back, I turned to see if it was a familiar face, but nobody was there.

It was a moon lit night. No such thought occurred to me at that time, I just started moving ahead and again I felt someone behind me.

I was moving along the boundary of the hostel and the lights centered in the playground Lords was casting the shadow in the wall. As I looked left to the wall I could see my shadow and few meters behind I could see another shadow.

This time I was sure there was someone behind me. A thought came that it might be a thief. This time when I turned around, I saw someone standing next to a tree few meters behind. I asked who it was but there was no reply.

I mustered my courage and was ready to battle just in case anything goes wrong. I started moving towards the tree and that someone was still standing there; with every step I took I tried to see the face but it was unclear and the next moment Holy Shit! I was stunned there was no face; I mean no eyes, no nose, no ears, just a black face and a human like body but no hands and legs, it was completely black and filled with darkness hovering just above the ground.

For an instance I thought my eyes have been fooled and I moved another step ahead to confirm and Oh my God! Oh my fucking God! I couldn’t believe my eyes, my heart beat paced as it was going to burst and I sensed a rush of adrenaline and I ran as fast as could to the street. I was dumbfounded and I stood under the street light still looking at the tree, now with every second the figure seemed to move and come towards me.

I was so frightened that I almost crapped my pants; I was gripped with fear still watching that figure coming towards me. I wanted to run but I couldn’t. The figure now appeared to be distorting and moving slowly. I started reciting prayers and thought this was my end.

All of a sudden I heard a bicycle bell ring, I turned left and there was this person riding bicycle, I made a plan that the moment bicycle nears me I will start walking with it and I did. I had no courage to turn around and see, I just kept walking and walking till I reached a small market area called LH more. 

I entered a food stall, sat down and drank a chilled cold drink to edge off the shock. I was still in distress thinking what on the earth I just witnessed?

I have been hearing stories about ghost and supernatural beings since childhood but never had I encountered any one of them until now.

I had my dinner and while on the way back to the hostel I thought may be its waiting for me there. So I entered the hostel through the other gate, still afraid of what might happen next.

I was so afraid I didn’t go to my room; I went to 216 and stayed there for an hour or two to calm my mind, told John and Rio about it but those assholes were making fun of me. Finally I went to my room and I was getting so paranoid, I called at home and talked to my parents, that’s how I calmed a bit. I took out my rosary and prayed to the Lord and slept with lights on.

Well it didn’t just end there, next day onwards I got very sick, headaches and fever; I avoided the training and went home for treatment.

After two weeks I got better and then I researched about it. The day was a full moon night “Poornima ki raat” a perfect bliss for supernatural beings. After a lot of thinking I reckon that the shadowy figure was the spirit of the deceased and that particular night when I saw it, it saw me. I guess it just wanted to say Hello. 

As of date whenever I narrate this story of mine it still gives me goose bumps.