Every city has its own stories, some true and some truer than others. Delhi is no different. I have been reading about ‘THE HAUNTING OF DELHI CITY’ by Jatin Bhasin and Suparna Chawla Bhasin for some time. The decision to order it was impulsive, and it happened right after I read a Twitter thread of a short Ghost by Jatin @TheDilliMirror. It was the story about Terry and missing children which captivated me. Thankfully, that story is not part of the 9 Ghost stories featured in the book.
GHOSTS ARE PART OF MY UPBRINGING.
I am Pahaadi, and Lansdowne is my native town. I have grown up listening to old and new tales of Ghosts and haunted places. (Read about Ghost of Lansdowne here) I have also spent a large part of my advertising career working in Delhi – a city full of heritage and historical places- each with a story of its own. Even the HTA office above the ball-bearing market at Jhandewalan is rumoured to have a Ghost.
I have worked late nights and travelled through the deserted streets of Delhi- ever vigilant and cautious of potential threats, not that I have many incidents to narrate. And I love horror and the paranormal. I have read almost all of Stephen King’s novels- and still, remember the sleepless nights after reading Cujo and Christine. I have also published a paranormal novel- Chimera of Lansdowne.
DELHI GHOSTS.
I know of Delhi almost inside out. I have spent time at Paharganj, East of Kailash, Lajpat Nagar and Vasant Kunj. At the same time, I worked at Jhandewalan, East of Kailash and Connaught Place. I have been early morning and late-night visitors to Barakhamba Raod, Humayun Tomb, Mehrauli, Nizamuddin Gali, Friends Colony, Chandani Chowk, Shani temple, Karol Bagh, the infamous ridge, and dance bars before they closed. Delhi streets of the day and night are well known to me, along with their stories and history.
You would have heard of Feroz Shah Kotla, Jamali Kamali Mosque, Mehrauli, Mutiny House, Kashmiri Gate, Delhi Cantt, Khooni Darwaja, Lodhi colony, Paharganj Cemetery, Karbala cemetery, Pragati Maidan, Appu Ghar, Kashmiri Gate, Vasant Kunj, Sanjay Van, Bhuli Bhatriari and more. (read about some of these places here).
Delhi’s dark secrets and shadows are known to few and experienced by even fewer people. The stories are shared in whispers, mostly on a cold night when fog joins to play tricks with your mind or when every shadow and sound starts having a new meaning. There are rules to follow for safety and paths to avoid – not whenever possible but always.
THE HAUNTING OF DELHI CITY – STORIES
So, there are 8 short supernatural stories in the book. Most of them average 25-30 pages with really tight storytelling. There is no waste of words and space. Even then, the time spent in built-up and supporting stories is decent. The narration is simple, and the end killing.
My favourite is ‘Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Mahal’, ‘The Baoli of Blood’ and ‘The Tree at Dwarka, Sector 9’ if you can survive till the end. Wait, let me add ‘Pachaas’– how can I not include it in my favourite. That makes it 4 out of 9- a damn good score by any imagination. Maybe after this, you will never drop down at this station or walk the Connaught place or Mehrauli at night. But that is the risk you take.
As an ardent fan of supernatural and horror stories, I would have wanted more fear built in. But then the style is easy to read, and the end is classic in many ways. One of the stories ends with simply, ‘On some nights, people can still hear the children’s voice echoing in the Baoli’. Another end with, ‘On some days, you can still see a woman and a girl standing in the window – waiting for another friend to join’.
NET NET.
Pick the book and enjoy the chilling stories. Stories that leave you wondering. Stories may chase you next time you are in Delhi, and maybe you will listen to the advice and avoid travelling through those lanes late at night. Do not pick them if you are travelling alone and staying alone in a room you do not know about. Who can say what stories it may hide behind the walls, the window panes of the windows, the washroom or the bed you sleep in.
THE HAUNTING OF DELHI CITY.
I agree with Jatin and Suparna, the authors of ‘The Haunting of Delhi City’. The stories are set in Delhi, which we think we know well, but don’t. This is a Delhi that reveals the presence of the supernatural at every corner. And the ghosts are as real to us in stories as in our imagination. Exquisitely chilling, each of these tales holds a piece of the city and its people-especially the ghosts.
The stories leave a lingering taste. Asking you again and again if you think these are just stories? Or is there something that you have missed out on?
MORE GHOSTS IN MY LIFE.
I am currently listening to ‘Ghosts of The Silent Hills’ by Anita Krishan on Audible. I have ordered “India’s Most Haunted’ by Hari Kumar.
THE AUTHORS OF HAUNTING OF DELHI CITY.
Jatin Bhasin is obsessed with Delhi, its culture, food and especially its ghosts and djinns. He keeps the ghosts of Delhi alive on his Twitter handle @TheDilliMirror, where he tells short, fast-paced tales of hauntings in Delhi interspersed with the nostalgia of 80s and 90s Delhi and its pop culture. And Suparna Chawla Bhasin is a writer, editor, and content specialist. An avid cinema lover, she is equally passionate about Tollywood and Bollywood.
The Haunting of the DELHI CITY, published by HarperCollins India. 240 pages.
I am open to Book Review Assignments. So, if you have a book you want to be reviewed, connect with me. Send me an e-mail.
BLOG/004/BOOK2/2023/ To connect, send an email, join on Twitter S_kotnala or subscribe to the weekly update.
