The rain wasn't stopping. Mud and water flow less than a chocolate cream but more a stone rock that might ultimately turn into a mysterious rage. Arshad, Wahid and Sundari were struggling to go to the cart but there wasn't time. That's why, they need to go to the library as soon as possible. Otherwise, there could be massive killings that could result into serious measures. Sundari was running fast as a horse and handled the cart safely.

By crossing the village, they got in the middle of the graveyard. A hooded old, frail man in a heavy cloak and holding a wooden walking stick, had stopped Arshad and Wahid. The graveyard was...dead and colder than the village. The duo froze as smokes were exhaling from their mouths. The old man asked "are you the journalist?"

"Yes, I am" said Wahid.

"Well...well...well, what are you up to?" asked the old man.

"I apologize, I can't tell you, sir, it's an investigation but confidential" said Arshad.

"I know where you folks are going for...But be safe" said the frail man.

"Who are you, sir?" asked Wahid.

"I am Shamsher, the caretaker and grave digger of this yard" said Shamsher, the wise man.

"Nice to meet you, sir" said Wahid.

Then, Shamsher looked at Wahid's locket. His long grey hair was waving, his wrinkles were stopping him to show his surprising expression but overshadowed by the warm tone that, he inherited. He added "who gave you this locket? It was a treasure of Meghpur! It actually protects from all the odds but should belong to an heir of a legend in the valley".

"This is the one my mother gave me" said Wahid.

"Your mother? I think, it's not what I'm thinking about. Anyway, off you go for the investigation. Sorry to waste your time" said Samsher.

"No problem. Thank you for understanding" said Wahid.

Finally, they've got to the library, despite being mud on the wooden wheels. They hoped out from the cart and went inside the library. It was the back of the masjid, and within two sides, there was a church and a temple that were covered with concrete road. The place was more of an old European world than Bangladesh. The library looked a bit small, as bookcases were shown and decorated with the lamp lights. The shop was made of wood, glass and brick, similar to the bookshops in the UK.

They've got into the library. It was purely magical that Wahid found wonders inside it. Variety of books, fiction or non-fiction but there were no people. Except a healthy, tough librarian man at his sixties had shown up. He asked "What are you up to, sir?"

"I'm looking for a book about ghosts or other entities" said Wahid.

"Hey, Arshad, it's been so long, how have you been?" asked the librarian.

"Uhh....quite a long story. Just trying to help my friend here to get rid of the horror in this village" said Arshad.

"Oh...is that the journalist, everyone's been talking about?" asked the librarian.

"Asad bhai, yes, he is... But it's not in a situation to talk about, could you kindly suggest us the books of 'Meghpur Louko Katha' (Folktales of Meghpur)?" asked Arshad.

Asad, the librarian used the ladder and got into the corner where it was categorized 'FORBIDDEN SECTION'. He looked at an unlikely book, as the spine was made of elephant skin and teeth. It was written in a golden ink 'Folklores and Encyclopedia of Meghpur (1983 Edition with 2024 notes) by Asad Ahmed'. He was a bit petrified to take out the book that might unveil a secret that would unlock and would change forever. The front cover had the stamp regarding 'The Star of David' and it was fully grey. Plus on Indian paper interior that has been printed with a smell of white flowers. Asad kept it gently on the table.

The moment Wahid turned the page, he looked at the 'Ghosts' and 'Other Entities' section of the book. He turned to page six hundred and sixty six and nine hundred and ninety nine. In the first place, he saw the definition of 'Ghosts' along with the illustrations of their original face. It was written such as:

GHOSTS AND OTHER ENTITIES OF MEGHPUR

WARNING: THE INFORMATIONS ARE BASED ON THE 'FOLKLORE' AND RECORDS FROM PEOPLE IN THE VALLEY. IF IT'S BASED ON REAL LIFE COULD BE CO-INCIDENTAL. IT IS FOR THE EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES.

-ARABIAN MYTHOS-

GHOUL-

Originated from the pre-Islamic Arabian folk, also known as demons in the bible. They are associated with abandoned graveyards and are the bunch of cannibals. Its name is resultant of 'ghala', also known as seize or destroy. In English, the creature 'ghoul' or 'ghul' is described as the ominous, monstrous being connected to death and deterioration. Similar to the word 'ightiyal' or assassination.

The most example are Arqam Bin Abu Al Arqam- a ghoul who was disguised as a woman and kidnaps a boy on a desert journey.

The other one is Saraya Bint Al- Ghoul who kidnaps a girl and imprisons her in his palace.

NASNAS-

From the word 'nasnasa', also means 'to be weak' or 'weakling'. In folklore, they are described as half-human creatures with one arm, one leg, and half a head, believed to be the children of the demon or ghoul and a human being.

Furthermore, the entity was not or else, vaguely stated in the 'Sunni' interpretation of the Qur'an, but some are mentioned in the Shi'a forums. According to that, before humans, jinns and nasnas lived on earth. After 70,000 years, Our Creator unveiled between heaven and earth and even announced that humans would be the successor. But the other angels thought of it as a disgrace and bloodshed that's done by Jinn and Nasnas. As the complaint by them, God extinct Nasnas and replaced with Jinn and Angels.

[Excuse my mistake]

SI'LAT-

A monkey-like hairy creature that could transform into beautiful women and kills men with a charm. In some tales, she kidnaps men, marries them, and has children, resembling the seductive and dangerous traits. It's quite similar to the forbidden chapter of the Bible-'Lilith', also known or theorized as the 'first wife of Adam PBUH'. She was banished from the 'Garden of Eden' for not obeying or understanding Adam PBUH.

ANQA-

One of the phoenix variant, a mythical bird that has been described as a large creature that appears only once after ages, connected to the themes of renewal. It was stated as a golden and a female, as said 'at a place of the setting of the sun'. According to the Arabic proverb, it says 'there are three impossibilities: the ghoul, the phoenix and a loyal friend'.

Finally JINN-

A supernatural beings that has been mentioned in the Qur'an and pre-Islamic beliefs. Although they are made of fire, their smokes are rarely seen and possess free will. Either good or evil, they could interact with humans, cooperating and causing harm. There are precautions, such as avoiding deserted places at night or to avoid angering them.

-TYPES OF JINN-

IFRIT

The winged demons made of smoke. They are considered to be powerful, aggressive and extremely dangerous.

1. APPEARANCE

-Winged creatures made of smoke

- Associated with the underworld and identified spirits of the dead

- They are sometimes said to inhabit abandoned or holy places such as ruins and temples

2. POWERS

- Tricks people

- Helpful but have consequences.

3. MEANING

- Indistinguishable from the marid (will be discussed later), another wicked demon.

-According to the Holy books, they are the rebellious ones.

4. SIGNIFICANCE

-death, destruction and misfortune

- The magic of an Ifrit can often be captured or harnessed by humans for their own gains, but such bargains might have negative outcomes.

JANN

The shape-shifters who live in the desert. They're open-minded and friendly Jinn to interact with humans. In fact, they were some of the first Jinn that interact with humans. Also they are known as the ancestors of Jinn.

1. APPEARANCE AND POWER

- Shapeshifter, weakest class of Jinn.

-They turn into animal or human.

2. MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE

- means agile snakes.

- The term jann is used to specify jinn covers both angels and jinn.

-BENGALI MYTHOS-

[REF-Top 6 Bengali supernatural beings you should know about this Halloween- Daily Star-2024]

BHRAMODAITTYO

These are among the most well-liked ghosts in Bengal and are thought to be the spirits of revered Brahmins. They typically show up with the sacred thread wrapped around their bodies and a traditional dhoti. Many Bengali tales, folklores, and films show how friendly and helpful they are to the living.

They reflect the rigid and discriminatory nature of caste hierarchies followed in the past. Socio-political experts point out the fact that most other ghosts in local folklores of Bengal are depicted as dark-skinned while Brahmodaittya is depicted as fair skinned and benevolent.

DAINEE [WITCH]

The word 'dainee' means a witch. Dainee is a living thing rather than a soul or a spirit. Old suspicious women knowledgeable in voodoo, various witchcraft, or black magic are typically referred to as "dainee" in Bengali villages. They are thought to kidnap children, kill them, and then drink their blood to live for a hundred years.

KANABHULO

This ghost hypnotizes a person and transports him to an unidentified area. The victim goes to a different location that is silent and unsettling rather than arriving at his intended location. The victim then becomes insane. These spirits typically attack at night. Such ghosts prey on lone travelers or individuals who become separated from their group.

PETNI/SHAKHCHUNNI

Female ghosts known as 'petni' are either widowed or left with unfulfilled ambitions. Pretni, a Sanskrit term, is where the word Petni first appeared (the feminine gender of Preta). The Sanskrit term Shankhachurni is the source of the Shakchunni. It is the ghost of a married woman, who typically carries in her hands the distinctive traditional conch shell bangles known as "shankha" in Bengali, which married Hindu women in this region wear.

Different from petnis, shakchunnis are thought to live in trees in Bangladesh and attack anybody who bothers them on the streets. They are invincible, and the only way to get rid of them is to summon a clergy, who can do so by making a simple request.

PISHACH/ADAMKHOR

The demonic creature mostly feeds on the flesh of the dead. They prefer the shadows and are typically portrayed as haunting cemeteries and crematories. They can change their shapes at will and have the ability to disappear. Sometimes they take control of people and change their minds, leaving their victims suffering from various illnesses and oddities, including insanity.

WHY TRIPLE SIX CONSIDERED A BAD NUMBER

The number 666 is considered a bad omen and associated with evil due to its connection to the biblical figure known as the Antichrist in the Book of Revelation.In the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament, the number 666 is described as the ''number of the beast'' or the Antichrist.

NINE-ANGEL NUMBER

[AI Reference]

In angel numerology, the number "nine" signifies completion, the end of a cycle, and the beginning of a new phase; it often appears as a message to embrace change, let go of the old, and prepare for new beginnings, while also emphasizing themes of humanitarianism, compassion, and spiritual enlightenment.

Key points about the number 9 as an angel number:

Completion and closure:

Seeing the number 9 frequently could indicate that a significant chapter in your life is coming to an end, allowing you to move on to a new phase.

New beginnings:

While signifying an ending, it also represents the potential for fresh starts and opportunities that emerge after a cycle concludes.

Humanitarian spirit:

To focus on serving others and contributing to a greater good.

Spiritual growth:

This number can represent a sharp level of spiritual awareness as well as the need to embrace your higher purpose.

-SIDE NOTE, WRITTEN BY ASAD-

INFINITY?

Wahid realized that the parts of it were missing. But the ghostly sightings were compared with those of the 'Bengali Mythology' with those of the 'Arabs'. However Arshad and Wahid linked all the ghost sightings with 'Ghoul', 'Ifrit', 'Pishach' and 'Kanabhulo'. But the side notes that had been shown, were written with Parker Pen.

Asad arrived.

He said "Those side notes are bothering you, is it?"

Wahid said "Why didn't you write about the infinity?"

"The infinity might be a common element in mathematics but a rare element in the mythology. Some of them hasn't been found but, the mythology in Meghpur, as well as the ghost sightings became weirder as soon as the fisherman, Mizan was killed" said Asad.

"Are there any ways to stop these?" asked Wahid.

"Bro, I think, we need to go to the masjid to talk to an imam. Maybe, he would get a solution for us" said Arshad.

All agreed.

Then, they got out and walked to an ancient masjid. It was still raining. Though, lesser than when they've arrived at the library. The masjid was made of stones and various expensive metals. Despite being old, it was still afresh. Beautiful domes just reflected like a glass and the stones, although were wet, they've been eye-pleasing. They've entered the masjids, were birds and cats were sitting at the corner of the water. It was dark but more grandeur than what it was. The carpets were cleaner and small it looks outside but larger at the inside. It has both warm and cool breeze, mixed along. They were clean before they entered the masjid.