Skip to main content

Fog : Someone Is Holding Me


I was 4 years old, living in Chintamaniswar, Bhubaneswar. One fine evening, we all had a ritual at the construction site of our future home. All my cousins, uncles, and aunts had come to our place. We were all playing outside when I ran straight to the nearby yard, filled with lots of mango trees and wild bushes called "amba tota" (botanical garden in Odia). We kept playing until sunset. But slowly, every kid returned except me. I had wandered into a dense fog amidst the mango trees. I was eventually found hugging a tree tightly, my hair unusually straight and my eyes rolled back. I was running a high fever and speaking incoherently.

I was immediately taken home, and my dad called someone who could help expel evil spirits. They made a holy pyre called "Jhuna," whose smoke filled the room. As they spoke to the spirit within me, I suddenly spoke in a different voice, claiming to be a newlywed bride who had been attacked and raped by thugs while going to a movie with her husband. Everyone was stunned. Suddenly, a wave of smoke from the holy pyre engulfed me, while my mom whipped my face with her long hair, chanting a holy mantra of love and compassion. Finally, the unwanted spirit left my body, and we saw a black bird fly towards the dissipating fog, never to return.


*a true story, narrated by my maternal aunty






Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Interview With The Author Of Bhoota Gappa & 2minhorrorstories

An interview with the author of JustUtter's first ever released horror book series named "Bhoota Gappa". This interview will not only let readers know more about, the origin and inspiration of these horror stories but also the challenges of fear and ruthlessness of the inner soul that unravels the story of the main character "Azagka".  Available Now in both paperback and hardcover Watch The Trailer Now!! Why did you write "2minhorrorstories"?   As an afternoon ritual back in my childhood days, my grandmother used to always narrate us stories about ghosts, witches, and unexplained incidents from her childhood, youth, to her middle age.    Those stories, enabled me to enter into a realm of a parallel dimension, that had some power beyond realism. It created a sense of fear, but at the same time the thrill lingered around for days, turning me into an adventurous soul that pushed my intentions beyond being scared and thus overpowering my inner ...

Eyes (In Odia Aakhi), A Short Story from "Bhoota Gappa"

ଆମେ ହାଲି କାଲି ଗଲିରେ ଗୋଟେ ନୂତନ ଘରକୁ ସଂଚାର କରିଥିଲୁ। ଆମ ମାଲିକ ଆମକୁ ଜଣାଇଥିଲେ ଯେ ଘରର ଗୋଟେ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦିଷ୍ଟ କକ୍ଷକୁ ଏଢାଇବା ଆବଶ୍ୟକ। ସେହି କକ୍ଷକୁ ଆମେ ଅତିରିକ୍ତ ଖାଦ୍ୟସାମଗ୍ରୀ ଏବଂ ପୁରୁଣା ଟିକିଆ ପାଇଁ ଗୋଦାମ ଘର ଭାବରେ ବ୍ୟବହାର କରୁଥିଲୁ। ଏକ ଦିନ ବେଳକୁ, ମୁଁ ଅସୁସ୍ଥ ଅନୁଭବ କରୁଥିଲି ଏବଂ ଘରର ସେହି କକ୍ଷର ଦ୍ୱାରକୁ ତାଳା ଲଗାଇବାକୁ ଭୁଲିଯାଇଥିଲି। ଘୁମେ ଥିବାବେଳେ, ମୁଁ ଆକସ୍ମିକ ଜାଗିଗଲି ଏବଂ ଦେଖିଲି ଯେ ଗୋଟିଏ ବୃଦ୍ଧା ମୋର ଖଟିଆର ପାର୍ଶ୍ୱରେ ବସିଛନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ମୋତେ ତକି ରହିଛନ୍ତି। ମୁଁ ଭୟରେ ଜଡ଼ ହୋଇ ଶାନ୍ତ ରହିବାକୁ ଚେଷ୍ଟା କଲି। ମୋ ମନର ଭୟ ସତ୍ତେ, ମୁଁ ଆଖି ବନ୍ଦ କରି ସ୍ୱରକୁ ଦମାଇ ରଖିବାକୁ ସକ୍ଷମ ହେଲି। ମୁଁ ଏକ ତୀବ୍ର ମତଲାହାଟିର ଲହର ଅନୁଭବ କଲି ଏବଂ ଭୟରେ ମୋର ମୂତ୍ର ଛାଡ଼ିଦେଲି। ଲାଗୁଥିଲା ଯେ ଅନ୍ଧକାର ମୋର ଆତ୍ମାକୁ ମାଡ଼ି ଯାଉଛି, ଏବଂ ମୋର ଶରୀର ଅନିୟନ୍ତ୍ରିତ ଭାବେ କାପୁଥିଲା। ସଉଭାଗ୍ୟବଶତଃ, ଘଣ୍ଟି ବାଜିଗଲା, ଯାହା ମୋତେ ସେଇ ଭୟଙ୍କର ଅନୁଭବରୁ ମୁକ୍ତି ଦେଲା। ମୋର ପଡ଼ୋଶି ଆସିଥିଲେ ଚାରି ପାଇଁ ଚାହିଁବାକୁ। ସେଇ ବିଚ୍ଛେଦ କିଛି ମୁହୁର୍ତ୍ତ ପାଇଁ ସାନ୍ତ୍ବନା ଦେଇଲା, ଏବଂ ସେହି ମହିଳା ହରାଇ ଯାଇଥିଲେ। ମୁଁ ତଡ଼କାରେ ଘରୁ ବାହାରି ଗଲି ଏବଂ ପଛରୁ ଦ୍ୱାରକୁ ତାଳା ଲଗାଇଦେଲି। ସେଇ ରାତିରେ, ମୋ ସ୍ୱାମୀ ଏବଂ ମୁଁ ଏକ ଯାତ୍ରା ପାଇଁ ବାହାରିଲୁ, ଏବଂ କିଛି ଦିନ ପାଇଁ ଆମ...

A Savage Village

    Our adventure trip, a group of friends and I, began in a vehicle unlike any other – mine. This marvel of engineering could be both pulled and pushed, adapting to the demands of the terrain. It resembled a monstrous GMC Hummer EV Edition, boasting a staggering 1000 horsepower and a mind-boggling 11,500 lb-ft of torque. Our destination: a remote, ancient village nestled on the fringes of the Bengal border. The journey was a nightmare from the outset. The roads, mere tracks through shifting sand dunes, twisted and turned like a labyrinth as we penetrated the village. The inhabitants, diminutive and unsettling with their pointed teeth, watched our arrival with palpable hostility. Then, disaster struck. One of them, with a chilling ferocity, bit our beloved dog, Toby, inflicting a gruesome wound. Panic seized us. Dr. Dev Kumar, the village veterinarian, resided in a dilapidated cottage at the maze's end. We had to reach him. As we pressed on, the sky turned an omino...