Haunted: The turmeric factor

Turmeric has a crucial role in the life of any Indian person. Turmeric is the most commonly used condiment in the Indian cuisine. Turmeric has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties making it a wonder home remedy. Turmeric is a common ingredient of various cosmetic applications to improve the skin tone and texture. Besides, turmeric has also found its way in various rituals in the Indian culture. Haldi (application of turmeric) is a crucial ceremony in Indian weddings. Before the wedding (generally a day before the wedding), turmeric is generously applied on the bride and groom's body - which is called the ceremony of Haldi. While turmeric is expected to brighten the bride and groom's skin, it is believed that turmeric may also attract negative energies. Hence, after the Haldi ceremony, it is forbidden to leave the house. 

But what would happen if the bride or groom leave the house after the Haldi ceremony? Abhijit (pseudonym to conceal the identity) has the answer to this question. For context, Abhijit was my colleague and this is his paranormal experience.

Abhijit was born and raised in Mumbai. He was living with his parents, while most of his elderly relatives continued to stay at their native place. His native place was ~150 km away from Mumbai. Abhijit's family would often visit their village for festivals. When Abhijit's wedding was fixed, his family made a choice to perform the ceremonies at their native place. Most of Abhijit's relatives were elderly and frail who would not be able to travel to Mumbai. The only ones who were required to travel from Mumbai to the village included Abhijit's family, some of his cousins (who also used to live in Mumbai), and Abhijit's friends. It was a fair choice in terms of the wedding venue. 

All visitors from Mumbai stayed at their Wada (ancestral bungalow). The bungalow was huge with several rooms to accommodate the guests. The premise also included a huge perennial well.  The bungalow also a spacious backyard where all wedding festivities would take place. This was a perfect venue for the wedding and wedding rituals. 

A day before Abhijit's wedding, Haldi ceremony was performed. Abhijit was covered in turmeric by his kins and friends. Ceremony was followed by singing, dancing, and meals. After the ceremony, Abhijit was instructed by his grandparents and elders from the village to not leave the house that day. Abhijit nodded, however he had already planned to go out with his friends to show them the village.

When the relatives left, Abhijit snuck out of the house with his friends in a car. They roamed around, visited a few famous places in the village, indulged in delicacies at a local restaurant, and reached the bungalow around 10 PM. Abhijit went to his room to rest. He was tired from the travel and ceremonies. He need to sleep at least for 8 hours. He closed his eyes but he was unable to sleep. Suddenly he felt uneasy which he attributed to travel and stress. He tried to ignore and sleep. 

Then he heard a voice, probably of a young girl "Dada (elder brother)".  Abhijit opened his eyes and looked around. There was no one in the room, but he heard the voice loud and clear. He presumed that it must be someone's child. He went back to bed. After a few minutes, he heard the same voice again "Dada". This time he got up, opened the room's door to inspect if a child is roaming around. He thought that maybe the child could not find their room and calling her brother to locate her. Surprisingly, there was nobody outside. He waited for some time to see if anybody needs help, but again no one appeared. He returned to his room. It was 1 AM and now he could afford to sleep only for 4 hours. 

He sat on his bed wondering whether his friends are pranking him. That is when he heard "Dada", this time in a different, distant voice, presumably a teenage girl. He could sense that this voice came from outside of the bungalow. He opened the window of his room to look outside. It was dark, the kind of darkness which he had never seen in Mumbai. There were no lights and no movements. From his window he saw the well and a stray dog. A quiet and peaceful village in a deep slumber. Nothing else, nothing unusual.

Now he was determined that his mind is playing tricks. He decided that he will not check even if he heard any voice. He glanced at the phone, it was 1:30 AM. He really needed to sleep now. While laying on bed, he quickly fell asleep. He must have slept for 3 hours, but it was not peaceful. He had a bizarre nightmare. He saw that he was staring at the well from his room. Two girls were standing near the well. A cheerful girl was around 6 year old, wearing a green frock, braided hair, carrying a doll, and smile on her face. The other girl appeared to be an adolescent girl, with a stoic expression, wearing a long blue dress, hair tied in a bun. The young girl was waving at Abhijit while the older girl was staring at him with a serious expression. Both girls shouted in a unison, "Dada", hearing this Abhijit opened his eyes quickly. His heart was racing and he was covered in sweat. He looked outside from the window, there was no sign of life. It was 4:30 AM, he switched off the alarm, and started preparation for his big day. At the moment, he wanted distraction to forget his last night's experience and the nightmare.

The wedding was uneventful. He did not mention his nightmare and previous night's experience to anyone, not even his friends. He kept looking at the well again and again. He wanted answers if the girls appear. 

After the wedding, they returned to Mumbai. Once settled, he shared his experience with his dad. His dad was not surprised, for he knew the history. Abhijit's dad narrated, "Those girls were my cousins - Meena the younger one and Gita the older one. When we were kids, we used to visit the Wada during the summer vacation. That unfortunate day, Gita was helping with the chores near the well and Meena was playing with her doll. Engrossed Meena did not realise that she was walking near the ledge of the well and fell into it. Gita saw it and jumped instantly to save her sister. Both of them did not know how to swim. All elders rushed to the well to save them but it was too late. By the time, they reached there, girls had drowned. Gita had embraced Meena and Meena had embraced her little doll. After their deaths, uncle and grandpa covered the well with a metal mesh. Some people in the village say that they had seen the girls near the well. The girls do not harm anyone. It is their silent reminder to stay safe." Abhijit then asked, "Why did I see them?". His dad said, "Sometimes such sightings occur after the Haldi ceremony. That is why it is forbidden to leave the house after the Haldi ceremony. Believe it or not, most of the old wives tales are true". Abhijit realised that stepping outside after the Haldi ceremony was a mistake. Now, he too would refrain anyone from going out after the Haldi ceremony.

While Abhijeet was in deep thoughts, his mom asked them whether they want to have fritters. Abhijit's dad joked that turmeric is fritters will not lead to see ghosts but it surely will slay the beast in the belly.