Jekhane Bhooter Bhoy

'My name is Tarinicharan Banerjee.'

'Although people know me as Tarini...'

'...regardless of whether they are old or young.'

'I am a bachelor.'

'But there is a just one reason of not getting married.'

'I have a hobby or traveling all over the country.'

'I just completed a tour all through India.'

'I have had 56 jobs in 30 cities for traveling.'

'Now I have stopped roaming now at the age of 72...'

'...and have settled in Kolkata.'

'At Benetolalini in a flat.'

'At the moment, I am going to Ballygunge.'

'There is a house Sweener street where I go thrice in a week.'

'I have a fan club there.'

'They are always keen to listen to my strange stories.'

No, no, not old men. They are all small and young boys.

'Sunando. Notla.'

'Bholu. Chatpati.'

'And Poltu.'

'Poltu is the son of this house and the rest of them stay in the colony.'

He is here.

Good afternoon. - Good afternoon.

Good afternoon. Good afternoon.

I can see that everyone is here, right?

Since a very long time. - I see. I see.

Let us go. - Come on. Come on.

Hey, Poltu. Come here.

Open this. I wouldn't have your tea today. I will have this today.

Wow. Who gave it to you?

A nephew of mine. He works in the tea company. He gave it to me.

I see. Wait, wait, wait.

Here you are.

Fried snacks. They are hot.

Go.

'Poltu's grandfather, Mr. Pradyut Sarkar...'

'...was a leading barrister of Dhaka.'

'I was an assistant of his.'

Oh wow. - 'Since that time...

...I know the Sarkar family.'

Yes. Yes. We are ready. - Ready. Ready.

Have you made up the story?

Story? Have you made it up?

I don't have to make up stories, kid.

The stock that I have with me...

...wouldn't get over even when all of you have moustaches and beard.

Moustaches and beard? - Yes.

It will make up two novels.

That means 2002 nights?

Yes, sir. - In that case, you can start.

Wait, wait, let me have a sip of the new tea.

Until I have tea, I cannot start telling a story.

But what is the story about? Tell us about that.

Today, we will only listen to ghost stories.

Ghost? - Ghost?

Ghost indeed. - What kind of a ghost?

Ghosts are of many kinds.

Yes, ghosts are of many kinds for sure.

But mainly of four kinds.

The first one is an invisible spirit. They cannot be seen.

The second one is like a shadow.

Third number is a visible ghost.

When you see him, you will feel he is a living being.

But they can vanish in front of your eyes.

The fourth kind is one who is a skeleton.

That skeleton walks around and talks as well.

These four kinds of ghosts are ones that I am aware of.

But the three stories that I am going to tell you are golden stories.

Golden? - Yes.

You cannot make your nose crooked.

It is 100 percent authentic.

Are you sure?

Why? Do you have a doubt?

No, I mean, you are the one who keeps saying that...

...your stories are a little made up for the sake of art.

Anyway. The first story is about a doctor friend of mine.

Snehanshu Chatterjee.

His son.

This is about his experience and the story is here.

Here you are.

This is your new tea without milk and sugar.

Thank you.

Wow. Very nice.

Now he needs a cigarette with good export quality.

Poltu. - Yes, grandpa.

Take care of this kid.

He is becoming naughtier by the day.

Now he will tell us a story.

This is an incident that happened around 30 years ago. Okay?

In a crowded bus on the highway of Grammanga--

Come on, get down. - I want to get down now.

Hey.

Sorry. - It is fine.

How far are you going? - Raghunathpur.

I see. Even I am going there. - Really?

Yes.

I see. For an outing or work?

Now.. You could call it work.

I see. - Actually I have a hobby of writing.

So I got a plot of a story in my head and hence--

Writer?

Yes.

Shitesh Chatterjee. - Anathbandhu Mitra.

So you are here. What is the matter?

I--

Tell me, do you know the place?

No. Actually a friend of mine has his ancestral home here.

I see.

It is empty almost all through the year--

Hey, give me a ticket.

It is ideal for my work of writing.

Since you don't know the place...

...I am sure you haven't heard of the Haldar house either.

Haldar House? In Raghunathpur?

It is almost 250 years old. - I see.

I do have an interest in old houses.

But I haven't heard of this ever.

Okay, does anyone stay there yet?

Not anyone who is alive.

So where is your friend's house?

Near the post office.

Apparently the reference of the Bose house will be enough.

Okay.

In the evening, I will come over to your place.

Yes, yes, sure.

There are two gentlemen here to meet you.

Greetings.

Greetings. - Greetings.

Let me introduce you. He is Mr. Shitesh Chatterjee.

Yes. - Pranab Banerjee.

Greetings.

Come on. - Come on.

Pranab is the secretary of a local club.

He is a resident here since a long time.

I was taking information about the Haldar house from him.

I see. Will you have some tea?

Do you want to sit or do you want to take a look at the place...

...till there is light yet?

Good idea. We can have the tea when we come back.

Now.. What is the matter?

I was thinking that...

...the three of us could go and have a look at the Haldar house once.

But that is only if you don't have a problem.

Right now?

Why? Have you already started with your writing?

No, no, not like that.

So there shouldn't be a problem. Come on.

It is just a walking distance that will take around 10 minutes.

What is the specialty of this Haldar house?

Hey, mister, in this Raghunathpur...

...Haldar house is the only attraction.

There is nothing else other than this to see around here.

I don't really know if it is an attraction or not.

But it is famous as a haunted house. - Yes.

Haunted house? - Yes.

That is what people of this place say.

And they don't just say it but they believe it as well.

But of course, there are enough reasons to believe it.

In the history of the Haldar family...

...there have been many instances of bloodshed, murder or suicides.

And on top of that, the mysterious death of Haladhar Dutta.

Haladhar Dutta?

He is the son of a lawyer of this place.

He had gone to spend the night at the Haldar house...

...with his friends with crackers.

And the next day, he was found as dead. In a room of that very house.

When did this happen?

Around 15 years back.

So in the last 15 years, has anyone else spent a night in that house?

Have you gone mad?

Actually there is a room in that house. Okay?

It is on the corner of the South west direction.

That room has a problem.

I have heard that someone from the Haldar family...

...had committed suicide by hanging from the ceiling of that room.

Oh my God.

Can you believe it? - What?

Ghost?

Do you know what the matter is?

I have heard a lot about the haunted house.

But I haven't met even one man till date...

...who has stayed in a haunted house and has seen a ghost himself.

It is just that. Yes.

Now take me for an example.

It has eluded me a lot of times.

I think a ghost comes to someone who doesn't want it.

My hopes have been shattered time and again.

What do you mean by saying time and again?

Not time and again?

I have spent the night at least 300 haunted houses of India.

Wait, wait. 300?

And do you know the kind of places they were?

Jabalpur. Karseyang. Cherapunji.

Katwa. Kanthi. Godpur. Azamganj.

Hazaribagh. Sewri. Barasat. How many more do you want?

Come on. - Come on.

Yes.

I have spent nights in 56 circuit houses...

...and minimum 30 huts.

Apart from that, in Kolkata and its nearby areas...

...there are at least 50 houses for sure.