THE GIRL WHO DATED A GHOST

Buddhists believe in maintaining a positive energy to ward of negativity. When our bodily energy becomes low, Buddhist refer to it as "Wangthang and Lungta nyam ni". This phase of low energy is deemed to be very dangerous and potentially fatal if no proper rituals and mantras are chanted to prevent mishaps. 

Anyhow, here is story that happened to a friend of mine back in 2020, right after the COVID- 19 lockdown.

Pema (name changed) was 22 years old when she finished her college from Royal Thimphu College in Thimphu. She lived with her parents in a modest 2-bedroom apartment in downtown Thimphu. She is the only daughter of her parents, so they adored her more than anything and she loved them back equally.

However, after months of lockdown, Pema got all riled up and depressed. She spent most of her days in her room sleeping and watching movies. The lockdown took a toll on her just like it did on many of us. By the end of lockdown, she was dying to go outside and be with her friends. 

As the lockdown ended, she went over to a friend's place at Olakha. Her friend, Sonam (name changed), lived alone preparing for the upcoming RCSE. 

Sonam and Pema concocted a plan to have a party over at Sonam's place with their boyfriends. So, they told Pema's father that they have some important things to discuss about RCSE and got the pass to stay over at Sonam's place.

However, the very day the party was supposed to happen, Pema and her boyfriend Dhendup had a huge fight.

As per Sonam, "Pema looked a little lost and confused after the lockdown. She's not Pema from before. Something was missing about her. Her Aura was all sleepy and drowsy."

Pema was never the girl to argue or fight with her boyfriend. She loved him Dhendup dearly and they have been together for more than 4 years.

So, that evening, Pema wept in Sonam's bedroom as Sonam and her boyfriend, Karma drank and watched movies in the adjacent room. 

Pema was reluctant to join them, and she begged to be left alone.

Pema was supposedly chatting with her boyfriend, and apparently, they came to a common understanding. They decided to meet up again and talk things over in person, apparently.

Sonam and Karma was engrossed in their movie when they noticed Pema opening the door. When asked where she was going, Pema told her that the doorbell has been ringing for some time. Sonam and Karma thought that she was so engrossed in her movie that she missed the doorbell.

Pema opened the door and told Sonam she is going out with Dhendup. Sonam and Karma clearly recalls Pema saying, "He is here to pick me up". 

Sonam was glad that they talked it over. So, she didn't say much and continued with her movie date.

Pema walked out of the door. As Karma stood up to close the door behind her, he saw that Pema was walking down the stairs, alone. He thought of calling Dhendup but waved it off thinking Dhendup must be waiting outside.

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Pema and Dhendup walked for some time before they reached a small hill right by the roadside, somewhere on the way to Namselling, Thimphu. However, the place was pitch dark except for the pale moonlight and distance streetlights.

She can barely see Dhendup's face. As they talked, Pema started to feel uneasy and weird in the dark. She looked for a reason to ask him to go back, she kept eyeing around and to her relief, she saw a shadow of a man running towards them. 

Dhendup stood up and looked over at the man with a angry and worried look. As the man neared, he resembled more and more like Dhendup. Pema's hair stood on her end when she saw that the man running towards her is Dhendup too. But who is this Dhendup she had been talking to all this time? Fearing the worst, Pema didn't dare to look back at the Dhendup she was with. 

The new Dhendup walked over and asked her to go with as he is not a good person. The two Dhendup got into an argument speaking language she never heard before.

Pema just stood there, frozen with fear as two Dhendup's fought over her.

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Things were taking whole new turn for the worst back at Sonam's place. 

It was 10 in the night and not a single text or call from Pema. Worried Sonam called Dhendup to ask about their whereabouts.

And what happened next gives me chills.

The doorbell rang furiously, Sonam and Karma quickly opened the door to find Dhendup looking very worried.

Dhendup tells them that Pema hasn't been responding to his calls and texts for the past few hours. 

When they told Dhendup that Pema went outside with him, his worried face turned pale. 

Dhendup revealed that they were supposed to meet up and talk over a cup of tea at Olakha but she never turned up.

They stood there in frozen in ghastly silence.

Sonam started to cry out of fear for the worst.

Realizing that something is definitely not going right. Dhendup and Karma took Sonam to Pema's place. They told everything to Pema's father, who was a deeply religious man. 

He immediately called his mother back in the village to offer some Serkem in their altar.

Meanwhile, they contacted the police and formed a search party too look for Pema.

Pema's mother, equally devout, immediately went to Dechenphug Lhakhang to pray for her girl's safe return.

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The two Dhendups began pushing and shoving each other around. Pema sobbed, frozen in fear and utterly confused. She stood there rapidly and quietly chanting "Om Aah Hum Benza Guru Padma Siddhi Hung."

Just then a car came speeding towards them, a man shouting furiously, "Nge Bhum dhi mitang aah" meaning, won't you let me girl go?

As the light reached them, the two Dhendups jumped off the cliff and fled nowhere to be seen.

Pema stood there frozen in fear as sense of relief washed over her. The last thing she remembers was a man in Red Silken Gho, walked towards her. She fainted out of fear and confusion. 

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It took the search party, 3 more days to find Pema. They found her barely alive, on top of a steep rock cliff, in the middle of nowhere, in the jungles of Jimina.

It took Desuups and Police over 2 hours with ropes and proper gear to reach the top of the cliff where she was found.

It took her another 1 year of constant rituals and Rimdros, for Pema to fully recover. 

She now lives a normal life as a teacher in one of the schools in Tashigang.

People say that the man in Red Gho who saved her in none other than Gengyen Jagba Melen, the chief protective deity of Thimphu.