Baak : A Gothic Story

‘Baak’….a special kind of ghosts….typically lived in swamp areas. Don’t know whether it was found or seen in other places of the country or not……..but it was popular in Assam till even late 70’s.

  

Fresh Fish was the staple food of Baak. People used to encounter a Baak while fishing in a river or pond or a swamp area. Generally, the non-veg guys, the Fish eaters had the fortune to come across this kind of ghosts.

Mostly, people used to put fishing net in the ponds or marsh lands late in the evening and collect in the dawn. There were so many stories like, sometimes some lonely fishermen used to catch fish and keep in their pots…and automatically fishes used to vanish…..while they used to feel somebody’s presence and get to hear some chewing sounds in the air. Normally, Baaks didn’t take lives of people, they would attack if the fishermen threatened them.

The Baaks used to carry their souls in one pouch. If any human being could snatch that pouch….the Baak used to obey the orders, like a genie. Many people knew some magic tricks to snatch that pouch. My great great grandpa was one of them.

Long ago, there was a family in a small village of Assam. Father, mother, two brothers with their wives and one kid each were living happily. One day, the siblings went for fishing, even before the dawn. They went to fish in a big fishery nearby a swamp area. They were in a boat, and were getting lots of fish….They were overwhelmed. Suddenly, the younger brother heard a big sound from his back side as if some heavy thing fell into the water. He looked behind, and could feel some abnormality in elder brother’s behavior. The elder brother said that nothing happened. But, the younger brother had some doubt, started observing keenly what was happening without giving any hint. The picture was clear after sometime, the man in the boat was a Baak in his brother’s shape, after killing and throwing his brother into the water. He kept patience, planned and trickily snatched away the pouch of the Baak….and convinced him to accompany him to his house and be in that shape only. The Baak had to come into the agreement.

Going home, the younger brother hide the pouch somewhere extremely secret place in the house. Years and years passed, nobody came to know about the truth. The Baak kept searching the pouch…..He had to live his life like a man…he had two children….

One day, everyone had to go to a marriage ceremony in a nearby village. Keeping all family members in the marriage venue, the Baak came back home…..minutely searched the pouch….and he was successful….But, he became emotional enough…......Should he leave the house….or keep the pouch in its place again……


PS. Publishing this story under the hashtag theme of Indiblogger:#incompletestory.  The story is incomplete.  



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