...Hauntings..

...MANSION...

Mansion                                                                                                                                                                 Kolkata, India

Kolkata was really close to my heart. I had grown up here and had the best of my memories. The smell of food, the stench of fish, the grandeur of the homes of the British Raj and the ever so friendly people who filled up the small gully's of the ancient city.

Thirteen years later I finally had the chance to move back to Kolkata. I had started my own travel agency. A small company, run by me and a lady I had hired to answer the querry calls. My office was in Salt Lake and I was staying at a small mom and pop hotel for the last few days. I had been out house hunting but had not found anything suitable for my pocket.

Finally on the third day my broker took me to the far side of south lake to show me a bungalow.

At first I was taken aback. I just had the budget for a two room flat; when my broker told me the price I was even more astonished.

The owner of the property had agreed to sell the palatial mansion of eight rooms and two floors for a throw away price of twenty thousand.

I was definitely sure the owner was going to ask for some underhand money but on the contrary he just kept the papers out for me, asked me to sign, give him the cheque and after a fifteen minute meeting I was standing outside the huge mansion with its keys in my hand.

From a complete popper I had just become the owner of a hundred year old palatial mansion. The occasion definitely called for a party.

I stretched my finances to hire a caterer and held a grand party in the fore garden of the mansion. Everyone in my family had come for the party. The house had added a different ego to my presence. I was taking up more space like a super powerful human being. The party lasted till eleven in the night and the caterers wrapped up and left by one.

Finally, I had the chance to walk into the mansion. The door was jammed and took at least half an hour to budge. The musty smell inside and the dust made me cough. The owner had told me that it had not been opened for the past three years. There were cob webs everywhere and the furniture was covered with white cloth. The moonlight streaming in through the door made the atmosphere look even more eerie

I switched on the torch in my mobile and slowly started ascending the wooden staircase to the second floor. The loose floorboards creaked under my pressure and once in a while I really felt as if someone was following me up the staircase. An array of portraits hung on the wall beside, each covered with the same ghostly cloth

I was slowly continuing up. I never realized my new home could give me the creeps. Suddenly, the flashlight of my phone started flickering. It had never done so before and the battery was also full. After two short flickers the light went off, plunging me, in darkness.

Sweat trickled down my forehead. My mind started playing games. I did not even know where the light switch was, thing were way out of comfort zone

"Are you alright"

A strong focused flashlight was shining on my face. The voice was known, it was Alisha the girl I had hired in my office. Her presence literally brought back my soul that had escaped my body in fear.

I was standing midway in the staircase to the first floor and beside me maybe was the largest painting on the wall covered in a similar white wraith.

"You might want to come and stay the night at my place. I have a guest room and your home seems a bit unset"

Sounded like a great idea at the moment. I would have to call the cleaners the coming day to set up the house. It was a mess.