By Adity Choudhury
Are ghosts real? While this question is up for debate, their presence in the popular imagination remains uncontested.
From the written word by masters of this genre like HP Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King to the cinema (It Follows, The Shining) and cartoons like Scooby Doo, we love to share spooky stories with friends and family.
Shillong is no different. Different communities bring (with them) many otherworldly beings, making for a chutney of supernatural existence.
These are stories of urban supernatural spaces, mostly roads, known for ghostly sightings – personal experiences of a taxi driver, a family friend, and an uncle. The last story is now a popular legend.
For the sake of their (requested) anonymity, their true identity has been withheld.
Meet Raju, a Shillong-based taxi driver who was born and brought up in the city. He worked for a family who was in the medical supply business. Naturally, they owned a few cars, and he drove one of them – a white colour Maruti van, supplying medicines all over the state.
Before his experience, his peers considered him a brave man for driving alone late at night on a particular road toward Polo.
He says, “This stretch of road is a supernatural hotspot, at least in our circle. I would consider this a life-changing event because I never believed in ghosts until I saw the figure with my own eyes.”
His experience is from the early 2000s. Raju was on his way to Shillong from Jowai. He wanted to reach Shillong by 11 pm but the car broke down, which delayed his plan. By the time he was on his way home, it was 2 am.
As he turned towards Polo, a young woman waved at him to stop. Remembering how he heard about her, he drove on. “I increased my speed to cross this road fast. Once I reached the Polo bazaar, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and saw her. My hands were trembling.”
He paused for a moment, before continuing. “I apologised for my behaviour and admitted I should’ve stopped. She said nothing, got down, and disappeared soon after. All I could think of was the temple nearby and prayed for my safety.”
That night he stayed at the house of the family after parking their car and did not have dinner. “Growing up, I heard that one shouldn’t eat after such an overwhelming experience. I never questioned them about this, but that night, I heeded the advice.”
While sipping on tea, Raju added, smiling, that he shared his ghostly encounter outside the taxi drivers’ circle for the first time.
The second story is an experience shared by a family friend, Anirudha. A professor at a reputed college, he migrated to Shillong from Assam. The first rented house he lived in has a reputation for being haunted. He narrated how he felt a strange pull he never understood.
“My cousin saw an apparition and told me to leave this house as soon as possible. But I didn’t want to shift to another place. It had such an effect on me that I couldn’t stay at any of my friends’ homes whenever I was invited for dinner. All I knew was that I had to return, no matter how late it got.”
He left the house soon after, but not without seeing an apparition of a woman. While she did not harm him, the experience unnerved him enough to stay up the entire night, unable to sleep, adding how many of his family members claimed of seeing apparitions – in most cases, that of a man.
Gaurav narrated the experience of his uncle. This was the 1960s. Back in the day, Shillong was far more cosmopolitan and his uncle would return home late at night, spending most evenings with his friends after work. The adda culture was strong. His spine-chilling experience was near Arbuthnot Road.
“This road starts from Laitumkhrah Police point and takes a turn towards Assam Rifles campus. There are two other roads at that junction – one goes to Gora Lane on the right, and the other, towards the graveyard on the left. There was one colonial bungalow at the junction. My uncle was on his way home near the Assam Rifles campus.
He thought that he heard a horse approaching. Brushing this feeling aside, he kept walking. A point came when he felt a figure riding a horse pass him. A cold sensation ran down his spine. He rushed home, and probably, lost consciousness.”
Later, Gaurav’s uncle came to know that sightings of Europeans were reported earlier.
The next story is from 1970s Shillong. The time was New Year’s Eve. The setting, intimate – a party, a young man and a mysterious woman.
This is the story of Marina, who came to the party and caught the attention of the young man. They talked, shared drinks, ate together, and danced to the music. Soon, the time came to leave. He offered to drop her home. In some versions, they walked towards Upper Shillong, where she lived; in another, he drove her home.
Once outside, the man saw her shiver and offered his coat (many say it was a jacket). On reaching her place, the woman thanked him profusely and said they would meet the next day.
Remembering that his coat was with her, he decided to meet her and reached her home. An elderly lady greeted him at the doorstep. He enquired about Marina when she told him that she was “already dead a long time ago”.
Observing his disbelief, the lady took him to her grave. When they reached, they found his coat hanging on the cross at the head of the grave.
Many urban spooky tales are found in the nooks and corners of the city. That people speak about hauntings in hushed whispers in the 21st century, shows that certain stories may have no rational explanation. They continue to exist and be told around fireplaces, perhaps as cautionary tales or maybe, to remember that not every question has answers.
When people ask me if I believe in supernatural existence, I quote the film, The Devil’s Backbone, by Guillermo del Toro –
What is a ghost? A tragedy condemned to repeat itself time and again? A moment of pain, perhaps. Something dead which still seems to be alive. An emotion, suspended in time. Like a blurred photograph. Like an insect trapped in amber…”