That Night In The Ghost Town

Wow, this place is so beautiful. Truly an ideal honeymoon spot. Raktima's voice was filled with excitement as she admired the natural beauty around her. "Thanks, dear. Who chose it, after all? exclaimed Shubham, Raktima's longtime boyfriend and now newlywed husband. "Indeed, such a beautiful place, with a view of the sunset piercing through the mountains, the refreshing breeze that sweeps the mind away, truly an ideal landscape for my photography. In one word, superb, said Raktima.

After a sweet college romance, Shubham and Raktima got married. Instead of choosing typical honeymoon destinations like Ooty, Munnar, Himachal, or Devbhumi, they opted for the obscure Dhalbhumgarh. Only two hundred kilometers from Kolkata, this tribal-inhabited place nestled in the lap of Chotanagpur offers a beauty that surpasses any tourist destination. Everywhere you look, it's just green, green, and more green. The vast stretches of Sal and Teak forests awaken the poet within. The grey mountain ranges on the horizon appear misty. Nature here feels like a beautiful woman. Mountain rivers and occasional waterfalls enhance the place's charm. The Sal trees are in bloom, clusters of white flowers everywhere, with the intoxicating scent of Mahua wafting through the air. At night, the sound of Mandal drums echoes from the depths of the forest. In one word, they felt like they had entered an unknown world, away from the conventional civilized world. And here, their relationship gained new flavors and colors. As the beauty of nature intensifies, so do human emotions and feelings. Shubham's passion for poetry and Raktima's for photography had always been there, but here, they got to know each other even better. Shubham's mornings began with Raktima's kisses, and evenings ended in her embrace. However, sometimes in these beautiful places, some ancient supernatural occurrences take place. To the north lies Bablatal's hill, the Mundas' Sasan Diri. Standing on the terrace of the guesthouse in the falling evening breeze made Raktima shiver.

In the late afternoons, amidst the crimson twilight, Shubham and Raktima often strolled through the forest, hand in hand, breathing in the fragrance of Mahua, whispering love words into each other's ears. But the guesthouse manager, Pramit Pal, had warned them beforehand to return to the guesthouse before dusk. Many terrifying incidents occur in this region.

According to Pramit Pal, You know, many years ago, there was a Tantrika (sorceress) in this region. It is said that she had control over dark powers. Her deity was the devil himself. Every full moon, she would disguise herself as a beautiful woman and seduce some lustful man, sacrificing their souls to the devil. In return, she gained immense power." Shubham and Raktima exclaimed, Then what happened?

The Tantrika might have achieved eternal youth and immortality. You know, this area is blessed by the deity Rankini Mata. She is Shakti, she is Kali, she is Rankini. The mother possibly didn't want her children to suffer under the devil's influence. So, on a rainy full moon night, the Tantrika was burned to ashes." Shubham breathed a sigh of relief, "So, we are safe then!

Pramit Pal continued, "But not quite! Even today, people tremble in fear of the Baghdumba every night. The Tantrika's spirit hasn't been freed, and according to the Mundas, she has turned into Baghdumba. This Baghdumba is a living terror to the people here.

In a curious yet frightened voice, Raktima asked, But what is Baghdumba? Is it human or something else? Pramit Pal's response left both of them stunned. "Imagine if under the moonlight, a young man suddenly sees a seductive woman transform into a ferocious tigress. That's Baghdumba. Half woman, half tigress. It’s a horror for the locals. If you don't believe me, go to the Munda village; some eyewitnesses are there. Thanks to Rankini Mata's blessings, they survived Baghdumba's attack.

They say Baghdumba roams every night, but the terror is at its peak on full moon nights. On such nights, some unfortunate person always falls prey to Baghdumba.

Shubham remembered that the next day was Saturday and a full moon. A shiver ran down his spine.

The following day, Saturday. As the sun set, casting a crimson hue across the mountains, the full moon rose in the eastern sky. The intense fragrance of Mahua filled the air with a sense of intoxication. Soon, the Mandal drums of the Santals would begin. Shubham had no intention of returning to the guesthouse today. He wanted to lose himself in the forest with Raktima, under the open sky, in the moonlight. He wished to make Raktima his own, in the most intimate way possible. They had laughed off Pramit Pal's warnings, considering them mere superstitions of the Mundas, and were surprised that a well-educated person like him believed in such tales.

Every evening, they walked the rocky, red-soiled paths through the forest in the golden light, but today, they had no intention of returning to the guesthouse. In the intoxicating breeze, under the silver moonlight, beneath the star-studded sky, Shubham wanted to spend the night with Raktima. Her gaze ignited a flame of desire within him, her soft touch drove him crazy, making him yearn to hold her tight, kiss her, feel every heartbeat of hers, and make her his own, with the green forest as their witness. The full moon above seemed to sing a love song.

The spell broke with the ringing of his cellphone. It was Raktima's voice, Shubham, where are you? Don't you remember Pramitbabu's words? Even if there's no Baghdumba, there could be wolves or hyenas. I fell asleep today, and you left without me!

In a trembling voice, Shubham said, But you...

From the other end, Raktima replied, When you were talking to Pramitbabu, I went to the terrace after dinner. Strangely, I felt drowsy there, something that never happens. When I came downstairs, I saw you had left.

But...

No buts, Pramitbabu is very worried, and I have a bad feeling today. Please, come back soon."

Raktima hung up. Shubham's heart pounded in fear. If the person who called was Raktima, then who was this woman who had seduced him, leading him astray all this time? Was she even human?

Darkness had enveloped the earth, and under the moonlight, the world looked surreal. The call of a jackal echoed nearby.

The seductive woman who had been with him all this while started changing form. Her body grew larger, her jaws revealed sharp fangs, her fingers elongated into claws, her ears became long and pointed, her clothes tore, and yellow-black stripes appeared on her furry body. The fear that had gripped Shubham's heart burst out in a scream.

Hearing the blood-curdling, terrifying roar of Baghdumba from the cursed northwestern hillside, Raktima shivered. Experienced Pramit Pal immediately understood that Baghdumba had found its unfortunate prey again on this moonlit night.