The Nishi’s Call – A Bone-Chilling Ghost Folklore from Rural Bengal”

 

                The Call of the Night SpiritL

Evening was falling deeper. The chirping of the starlings had stopped long ago. Only the monotonous sound of crickets and the occasional howling of jackals echoed, signaling that night had descended. On both sides of the dirt path stood rows of bamboo groves, rustling in the evening breeze. At the far end of Ramchandrapur village, by the Talpukur pond, under the worn-out banyan tree, sat Kanai smoking a bidi. The reddish glow of the bidi flared up in the darkness and faded again, just like the dance of a firefly.

Kanai was a son of this village. In his forties, but a lifetime of backbreaking labor had made his body stoop. He worked as a day laborer to barely run his household. Even today, he was just returning from working all day in someone else's field. He got a bit late. Passing by Talpukur made the way shorter, so he took this path. Although the villagers usually avoid this route after dusk. The moss-covered pond beside the old banyan tree is said to be bottomless. The village elders say that spirits dwell in this pond. Especially, this area is said to be haunted by Nishi.

Kanai did not believe in ghost stories. In a life full of poverty, the fear of ghosts is a luxury. But today, something felt off. There was no moon in the sky. The sky was covered with thick black clouds, and not a star could be seen. The surrounding silence seemed to swallow all sounds. Only the cracking sound of the bamboo in the gusty wind sent a cold shiver down his spine. Finishing his bidi, Kanai stood up abruptly. It wasn’t wise to delay any longer.

As he started walking, his shoulder cloth suddenly felt heavier. He looked back once. Nothing. Just shadows and indistinct trees. But it felt like someone was following him. His chest thudded with fear. Unknowingly, he picked up his pace.

A little further on, a sweet, sorrowful voice reached his ears. It was like someone familiar calling him!

"Kanai... Kanai re..."

Kanai stopped in his tracks. That voice—it was his wife's! The tone exactly like how she called him home every night. But what was his wife doing here this late? And why had she come so far?

"Kanai... what’s wrong? Why did you stop?" The call was clearer now, even sweeter. It felt like she was standing right behind him.

Kanai turned around. But where was she? No one was there! Just thick darkness and the sound of crickets.

Kanai's heart beat faster. That wasn’t his wife’s voice! It was Nishi's call! It’s long been believed in the village that Nishi mimics familiar voices at night. The one who answers the call or turns back, Nishi follows them home and takes their life. But Nishi calls only once. If she calls a second time, her power is lost. So she never calls again.

But then—

"Kanai... won’t you come? Look, I’ve brought something for you!"

A second call!

Kanai was startled. This was unbelievable! Nishi never calls twice. Then who was this? Fear chilled his limbs. He knew answering that call meant walking straight into death. But the second call created doubt in his mind. Nishi doesn’t do this! Was it not Nishi after all? Could his wife truly be in danger?

Torn between fear and doubt, Kanai’s body trembled. He closed his eyes to calm himself. He remembered what the elders said — “Nishi calls only once, if she calls twice, her power is lost.” Then who was this? A new trap to lure him?

Suddenly, the wind picked up. Dry leaves swirled violently. From the pond came a cold, damp smell. Kanai felt as if even breathing was difficult.

"Kanai... come..." The voice now sounded even more pitiful, even more desperate. As if his son Ramu was calling him!

“Baba... I’m scared! Where did you go?”

Kanai’s heart ached. His only son, Ramu. The little seven-year-old who learned to walk by holding his father's hand. Could he really be in danger? But recalling Nishi's tricks made his hands and feet numb again. He knew Nishi was cunning. She mimicked the voices of loved ones to trap people.

Kanai closed his eyes tightly and forced himself to believe — this was Nishi. Behind this voice lay something terrible. But the mystery of the second call still lingered in his mind.

Suddenly, the wind died down. The sound of crickets became clear again. Everything was calm and still. Kanai opened his eyes. The old banyan tree stood just as before. The water of Talpukur was still. Everything seemed normal. But his heart continued to pound.

He didn’t wait another moment. He walked as fast as he could toward home. Taking the village path, he ran, panting. He didn’t dare look back. It felt like someone might grab his shoulder any moment.

Finally, when he reached his broken-down house, his entire body was soaked in sweat. His chest felt like it would burst. As he banged on the door, his wife Shiuli opened it.

"Why are you so late? I’ve been so worried." Shiuli's face showed no concern. She spoke as usual.

A question arose in Kanai's mind—had he imagined it? Did his wife not really call him? His son Ramu was asleep inside too.

"Nothing," Kanai replied somehow. He couldn’t be sure what had happened.

Even while eating dinner that night, Kanai’s heart remained unsettled. That second call kept haunting him. Had Nishi grown weak? Or was it a new strategy?

The next morning, Kanai went to visit Sakomal Kaka, the oldest man in the village. He knew many stories from the old days.

Kanai told Sakomal Kaka everything—the experience by Talpukur, the first call from Nishi, and then the second.

After hearing it all, Sakomal Kaka nodded thoughtfully. Then he sighed deeply and said,

“Kanai, the fact that you’re alive is your fortune. It’s true that Nishi loses her power after a second call. But not all Nishi are the same. Some are very powerful. When they see a person isn’t responding to the first call, they become desperate. Then they mimic the voices of your dearest ones to call again and again. Their only goal is to break your will, so you fall into their trap.”

Kanai was stunned. “Then, was I…”

Sakomal Kaka said, “Yes, that night you encountered an extremely powerful Nishi. She knew you wouldn’t turn at her first call. That’s why she tried to shake your heart by copying the voices of your wife and child. If you had looked back that night, you wouldn’t have survived.”

Kanai trembled all over. He remembered how terrified and confused he had felt.

Sakomal Kaka continued, “In the old days, this happened often. Nishi doesn’t just take lives, she traps souls. Those souls become her slaves and help her lure others. Beneath that old banyan tree by Talpukur lie many graves. They say all were victims of Nishi.”

Kanai felt nauseated. He had narrowly escaped.

Sakomal Kaka added, “These spirits grow weak when they expose themselves. When Nishi called the second time and you didn’t respond the first time, her power had already begun to fade. But still she tried to deceive your mind. You are lucky that you remembered the elders’ words.”

After hearing all this, Kanai became much more cautious. He never again took the Talpukur path after dusk. He even taught his son Ramu — if at night, any unknown voice calls, no matter how familiar it sounds, never respond, and never turn back.

The fear of Nishi wasn’t new in Ramchandrapur village. But Kanai’s incident became the talk of everyone. The villagers grew even more alert. That terrifying experience of Nishi’s call left a deep mark on Kanai’s heart. He realized that darkness is not just a limitation of sight, but a realm where logic and reason can bec

ome meaningless. In that realm, only self-control and belief can guide you.