This one might sound like one of those Indian ghost stories that the whole country finds dreadful. I did an article a while ago to break that quintessential stereotype about those white saree ghosts that people often encounter around here. While that was more like a case study of a dud case, this latest addition to our Indian ghost stories collection is more intriguing than any.
Someone had narrated this tale to me a while ago, and it kept ringing in my head until of course, I decided to pen it. I couldn’t empathize enough for the children in this tale.
So without wasting any time, let’s get to it.
Indian Ghost Stories: The Woman in White
It was a gloomy night, full of crickets and fireflies. While they could have easily beamed up anyone looking for some company in the dead of the night, they failed to please two brothers who walked down the moonlit path ahead. They knew it to be their only way home, and sadly it was quite forlorn at such a bad time. But there were people yes, even when it turned dark. The village was never dead.
It was their village that was to blame, that had created such faraway places of interest to expand its reach. For such little steps to cover a patch of land, it would generally take hours. But Chiru had his elder brother Dhiru for company, and the road had suddenly become less punishing. Because when you have with you someone you love, you forget how far the destination is.
They talked about their day, of how they had enjoyed swimming in the pond and how much they loved to play Gillidanda. They chortled when they tried to name some of their friends who really sucked at the game.
The Woman
It wasn’t long after they noticed someone coming from the front. It was hazy at first but then as they walked on they were able to make out that she was a woman wearing a white sari.
With the village full of old widows, it didn’t come as a surprise for the lads. Also, because they were deep down in a pleasant conversation they were far from paying attention to everything around. But she was right in front of them, so it was hard to ignore her.
Within a matter of seconds, to their surprise, she disappeared only to appear again right next to Chiru. She sat their motionless weeping. Her face was covered by her sari.
It was a shocking moment for anybody. Chiru turned around for Dhiru but he wasn’t there. He turned around and ran as fast as he could. He found Dhiru already running away in shock.
Dhiru screamed in his gasps,
“Run!”
He turned out to be too much of a wimp for a brother.
While running Chiru turned around to check, the woman was still there squatting where they had last seen her. That was the last he saw of her. He blasted away at full speed.
Encountering Villagers
Chiru kept following his brother, as they made a turn to luckily bump into a bunch of villagers who were out for a stroll.
Dhiru dug his face into a lady’s lap and was too shocked to say anything.
“What happened child?”
Dhiru wouldn’t even look back. His body trembled like a shriveled leaf. The lady wrapped her arms around him to calm him down. She could feel the goosebumps on his body; they were screaming for motherly love.
Chiru came running too. He was baffled too, scared not as much as his brother, as they hugged each other tightly. Chiru told them about what they had seen. The villagers confirmed that they too had encountered something like that down the road.
They then took the children home. They chose a different path this time.