After passing high school, Joy got admitted to college. He is a science student. He is very inclined towards botany. So he got admitted to bioscience.
Along with college studies, he has a habit of moving the green plants around the house.
Suddenly, there was a discussion in college that he would go on an excursion to a special park to gain knowledge about botany.
Everyone was asked where to go. Everyone gave different opinions.
Joy did not give any opinion. He would go wherever he wanted. It would be a new place. There would be some new plants. He would have to collect that knowledge if he could.
However, like many others, he would go on an excursion like going for a picnic in a big forest. Their schedule was heavy. After a day or two, after discussing in the office, it was decided that a one-week excursion could be done, and it would be done wherever possible.
Many people said that they would go on an excursion to the Arabari forest. Joy had never heard of that forest before. A Google search showed that the forest was located in Paschim Medinipur.
"Arabari or Arabari Forest Range. A forest range in Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal, India.
In 1972, an Indian Forest Service officer, Shri Ajit Kumar Banerjee, Divisional Forest Officer, started a conservation effort of 1,272 hectares through a voluntary participation process with the local people living around the forest boundary.
This process of greening the forest was done by forming a Joint Forest Management Committee with the local villagers. As a result of their efforts, a forest that was initially almost worthless became an economic boon for the villagers.
The value of the forest area increased several times. Under this project, the villagers actively participated in the forest conservation efforts, gained employment opportunities in silviculture and harvesting, and shared 25% of the profits from forest produce among themselves.
A nameless band collects firewood and animal feed from the forest. This scheme is still in operation in Arabari.
In 1992, the West Bengal Forest Protection Committee received the International Paul Getty Award."
He was very happy in his heart, thinking that he would go on a trip to such a forest. He packed his bags and left on time. It had been agreed that they would leave from the college grounds in a tourist bus.
The car would leave from the college grounds at five in the afternoon. So he left his house at four thirty with his luggage.
It took fifteen minutes by auto from his house to the college. He left a little earlier and talked to his friends and thought that he would get a good seat to sit in.
When he arrived at the college grounds, he saw that almost everyone had arrived there before him. He had already told his very close friend Anik to reserve two seats of his choice.
Anik had reached there about an hour ago and occupied the two seats on the right, just behind the driver. Joy and he both will sit there.
Joy had objected to sitting there at first. Anik said that if you sit there, you will feel less shaking of the car. After that, he did not say anything else.
The car drove all night and in the morning they reached Arabari.
The car stopped in front of a hotel. A bungalow-like hotel in the middle of the jungle. There are only two people there all year round. They all come to the jungle for some work or the other. Sometimes college boys and girls like them also come to visit. Then the hotel becomes crowded.
After the whole night's hustle, they did not go out anywhere in the morning. Educational trips are not just about wandering. There you have to collect some information and write it in a notebook. To make a herbarium. So you need to have a healthy mind.
After spending the morning at the hotel, as soon as the afternoon passed, they went out to collect information. Joy and Anik are collecting information together. The rest are collecting information with some ma'am and some with sir.
Many are trying to find something new in their own way like them. To present themselves in a different way.
Little by little, Joy and Anik entered the deep jungle. They reached so deep that they could no longer understand which way to return to the hotel.
They started running around the jungle to return to the hotel. They could not. Gradually, darkness descended on the jungle.
The darkness became darker in the dense jungle. They were scared. How could they spend the night in the jungle! So they kept searching for a way in the darkness.
At that time, the moon rose in the sky. That light reflected on the tops of the trees and created a magical nature. It was dim. Now their path was much easier. Suddenly, a house came into sight in front of them!
Surrounded by jungle trees all around. When they got closer, they saw that the house was not burned down. Their minds were calmed down thinking that they had at least found a place to spend the night in this deep jungle. They quickly moved towards the door of the bungalow.
When they got to the door, they saw that the walls of the house had become a habitat for moss ferns, but it was still shiny. They thought that people still lived there. When they listened to the door, they heard someone talking inside. Then they knocked on the door.
After knocking once, the door opened. They saw a man wearing a fatwa standing in front of them. His skin was dark and thin. He looked as if he would fall over if he was pushed. Seeing them, he said, "I guess you are lost in the forest!"
Joy nodded and said, "Yes."
"I know. No one comes here at such a night. We live with just these few of us. You will not have any problems. You can spend the night here." The gentleman said.
As soon as he finished speaking, he called out, "Panchu…re, hey where have you gone…re." Hearing his call, a man ran out of the house.
He was wearing a dhoti and a shirt. His face was dry. He was like that Babu. Hearing this, he thought he was a servant.
When he ran to Babu, he said, "Get the south room cleaned up a bit. These Babus will stay there tonight. And listen, tells your mother to bake ten extra Rotis, and give them wild chicken broth to eat at night."
He entered the room with the speed of the wind. As they were about to cross the courtyard and go up to the building, he informed them that the room had been cleaned.
"Then you take the Babu with you. I will be leaving a little later." He said and left.
Panchu took the two of them to the south room.
It was quite a big room. The big door had two windows, both of which were old-fashioned, but they seemed to be closed all the time. Spiders were hanging around it.
The floor was full of dust. He said that if he went to clean it now, the dust would fly everywhere. That is why it was not cleaned now.
They realized that no one lived there. There was a couch with a mat and a sheet of cotton on it. But the two pillows were quite shiny. The dim light on a table inside the room showed that.
Panchu looked at them and said, "That won't do any more, Babu."
Anik said, "Nothing else is needed. Just get some water."
He ran and brought a jug of water and placed it in a corner of the room, and left.
Right after that, Babu arrived. He asked, "Is there any problem?"
To be honest, they were having problems. What else happens in a confined room? So without delay, Joy said, "Can't you open a window?"
"Okay, but don't. But yes, at night in the jungle, there is a fear of wild animals and birds entering. Aren't you afraid of all that?"
"No." Joy replied.
After finishing speaking, he opened the south window. As soon as the bright moonlight entered the room through that window, the room seemed to smile. Turning back, Joy saw that the gentleman was no longer there. He had left by that time.
Then they didn't think anything of it. After a while, Panchu left the room and gave them their food.
He told them to close the door after eating and go to bed. No one else would come here at night. If they needed anything, they would just have to call Panchuda once. He would appear then.
As he said, they ate and lay down on the couch. Due to lack of oil, they also turned off the lights one by one. It was a new place, so they couldn't sleep.
Lying awake in bed, the two of them heard someone talking and laughing outside the room. Girls' voices! They were surprised! What were they doing here after not sleeping all night!
Suddenly, the moonlight went out. They heard that girl's voice now inside the room! How did they enter the room? The door was closed!
Suddenly, they felt like the couch was rising up! They looked into the darkness and saw! They couldn't see anyone. Their hands and feet were getting cold with fear.
By now they realized that they had arrived at the ghost's tent! And they wouldn't be able to go back home. They would have to die at the hands of this ghost today!
Just then, a light, cool breeze started blowing. They felt so sleepy. It felt as if someone was touching their body with something cold.
There was no sweat or excitement in their body. They were lying like dry wood, just counting the time of death.
Just then, moonlight came streaming in through the window! The moon, hidden behind the clouds, seemed to peek out. Then, with a thud, the couch fell down from the sky.
They fell asleep. The two of them were sweating profusely! Looking at the window, they saw that its iron bars were set quite far apart. They could easily slip through the gap and get out.
And without a moment's delay, they slipped out of the ghost bungalow through the window.
They spent the rest of the night wandering around the jungle looking for their hotel. In the morning, they found the hotel. They were in no mood to say anything then. They slept in the hotel room all afternoon and told the story to all their friends in the afternoon. The story also reached the ears of the hotel staff. They told the truth.
Late at night, a ghost bungalow appeared in the jungle from nowhere. Many people fell prey to it. However, during the day, nothing was found when they went out to look for it. Everyone was surprised to hear it.
They had heard of ghosts living in abandoned houses. But no one had ever heard of such a haunted abandoned house flying out of nowhere and appearing here.
After that, no one agreed to stay there out of fear. Everyone left a day ago. Even today, Joy and Anik sometimes remember that night.
Then their bodies got Goosebumps!