"Phasmophobia" means fear of ghost. I never really cared about such a topic which includes ghosts. I mean it's illogical to discuss or research about something which doesn't exist or exists in dark. If it's dark the best we can do is "light it up". I can still remember my friend Sam describing his encounter with some ghost, back in his village, while walking by the river at midnight. He saw a lady in white dress passing through the other side of the river. I just have one question for Sam "what the hell was he doing there?" That also midnight? I always try to ignore his phamophobic symptoms. As a kind of guy who is brave, proud and loud, I never believed in such craps until that day.........

It was during the end of January when my friends Rumio planned a trip to his village and a small party which also includes his childhood friend Debashis, whom I never met. The next weekend we both started our journey to his village. It was far from the city, first 4 hours we travelled in a bus, then the next 2 hours in a taxi. Although I was not happy as the journey was very tiring, the scenic beauty of the place did console me. After the roller coaster ride due to the horrible road finally the taxi stopped near a small shop, where a group of villagers were having tea and smoke. It was the only shop in that area. Near that shop Debashis in his bike was waiting for us. It took 1 and half hour to reach rumio's home. It was 1.30 pm in my clock. Rumio introduced me to his family. I was feeling good, because in India whenever a guest arrives, every single person of the family will treat you as if you are the president of the country. Later after having some food i rested for some time. At about 9.45 pm in the evening Rumio and Debashis went to a nearby market to buy some booze and cigarettes. After sometime when both of them came back, Rumio was groaning in pain. He slipped from the bike as he was trying to explain a new stunt to his friend. He decided to skip the party but insisted me to go with his friend as it was my first time in his village.

So at about 11.30 we started from Rumio's house to the party place. I admit it was a beautiful place. The bike ride was wonderful and the light from the head light of the bike touching the fog in the full moon night was creating an unbelievable scene. After a ride of half an hour, we reached the place. Debashis parked his bike near the entrance, which was nothing but two bamboos. I was not able to figure it out how come this place can be a party place. Then we started walking through a narrow earthen road with grasses on both the side of the road. We walked about a mile as we reached our destination. The first thing I saw was few temporarily made shelter. There were three rooms which were made of bamboo and clay was rubbed in the bamboo walls. These rooms were in the middle of a huge paddy field surrounded by banana trees and in between some coconut trees. There was no sign of electricity. I asked Debashis about the maintenance of the place, he said no one does that. He started explaining me that the place was actually a temporary shelter for farmers during cultivation season and during the off season, people from the village come there to spend some time and as it was far from the village they occasionally come there for boozing. That's seems reasonable, because it's better to booze in a separate place far from your family and the only reason behind this phenomenon of mine is that I have seen many people doing weird things after boozing. After each peck their energy level increases.

All though Debashis was talking to me he was tensed for some reasons, I was trying to figure it out but I was not able to. After that the only thing he was doing, was reading some sms. I even asked him, but he ignored. It was about 12.15 am as we entered the room. Complete silence at that time was making me little uneasy. The room was very old and dark; the only source of light was the moon light, so we kept the door open. Inside I saw a bed made up of bamboo which was interesting, specially "the creativity". The bed was in one corner of the room, completely hidden in the dark. Few broken and empty bottles were lying in one corner of the room. After settling down, we started boozing in complete silence and it was suppose to be a party. I was never been to a party without any noise. It was a complete silence; the only thing I heard was Debashis's cell phone beeping in regular intervals. He was becoming tensed after every beep. At last he said to me that he wanted to leave for couple of hours. It's seems he had an emergency and he had to go. I was fine with it, as the boring party was going nowhere I can at least write something. Frankly speaking the place was ideal for writers. After he left, I sat on the bamboo bed and was trying my best to find out a topic to write, but the only thing that was coming to my mind was SAM and his stories. I started lighting my 6th cigarette of the evening. At about 2.30 am I heard some kind of noise, as if someone was coming towards my room, I was wandering what was it? Because there was no one in that place at that time. And for the first time in my life I was scared. I was constantly staring at the door as if I was really expecting some one. In that midnight silence, every sound was prominent, even my heart beat. I was not moving because I was helpless. As the sound was coming closer, my heart beat was also increasing. The moon light coming through the door was a perfect setup for the entry of a ghost. Slowly a shadow was coming towards the door; every second it was coming nearer. The only thing comforting me was the darkness of the room, as if I was hiding in it. Suddenly the shadow stopped and then I saw it. I was not able to believe my eyes. I saw half of a face peeping towards me and the deep red eye. The other half was behind the door. I was unable to keep staring at it so slowly I looked down. After few seconds all of a sudden I heard someone running very fast. Only a ghost can run so fast. When I looked up it was gone. I didn't wait a second; I started running blindly. Somehow I reached the entrance. I decided to run till rumio's house. But just as I crossed the entrance I saw Debashis coming in his bike. He stopped near me, I probably shouted or plead him, I don't even remember now. He was asking me why I was so scared. I didn't reply I said I just want to go to Rumio's house. On the way, only once I looked back when I saw the red indicator light of the bike touching the fog was making the scene extremely scary. In no time we reached rumios house where I slept in the guest room. Debashis was also there with me. He was asking me frequently but I never replied. I was not able to speak about the incident. I just prayed and waited till morning.

Morning Rumio and I decided to go as we had office next day and also I didn't wanted to stay one more night in that haunted village. So we left. Debashis was accompanying us in his bike. We stopped near the shop. The taxi was not available at that time, so we decided to have some tea. I was still thinking about the night. Then Debashis asked what happened to me last night? I was about to say but something stopped me. Behind me a guy was talking something weird, about some ghost. It was a familiar voice. When I turned back I was stunned. It was SAM. I was wandering what he was doing there. So I asked him. Sam replied that it was his village and every weekend he visits his family. Then I asked why he was so nervous and what the weired thing he was speaking about? He said he saw a ghost last night, as he and his uncle was partying in a middle of a paddy field inside a temporary shelter. It was the same dam place where I saw the ghost. He continued saying that his uncle slept early as his uncle over boozed himself. Then he heard some strange sounds, he also heard a sound which was similar to cell phone beeps. He even saw smoke coming out of the next room, so he tried to peep through the door, it was a dark room where he saw a manly figure sitting in a bamboo bed, staring at the door, suddenly that thing looked down, he was sure that it was a ghost sitting in the dark, so he ran towards his room to wake up his uncle. When he and his uncle came to see that room, there was no one.

After the taxi arrived, Rumio, Sam and I left their village. On the way I was just thinking about the whole incident. I was in such a state of mind that I was not able to judge myself. But why I was so scared. Am I a coward? Then I realized I am not a coward, even sam is not a coward. We were just "phamophobic"

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