Ghosts At Night

Cheeniya · Mar 9, 2017

Ghost at Noon!

There was a short period in my life, mid twenties to be precise, when I took to some serious reading. It was during this short period, I stumbled upon ‘The Ghost at Noon’ by Alberto Moravia. Being a great fan of ghost stories, I settled in a comfortable chair and started reading it. I was disappointed that no ghost put up its appearance till the fiftieth page. I rushed through the remaining pages hoping that the ghost might put up its appearance at some point but the ghost just remained a title! Then I realised that ghosts never put up their appearance at mid-day being allergic to sun light. Italian sounding characters like Molterni and Emilia sounded interesting in the beginning but the disappointment of seeing no ghost in action utterly frustrated me. The book received raving reviews but I disliked it and you know why! But why are you bringing it here, you may ask. It is the ghost in the title, of course!

When I entered this world, only my maternal grandma was alive and she had a running relationship with ghosts of all kinds. I had nine paternal aunts who were experts in narrating stories but they were nowhere near the live experiences of my maternal grandma. She had a clean-shaven head after the demise of my grandpa and I had heard my mum telling me what beautiful locks of hair she had. Clad in white saree worn without a blouse, and her forehead smeared with holy ash, she looked saintly, the only aberration being her frequent tête-à-tête with ghosts.

After I finished my 18 months’ probation (!) in the Bank, I was posted to Tuticorin as an Accountant. Though I was upset that I could not get a posting near Madras, I consoled myself that there was a Branch of Grindlays Bank right in front of my Bank. They are not there in Tuticorin anymore, nor am I! I was there with my young wife and parents in a palatial house at a monthly rent of Rs.60/- I loved the palatial house and considered myself lucky to be able to get it. And on one fine morning, my maternal aunt arrived there with a plan to visit the nine vaishnav temples called Navathirupathi. She was too tired even to utter a word after the gruelling 16-hour journey by a meter gauge train drawn by a coal engine. But being a physically tough woman, she was on her feet in less than 24 hours!

On the second day, she summoned my mother and asked her discretely if she found anything peculiar the previous night. It transpired that she was returning from the toilet around midnight when she saw my mother entering the toilet. When she walked into the bedroom she was shocked to see my mother fast asleep! She knew instantly that the house was infested with ghosts but ghosts were nothing new to her. In any case, she was not unduly worried about because the encounters with the Tuticorin ghosts seemed jovial and fun! The reason for her judgement was that villainous ghosts would not impersonate someone resident in the house.

For the next one week, there were more and more ghost episodes in which my mother and wife too participated in full strength! So convincing was the narrative excellence of my grandma! They saw ghosts here, ghosts there, and they felt a ghost tickling their feet and another sitting on their tummy! Very soon, it even went beyond the narrative ability of my grandma and, for the first time, she started believing my mother and wife! She hastily packed up and left for her Navathirupathi tour. But the ghosts, by now, found strong believers in my mother and wife. Their ghost stories found me and my dad swathed in sweat like T.S.Bhaliah sweating profusely hearing his son narrate a horror story!

We vacated the house next month and shifted to a cramped house where there was no possibility for ghosts to have a foot-hold!

satchitananda · Mar 9, 2017

Cheeniya sir, I have spent a lifetime wondering whether ghosts really exist or not. My mom would tell me no ghost would come near me ever - they'd run scared of me!!! Now you know what a high opinion my mom had of me.
I am not complaining though. When I was studying in the UK, the way to the hostel from the hospital went through a graveyard (short cut) or around it which was a few meters longer. Not wanting to walk too much at the end of a tiring day, I used to walk through the graveyard on moonlit nights, assuring myself that no British bhooth would want to come out and meet this live colonial specimen.

madras2018 · Mar 9, 2017

Cheeniya said: ↑

There was a short period in my life, mid twenties to be precise, when I took to some serious reading. It was during this short period, I stumbled upon ‘The Ghost at Noon’ by Alberto Moravia. Being a great fan of ghost stories, I settled in a comfortable chair and started reading it. I was disappointed that no ghost put up its appearance till the fiftieth page. I rushed through the remaining pages hoping that the ghost might put up its appearance at some point but the ghost just remained a title! Then I realised that ghosts never put up their appearance at mid-day being allergic to sun light. Italian sounding characters like Molterni and Emilia sounded interesting in the beginning but the disappointment of seeing no ghost in action utterly frustrated me. The book received raving reviews but I disliked it and you know why! But why are you bringing it here, you may ask. It is the ghost in the title, of course!

When I entered this world, only my maternal grandma was alive and she had a running relationship with ghosts of all kinds. I had nine paternal aunts who were experts in narrating stories but they were nowhere near the live experiences of my maternal grandma. She had a clean-shaven head after the demise of my grandpa and I had heard my mum telling me what beautiful locks of hair she had. Clad in white saree worn without a blouse, and her forehead smeared with holy ash, she looked saintly, the only aberration being her frequent tête-à-tête with ghosts.

After I finished my 18 months’ probation (!) in State Bank, I was posted to Tuticorin as an Accountant. Though I was upset that I could not get a posting near Madras, I consoled myself that there was a Branch of Grindlays Bank right in front of my Bank. They are not there in Tuticorin, nor am I! I was there with my young wife and parents in a palatial house at a monthly rent of Rs.60/- I loved the palatial house and considered myself lucky to be able to get it. And on one fine morning, my maternal aunt arrived there with a plan to visit the nine vaishnav temples called Navathirupathi. She was too tired even to utter a word after the gruelling 16-hour journey by a meter gauge train drawn by a coal engine. But being a physically tough woman, she was on her feet in less than 24 hours!

On the second day, she summoned my mother and asked her discretely if she found anything peculiar the previous night. It transpired that she was returning from the toilet around midnight when she saw my mother entering the toilet. When she walked into the bedroom she was shocked to see my mother fast asleep! She knew instantly that the house was infested with ghosts but ghosts were nothing new to her. In any case, she was not unduly worried about because the encounters with the Tuticorin ghosts seemed jovial and fun! The reason for her judgement was that villainous ghosts would not impersonate someone resident in the house.

For the next one week, there were more and more ghost episodes in which my mother and wife too participated in full strength! So convincing was the narrative excellence of my grandma! They saw ghosts here, ghosts there, and they felt a ghost tickling their feet and another sitting on their tummy! Very soon, it even went beyond the narrative ability of my grandma and, for the first time, she started believing my mother and wife! She hastily packed up and left for her Navathirupathi tour. But the ghosts, by now, found strong believers in my mother and wife. Their ghost stories found me and my dad swathed in sweat like T.S.Bhaliah sweating profusely hearing his son narrate a horror story!

We vacated the house next month and shifted to a cramped house where there was no possibility for ghosts to have a foot-hold!
Click to expand...

Loved the slice of life narration. Thanks You too @satchitananda

Doree · Mar 10, 2017

That was not scary to read ... Even ghosts will get scared hearing the ghost stories that people create. Don't know if they are for real or not enjoyed reading your narration. Thanks for sharing

shyamala1234 · Mar 10, 2017

Cheeniya said: ↑

There was a short period in my life, mid twenties to be precise, when I took to some serious reading. It was during this short period, I stumbled upon ‘The Ghost at Noon’ by Alberto Moravia. Being a great fan of ghost stories, I settled in a comfortable chair and started reading it. I was disappointed that no ghost put up its appearance till the fiftieth page. I rushed through the remaining pages hoping that the ghost might put up its appearance at some point but the ghost just remained a title! Then I realised that ghosts never put up their appearance at mid-day being allergic to sun light. Italian sounding characters like Molterni and Emilia sounded interesting in the beginning but the disappointment of seeing no ghost in action utterly frustrated me. The book received raving reviews but I disliked it and you know why! But why are you bringing it here, you may ask. It is the ghost in the title, of course!

When I entered this world, only my maternal grandma was alive and she had a running relationship with ghosts of all kinds. I had nine paternal aunts who were experts in narrating stories but they were nowhere near the live experiences of my maternal grandma. She had a clean-shaven head after the demise of my grandpa and I had heard my mum telling me what beautiful locks of hair she had. Clad in white saree worn without a blouse, and her forehead smeared with holy ash, she looked saintly, the only aberration being her frequent tête-à-tête with ghosts.

After I finished my 18 months’ probation (!) in State Bank, I was posted to Tuticorin as an Accountant. Though I was upset that I could not get a posting near Madras, I consoled myself that there was a Branch of Grindlays Bank right in front of my Bank. They are not there in Tuticorin, nor am I! I was there with my young wife and parents in a palatial house at a monthly rent of Rs.60/- I loved the palatial house and considered myself lucky to be able to get it. And on one fine morning, my maternal aunt arrived there with a plan to visit the nine vaishnav temples called Navathirupathi. She was too tired even to utter a word after the gruelling 16-hour journey by a meter gauge train drawn by a coal engine. But being a physically tough woman, she was on her feet in less than 24 hours!

On the second day, she summoned my mother and asked her discretely if she found anything peculiar the previous night. It transpired that she was returning from the toilet around midnight when she saw my mother entering the toilet. When she walked into the bedroom she was shocked to see my mother fast asleep! She knew instantly that the house was infested with ghosts but ghosts were nothing new to her. In any case, she was not unduly worried about because the encounters with the Tuticorin ghosts seemed jovial and fun! The reason for her judgement was that villainous ghosts would not impersonate someone resident in the house.

For the next one week, there were more and more ghost episodes in which my mother and wife too participated in full strength! So convincing was the narrative excellence of my grandma! They saw ghosts here, ghosts there, and they felt a ghost tickling their feet and another sitting on their tummy! Very soon, it even went beyond the narrative ability of my grandma and, for the first time, she started believing my mother and wife! She hastily packed up and left for her Navathirupathi tour. But the ghosts, by now, found strong believers in my mother and wife. Their ghost stories found me and my dad swathed in sweat like T.S.Bhaliah sweating profusely hearing his son narrate a horror story!

We vacated the house next month and shifted to a cramped house where there was no possibility for ghosts to have a foot-hold!
Click to expand...

Dear Cheeniya sir,
99.999% I do not believe in ghosts. It is a kind of hallucination of mind. But one thing......many writers wrote stories, novels, even children's stories like Vikram and Bhetal. We used to read them with a lot of enthusiasm and suspence.
You seem to have a friendly relationship with ghosts ( in one previous snippet also). But your maternal grandma transferred fear of ghosts to your mother and wife and left for pilgrimage!
Syamala

beautifullife30 · Mar 10, 2017

very wonderful narration @Cheeniya sir......

I don't believe in ghosts until its midnight and I have to go to the bathroom! During day time I watch all sorts of horror movies with my kids and H and in the night, they come back to haunt me - specially when I am in the bathroom......and my H is no less in playing pranks in that 3 to 5 minutes time making use of this weakness in me!

He makes all sorts of weird noises, switching off the light in the bathroom inbetween! There have been times I have yelled out loud waking up my extended family members too at 12/1 AM! Now, my youngest son - 4.5 yrs old - does precisely this whenever I yell out! I am still scared

knbg · Mar 10, 2017

Wow Sir...
Absolute delight reading the post on ghost....
the guest made the host shift post....
Your sprawling house narration took me to many of the houses of yesteryears....one in our native and another in my grandma's maternal home....summer evenings would start with fun...then we all would have supper sitting around my grandma, who would pass balls and balls of three course meal supplemented by freshly made and dried vadaams...later we all would be put to sleep in the big hall....we would talk about ghosts et al and doze to sleep when suddenly grand uncle's snore would wake us with a stir....the first time I heard someone snore was there and thought a leopard had strayed in....lol...then the tick tock of the old wall clock and the taaap of the mouse trap...would scare me and make me chant to sleep....
This generation doesnt share such stories I think sir, haven't heard anything from my son yet....

suryakala · Mar 10, 2017

Dear @Cheeniya Sir,

I am yet come across a person telling," I interacted with a Ghost". Seeing a Ghost?... Yes, because there appears to be less ghosts during day and for some reason ghosts appear to appear only during night!

In Shakespeare's play "Hamlet", Hamlet says to Horatio after encountering his father's ghost,
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy".

I give below one real life incident in Tirunelveli (happened in 60s- When Tuticorin was part of Tirunelveli District) as narrated by my MIL.

My DH's twin younger brothers were sleeping at the two ends of the hall. At about 12 pm all of a sudden my MIL who was sleeping in the middle with other children heard these two boys (Aged 13) shrieking.
She suddenly got up switched on the light and found these two boys shouting sitting at their places.
She asked why?
The elder of the twins said," I saw in my sleep a black figure trying to come through the window. He (the other twin) was with me. I told him let us shout as soon as it jumps into the house. It jumped. I screamed.
The other twin said that he also saw the dark figure in his sleep and screamed as told by the elder as soon as it jumped!
It still remains a mystery how both had the same dream, seen the black figure jumping into the house, at the same time and reacted together!

Mind and Soul.....Can we ever understand them in full?

Cheeniya · Mar 10, 2017

My dear Satchi
Let alone your mother, even I have this high opinion of you that you could scare the wits out of any ghost, British or desi. It is this aspect of yours that has endeared you to me so much! Whether ghosts exist or not, you have the guts to put them in their place. I am also a non-believer in ghosts and it is only the people like my grandma who scare the wits out of me with their ghost stories. My grandma made my mother and wife believe so much in the apparitions that she witnessed at my home that they insisted on my shifting the house in a month!
Sri

Cheeniya · Mar 10, 2017

madras2018 said: ↑

Loved the slice of life narration. Thanks You too @satchitananda
Click to expand...

Dear madras
Thank you for your appreciation. My mum used to say that the best way to stymie a ghost was to laugh heartily and that would make the ghost feel insulted and leave the place. My grandma was possibly the author of such ideas. She should have been given a Ph.D in Ghostogy! (Don't scan the dictionary for this word. You won't find it!)
Sri