The atmospherics are just right. Lightning, thunder, dusk setting in earlier make the weather a lot more gloomier. Or spookier. We go with the latter, now that Halloween is round the corner. The best company that we could have on a spooky evening is India’s Most Haunted: Tales of Terrifying Places. K Hari Kumar has included terrifying tales of some of the most haunted places in the country like Bhangarh Fort, Malabar Hill’s Tower of Silence and Jammu and Kashmir’s notorious Khooni Nala. Not just that, you will find a creepy story or two, from your hometown, whether it is Mumbai, Goa, or the hilly regions up North. For us, living in Pune, we have a story titled Goodnight Abbu. It unfolds in Chandan Nagar neighbourhood and follows the supernatural activities that a little boy experiences every night. Are you looking over your shoulders, just yet? 

India’s Most Haunted...contains a number of stories that are based on rumours, personal experiences, urban legends that made headlines and were even made into movies. These incidents come to life through easy language penned by Kumar and the clever additions of thrill, mystery and supernatural elements. These elements are amplified by a bunch of restless spirits, women clad in white saris on roads, evil human beings and even demons. Despite the chills and thrills which you experience while reading the book, you would want to visit these sites just to experience the supernatural— where the past lingers, the moonlight creates patterns and when the wind suddenly stills. 

Whether you read these tales at night when you are all alone or in broad daylight, we bet you will be sitting on the edge of your seat. If you want to multiply the chills, gather your friends around a campfire on Halloween and narrate these stories to them.