The Mysterious Night at SK Girls' Hostel

 

The winter break had cast a serene silence over the Banaras Hindu University campus. Most of the students had left for their hometown in the winter break.Ishita Bhardwaj, a second-year student in Zoology, had chosen to stay back in her SK Girls' Hostel, despite her parents' urging her to visit them  during the winter break in their new hometown in Madhubani district. Her parents had recently relocated due to her father's job posting, and Ishita was hesitant to visit the new, smaller town with fewer facilities.

She was excited to experience the less crowded and quieter version of the hostel life, but she also knew that the silence and emptiness would be a stark contrast to the usual bustle., As she lay in her cozy bed, surrounded by the quiet of the hostel, Ishita felt a sense of freedom. Her two roommates had left for their parents' place, and she had the entire room to herself. But on the chilly night of December 23rd, Ishita woke up at 2 am, feeling irritated at having to leave her warm blanket for a bio break.

As she stepped out of her room, she heard a sound that felt like a response to a name being called out. Ishita rubbed her eyes, looking around the dimly lit corridor, but she couldn't find anyone. The fluorescent lights cast an eerie glow, and the silence was oppressive. She spotted a well-built lady clad in a white saree and a blue blouse sitting on the stairs outside the common room of. She is the house help aunt sitting there, she thought to herself, although she could not clearly see the face. A man stood with his back facing Ishita, and she assumed it was the electrician, as no other person was allowed in the girls' hostel.

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"Must be fixing some issue," Ishita muttered to herself as she locked herself in the washroom.

But as she stood there, a chill ran down her spine. It was 2 am on a cold winter night. Everyone in the hostel present were in their rooms ..What was the house help aunt doing here? And why would an electrician be allowed in the girls' hostel at this ungodly hour? Ishita's heart racing, she gathered the courage to come out of the washroom. She couldn’t gather the courage to check again if they were still there. Ishita's mind was flooded with thoughts of the ghost story she had heard about the hostel – the spirit of a girl who had died by suicide.

As she walked back to her room, Ishita kept her eyes half-closed, her heart pounding in her chest. She locked her door, switched on the lights, and pulled out the Sankat Mochan idol she had purchased from the temple. She started uttering the Hanuman Chalisa, waiting anxiously for the sunrise. She somehow managed to catch some sleep while the lights were on. Her hands and feet were still cold as she realised what had happened just a few hours ago.

The next morning, Ishita called her mother, explaining the terrifying experience she had gone through. Her mother reassured her, "Don't worry, beta. Papa will come visit you."

Ishita also spoke to her warden, but her claims were met with skepticism and thus refuted. "No one comes there at night. You must have been dreaming," the warden said.

Ishita shared her story with a few friends who had stayed back, but only a few believed her. "You must have been half asleep," one of her friends said.

When Ishita's father arrived, he tried to convince her to visit home for a few days. "It's not safe for you to stay here alone, beta," he said.

But Ishita was adamant. "I'm fine, Papa. I'll be okay."

As her father left, Ishita couldn't shake off the feeling that she had indeed seen something inexplicable that night. Despite the disbelief of others, she knew what she experienced was real.

"I'm sure I saw someone," Ishita said to herself, her voice barely above a whisper. "And I heard a girl responding to her name being called out."

That fateful night left an indelible mark on Ishita's mind. The experience had been so profound that it shook her perception of the world. She began to believe in the existence of ghosts and spirits, and the idea that some places might be inhabited by unseen forces. The memory of that night still sends shivers down her spine.

Even years later, when Ishita moved to a new apartment, she would avoid going to the washroom at night, especially if she was alone. The fear that lingered within her was a testament to the power of that experience. Though she tried to rationalize it, the memory of the mysterious night at the hostel remained etched in her memory, a reminder of the unknown and the unexplained. The incident had been a turning point in her life, making her more cautious and aware of her surroundings. Ishita's experience taught her that sometimes, the most inexplicable events can leave the most lasting impressions 💭.

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