Sayantani Das, a student of fourth grade, shares the tale of Priya and her encounter with the Margaret’s Ghost at Heather Lodge
It was the time of summer holidays, and I was visiting my relatives in Naxalbari. All our cousins had gathered at our house there. We had a habit of gossiping at night after dinner. One night, our conversation turned to the topic of ghosts.
“Come on, I don’t believe in ghosts,” I said loudly.
“What are you saying? There are so many stories about ghosts,” my cousin Bidisha objected.
Priya Didi, who had been quiet until then, suddenly interrupted, “Even I didn’t believe in ghosts until what happened at Heather Lodge.”
We were excited to know more. I asked, “What happened? Is it one of your stories, or is it real?”
“This is hardcore reality,” replied Priya Didi, sounding very serious. “It happened about five years ago when I was just about to start college.”
Five years earlier…
It was almost three when Priya reached home. She was very happy because she had just received news that she had been selected to join Darjeeling Government College. She hugged her mother and said, “Maa, I have taken the first step towards my dream.”
Priya was always interested in knowing about ghosts and life after death. She believed that ghosts didn’t exist and wanted to prove it. A few days earlier, she had heard about Heather Lodge, the hostel of Darjeeling Government College, where strange incidents were said to occur.
When her father returned home, he was happy because it was difficult to get into that particular college. However, he knew it was even more difficult to get a place at the hostel.
Two days later, the entire family was on their way to Darjeeling. They reached the college and were directed to see the principal for room or bed allotment.
Meanwhile, the principal, Ms. Ritisha Saha, was in a meeting. She had just joined the college and faced the immediate challenge of allotting hostel rooms for students. When she arrived, she heard that one of the hostel beds was cursed. Though she didn’t believe it, she was extra careful since it involved students’ futures. She asked her assistant, “Mr. Gurung, what’s the story about bed number 666?”
“Nothing, ma’am, those are just stories. No reality to it,” Gurung replied.
“But what was the incident with that girl?” Ms. Saha asked.
“No, ma’am, all those are stories. Don’t worry. I’ve personally checked the bed, and everything is okay,” Gurung reassured her.
At that moment, they heard a knock on the door. “Come in,” said Ms. Saha.
A girl entered the room with her parents. “Good afternoon, ma’am. This is Priya, my daughter, who has been selected to join your college,” said her father.
“Ah! Congratulations, Priya, and welcome to Darjeeling Government College.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” replied Priya, hoping she would be allotted the infamous bed number 666.
“Ma’am, we were asked to meet you about possible accommodation at the hostel,” Priya’s father said.
“Yes, but all the beds are already allotted, so I…”
Ms. Saha was interrupted by Gurung. “Ma’am, she can stay in the room where two beds are still available.”
“Which beds?” asked Ms. Saha.
“Beds numbers 665 and 666, the ones we were discussing,” Gurung suggested.
Priya was overjoyed, as that was what she had hoped for.
“Okay, but Priya, it’s a small room with only two beds. Will you be comfortable?”
“Of course, ma’am. I would be very happy.” Priya’s face glowed with excitement, knowing her dream was coming true and she could prove ghosts didn’t exist.
The next day, Priya reached Heather Lodge in the morning. The wooden structure, giving a heritage feel, fascinated her. She went inside and started unpacking. Everything looked fine except that she was allotted bed number 665.
Nevertheless, she felt happy to see what would happen to the girl allotted bed number 666. She had just finished unpacking when someone entered the room. She turned around and saw a girl with her luggage. It was clear she was her roommate.
“Hi, have you been allotted bed number 666?” Priya asked.
“Oh, hi, how did you know?”
“Well, I’ve been allotted bed number 665, and you don’t seem to be a teacher, so I guessed.”
Both shared a moment of laughter.
“I’m Smriti, and you?”
“I’m Priya.”
Soon, they started discussing each other and quickly became good friends. That night, after finishing their dinner, they went to sleep early as they were both very tired.
The next day at college, everyone stared at them. Smriti was surprised and asked, “Why is everyone staring at us?”
“I think it’s because we’re new students,” Priya replied, though she had a hunch it was because they were staying in the infamous room.
That evening, when they returned to their hostel, the matron greeted them and asked, “Did you sleep well last night?”
“Yes, we did. We slept like babies. We were too tired,” Smriti replied.
“Who is sleeping in bed 666?” asked the matron.
“I am, but why…?” Smriti asked.
The matron did not reply, but that night, they found the answer to their question.
Around midnight, Priya was sleeping when she heard strange noises. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw her friend Smriti standing on her bed and speaking gibberish. She rushed to her and shouted, “Smriti… Smriti… Smriti!”
There was no response. She called again, this time shaking her friend, “Smriti… Smriti… Smriti!”
Finding no change in Smriti, she rushed to the matron’s room. The matron, who was deep asleep, opened the door after a good long five minutes. She asked, “What happened? Why are you here at this hour?”
Priya narrated the entire incident, and both rushed to Priya’s room and saw that Smriti was sleeping in her bed.
“Well, she is sleeping now. You must have had a dream. Don’t worry, child, go back to sleep,” said the matron, returning to her room. But Priya couldn’t sleep that night. She kept watching her friend.
“Hi, when did you wake up?” Smriti asked when she found Priya looking at her.
“I’ve been awake since midnight,” Priya replied.
“Midnight? Why?” Smriti asked, clearly surprised.
“Do you not remember anything from last night?” Priya asked, curious about Smriti’s response. She looked straight into Smriti’s eyes, trying to find any clue, but Smriti still looked surprised.
“Last night? Why…”
Smriti couldn’t complete her sentence as Priya interrupted and narrated the entire incident. Smriti was annoyed and didn’t believe a word Priya said.
“Don’t talk rubbish,” she said and left the room.
That day, Smriti avoided Priya as much as possible. Priya was worried for her friend. After college, she went straight to meet Father Aiden, an Irish clergyman from the Darjeeling church. After she narrated the entire incident, Father Aiden said,
“Your college should not have opened that room. I told them last year to keep it closed forever.”
“Why, Father?” asked Priya.
“It was around the same time last year when Father Conner, the principal, faced a strange challenge. He was an Irish clergyman like me and was known for his strong administration and academic knowledge. But when one of his students named Jyoti started behaving abnormally, even he was shaken.”
“Oh! What kind of abnormality, Father?”
“She was possessed.”
“Possessed? By whom?”
“Little Miss Margaret.”
“Who is Miss Margaret?”
“It was the year 1876. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was still under construction. Many Scottish planters followed Captain Masson and Mr. Treustler to this part of the world and established tea gardens. One such planter was Carson Smith, who had a daughter,”
“Margaret?” asked Priya, interrupting Father Aiden.
“Yes, my child, Margaret. She would sit all day looking out through the window of her room, waiting for the completion of the train track. She hoped it would come before she died. She had been facing severe health problems since coming to India. One day, her condition worsened, and she was rushed to Heather Lodge, which used to be a hospital. After two days of suffering, Margaret died in bed number 666.”
A total silence followed Father Aiden’s story. Finally, Priya broke the silence, “Father, I know how to solve the problem.”
“How, my child?”
Priya shared her plan with Father Aiden and returned to the hostel.
That night, Smriti approached Priya for the first time and said, “Look, I know you had a terrible nightmare yesterday. I should have understood. I’m sorry I misbehaved with you today. Promise me you’ll be my friend and never leave me?”
Priya looked straight into Smriti’s teary eyes, went and hugged her, and said, “I am always there for you, Smriti. Always.”
Smriti smiled and went off to sleep happily. Priya, on the other hand, didn’t sleep. She had work to do. She waited for everyone to fall asleep and, once she was sure the last lights of the hostel were off, she slipped out of bed and went to the front door. She opened it as softly as possible and greeted Father Aiden, who was waiting outside. Both started walking through the corridor until they reached the matron’s room.
“Matron… Matron,” Priya called out softly. The matron opened the door and greeted Father Aiden, and all three walked towards Priya and Smriti’s room.
When they reached the room, it was five minutes to midnight. Father Aiden quickly opened his bag and took out a cross, a Bible, and a small cast iron bottle as all three waited eagerly.
At exactly midnight, Smriti moved for the first time… then nothing… no movement at all. Priya could hear her heartbeat.
Ten minutes past midnight, still no movement. Priya started thinking about the night before. Was it real, or was it her imagination? A sound broke her thoughts. She looked up and saw a repetition of the previous night. She jumped towards Smriti and shook her, “Smriti… Smriti…”
Father Aiden stopped her, pulling her back, and said, “Margaret… Margaret…” Smriti turned and smiled.
“Is that you, Margaret?” Father Aiden sprinkled some water from his bottle.
“Stop it. Yes, it is me,” Smriti said, but it wasn’t her voice. She sounded like a six-year-old child, and her appearance had changed. She looked pale and sad.
“Why have you come?” Father Aiden asked.
Smriti said nothing but kept smiling.
“Why have you come?” Father Aiden asked again, sprinkling more water.
“I want to see the train,” she said, starting to cry.
Despite being horrified, Priya felt sad. She asked, “Will you be able to go if you see the train?”
Smriti looked at Priya for the first time, tears rolling down her eyes as she nodded.
“Is that a promise?” Father Aiden asked.
“Yes,” came the reply.
All three helped Smriti out of bed and took her outside. A car was waiting for them, and it swiftly moved out and reached the main road.
After a while, they arrived at the train station. Priya looked at Smriti, who was smiling, her happiness evident. Priya said, “That is the Darjeeling train station.”
Smriti looked at her and said, “Thank you.” Saying this, Priya saw Smriti closing her eyes. She called her, “Smriti… Smriti…”
By the time Priya Didi finished narrating, it was almost three in the morning, but none of us were sleeping. Even young Dola, our three-year-old cousin, was awake. I asked, “Priya Didi, what happened to Smriti Didi? Is she fine?”
“I hope she is.”
“Where is she?”
“She is with Margaret now.”
