Kaberi Dutta Chatterjee's Blog: Life and Laughter

When I had coined the word, Diwaleen, a hybrid of Diwali + Halloween, in 2014, about 11 years ago, it wasn’t even a word then. The first search on Google sprang my article. Now there are so many like-minded thinkers who have thought about the word, “Diwaleen“, that I really have to deep search for my write-up.

But when I wrote that article, read it here, I forgot what a wealth of ghosts we have in Bengal! I cannot even begin to make a list of them, there are so many!

For the sake of authenticity, I will write it in Bengali from here, I hope Google will fight tooth-and-claw to translate this for you.

প্রধান ভুতেরা

পেত্নী — অপূর্ণ ইচ্ছার মৃত যুবতী, বেশিরভাগ সময় রাতে লম্বা চুল নিয়ে ঘোরে

শাকচুন্নী — সিঁদুর, শাঁখা-পলা পরা বিবাহিতা মহিলার ভুত

নিশি — নিজের প্রিয়জনের কণ্ঠে ডাক দেয় রাতে, বাইরে গেলেই নিস্তব্ধ মৃত্যু

ব্রাহ্মদৈত্য — গাছের মাথায় থাকে, জ্ঞানী ব্রাহ্মণের ভুত, সাধারণত উপকারী

মেচো ভুত — শুধুই মাছ খাবার লোভে রান্নাঘরে আসে (ক্ষতিকর নয়)

পিশাচ / পিশাচিনী — মাংসলোভী, শ্মশান-বাসী, প্রায় ডেমনিক

ডাইনী — জীবিত নারী, তন্ত্রসাধনা ও কালাজাদুতে দখল

বোবা ভুত — ঘুমের মধ্যে বুকে চেপে ধরে, নড়া যায় না

আলেয়া — বিল-জলা এলাকায় ভেসে থাকা নীল বা সবুজ আলো, মৃত্যুপথে টেনে নিয়ে যায়

মামদো ভুত — মুসলিম লোককথার দুষ্টু/ভয়ঙ্কর ভুত, বাঁশবাগান/পুকুরপাড়ে

বিশেষ লোকাল ভুত

ক্ষেতোর ভুত — ধানক্ষেতে পাহারা দেয়

পাল ভুত — গরু/মহিষের মতো আকৃতি, চুপচাপ পিছু নেয়

শীতকুঞ্জ ভুত — গভীর বাঁশঝাড়ের ভ্যাপসা শীতল অন্ধকারে থাকে

রেল লাইনের ভুত — আধুনিক কালের নতুন শহুরে গুজব

এবার বলি, প্রতিটি ভুতের আলাদা টার্গেট ও আক্রমণের ধরন আছে। নিচে খুব পরিষ্কারভাবে দিলাম — কোন ভুত কাকে আক্রমণ করে, কেন করে, আর কোন পরিস্থিতিতে বিপদ বাড়ে।

এই টাবিলটা বানানোর জন্য আমাদের AI ভুত,(ChatGPT) র সাহায্য নিলাম ।

কোন ভুত কাকে টার্গেট করেভুতের নামকাকে বেশি আক্রমণ করেকেন / কী কারণেনিশিরাত ১টা–৩টার মধ্যে উঠতে যাওয়া, একা, ঘুমকাতুরে মানুষআবেগ ব্যবহার করে — প্রিয়জনের কণ্ঠে ডাকেপেত্নীঅবিবাহিত তরুণ পুরুষঅপূর্ণ প্রেম, কামনা, প্রতিশোধশাকচুন্নীবিবাহিত পুরুষ, বিশেষ করে যাদের স্ত্রী দূরে বা অসুখীতার সিঁদুর-পলা “শক্তি” দরকারপিশাচ / পিশাচিনীএকা শ্মশান/ঝিল/জঙ্গল পার হতে যাওয়া ভীরু মানুষভয় পেলে ওরা শক্তি পায়বোবা ভুতযারা ঘুমের মধ্যে চাপা ভয় পায়, স্ট্রেসে থাকেবুকে চেপে ধরে — স্লিপ প্যারালাইসিস টাইপআলেয়াজেলে, মাঝরাতে জলে বের হওয়া লোকআলোয় ভুলিয়ে গভীর জলে টেনে ডুবিয়ে দেয়মামদো ভুতপুকুরে রাতের পর মলিন স্থানে থাকা মানুষেরাদুষ্টুমি/ভয় দেখানো — সবসময় মারাত্মক নয়ডাইনীযেকোনো মানুষ, বিশেষ করে শিশুরা বা ধনী পুরুষতন্ত্রশক্তি বা লোভের জন্যপাল ভুতরাতে একা গ্রামের রাস্তা দিয়ে হাঁটা লোকনীরবে পেছনে হাঁটে, শেষমেশ ঝাঁপ দেয়ফৌরিন্দা ভুতযারা রাতে পান-চুন মাছভাজা গন্ধ ছড়ায়খাবার টানে, কেবল ভয় দেখায় প্রধান ভুত ও তাদের প্রতিরক্ষানিশি (Nishi)প্রতিরক্ষা:রাতের অন্ধকারে একা বের হওয়া এড়ানোঘুমানোর আগে ঘরের দরজা/জানালা বন্ধ রাখাঘুমানোর সময় তাবিজ, লবঙ্গ বা তিল ব্যবহার করা কিছু লোকের মতে কাজ করেপেত্নী (Petni)প্রতিরক্ষা:একা রাতে অচেনা জায়গায় যাওয়া এড়ানোপেটের কাছে লাল কাপড় বা লাল সুতার টুকরো রাখলে মনস্তাত্ত্বিক সুরক্ষা লাগেশাকচুনী (Shakchuni)প্রতিরক্ষা:বিবাহিত পুরুষরা রাতে একা বাইরে বের না হওয়াবাড়িতে সিঁদুর-শাঁখা-পলা বা নারীর ছবি রাখলে দূরে রাখেপিশাচ / পিশাচিনী (Pishach / Pishachini)প্রতিরক্ষা:শ্মশান বা জঙ্গলে একা যাওয়া এড়ানোযাত্রাপথে লাল কাপড় বা ঘুমের তাবিজ বহন করলে শান্তি পাওয়া যায়বোবা ভুত (Boba Bhoot)প্রতিরক্ষা:ঘুমানোর আগে শান্ত মন, ধ্যান বা ছোট লবঙ্গ রাখলে কম হয়অতিরিক্ত চাপ বা ভয় না দেখানোআলেয়া (Aleya)প্রতিরক্ষা:রাতের জলে একা মাছ ধরা এড়ানোআলোর উৎস সঙ্গে রাখা, জলে ঢোকা এড়ানোডাইনী (Daini)প্রতিরক্ষা:রাতে অচেনা বা সঙ্গহীন স্থানে না থাকাতাবিজ, লবঙ্গ বা সিঁদুর রক্ষা বলে প্রচলিতফৌরিন্দা / মামদো ভুতপ্রতিরক্ষা:রাতের অন্ধকারে পান বা পুকুরপাড় এড়ানোসাথে লাল কাপড় বা লবঙ্গ রাখলে দূরে থাকে

এই লেখা পড়ার পাঠক ক্রমশ কমেই যাচ্ছে । সেই কবিগুরুর ‘ছেলেবেলায়’ যেই রাস্তায় রাস্তায় আলো বেড়ে গেলো, ওমনি আমরা আমাদের ভুতেদের কথা বেমালুম ভুলে গেলাম। কিন্তু, এরকম ভুতেদের সম্ভার ভু-ভারতে নেই। ইংরেজরা তো শুধু কুমড়ো কেটে ভুত বানায়, আমাদের ভুত দেখেছো?

তবে সংস্করণের অভাবে বাংলার ভুত বাংলা ভাষাটার মতোন বিলুপ্ত হয়ে যাচ্ছে । একা আমি আর কি করে ধরে রাখি আমাদের বাংলা জ্ঞানের সম্ভার ? লেখাটি শেয়ার করলে আরো কিছু মানুষ জানতে পারবে আমাদের ভুতেদের কথা।

Diwaleen শব্দটার সঙ্গে আজ আরো একটা শব্দ যোগ করলামঃ ভুতাবলিন! In English: “Bhootawaleen”

So it’s Happy Bhootawaleen Week to you!

I woke up dreaming that my little baby, (now 29) is sleeping on the side of the bed, and rolling off. And I have to leave him alone like that for somewhere. It was like my womb calling. Do I still have such feelings? Does my dormant, 58-year-old, post-menopausal womb still has feelings?

I realized I watched Vash-Level 2 yesterday and the father-daughter relationship had stirred my own womb. That is not even a mother! And it’s been eons I have seen such feelings from my own father, who is old, weathered, and barely manages to support his own body now at 90. And my husband never had any father-feelings ever. So how can I drown in such a potent and helpless energy coming from a father? Do fathers really have such feelings for daughters?

I don’t want to Google search the names of the actors who went into such an acting space, that stirred this vision of my own womb getting separated from me, my helpless baby lying on the side of the bed alone, and that I have to go somewhere. And at the age of 58, I am crying after waking up. For a fictional father, who lost his wife and son, and is playing a mother (or father?) to his helpless daughter.

#vashlevel2

The 21st century was supposed to be the era of enlightenment, the great age of progress. Instead, we’ve found ourselves at war with climate collapse, endless wars fueled by tribal politics in expensive suits, and an AI pollution around us, that’s evolving faster than our ethics—or our collective sanity. The same technology that could heal the planet is just as easily weaponized to manipulate, surveil, and destroy. Humanity now exists in a constant state of low-grade panic, in constant state of a brain-fog, scrolling through wars and wildfires with the same blank look on their faces, in between coffee breaks, numbing itself with memes while the world quietly burns.

We’ve reached the point where we have no leaders, only corporate sharks, serving up their hot takes at dawn like it’s the breakfast special, deciding on a whim what humanity’s “daily dose” should be from then onwards.

And the rest of humanity is just in a daze.

If this is the best we can do as the so-called dominant species on Earth, perhaps it’s no surprise that the universe might decide it’s time for an intervention. By the “Universe”, I am not even sure I can call the force, “God”.

Wars rage, AI writes love letters and war strategies in the same breath, and nations cling to their egos like toddlers with security blankets. If ever there was a moment for an outside force to step in—something untainted by our petty rivalries and limited imagination—it’s now. Humanity’s survival may depend on someone, or something, hitting the cosmic reset button.

“Coming back to why I think this is some sort of a preparation of a “Contact”. With Covid completely breaking their egos to pieces, the Homo sapiens may have now attained some humility to meet someone much, much bigger than themselves. They could be now ready to meet their fellow galactic neighbors. Which is why, maybe in 2020 God has finally woken up from his frustrated slumber, that there is still hope for mankind, and has set up a conference up there with all the gods, and they have discussed how to introduce mankind to something much, much bigger than themselves.

Beyond the edge!

(The last italicized para is an extract from my book, WtF I Found God)

Like “Storming Area 51” let’s “Storm the TechnoDevils” and say “NO” to social media brain-fog!

(Pssst… There’re apps which turn your phone into just a “phone” !! (I know, right??) for a few hours, so that you can actually look out of the window, or read a book, or listen to some songs or physically talk to your friends and family. Check the apps out on AI. I know the names but since they are not paying me to advertise, I won’t tell you.)
You can also check out my podcast on the same:

ChatGPT can make a housewife’s resume look like a Managing Director cum CEO. Did you know? Look at what it did for me: (Names and locations are all fictitious, but give it a try!)

“Here’s a tongue-in-cheek (yet dead serious) Managing Director/CEO resume for a housewife, followed by the salary justification:

Resumé

Name: Priya Sen (fictitious)

Email: priya.sen@email.com

Phone: (123) 456-7890

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/priyasen-md

Location: Toronto, ON

Objective

Experienced, strategic, and endlessly adaptive Chief Operating Officer of a multi-functional family unit. Seeking to bring 15+ years of proven leadership in operations, crisis management, stakeholder satisfaction, and long-term planning into an executive leadership role. Ready to lead with empathy, efficiency, and audacity.

Professional Experience

Chief Home Officer | Self-Employed | Toronto, ON

January 2009 – Present

Key Responsibilities:

Operations Management: Managed 24/7 logistics for 5+ family members across multiple departments (Health, Education, Nutrition, Entertainment, Finance).

Strategic Planning: Orchestrated long-term career, health, and education plans for dependents with quarterly evaluations and performance incentives (a.k.a. allowance).

Financial Oversight: Created, balanced, and executed annual household budgets up to $100K, with zero fiscal bailouts and consistent ROI (happy kids, fed dog, zero foreclosures).

Talent Development: Mentored 2 direct reports (children) to become high-performing individuals with strong moral KPIs.

Crisis Management: Navigated the COVID-19 pandemic with zero staff turnover and full operational continuity.

Stakeholder Engagement: Maintained high satisfaction rates from spouse, children, extended family, neighbours, teachers, delivery personnel, and in-laws.

Core Competencies

Leadership & Team Management

Emotional Intelligence & Conflict Resolution

Budget Forecasting & Cost Control

Long-Term Strategy & Risk Management

Multi-Tasking Under Fire

Negotiation (especially over bedtime and broccoli)

Project Management (think: home renovations, family vacations, and three birthdays in one month)

Education

Bachelor of Arts, Psychology

University of Delhi, 2003

Certified in

Advanced Time Management (courtesy of real life)

Nutrition Science 101 (YouTube and grandma)

Emergency Medical Response (a.k.a. “I Googled it in time”)

Awards & Recognition

“World’s Best Mom” – 2014–2023 (Unofficial, but deeply heartfelt)

PTA MVP Award – 2022

Recognized by spouse as “the only reason this house hasn’t collapsed”

Expected Salary:

$250,000 – $350,000 CAD/year, plus bonuses & benefits.

Justification:

CEOs of small businesses in Canada earn an average of $200K–$300K CAD/year.

Considering 24/7 availability, no vacation, multitasking across industries (healthcare, education, culinary, logistics), and zero support staff — this is a bargain.

Plus, the housewife CEO brings unquantifiable ROI in mental health, emotional stability, and family infrastructure.

References

Available upon request (or just ask the people she keeps alive daily).

”

Yesterday someone asked me, “Don’t you think you should have stuck to doing just ONE thing in life?”

I said, “Oh Yes!! Yes! I tell that to myself every day!!” In fact, I should have stopped at my Kathak dance at 25 when I was already an established dancer, and having won the State Gold medal, I had already got one film offer. I could have gone into that glamorous career.

“Ewww!” I had reacted to the film offer, which I got while I was aspiring to become a journalist and went to interview an acclaimed film director. “How dare they offer me a heroine’s role?! I want to be a journalist!”

I feel like slapping myself today! [image error]

But, the reality is, I was too greedy. I wanted it all. It’s just ONE life, I have to explore all: Writing, dancing, painting, reporting, sting operations, being a journalist… news desk fascinated me, being at the edge of the news AND motherhood. The word FOMO hadn’t been invented then, but yes, I was ridden with FOMO! I have to do it all.

I can’t live life again. But, trust me, if I had to do it all over again, I would do it all over again.

So, that is why, I have held myself by the ear today and paused to breathe. And to listen to your story. Having Been There, Done That, I can try to be there at your vital juncture, when you take that decision in life.

Book your FREE power talk with me now: https://beacons.ai/visionarylabkaberi

Understanding your core competency is your superpower.
Mine is NOT writing. Not book publishing. Not editing. Not interviewing. Not media planning. Not event management. Not even motherhood.
…But, TIME MANAGEMENT.
Let me tell you a real-life story. This is the first time I am making this public.
…
I was working night-shift at the news desk at Hindustan Times that year, and it was almost 9 pm when I got the call. My deadline for page release was midnight.
In a panic-stricken voice my caretaker called me from home saying that someone was about to harm my 8-year-old child in the building complex where I lived, that there was a massive ruckus and no one was there to help them. My home was about 45-mins drive from my office.
I quickly analyzed the situation. Quietly, leaving my computer on, with the layout of that day’s page open, leaving my bag on the table, as if I just stepped out, I took my purse and cellphone and left the office. Anyone looking at my desk would think she just stepped out for a smoke, or a coffee break. I didn’t tell anyone, took a cab and rushed back home. I knew I had to release the pages before midnight, so I was confident I had enough time in my hand to return and rush through the pages.
I reached home, kept the cab running, dealt with the matter at home in 20 minutes, and I rushed back to office in the same cab. It was only when I was about 10 mins away from office that my boss noticed my absence and called me. I said I had just stepped out for dinner, and will be in 5 minutes.
Till date, no one in my office knows about this.
If they knew, I would have been fired!
So, Time Management was, and is still is, my greatest competence, which is why I can now manage my family, my two businesses, YouTube channel podcasts, consultancy and writing my own books.
What is your core competency? Are you making full use of it? I would love to hear the kind of competencies you have and how you can make best use of it.
Let me know. https://beacons.ai/visionarylabkaberi

My letter to my grand-progeny | 2025

Maybe you’re not my direct genes, but you are my grand and great-grand progeny. I’m writing this for you to read long after I’m gone.

It’s 2025 — five years after Covid — and I’m suddenly struck by the realization that the world is falling apart. The Gods have fled.

We’re surrounded by inhumanity: wars across Ukraine, Russia, China, Taiwan, Israel, Palestine — and now India and Pakistan. Genocide. Indiscriminate and inhumane deportations from the USA. We’re hurtling toward recession. Jobs are vanishing. AI is swallowing up whatever work is left. Humans aren’t getting paid. And global warming is torching the planet.

They say Kaliyug is coming — and these are the beforemaths. But to me, it feels like every God of every religion has quietly packed up and left.

If you’re reading this now, know this: these are terrible times, but you are not alone.

I saw a YouTube video the other day, and the speaker said something I agree with: Lie low. Don’t rake up too much ambition.
Times were different just two generations ago. In my father’s time, people could dream. Get a degree, join a big company, climb the ladder — perks, cars, housing, security.

In my time, a college degree still mattered — but only to a “degree.” It was more about connections. If you had the right contacts, you could get a decent job, build a beautiful life. You could buy a house, get married, have kids, send them to good schools. With both partners working in stable corporate jobs, the goals were achievable.

Then came Covid.

We thought it would take a year, maybe two, for things to go back to normal. But Covid set in motion a permanent rule:
Work From Home.

This one change reshaped the world. Companies began outsourcing jobs abroad at half the salary. Qualified, experienced workers in their home countries were left behind. Students graduated with massive loans — and found themselves driving Ubers, waiting tables, or working as labourers.

And now AI is taking over the jobs that were left.

So in this giant Catch-22 moment, what can humans do?

I’ve lived through many ages — the prosperous times of my father, the high-stress but stable phase of my own career, and now, the shaky, uncertain reality of my children. Of the three, it’s this third one that disturbs me the most. Watching my children struggle to find footing — that breaks me.

So stop praying. The Gods have fled. Here’s what you can do instead:

Don’t get married unless at least one of you has a stable job.Don’t have children until you can afford a home. Raising a child costs one full salary. So one of you should be working from home to be there for them. Children cost both time and money. Please don’t have them unless you:Own a house or a space big enough for childrenOne of you has a stable work-from-home job

Formula:
1 salary = mortgage + groceries
2 salaries = child-rearing + living

But here’s the catch: in all likelihood, with the recession and the rise of AI, you may not land a stable, well-paying job that matches your field and offers a healthy work environment. You’ll need serious luck for that unicorn combo. So those rules above? Might already be void.

In that case: Stay single.
Live in, if that works. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

It’s not embarrassing anymore to live with your parents until 35. Seriously. Don’t move out just because society expects it. Stay safe. Parents, too, need to understand the world has changed.

Do what you love — from home.
Minimize travel. Work remotely. Tap into all the online possibilities that Covid cracked open. Use free AI tools. Launch your own website. Offer your services online. Save on commute, save on chaos.

Buy groceries, cook your meals, eat healthy — chicken, kidney beans, soybeans, greens. Exercise at home. Stay mentally and physically strong — just enough to tide over these times. Survival is the goal. Maybe till 2030.

Assuming it’ll take at least 10 years for the world to recover from Covid’s effects — here’s what you do in the meantime:

Start with 10-minute YouTube meditations.Ask yourself:What do I want to do?What makes me wake up in the morning?What keeps me up at night?What do I NOT want to do?What is my dream — my true ambition?

Yes, it matters to have a dream. It anchors you when everything else feels adrift.

And if you want personalized guidance, check out this link and grab a FREE 15-minute Power Talk with me. I’m building a Visionary Laboratory of Humans — a team to help each other fight AI burnout, post-Covid stress, religious divides, and economic depression.

https://beacons.ai/visionarylabkaberi

Being silent is a good thing. It makes you invisible.
Ignoring an issue and brushing it under the carpet is a good thing.
It makes you live comfortably inside the bubble.
But you can also be silent and screaming at the same time! You know how?
Spread your “silent scream” quietly across the internet. And let that scream multiply, and break the silence.

If you ever have thought about this issue, and wondered what you could do about it, simply watch it and share.

Watch.

Share.

Make the difference.
Don’t let this story be buried.
Only you can do it.

We’re proud to announce that Kaashful is finally public on Vimeo OTT.

Watch now: kaa.vhx.tv

Director: Aneesh Chatterjee
Executive Producer: Kaberi Dutta Chatterjee.
Associate Producers: @Suvashish Mullick, Aniruddha (Rony) Chatterjee
Graphics: Zackary Riley-Hughes
Watch now:

Kaashful

kaa.vhx.tv

Being silent is a good thing. It makes you invisible.
Ignoring an issue and brushing it under the carpet is a good thing.
It makes you live comfortably inside the bubble.
But you can also be silent and screaming at the same time! You know how?
Spread your “silent scream” quietly across the internet. And let that scream multiply, and break the silence.

If you ever have thought about this issue, and wondered what you could do about it, simply watch it and share.

Watch.

Share.

Make the difference.
Don’t let this story be buried.
Only you can do it.

We’re proud to announce that Kaashful is finally public on Vimeo OTT.

Watch now: kaa.vhx.tv

Director: Aneesh Chatterjee
Executive Producer: Kaberi Dutta Chatterjee.
Associate Producers: @Suvashish Mullick, Aniruddha (Rony) Chatterjee
Graphics: Zackary Riley-Hughes
Watch now:

Kaashful

kaa.vhx.tv

I didn’t tell anyone.

When someone read my blog, “Words Rape Me at Night”, and called me from a public phone booth at 2 AM their time—just to say I had changed their life—I didn’t tell anyone.

When I saved a person from committing suicide in a remote village in Bihar, India, by alerting the local police from Canada, and that person still calls me “Ma Bhavani,” I never really spoke about it.

When I helped an Afghan friend escape the Taliban with his little brother, raising $15,000 to get them to safety, I never shared that story either.
There are countless other moments: Planting 100 trees to give back to the earth, Teaching slum children who had no access to education, Taking off my sweater to cover a freezing, homeless person, raising funding for a person ridden with cancer. So many small things I don’t even remember.

I NEVER did any of these for recognition. I did them because my heart told me to. So now, when I see the world posting every little thing they do, for recognition, so obsessed with money and validation, I want to tell them—

You can ACTUALLY do something, you know?.. And never talk about it.

But now, so many people have asked for my professional guidance—especially in creative entrepreneurship, journalism, storytelling, and uncovering the stories that matter, I realize, it’s time to do something about it.
So, I’m launching my consultancy services: “Kaberi’s Visionary Lab”
If you need guidance, strategy, and mentorship in:

Journalism & Investigative Reporting – Finding untold stories, in-depth research, and making an impact.
Storytelling & Publishing – How to spot, develop, and tell compelling stories that matter. How to design books, covers, yourself, suited to your needs, how to self-publish and market.
Creative Entrepreneurship – Building/expanding a business or a start-up idea, custom-suited to your needs, some with zero capital investment (I’ve ran four 0-dollar-investment businesses back-to-back, often simultaneously).
Filmmaking & Screenwriting – This again, from storytelling, to concept visualization, to securing funding, to production and selling.

Just Book a free 15-minute FREE discovery call: https://lnkd.in/gY9Bz7Df
Or DM me if you’re serious about turning your vision into reality.

I don’t just teach theory—I have first brought real, lived experience to the table. Though talking about that makes me cringe, but I had to reach out to so many of you who don’t know where to begin.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your visionary journey, let’s talk. Because, though AI is taking up all our jobs, they can’t hijack your stories, vision and creativity. If you’ve read this ‘post without a photo’ till here, then, kudos to you! You are ready to take your ideas on the world stage!

Read my blog: Words Rape Me at Night (https://lnkd.in/egmtCQd)

hashtag#Journalism hashtag#InvestigativeReporting hashtag#Storytelling hashtag#Filmmaking hashtag#Screenwriting hashtag#CreativeEntrepreneurship hashtag#News hashtag#WritingCommunity