(Creepy forest)
Night time in the Himalayas can be pretty creepy as the foothills are immersed in cloud and mist, so it's unsurprising that during my three night sojourn at Jilling Estate ghosts and ghouls came up in conversation more than once. According to my friend Nandini, people in the Himalayas (or, "people from the hills", as she calls them) tend to be quite superstitious and believe in a variety of demons and spirits.
One legend native to the area where she grew up revolves around a
particularly weird looking plant. (Sorry, y'all, but I forgot the plant's
name). At particular times of the year--full moons and other appropriately creepy times--the
plant turns into a fearsome demon which kills anything in its path.
However, to the truly brave, those who can approach the plant demon
without a trace of fear in his or her heart, the demon will grant any one
wish.
Of course, it's not as simple as that. It's not
enough for a courageous person to confront the demon without fear in her
heart, she must do it while totally and completely stark
naked. The would-be wish seeker must strip down at dusk, wander into the
forest totally nude and without carrying any weapons, and confront the
demon plant in her most vulnerable state.
I asked, "Does this happen? Do people wander around the Himalayan forests naked at night trying to find the demon plants?"
Nandini
said, "No way! Because if even one goosebump appears on your arm, not
only will the demon kill you . . . . but you'll be found naked in the
morning!"
I guess it's easier for people to confront their fear of death than their fear of embarrassment.
(At night, the mist rolls in)
Ouija
boards also came up a few times in conversation as they seem pretty popular here. One of Nandini's friends who
joined us for an evening drink in the mountains told this story:
He said, "When I was a teenager I didn't believe in
spirits, but my parents did. One night while they were using the Ouija
board they called me into the room and said the spirit wanted to talk
with me. The spirit, in fact, was communicating to me through the medium
of young six year old cousin. She held a pen in her hand--lightly
touched by two older relatives--and was writing out the spirit's
messages.
"The spirit told me: 'go to your friend Nilesh right now. He is in trouble.'
"I
didn't want to go because Nilesh lived far away and it was raining, but
my parents made me. So I got on my bike and rode to his house. When I
arrived, his mother was crying because Nilesh had locked himself in a
room and wouldn't come out. I helped her break down the door, and we
found that he had just cut open his wrists over some love affair gone
wrong. We brought him to the hospital in time and he was saved. But he was depressed for
some time after that and we were all worried that he would try to commit
suicide again. A few nights later the spirit, again through the medium
of my small cousin, told me to bring Nilesh to him. So I did.
"Nilesh stood there, in front of the Ouiji board,
and refused to say anything. The spirit asked
him if he didn't want to talk because his older relatives were around.
Nilesh nodded, so the spirit told him to just think his questions;
spirits are mind readers, you see. And then my small cousin began to
write and write and write, giving Nilesh advice on getting over this
girl and living a good life. And you know, Nilesh snapped out of his
depression soon after, which he attributed to the spirit's teachings. My
family still has that piece of paper, covered in childish writing,
giving the spirit's advice to Nilesh. And now I believe in spirits"
Hearing this story, I of course had to ask: "What happened to your
small cousin? The one being used by the spirit as the medium? That has
got to be psychologically traumatic."
Nandini's
friend nodded. He said: "Yes, I think these things do leave an impact.
There's always been something night quite right with that girl. I mean,
she's almost 35 now, but still has never gotten married."
Scary indeed.
No comments:
Post a Comment