Real Ghost Stories: The Dead Uncle Who Came for Ruhi

This is one of the real ghost stories of a family in Dhaka, told as the story of Ruhi’s cursed days. Before 2015 our life was arranged like a picture. No great worry or trouble could touch us. With Abbu, Ammu and my brothers and sisters our little household went along happily. But who knew these happy days would end so quickly? The year 2015 brought a new-moon darkness for our family. From that year strange events began, whose after-effects we still carry today.

A Family and Its Youngest Uncle

We need to know the history of Ruhi’s mother’s family a little. Ruhi’s Ammu’s father’s house, that is, Ruhi’s nanabari, was quite large. Ruhi’s Ammu has eight siblings in all, four sisters and four brothers. Among the siblings Ruhi’s Ammu is seventh. The youngest of all was Ruhi’s chhoto mama. Today’s tragic story is about this chhoto mama. While all the other siblings of the family were married, this youngest uncle was unmarried. He was not very old, but he did not want to marry.

In 2015, suddenly Ruhi’s family learned that their youngest uncle had been struck by the deadly disease cancer. Hearing the news a shadow of grief fell on the whole family. Mama lived in the village. In the ordinary surroundings of a village it was not at all easy to treat a complicated disease like cancer. For lack of treatment his condition was getting worse day by day. Seeing this, Ruhi’s Ammu could no longer stay still. She decided to bring her brother to Dhaka, to keep him before her own eyes and have him treated in a good hospital. No sooner thought than done. Ruhi’s Ammu brought her younger brother to their home in Uttara. Mama’s treatment began. Under the care of the city’s well-known doctors and Ruhi’s Ammu’s close nursing, Mama slowly began to recover. Although his body was weak from the strain of chemotherapy and medicine, in spirit he became quite lively. He had developed very good relations with everyone in Ruhi’s family. Especially Ruhi and her brothers and sisters liked their chhoto mama very much.

After staying in Dhaka for quite some time, when Mama felt a little better, he insisted on returning to the village. He thought he was much better now, and would spend the rest of the time in the village with his mother. But Ruhi’s Ammu would not let him go. There was a reason for her worry. The only person to look after Mama in the village was his old mother, Ruhi’s nani. But her age was then in the nineties, and she could not move without help herself. How could she care for her son? And Ammu’s other brothers and their wives were busy in their own households. None of them was willing to take responsibility for this sick man, rather they thought of him as a burden. Because of greed for property, the relations between the brothers were not very sweet either. Ruhi’s Ammu knew that if her brother went back to the village, he would die of neglect and disregard. Still, defeated by Mama’s stubbornness, he was allowed to go to the village.

Going Back to the Village

But Ruhi’s Ammu’s fear came true. After going to the village, let alone care, he did not even get proper food. His sisters-in-law always spoke harshly to him. In a sick body it became hard to bear this mental torment. The situation reached such a point that after a few days he was forced to return again to Ruhi’s house in Dhaka.

When Mama came the second time, the situation became a little different. As you know, there is a saying in our society: a guest is good for two days, a burden if he stays longer. Perhaps that mentality worked in Ruhi’s family too, unconsciously. Although Ruhi’s Abbu was a very good man, the presence of a long-sick relative had perhaps disturbed the natural rhythm of the household a little. Sometimes over small matters there were words between husband and wife, perhaps over the shopping list, or some other trivial reason, an argument would start between Ruhi’s Ammu and Abbu. But sick Mama thought that it was perhaps because of him that there was trouble in the household. He began to think of himself as guilty. It felt to him that in this family he was a burden. Hurt in his self-respect, without telling anyone, he decided to return to the village again. Even though Ruhi’s Ammu tried hard to stop him, he did not stay. With hurt and sorrow in his heart he had to return to that same household of neglect.

After he went back to the village, everything was quiet for some days. Ruhi’s Ammu asked after him regularly. Mama too said on the phone that he was well. Although nobody understood how much pain was hidden behind that wellness.

A Phone Call and a Death

It was the day before some family festival. Ruhi’s Ammu phoned her father’s house with great enthusiasm. Her plan was for everyone to go to the village the next day, meet her brothers and sisters, and have a lot of fun. She spoke to everyone one by one, to her elder brothers, to the sisters-in-law. She asked what arrangements would be made for them the next day, when they would arrive, and so on. In the course of the conversation she asked one sister-in-law, “By the way, bhabi, how is my younger brother? Is his health good?” The sister-in-law replied quite naturally, “Yes, he is well.” Ruhi’s Ammu was reassured. She thought, good, at least my brother is well, I will see him tomorrow. After finishing the call she turned her mind to household work.

But see the cruel joke of fate! Exactly half an hour after this phone conversation, a call came from Ruhi’s eldest uncle’s daughter. As soon as she took the call, the sound of crying came from the other end. “Fupi, Chhoto Chacha is no more, he has died.” Ruhi’s Ammu could not believe her ears, the ground seemed to move from under her feet. She screamed, “What are you saying?” No answer came from the other end of the phone. Suddenly, it was said, he had become unwell.

Ruhi’s Ammu began to sob loudly. The brother she was to go and see tomorrow, today she had to go for his janaza. She could not accept it at all. Everyone assumed that perhaps cancer had taken his life, perhaps his life had run only this far. Saying that whatever Allah does is for the best, everyone tried to console themselves. Ruhi’s Ammu again phoned that sister-in-law who had said a little earlier, “He is well.” She thought perhaps the sister-in-law had lied to her earlier. But the sister-in-law no longer picked up the phone. Perhaps out of guilt, or for some other reason, she did not want to speak.

With tearful eyes Ruhi’s family reached the village house. The atmosphere at the nanabari was heavy and still. The yard was full of people, and Chhoto Mama’s lifeless body lay covered in a white cloth. Ruhi’s Ammu fell upon her brother’s body, weeping. But even among the crying, a doubt stayed in her mind: had her brother really died of illness, or something else? But there was no time then to look for an answer to that question. According to religious custom, arrangements for burial and shrouding were quickly made. After laying Mama in the grave, when everyone returned home, evening had fallen.

Dreams

After the burial Ruhi’s family returned to Dhaka. But Ruhi’s Ammu’s mind would not settle. Her brother’s face kept coming back to her. A few days after returning to Dhaka, a strange thing began. After falling asleep at night, Ruhi’s Ammu began to see her dead brother in dreams. In the dreams she saw her younger brother standing silently before her, in those same old clothes, his face dull. He was not speaking, only looking steadily at his sister. In the dream Ruhi’s Ammu would ask her brother, “Why are you not saying anything? Are you in pain?” The brother gave no answer, only looked at her with piteous eyes, then faded away.

After seeing such dreams for a few days, Ruhi’s Ammu grew somewhat worried. In Islam it is said that seeing a dead relative in a dream can often be a request for dua for them. So Ruhi’s Ammu began to give more and more dua and sadaqah for her brother, and to feed the poor. She thought perhaps her brother’s soul would find peace. But after some time the matter took a different turn. Not only Ruhi’s Ammu, now Ruhi’s cousin, the one who had given the news of his death, also began to dream. She too saw in her dream that Chhoto Chacha was standing before her, not saying anything. Two people dreaming the same dream at the same time, was it only a coincidence? Or was there some big mystery hidden behind it?

Slowly about two months passed. The dreams eased a little. When everyone began to think the situation had become normal, Ruhi herself began to dream. And these dreams seen by Ruhi were not like those of her Ammu or her cousin. They were much clearer, much more terrifying. The first day Ruhi saw the dream, she saw that her chhoto mama was standing by the window of her bedroom. A strange rotten smell was coming from his body. Ruhi wanted to step back in fear, but Mama beckoned her closer. He said, “Ruhi, you tell your Ammu to find the real reason for my death.”

Read more: [LINK: Real Ghost Stories: The Baby From the Cremation Ground]

Waking, Ruhi sat up drenched in sweat, her heart pounding. She thought it was her mind’s trick, that thinking of Mama all day had made her dream it. But the next night the same dream again. Mama said, “Do you not believe me? Phone home and ask how I died.” Ruhi could not keep it to herself any longer and told Ammu. Hearing such a dream from her daughter, Ruhi’s Ammu shuddered. The suspicion hidden in her mind rose. She thought, perhaps her brother’s death was not natural. Ruhi’s Ammu decided she would see this through to the end.

The Truth About His Death

She phoned her father’s house, Ruhi’s nanabari, again. But this time she did not ask anything directly, she began to speak cleverly. She said to the sisters-in-law, “I feel my brother is coming in my dreams to complain. Are you really hiding something?” At first nobody wanted to open their mouth, everyone began to hem and haw. But under Ruhi’s Ammu’s relentless questioning, finally the truth came out. And that truth was so cruel, so inhuman, that hearing it any person’s heart would tremble.

The day was Independence Day or some government holiday of that time. An older brother of Ruhi’s chhoto mama worked in a local school. On the occasion of the holiday the school had given him a packet of sweets. He had brought those sweets home. But nobody in the house ate them. For about three or four days the sweets lay in the house. In the heat they had spoiled and begun to smell. The people of the house thought, what is the use of throwing away these rotten sweets? Better to give them to Chhoto Mama, he is ill, lying in bed, he will eat whatever he gets. From this vile thought they gave those spoiled, rotten sweets to Mama to eat. Mama was then suffering from hunger. In his sick body he did not even realise that the food was spoiled. He had been without food for several days, and although the rotten smell of the sweets reached his nose, it did not reach his brain. In the pain of hunger he ate those sweets.

Soon after eating, trouble began. The rotten food stuck in Mama’s throat. He began to struggle to breathe, he could not take breath, the food was clumped in his throat. Thrashing, he asked for water. There was no water within his reach. With great difficulty he came out of the room to the veranda, where his sisters-in-law were sitting chatting. With a gesture and in a groaning voice he asked for water. But the hard-hearted sisters-in-law not only did not give him water, they began to scold him. Mama kept trying to explain that food was stuck in his throat. But nobody even turned to look. He crawled to his elder brother. His elder brother was sitting in the yard. Mama clasped his feet and asked for water, but his elder brother did not respond. Hearing this commotion, the ninety-year-old old nani came out from inside the house, with great effort, leaning on a stick. She saw that her youngest son was writhing in agony. Trembling, she took a glass of water and went toward her son. But that water he never got to drink.

A Curse and the Brothers

After hearing everything, Ruhi’s Ammu was left speechless. Tears fell from her eyes in streams. She understood why her brother was coming in dreams to complain. Ruhi’s Ammu pleaded to Allah for justice, “O Allah, you judge this.” That night Ruhi dreamed again. This time Mama stood before her. There was a strange smile on his face. He said, “Your Ammu has found out, hasn’t she? I will not let them go. Just as I suffered, they too will suffer.” Ruhi woke. She understood that this was no ordinary threat. The curse of a dead person, especially the consequences of this curse, can be extremely terrible.

After that some days passed quietly. Three months later, suddenly one day Ruhi again dreamed that Mama was saying, “I will take Mother. Mother is in great pain there.” The next morning news came that Ruhi’s nani had died in the village. Nani’s death was very sudden. Later it was learned that Nani had really been tormented a great deal.

Several years passed after this. Ruhi’s uncles decided to divide their ancestral property. Chhoto Mama had long ago bought a piece of land with his own saved money. Since he had no wife or children, a dispute began between the fourth and fifth brothers over the ownership of that land. Finally, through the mediation of the eldest uncle, it was decided that the land would be divided into two equal parts. Sejo Mama quickly began work on his own house on that land. Within a few months the house was finished. But what fate had written! Just a little before they were to move into the new house, cancer was detected in Sejo Mama’s body. The doctors gave up. He never got to live in that dream house. Suffering in agony, he died too.

That left Mejo Mama. He thought, he is dead, why should I stop? He began building a house on his share of the land. His house was almost finished too. But history repeated itself. He too was found to have cancer. In his last days he could not swallow water, as had happened to his younger brother. He died. Ruhi understood that her chhoto mama was taking them one by one. He was keeping his word. Those who had made him suffer would not escape.

The Gate at Night

But the matter did not end there. The fire of revenge now rushed toward Ruhi’s own family. Ruhi noticed that strange problems were arising in her own house too. Quarrels began between her father and mother without reason. Her elder brother, who used to love Ruhi very much, suddenly became irritable, and began beating Ruhi over trivial matters. The atmosphere of the house became poisoned. It felt as if negative energy or devilish wind was moving in every corner of the house.

Meanwhile, Ruhi’s dreams began to grow even more terrifying. Mama would say, “This world is not good, Ruhi, come with me.” Ruhi would say, “No Mama, I will not go.” Mama would say, “You are in pain here, I cannot bear to see it.”

The situation reached its peak one night. Ruhi dreamed that her mama was standing outside the gate of their Uttara home. With him were two more shadow figures: one of a small child, whose intestines had come out of its belly, and the other of a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old boy, who was staring fixedly. Mama was gripping the iron gate and shaking it violently, with loud banging sounds. He was shouting, “Ruhi, come down, open the gate, I have come to take you!” Even within the dream, Ruhi curled up in fear. But the real fear she felt after waking. She sat up in bed, but the sound of the gate being shaken was still reaching her ears. Was it a trick of the mind?

The Hujur and the Red Thread

The next morning Ruhi could bear it no longer. She told her Abbu and Ammu everything. She said Mama wanted to take her away. At first Ruhi’s Abbu did not believe any of it. But seeing the dark circles under his daughter’s eyes and her thin face, he was frightened. He understood that this was no ordinary mental problem, and that something spiritual was behind it. A relative from Ruhi’s nanabari told them of a pious man. He was a hujur (Islamic scholar) who did spiritual treatment, or recitation and blowing. His house was in a village outside Dhaka. Ruhi’s father and mother took Ruhi and rushed straight to the hujur.

After reaching the hujur’s place a strange experience happened. As soon as he saw Ruhi, the hujur said, “They have come to take her, they are not letting her go.” The hujur said to Ruhi, “Your mama’s death was a very bad one, that is true. In his mind there is a lot of anger, a lot of pain. But his wanting to take his loved ones to himself is not right. After a person dies he is not in this world. The soul goes out to a world we cannot see or understand. Someone has come in your mama’s form. He has used your mama’s pitiful death and, coming in his guise and hiding himself, is carrying on his own work. He first wanted to take your mamas. Your eldest uncle somehow saved himself. Now his eye has fallen on you.” The hujur warned them there was no more time to waste, and that a few more days’ delay and Ruhi could not be saved.

After this the hujur sat Ruhi before him and recited the Quran for a long time and did ruqyah. Ruhi’s body seemed to get fiery jolts, and she began to writhe. At the end the hujur tied a red thread on Ruhi’s wrist. He said to take off the thread every eleven days. He gave some more amals too. Ruhi’s father and mother breathed a sigh of relief. They began to follow all the hujur’s instructions to the letter.

After taking treatment Ruhi’s condition began to improve. Those terrifying dreams no longer come as before. Now nobody speaks of taking her with them. But there is one particular dream that Ruhi still sees sometimes. She sees a huge coil of fire blazing. Someone is dragging Ruhi by the fistful of her hair toward that fire. Ruhi is screaming to be saved. This incident has left a deep wound in Ruhi’s life. Ruhi is still afraid to go near fire. Her hands and feet tremble when she lights a gas stove, it feels as if someone from inside the fire will pull her in. She is very afraid to go near water too. She never goes to the bank of a pond or river.