A long time ago, my mother was hospitalized in a general ward. One night, she suddenly saw a woman with a gory appearance and frizzled hair moving rapidly through the ward. Before she could even shout, the figure vanished.

Now, let me recount my own experiences.

I was around 20 years old and visiting Delhi on my own. One of my aunts had invited me to stay with her for a few days. The room where I was given a bed had an odd layout. Directly opposite the entrance was the exit, which led straight to the backyard. The cot was placed right in between the entrance and the exit. One night, as I slept deeply, I felt an unbelievably forceful slap on my face. Startled and scared, I woke up but couldn’t see anything. Being young and foolishly brave, I brushed it off. The next day, my aunt casually mentioned that sometimes spirits pass through spaces where the entrance and exit are aligned. That’s a belief we hold. Then why did she put the cot there, I wondered. The next day, the cot was moved further inside, and I slept peacefully, although I remained jittery after hearing what my aunt had said.

Another eerie event occurred after my mother passed away. My sister and her family were staying with us, and we were all sleeping on the floor in the same room, chatting. Eventually, everyone fell asleep. Suddenly, something woke me up. When I opened my eyes, I saw a woman dressed in a white saree standing just behind my sister. She bore a striking resemblance to my mother. As I tried to wave it away, my sister shrieked. In the morning, she said she didn’t remember much but did feel a heavy pressure on her chest.

On yet another occasion, when my younger son was around 4 years old, I had a chilling experience. In the middle of the night, I saw a large, imposing man dressed in a lungi with a big mustache holding my son. Gathering all the courage I could muster, I jumped up, pulled my son away, and slammed the door shut.

The very next day, my son developed severe diarrhea and had to be brought home from school. We spent the entire day administering electrolytes. At the time, we didn’t have a telephone at home. After returning from the office, I took him to the doctor again to ensure he was okay.

Chilling, indeed.

Continued in 171. Minor Major - Part 2