Haunted: The burning woman

All my life, I have heard ghost stories in my school, colleges, and offices. Rather it is safe to say that my school, colleges, and all workplaces were haunted. All stories I heard were the first person accounts. 

This story is from one of my workplaces. This story is not for the faint hearted. The story of the burning woman.

I had joined a new company. I was in my induction and probation days. As I was new, I was following the "standard rules" such as lay low, follow the orders of superiors, complete the work before the deadline, and avoid old colleagues' gossips. 

It was one fine evening, around 6:45 PM I was still in the office. The official log off time was 5 PM, however I was waiting for my boss to tell me to leave (yes, I was that type of employee). Additionally, I had a deliverable with me for completion. Most staff members had already left. In an office of around 150 people capacity, only 6-7 people remained including me. A few seats across sat a senior manager. She was from a different department, hence I was not formally introduced to her. 

She packed up and came to my desk. She asked me, "Why have you not left yet? Who is your supervisor?" Politely, I informed her that I am working on a deliverable, once that gets finished I will leave. She said that she would stay back with me at my desk till I finish. She looked concerned.

The deliverable was not an urgent one. Besides, I could not tolerate the pressure of presence of a senior manager, sitting near me waiting for me to finish my work. I decided to wrap up and leave. We both left from the office premises, that is when she spoke again, "You are new here. I believe no one has informed you yet."

I was confused. Not only that I had joined a week ago, but I was expected to know everything. I was only aware of the entrance, exit, and the reception area. I was certain that somehow somewhere I have messed up.

In a stoic tone she said, "This office is haunted. Do not think of it as a joke, it is true. I am saying this from my own experience". I had a lump in my throat. I am a believer of supernatural forces. I have heard stories all my life from the ones who have experienced hauntings. The office building was eerie, so I was not surprised. Yet, it was difficult to digest. 

She then continued, "Just like today, one evening I was in the office. It must have been around 7:30 PM, I had lost the track of time. Most people had left. Along with me, assistant of HOD was present. Both of us were engrossed in our work. Suddenly, I felt heaviness in the air. I assumed it to be fatigue, but I felt suffocated. Suddenly, I felt some movement. I lifted my head off from my laptop and what I saw left me in disbelief. I saw a figure of a woman. She was covered in flames from head to toe. That figure sprinted from one end to the other in the hallway. That visual was disturbing and unsettling. I looked at the other person. From the look on his face, I could confirm that he saw that apparition too. Both of us quickly left from the office. Next day, I asked a few people who had worked in this office for a long time if they had seen something like this before. I even watched to check the CCTV footage, but nothing was seen in the footage. I knew it was not a hallucination, as both of us had seen it." I was scared and hence frozen to react. Furthermore, that office was located in a lonely area (which is rare in Mumbai). Next to our office, there were small manufacting units and warehouses. Crimes are known to occur in such places and eventually hauntings are common too. 

She sensed that I am scared, she tried to speak softly, "You see, we never know the history of this building or area. We don't know what existed here before this building. I tried a lot to find out, but the documents cannot be requested without authorization. We can ask people if they know anything, but people hardly speak out about such incidents. I suspect that a crime may have occurred, but it may have been unreported. It is difficult to find out what really had happened here. At the same time, I do not want any other person to witness what I saw the other day. I figured that you may not be informed about it. Whoever joins this office, I warn them and inform them to not stay back after 7 PM. If you don't trust me, you can ask the assistant who saw it too. Whether you believe or not, I suggest you to always leave the office before 7 PM. It is for your own safety".

Next day I casually asked the assistant about this incident. He told me the same story and insisted that staying in the office after 7 PM is not safe. Needless to stay, I followed their instructions. 

A few months later, our office was shifted to a new building (thankfully). That building still remains occupied. It is unknown whether someone else also had an eerie encounter in that area. 

For me, I was glad to have moved away from that place. I pray that whoever it was finds solace 🙏🏻