It was autumn. We were traveling to a small village near Dehra Dun. We had hired a local guide to tour us around. The village had been very reputed for its scenic beauty.

We toured around in a horse cart as our guide had advised us so that we could enjoy to the fullest. Our guide, Shyam bhaiya was an interesting person of utter enjoyment. He had been living in this village from past 22 years and knew every story and angle of the village.

The village was beautiful. The hill top views had captured the minds and hearts of all.

The small lake at the outskirts of the village was very peaceful and relaxing. We were so absorbed, so mesmerized that when we saw it we were in love with it. This was an example of the natural beauty our Earth has in store for us. There are many such places where our Earth has its beauty hidden. We just need to discover it.

After site seeing we were returning to our inn but this time through a different route which supposed to be a short cut. It was nearly 6:30 p.m. The sun had turned dark orange and was at the base of its horizon. What an exquisite view it was!!! Everybody got out of the cart and went for some snacks and tea at the village tea stall. I sat with Shyam bhaiya asking him the history of this enthralling village. When everybody else was busy in their own talks I pondered my question aloud to Shyam bhaiya “Bhaiya while returning, we came across a wooden house overlooking the river-.”I looked at Shyam bhaiya; he was looking at me cannily. “Was a beautiful house. Out of the house there sat a young lady in bridal dress facing the opposite side, towards the river. I was just able to have a glance at her. But she looked grief-stricken. Something about her appearance amazes me. I was just thinking if you knew something about her” 

I gave him a very pleading look.

“I just hoped that nobody would see her but you saw her so now I shall tell you about her but will you promise not to let it out to anybody else?” Shyam bhaiya said.

“Sure bhaiya I promise to keep it all a secret.” I solicited him to continue.

“Ok, so it all instigates here, there lived a young lady of 19 there in that house with her small family of mom, dad and an elder sister. They had a very ecstatic life. Father was a merchant. The girl, Heena was very close to her sister and both had immense tenderness for each other. Every evening Heena and her sister sat in their garden on that bench sharing their feelings and happenings of the day. Soon Heena’s elder sister was married to a very rich man who lived far across the river. Heena did not want her sister to go away from her but the thought of sister leading a happy life seemed to make up for her disappointment.

Three years later Heena turned 22. Her parents had fixed her marriage and the date fixed was of one month later. Later that month a telegraph told them that Heena’s elder sister was arriving home for he wedding. This brought contentment among the family members. Heena was short of words to express her ecstasy. Everyday she would sit on the garden bench to just have a glance at the ship in which her sister was arriving. It was Heena’s wedding night. The wind that night was very fierce as if the heaven were revenging, for some wrong done….it was a terrific night. Another telegraph arrived that night but this time of grief rather than glee. It said that the ship in which Heena’s sister was arriving had sunk and none of the passengers had survived. This news was like a big electric shock to Heena. The fact that her sister was no more made her feel sick. She could not digest this news. She went to her room and locked herself. People could hear her heartrending moans. After some time these moans stopped. But the door did not open. People thought that Heena was still not in the mood of seeing anybody else. One hour passed still no response. Now every body had it in their minds that something was wrong. They broke open the door. What they saw must have been the most excruciating site one must ever want to see. Heena’s lifeless body lay on the floor, cold and blue. A pool of blood lay around her and still more was oozing out from her cut wrist. Nobody could believe their eyes that a girl as jovial as Heena could ever run away from life. As heena always said that wherever her sister would be she too would be there. The love and affection between the two sisters had no match. 

But it seems that Heena’s spirit had not been pacified. People even today say that they witnessed a young lady in bridal outfit sitting on the bench in the garden facing the river.

Last month a lady came here. She wanted to buy this house. Local people warned her that this house was haunted, did not listen to them, went in and then when she came out she was completely traumatized. Said when she reached Heena’s room she was unable to open it in fact she heard cries of a lady and then she even witnessed a bride watching the river in the garden just as you did.” Shyam Bhaiya finished his daunting story when everybody got up to leave for our inn.

That night I did not have a sound sleep. I wondered upon what Shyam bhaiya had told me. There are so many bizarre things around us that have no explanation. So many supernatural things, those are just above the understanding of our human brains. I had been a skeptic before. Nothing like spirits, ghosts and other mystic beings ever existed in my world. If only I would have never witnessed the ghost of poor Heena it all would have just seemed to me as a topic of mere enjoyment. So now whenever you pass through this house do not get shocked to see a bride in the garden. That may be Heena waiting for her sister …..

Kavya Dugar