Haunted: Co-passenger

Some roads, cross roads, areas, lanes, corners, or places are known to be the residances of dark entities. Locals know about such places and warn to not visit them. Mostly, visiting such places is forbidden after sunset. Such places are not rare and can be found in villages or even in a densely populated city like Mumbai.

This experience comes from different cities or villages; narrated by different people to me. Though places, days, and time differred, their experience remained the consistent. They visited a forbidden place and experienced the unexplainable. They survived to tell a tale.

For the sake of the story, this is Rahul's paranormal experience.

Rahul was in college in the reputed field of  STEM. Rahul was staying in a metro city. Rahul and his friends often used to study together. They would study at any friend's house after the college hours. They would meet after dinner, study till early morning, sleep at friend's house, and leave in the morning.

One evening the group study was supposed to be at one of Rahul's friend's house. This friend used to stay in the same city within 10 km distance from Rahul's home. After dinner Rahul was packing his bag, almost ready to leave. He received a call from his friend (the host of group study) to inform him to avoid a specific shortcut to reach his home. He informed Rahul that it is said that the road is haunted. Rahul said that he will take the other road - a longer route.

Rahul carried his books and rode his bike. It was 10 pm but the highway and main roads were still crowded. Commuters, shoppers, hawkers, roamers, and wanderers were still around. Rahul continued onto the highway and took the exit towards the residential area of the town. Meanwhile, Rahul had completely forgotten about his friend's warning - about the haunted shortcut. He took that dreaded shortcut. What happened next was going to change his whole life.

Rahul was riding on that shortcut. He noticed it was completely empty. No bike, car, pedestrian, or even stray dogs and cats. He was all alone on the empty road with eerie silence. Rahul had still not realised that he made a huge mistake. He carried on. After a few minutes, he felt that his bike got heavier. As if someone had been sitting behind him. He ignored it and attributed to his fatigue. He finally was near his friend's house and then he felt a little better. Riding became easier again.

Rahul reached his friend's house. He was parking his bike when his friend asked him which route he took. "The usual one," said Rahul.

"Don't tell me man. Did you take the shortcut?" Asked Rahul's friend anxiously. 

"Yup," Rahul replied. Rahul's friend's face turned pale. He said, "I told you not to take that shortcut. It is haunted. It is okay to take it in daylight but nobody goes there after sunset. Did you see anyone there? Or felt anything? Please tell me."

"No, I saw nobody, felt nothing, I am fine. Can we please go inside and start studying?", Said Rahul. He lied to avoid any further discussions. Rahul had no ill experience that night while studying. Rahul returned home next day and had high fever of unknown aetiology. He got better after a day or two. 

He kept thinking who rather what rode with him when he took that shortcut? Was that real or was it his fatigue? He never saw anyone there, so nobody could have jumped on the backseat of the bike. Furthermore, the bike was in motion so no lay person could sit suddenly on the bike. One thing was for sure, he did not ride alone. Someone or something was with him. His co-passenger was possibly the reason why it was a forbidden road. His co-passenger possibly was not human or a living entity. 

After that night, Rahul avoided that road even in broad daylight. Needless to say Rahul did not enjoy the company of his co-passenger.

It is astonishing that the places vary but the experiences remain identical with slight variations. Exeperiences vary towards a few details. 

• One person narrated that they were not informed of the forbidden road while another claimed that they had chosen to ride the forbidden road for the sake of thrill.
• One person's story narrated that the road in their story was haunted throughout the day. While in someone's story the road was haunted on certain days.
• Another person's story suggested that that they had no memories of how they took the forbidden road. As if someone else had taken control. While someone else felt that they were lured to the forbidden road.
• Someone saw a shadow/figure in the backseat from the rear-view mirror while someone felt the weight.

The outcome was still the same - a paranormal experience. The human body reacted to it with an illness for which no pathological cause could be identified. Medicines did not cure the illness. The trauma shaped the life. Believer became more aware whereas a nonbeliever became a believer. Variations do not discredit the experience. Despite the variations, the conclusion remained the same: If the forbidden roads are taken, an undesirable co-passenger will accompany you.

[Note: The image is AI generated]