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Graveyard Shift
At around midnight, I woke up suddenly. A strange sound was coming from somewhere outside in the passage. I sat up dazed. The curtains were a little ajar letting the moonlight to streak in.
I got up to investigate where that noise was coming from. The passageway was almost dark, just a single lamp was left switched on for the night. The sound seemed to be coming from one of the rooms. That was strange, I thought, as there was no one else staying on this floor.
All of a sudden, something moved behind me. Turning around I got the shock of my life. Some distance away, in that dreary passageway, stood a figure dressed in flowing white robes, staring hard at me.
I got up to investigate where that noise was coming from. The passageway was almost dark, just a single lamp was left switched on for the night. The sound seemed to be coming from one of the rooms. That was strange, I thought, as there was no one else staying on this floor.
All of a sudden, something moved behind me. Turning around I got the shock of my life. Some distance away, in that dreary passageway, stood a figure dressed in flowing white robes, staring hard at me.
182 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 10, 2017
4 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Manish Mahajan
9 books31 followersManish is a consulting professional with international experience in big and small corporations. He currently lives in Mumbai with his wife Pratima and son Viaan.
Born and brought up in the east, Manish is actually from the west, has lived in the south and talks like someone from the north. These pan Indian experiences flow into his writing and his stories are built upon cultural milieu from rural and urban India. His debut book "The Disappearance of Tejas Sharma...and other Hauntings: Ghost Stories from India" was published in 2013 and was well received.
In his youth, Manish was heavily interested in Greek mythology and had serious delusions of being a Greek god. Then on a summer afternoon, things changed. He heard the song ‘The Number of the Beast’ by Iron Maiden and realized that ghastly ghouls are more interesting than Greek gods. Today, he would just shrug off the fact that his cell phone number ends with a 666!
Wrapping a live adult Burmese python around his neck in Malaysia, surviving a 3 month stint in Saudi Arabia, swallowing a sea cucumber in China, watching the sun rise over Mt. Lantang in Nepal, visiting the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt and losing all money at the roulette in Macao are a few highlights of his otherwise dull life. Outside his passion of writing, he maintains a lively bucket list of unfulfilled dreams. His eyes which see such vivid dreams are pledged and he would encourage everyone to do so as well
He can be reached at manizoya AT yahoo DOT com or www.facebook.com/manizoya
Born and brought up in the east, Manish is actually from the west, has lived in the south and talks like someone from the north. These pan Indian experiences flow into his writing and his stories are built upon cultural milieu from rural and urban India. His debut book "The Disappearance of Tejas Sharma...and other Hauntings: Ghost Stories from India" was published in 2013 and was well received.
In his youth, Manish was heavily interested in Greek mythology and had serious delusions of being a Greek god. Then on a summer afternoon, things changed. He heard the song ‘The Number of the Beast’ by Iron Maiden and realized that ghastly ghouls are more interesting than Greek gods. Today, he would just shrug off the fact that his cell phone number ends with a 666!
Wrapping a live adult Burmese python around his neck in Malaysia, surviving a 3 month stint in Saudi Arabia, swallowing a sea cucumber in China, watching the sun rise over Mt. Lantang in Nepal, visiting the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt and losing all money at the roulette in Macao are a few highlights of his otherwise dull life. Outside his passion of writing, he maintains a lively bucket list of unfulfilled dreams. His eyes which see such vivid dreams are pledged and he would encourage everyone to do so as well
He can be reached at manizoya AT yahoo DOT com or www.facebook.com/manizoya
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 15, 2017
3.5 stares
I've got a copy of this book in return for a review and to be honest, that turned out like a good deal to me. So, this is a compilation of short stories, themed supernatural/horror. The book was a pretty decent read. It starts with a lighthearted story and rises its bar gradual and steady. Few of them, I liked so much. To be specific, the story on Warren Hastings(the nail biting kind), The doll named Wendy (mixed feelings on that), Tales in the train ( spooky and the twist! oh, well done.), The apartment one (moved me to tears)
All things considered, it was a nice read. Though I felt few stories (that I didn't mention) were windy, stretched- but that's all right, they were still negligible.
The author did have a nice diction to his merit, the narration pretty free flowing and engaging. A lot of research went down behind the scenes it seems and it definitely shows in the book. The book and stories, the places it was set and the things related were well detailed and painted a haunting image to look at while reading.
I've not read many anthologies, but I think this book was a decent start to me.
A goodread and it's worth a chance!
Congratulations and good luck to the author and Team HBB.
I've got a copy of this book in return for a review and to be honest, that turned out like a good deal to me. So, this is a compilation of short stories, themed supernatural/horror. The book was a pretty decent read. It starts with a lighthearted story and rises its bar gradual and steady. Few of them, I liked so much. To be specific, the story on Warren Hastings(the nail biting kind), The doll named Wendy (mixed feelings on that), Tales in the train ( spooky and the twist! oh, well done.), The apartment one (moved me to tears)
All things considered, it was a nice read. Though I felt few stories (that I didn't mention) were windy, stretched- but that's all right, they were still negligible.
The author did have a nice diction to his merit, the narration pretty free flowing and engaging. A lot of research went down behind the scenes it seems and it definitely shows in the book. The book and stories, the places it was set and the things related were well detailed and painted a haunting image to look at while reading.
I've not read many anthologies, but I think this book was a decent start to me.
A goodread and it's worth a chance!
Congratulations and good luck to the author and Team HBB.
April 28, 2017
I believe, Horror/Supernatural genre has been largely untapped in India though Indian mythology delves deep into the supernatural. I have had a couple of paranormal experiences myself and firmly believe that there is a world beyond our own which we can’t see or feel except under certain conditions. In English literature the horror genre sadly begins and ends with grandiose Stephen King with better writers like Anthony Horowitz being relegated as teen horror writers.
Coming to “Graveyard Shift”, this collection of 8 short stories by Manish Mahajan will keep you hooked to your chair, each one is a page turner with the proverbial twist/revelation being deftly served towards the end of each tale. Many of these are likely to freak you out and it is apparent that lot of research has gone behind penning each story. I like short stores with no nonsense approach, no intricate weaving and no beating around the bush. These stories have minimum required plot points (suits me perfectly) and have been set in varied locations viz, an old house from the period of the Raj, a secluded resort, an unfinished apartment, a train, an old palace and the fabled Bhangarh fort too. My favorite being “The Last Wish” and “The Apartment on 10th floor”.
You can make your readers laugh with the help of jokes but it’s pretty difficult to make them experience the sheer horror in absence of visual/audio media and therein lies the litmus test for any author who juggles with horror/supernatural genre. This book, I am glad to say, scores very high on making its readers have a feel of “being there in the thick of things” and experiencing the “terror firsthand”. Full marks to Manish.
Go for “Graveyard Shift” and leave your ghostly inhibitions behind, don’t try to locate the source of the unearthly sound emanating from under your bed, keep on reading the book instead, don’t tell me I didn’t warn you!!!
Coming to “Graveyard Shift”, this collection of 8 short stories by Manish Mahajan will keep you hooked to your chair, each one is a page turner with the proverbial twist/revelation being deftly served towards the end of each tale. Many of these are likely to freak you out and it is apparent that lot of research has gone behind penning each story. I like short stores with no nonsense approach, no intricate weaving and no beating around the bush. These stories have minimum required plot points (suits me perfectly) and have been set in varied locations viz, an old house from the period of the Raj, a secluded resort, an unfinished apartment, a train, an old palace and the fabled Bhangarh fort too. My favorite being “The Last Wish” and “The Apartment on 10th floor”.
You can make your readers laugh with the help of jokes but it’s pretty difficult to make them experience the sheer horror in absence of visual/audio media and therein lies the litmus test for any author who juggles with horror/supernatural genre. This book, I am glad to say, scores very high on making its readers have a feel of “being there in the thick of things” and experiencing the “terror firsthand”. Full marks to Manish.
Go for “Graveyard Shift” and leave your ghostly inhibitions behind, don’t try to locate the source of the unearthly sound emanating from under your bed, keep on reading the book instead, don’t tell me I didn’t warn you!!!
May 18, 2017
I had mentioned in my review of Manish’s first book that I would eagerly, against all my wits, wait for his next collection to come out. But silently, I was praying it would not be soon but alas, my fear came true last month. It was disbelieving enough for me that I managed to complete one book in this genre; reading a second one on the same lines – that was way too much. The only thing which got me going through this book too was the knowledge that this has only 8 short stories and they would end soon. But how wrong was I since Manish decided to extend the “short” stories in his second book. I started Graveyard Shift with the shortest one, “The Appointment” and I would literally count the number of pages each story had and read the shortest one from the list of the remaining ones.
Manish has surpassed my expectation since I was not courageous enough to complete this one in a single day like the last one. In fact, this is the only short stories collection which I did not dare to complete in a single day. Such was the impact of his writing, that after reading the shortest one in the book, The Appointment, I did not touch the book for full two days! Horror fiction is rare area to be in, India or otherwise, yet Manish has taken another bold step in publishing his second book in the same genre which few dare to venture into. Manish has proved once again that even this class can have a huge fan circle if written well. Such was the impact of his first book, that “Graveyard Shift” had become No. 1 seller on Amazon even before it was released.
There are a few things which no one, and I mean no one, should ever face in their lifetime – loss of one’s child is one of them. There is no tragedy in life greater than child loss and there is no greater pain than to bury one while you still continue to live. Things are never the same after this; the pain and grievance end only when you can finally join them. As you read along these specific tales, you would feel the pain and fear as if the story was yours. And even after reading the end, you would still have that emptiness and fear for your child linger on in your heart. That is why “A Doll Named Wendy” and “The Apartment on the Tenth Floor” are my favorites even though the former had a happy ending for some.
I did not enjoy reading this collection as my fear was more than my love for reading books. And this is what the book’s intention was – to spook you beyond what you imagined. This book did exactly what it was meant to do and I now I am not touching any book on this topic ever! The fear of “8” is so much in my mind that every time I read or hear the number 8, it reminds me of “Graveyard Shift”. What I did like about the stories is the way each one has been written – with so much passion and love. Reading them made you realize that Manish had put in so much efforts in understanding not only the real haunted places, but also the various aspects of supernatural itself, the history behind the actual hauntings, the process of creating a séance etc. Each tale has a different theme varying from premonitions to entrapped souls to toys and with each tale one would realize that Manish has reached a new dimension from his first book. The way these 8 stories have been woven is so beautiful that you would not be able to distinguish where history ended and where fiction began. I wish all the very best to Manish to continue his passion of writing such masterpieces. :)
Manish has surpassed my expectation since I was not courageous enough to complete this one in a single day like the last one. In fact, this is the only short stories collection which I did not dare to complete in a single day. Such was the impact of his writing, that after reading the shortest one in the book, The Appointment, I did not touch the book for full two days! Horror fiction is rare area to be in, India or otherwise, yet Manish has taken another bold step in publishing his second book in the same genre which few dare to venture into. Manish has proved once again that even this class can have a huge fan circle if written well. Such was the impact of his first book, that “Graveyard Shift” had become No. 1 seller on Amazon even before it was released.
There are a few things which no one, and I mean no one, should ever face in their lifetime – loss of one’s child is one of them. There is no tragedy in life greater than child loss and there is no greater pain than to bury one while you still continue to live. Things are never the same after this; the pain and grievance end only when you can finally join them. As you read along these specific tales, you would feel the pain and fear as if the story was yours. And even after reading the end, you would still have that emptiness and fear for your child linger on in your heart. That is why “A Doll Named Wendy” and “The Apartment on the Tenth Floor” are my favorites even though the former had a happy ending for some.
I did not enjoy reading this collection as my fear was more than my love for reading books. And this is what the book’s intention was – to spook you beyond what you imagined. This book did exactly what it was meant to do and I now I am not touching any book on this topic ever! The fear of “8” is so much in my mind that every time I read or hear the number 8, it reminds me of “Graveyard Shift”. What I did like about the stories is the way each one has been written – with so much passion and love. Reading them made you realize that Manish had put in so much efforts in understanding not only the real haunted places, but also the various aspects of supernatural itself, the history behind the actual hauntings, the process of creating a séance etc. Each tale has a different theme varying from premonitions to entrapped souls to toys and with each tale one would realize that Manish has reached a new dimension from his first book. The way these 8 stories have been woven is so beautiful that you would not be able to distinguish where history ended and where fiction began. I wish all the very best to Manish to continue his passion of writing such masterpieces. :)
May 16, 2017
I had the good fortune of writing the first review for Manish's debut endeavour titled "The Disappearance of Tejas Sharma and Other Hauntings". He impressed critics and readers alike with his impeccable prose and crisp style of writing in it, but he has taken it to another level now. "Graveyard Shift" has lesser number of stories, which means each story gets more attention to detail.
Apart from the incidents, the circumstances in which those incidents occurred are described elaborately. The description of each environment in which the event is about to take place is so vivid; it reminds you of the way Sir Arthur Conan Doyle described crime scenes in the Sherlock Holmes books. With various themes that go beyond "The Disappearance.." including seance, premonitions, toys, entrapped or even good-spirited entities - the storytelling from the author has now reached a different pedestal . Most interesting is when you travel into the spirit realm like a parallel universe in another dimension with a different space-time complex.
We go back to school days and our inspirations of rock music are evident in this, as he himself states in the opening page. My favourite story is "Tales in the Train" - for reasons that I will let you decipher on your own. This is one of the best horror story-books ever written - no wonder it was at # 1 in the category on Amazon. Manish leaves you wanting for his next book with this, but recommend a novel now - which may even become the theme for the next feature film in this genre!
Apart from the incidents, the circumstances in which those incidents occurred are described elaborately. The description of each environment in which the event is about to take place is so vivid; it reminds you of the way Sir Arthur Conan Doyle described crime scenes in the Sherlock Holmes books. With various themes that go beyond "The Disappearance.." including seance, premonitions, toys, entrapped or even good-spirited entities - the storytelling from the author has now reached a different pedestal . Most interesting is when you travel into the spirit realm like a parallel universe in another dimension with a different space-time complex.
We go back to school days and our inspirations of rock music are evident in this, as he himself states in the opening page. My favourite story is "Tales in the Train" - for reasons that I will let you decipher on your own. This is one of the best horror story-books ever written - no wonder it was at # 1 in the category on Amazon. Manish leaves you wanting for his next book with this, but recommend a novel now - which may even become the theme for the next feature film in this genre!
May 13, 2017
My verdict :
Well. This was first read on this genre, and wow this amazed me, the book starting with poem about a dead man coming to his friends home on same date and same time. The poem is written beautifully and expressed very fine.
And then the book contains different stories, each story shall leave you horrified.
My person fav among them are :
Tales in the train
A doll named Wendy
The apartment on the tenth floor.
I am sure, the author has put in lot of efforts in making these stories come out so flawlessly on paper, this reminds me that the genre is Lil tricky and difficult to work on.
The language is beautifully crafted and the twists and turns makes your thoughts unpredictable.
Beautiful read indeed.
Well. This was first read on this genre, and wow this amazed me, the book starting with poem about a dead man coming to his friends home on same date and same time. The poem is written beautifully and expressed very fine.
And then the book contains different stories, each story shall leave you horrified.
My person fav among them are :
Tales in the train
A doll named Wendy
The apartment on the tenth floor.
I am sure, the author has put in lot of efforts in making these stories come out so flawlessly on paper, this reminds me that the genre is Lil tricky and difficult to work on.
The language is beautifully crafted and the twists and turns makes your thoughts unpredictable.
Beautiful read indeed.
March 7, 2022
A very entertaining book
I was searching for a fresh ghost story collection, different from the ususal, classic victorian style ghost stories and my search ended with this book. This is the very first time I am reading a book by Mr. Manish. The author has explained why he has given the title 'The Graveyard Shift' but I feel somehow it does not suit the present story collection & may be misleading for some readers. A different title could have been a better choice as it is a collection of short stories.
The language used is in the book is quite lucid. Most stories happen in an urban setting, have a modern approach and a fresh feel. In my opinion, a good ghost story is the one which keeps the reader guessing, wanting to know what lies next and has a strong climax. Manish has managed to achieve this effect very well with all stories in the book. His writing style is simple but yet he succeeds in constructing the scenes in a very vivid manner.
In general, all the stories are good. Except for the two stories : Honey, 'm Back & A doll named wendy others are entertaining to the core. These two are good too but are pointed out as exceptions because they are predictive & seem to be based on overused plots from a film/movie.
Also, Betal pachisi which is an author's take on the old Indian fable was not appealing.
Two stories which are my favorites: Tales in the train & The last wish. Tales in the train is a story where strangers narrate tales to each other on a train and has a superb twist at the end & The last wish is a story about two different hauntings in a palace. Even this has a different ending. A special mention for presenting the first story Appointment in a poem form & for thinking about recreating the Vikram Betal story.
Overall, this is a very entertaining book. You can read when on a vaction or in leisure. The author has put in a sincere effort to entertain his readers and this makes it worth a read.
I was searching for a fresh ghost story collection, different from the ususal, classic victorian style ghost stories and my search ended with this book. This is the very first time I am reading a book by Mr. Manish. The author has explained why he has given the title 'The Graveyard Shift' but I feel somehow it does not suit the present story collection & may be misleading for some readers. A different title could have been a better choice as it is a collection of short stories.
The language used is in the book is quite lucid. Most stories happen in an urban setting, have a modern approach and a fresh feel. In my opinion, a good ghost story is the one which keeps the reader guessing, wanting to know what lies next and has a strong climax. Manish has managed to achieve this effect very well with all stories in the book. His writing style is simple but yet he succeeds in constructing the scenes in a very vivid manner.
In general, all the stories are good. Except for the two stories : Honey, 'm Back & A doll named wendy others are entertaining to the core. These two are good too but are pointed out as exceptions because they are predictive & seem to be based on overused plots from a film/movie.
Also, Betal pachisi which is an author's take on the old Indian fable was not appealing.
Two stories which are my favorites: Tales in the train & The last wish. Tales in the train is a story where strangers narrate tales to each other on a train and has a superb twist at the end & The last wish is a story about two different hauntings in a palace. Even this has a different ending. A special mention for presenting the first story Appointment in a poem form & for thinking about recreating the Vikram Betal story.
Overall, this is a very entertaining book. You can read when on a vaction or in leisure. The author has put in a sincere effort to entertain his readers and this makes it worth a read.
otherworldly-bookshelf
May 18, 2022The stories were chilling. Good read for timepass.
April 24, 2017
Manish Mahajan’s Graveyard Shift is a a complete package of horror and spooky stories to horrify and at the same time amaze you. Each story has been well written and have uncertain twists which mystifies the reader. It comprises of 7 Short Stories and one Poem which successfully scare you. Lets have a look at what I think about each story:
The Appointment:
It’s a horrifying poem with a scary plot. It’s about a friend who is dead but has his appointment scheduled to meet the poet. Does he come back from the dead to meet him?
Honey, ‘m back!:
The first short story from the book starts with a normal tone but later turns into a scary revenge drama. This story is horrifying but seems a little bit unbelievable. But the description of the resort before each scene began did scare me.
Tales in the Train:
An overnight train, and five passengers sharing their personal encounter with ghosts and spirits. This is one of my favorites because it begins with a predictable bollywood style plot but ends with a confounding twist. Also the information about chudails: Pichal peri etc doubles up your curiosity to know more about what the story is going to bring further.
A Night in the Hastings’s House:
A team of 10 people from the organisation ‘Ghost Hunters Of India’ go to Warren Hasting’s erstwhile Bungalow in Alipore, Kolkata to conduct their paranormal investigation when suddenly things go horribly wrong. I felt this story had the most unique plot and it had a suspense factor which you’ll know when you read the book. The information about who warren Hasting was and some historical information makes the story more believable.
A doll named Wendy:
How can there be horror story and no mention of one of the most haunted places on earth? Yes, I am talking about Bhangarh Fort. I had read the blurb on the index page and was very keen to read this story. And it lived to my expectation. Its a story about Tara who loves her doll wendy, Saloni a small girl picks up that same doll from Bhangarh, but how come the doll reached there? And what frightening incidents happen between Tara and Saloni for their possessiveness for the doll? Read this book and find out. I enjoyed it, this short story kept me at the edge, and I couldn’t stop but finish it in one go.
The last wish:
This story was again horrifying and the narration was written in first person due to which it was even more scarier because we connect with the character and experience the same eeriness which he does in this story. I liked how the main character’s dialogues and narration was written. The whole concept was mysterious, scary and fun to read. Especially the last mirror entering concept was new. ( Not giving any spoilers here!)
The Apartment on the Tenth Floor:
This story is about Ravi and Gaurav, two best friends. How one day Ravi encounters a murder in the opposite building and how his life is gradually changed upside down. Moreover, he sees it eveyday! What’s the mystery behind it? This would be my most favourite story from the book. Because this one is not only scary but has emotional elements too. It is also informative about what crossover means, what does cold room and strange rotten smell indicate, etc Though this is a short story, the writer has not tried to jump from one scene to another. Each incident is well outlined and narrated.
Betal Pachisi:
Although I knew the basic storyline, I liked how the author has written it from King Vikramaditya’s point of view. As if it’s him narrating the incident. And the details about the encounter with Aghori was indeed scary.
LazyScoop Verdict:
Overall Graveyard shift is high on entertainment. The author has not only written frightening stories, but also added facts and information about dead world which multiplies the impact of the tales. It gave me sleepless nights. Get your hands on this book if you are fan of the horror genre, and even if you’re not, this book is so good, it will make you one.
Graveyard Shift Anthology, recommended by LazyScoop!
3.5/ 5 Stars.
You can buy the book from this link:
https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/9384...
The Appointment:
It’s a horrifying poem with a scary plot. It’s about a friend who is dead but has his appointment scheduled to meet the poet. Does he come back from the dead to meet him?
Honey, ‘m back!:
The first short story from the book starts with a normal tone but later turns into a scary revenge drama. This story is horrifying but seems a little bit unbelievable. But the description of the resort before each scene began did scare me.
Tales in the Train:
An overnight train, and five passengers sharing their personal encounter with ghosts and spirits. This is one of my favorites because it begins with a predictable bollywood style plot but ends with a confounding twist. Also the information about chudails: Pichal peri etc doubles up your curiosity to know more about what the story is going to bring further.
A Night in the Hastings’s House:
A team of 10 people from the organisation ‘Ghost Hunters Of India’ go to Warren Hasting’s erstwhile Bungalow in Alipore, Kolkata to conduct their paranormal investigation when suddenly things go horribly wrong. I felt this story had the most unique plot and it had a suspense factor which you’ll know when you read the book. The information about who warren Hasting was and some historical information makes the story more believable.
A doll named Wendy:
How can there be horror story and no mention of one of the most haunted places on earth? Yes, I am talking about Bhangarh Fort. I had read the blurb on the index page and was very keen to read this story. And it lived to my expectation. Its a story about Tara who loves her doll wendy, Saloni a small girl picks up that same doll from Bhangarh, but how come the doll reached there? And what frightening incidents happen between Tara and Saloni for their possessiveness for the doll? Read this book and find out. I enjoyed it, this short story kept me at the edge, and I couldn’t stop but finish it in one go.
The last wish:
This story was again horrifying and the narration was written in first person due to which it was even more scarier because we connect with the character and experience the same eeriness which he does in this story. I liked how the main character’s dialogues and narration was written. The whole concept was mysterious, scary and fun to read. Especially the last mirror entering concept was new. ( Not giving any spoilers here!)
The Apartment on the Tenth Floor:
This story is about Ravi and Gaurav, two best friends. How one day Ravi encounters a murder in the opposite building and how his life is gradually changed upside down. Moreover, he sees it eveyday! What’s the mystery behind it? This would be my most favourite story from the book. Because this one is not only scary but has emotional elements too. It is also informative about what crossover means, what does cold room and strange rotten smell indicate, etc Though this is a short story, the writer has not tried to jump from one scene to another. Each incident is well outlined and narrated.
Betal Pachisi:
Although I knew the basic storyline, I liked how the author has written it from King Vikramaditya’s point of view. As if it’s him narrating the incident. And the details about the encounter with Aghori was indeed scary.
LazyScoop Verdict:
Overall Graveyard shift is high on entertainment. The author has not only written frightening stories, but also added facts and information about dead world which multiplies the impact of the tales. It gave me sleepless nights. Get your hands on this book if you are fan of the horror genre, and even if you’re not, this book is so good, it will make you one.
Graveyard Shift Anthology, recommended by LazyScoop!
3.5/ 5 Stars.
You can buy the book from this link:
https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/9384...
April 29, 2017
Graveyard Shift by Manish Mahajan is a power pack collection of 7 horror stories and a poem. It starts with an introduction and content. In the content, the author gives a glimpse of what each story is about. To be honest, I was literally scared to read the stories. The author is successful in gripping the readers with his take on the story.
Each and every story is different and masterfully done.Every story comes with its own set of horror elements.The first one is a poem, I was really surprised to read a horror thriller in a poem and that too a rhyming one.I am sure this poem is nothing less in giving you chills compared to stories.
As I am new to this genre of books, I had to spend sleepless nights whenever I read these stories.Each incident is so well narrated that you will start framing the scenes.But at the end of each story, you will come to know that there is a reason for those horror things to occur.Now that I have completed this book the scariness has reduced and I would love to read books from this genre.Congratulations to the author, he has put in a lot of efforts, which are clearly seen in each story.Happy reading.
Each and every story is different and masterfully done.Every story comes with its own set of horror elements.The first one is a poem, I was really surprised to read a horror thriller in a poem and that too a rhyming one.I am sure this poem is nothing less in giving you chills compared to stories.
As I am new to this genre of books, I had to spend sleepless nights whenever I read these stories.Each incident is so well narrated that you will start framing the scenes.But at the end of each story, you will come to know that there is a reason for those horror things to occur.Now that I have completed this book the scariness has reduced and I would love to read books from this genre.Congratulations to the author, he has put in a lot of efforts, which are clearly seen in each story.Happy reading.
May 3, 2017
Started the book 2 days ago and found myself totally mesmerized by it, unable to keep it aside completed it in 2 days. And I must share my experience. Great book, awesomely written. Had the spine-chilling and goosebumps giving scary experience. My personal favorite story was - The apartment on the tenth floor. But the other 7 stories are as good. Every story took me to a new adventure. First horror book I read and I can say I'd love to try more of these. Thanks, Manish Mahajan Sir, for this spooky, creepy and scary book. Loved it.
Would recommend to everyone who wants to read horror.
Read it guys and have a scary ride ahead.
Would recommend to everyone who wants to read horror.
Read it guys and have a scary ride ahead.
May 14, 2017
The book consists of 7 short stories and a poem, all based on ghosts and paranormal activities. I have mixed feelings about this book. Some stories I found very interesting and some I didn’t like much. So I found out a way to express it all. I will be writing about each story in the book separately. So first thing first. Let me put down the list first.
The Appointment
Honey, ‘m Back!
Tales in the Train
A Night in the Hastings House
A Doll named Wendy
The Last Wish
The Apartment on the Tenth Floor
Betal Pachisi
The Appointment –
Well this is the first chapter of the book and the only poem. The poem narrates the tale of a promised appointment. A promise between dear friends are meant to be kept no matter what. But on what circumstances? Does he have to fulfil his promise even after death? Read through the poem to know it all.
About the poem, I found the tale interesting. But it seemed as if the poet was trying hard to bring the poet into a rhyme form and pushed it to the limits. However, the poet is well equipped with a good stock of words and thus makes the poem enjoyable.
Honey, ‘m Back! –
Bow this tale was quite interesting. But not very striking. I found the story very common one. The same – young, ambitious, beautiful, man hunter seducing an olg rich man; marrying him and after that slowly planing for his murder so that she becomes the direct owner of it all.
Here, the woman’s name is Riya, who has succeeded in making her husband agree to go for a short trip. So there they were, away from locality and into the arms of nature. There she tried and fails twothree times before successfully killing her husband on the night when the resort was completely empty expect the two of them.
However, things turn upside down with him coming back….. How is not upto me to reveal to the ones who haven’t read it yet. What caught my attention was the ending of the story. It ended with a ting of sexuality in a kind of vulgar, intense and spooky way.
Next up is
Tales in the Train –
Now about this one, the story revolves around a train compartment where 5 people sit down to tell tales of ghosts and ghostly activities. To reveal names the characters and their relations each other is something I am willing holding. The reason being, giving away the maximum details of a short story. The story being short, to talk in details will leave nothing more of interest to look up to reading on your own.
Back on track, each person goes around sharing their own paranormal experiences and ghost stories they have across. The stories are interesting but not well “staged“. The used that particular word because I felt that the manner in which the stories have been narrated does not arouse much of the reader’s interest. But that doesn’t mean the stories are boring. You know what I mean right?
However, similar to the previous short story, I found the ending eye catching but bizzard to a great extent. But ghost stories are supposed to be bizzard right? Yet, somehow the entire thing sounded off and not quite ..let’s say “intimidating for the readers to feel awestruck”.
A Night in the Hastings House –
I have often heard of groups, gangs, societies or anything a wuite handful of people researching on paranormal activities. It maybe be officially approved or sponsored or something they themselves built up. They are well equipped with instruments for tracking and summoning spirits.
Here, the story is about one of these so mentioned groups on one of their missions, which is visiting Hastings House, known for it being haunted by Hastings’ spirit and look into it.
The story gives a detailed look inside the world of these researchers and how they work it all out. The hunt turns out to be very thrilling and interesting. But once again, the representation of the story had almost chalked out any enthusiasm in continuing till the end.
A Doll named Wendy –
Nowadays, almost everyday we encounter deaths happening as a result of mechanical failure in car while speed driving. Such a heartbreaking accident took place in the story where a young couple losses their only child, apple of their eyes, little Tara.
However, she had a little doll Wendy which was very dear to her and after her tragic death, her mother one day found inside the room, a thin almost transparent figure, playing with the doll. It seemed as if even after dying she couldn’t give up on Wendy and thus came to play with it.
Uptil this point the story was fine but after that there certain turns of events which made me lose interest on the story.
The Last Wish –
The story is about a man who under official work had to visit Chauhans’ Palace. There he is kept well and enjoys care and hospitality. However, at night while resting in the room provided for him to stay, he hears wears noises and when out for investigation over it, encounters a ghost. The story continues with Chauhan explaining him the causes of the incidents.
So this story is absolutely bizzard. I didn’t the story much . The conclusion drawn dis not please me at all.
The Apartment on the Tenth Floor –
This story is rather interesting.
The story revolves around a particular apartment and the spectator of that, a little boy, from the balcony of him room on a different building. The boy saw every midnight certain spine chilling death scenes in that peculiar apartment on the tenth floor which kept on displaying each night till the day the deaths took place somewhere else. When gone to enquire about that apartment with his best friend, they found that room unfinished and thus deserted.
He was a sleepwalker and that brought in an incident that left all his dear ones broken forever. What was the incident? What was the secret of that ghastly apartment? To know, all you have to do is pick up the book.
What I found disturbing the lack of justified closure to the story. I find it unfinished. As also, the last scene shown in the apartment is quite impossible to imagine. It’s out of place.
Betal Pachisi –
All who have read Vikram &Betal already know that story. It is a shortened version of the whole tale. I do not understand quite, the need to add a shortened story of a pre existing work in between a book of a writer’s own works. I found it out the place and very disturbing.
So here ends my thoughts on each story of the book. And having said so much already I don’t think I need to add anything more to it.
The Appointment
Honey, ‘m Back!
Tales in the Train
A Night in the Hastings House
A Doll named Wendy
The Last Wish
The Apartment on the Tenth Floor
Betal Pachisi
The Appointment –
Well this is the first chapter of the book and the only poem. The poem narrates the tale of a promised appointment. A promise between dear friends are meant to be kept no matter what. But on what circumstances? Does he have to fulfil his promise even after death? Read through the poem to know it all.
About the poem, I found the tale interesting. But it seemed as if the poet was trying hard to bring the poet into a rhyme form and pushed it to the limits. However, the poet is well equipped with a good stock of words and thus makes the poem enjoyable.
Honey, ‘m Back! –
Bow this tale was quite interesting. But not very striking. I found the story very common one. The same – young, ambitious, beautiful, man hunter seducing an olg rich man; marrying him and after that slowly planing for his murder so that she becomes the direct owner of it all.
Here, the woman’s name is Riya, who has succeeded in making her husband agree to go for a short trip. So there they were, away from locality and into the arms of nature. There she tried and fails twothree times before successfully killing her husband on the night when the resort was completely empty expect the two of them.
However, things turn upside down with him coming back….. How is not upto me to reveal to the ones who haven’t read it yet. What caught my attention was the ending of the story. It ended with a ting of sexuality in a kind of vulgar, intense and spooky way.
Next up is
Tales in the Train –
Now about this one, the story revolves around a train compartment where 5 people sit down to tell tales of ghosts and ghostly activities. To reveal names the characters and their relations each other is something I am willing holding. The reason being, giving away the maximum details of a short story. The story being short, to talk in details will leave nothing more of interest to look up to reading on your own.
Back on track, each person goes around sharing their own paranormal experiences and ghost stories they have across. The stories are interesting but not well “staged“. The used that particular word because I felt that the manner in which the stories have been narrated does not arouse much of the reader’s interest. But that doesn’t mean the stories are boring. You know what I mean right?
However, similar to the previous short story, I found the ending eye catching but bizzard to a great extent. But ghost stories are supposed to be bizzard right? Yet, somehow the entire thing sounded off and not quite ..let’s say “intimidating for the readers to feel awestruck”.
A Night in the Hastings House –
I have often heard of groups, gangs, societies or anything a wuite handful of people researching on paranormal activities. It maybe be officially approved or sponsored or something they themselves built up. They are well equipped with instruments for tracking and summoning spirits.
Here, the story is about one of these so mentioned groups on one of their missions, which is visiting Hastings House, known for it being haunted by Hastings’ spirit and look into it.
The story gives a detailed look inside the world of these researchers and how they work it all out. The hunt turns out to be very thrilling and interesting. But once again, the representation of the story had almost chalked out any enthusiasm in continuing till the end.
A Doll named Wendy –
Nowadays, almost everyday we encounter deaths happening as a result of mechanical failure in car while speed driving. Such a heartbreaking accident took place in the story where a young couple losses their only child, apple of their eyes, little Tara.
However, she had a little doll Wendy which was very dear to her and after her tragic death, her mother one day found inside the room, a thin almost transparent figure, playing with the doll. It seemed as if even after dying she couldn’t give up on Wendy and thus came to play with it.
Uptil this point the story was fine but after that there certain turns of events which made me lose interest on the story.
The Last Wish –
The story is about a man who under official work had to visit Chauhans’ Palace. There he is kept well and enjoys care and hospitality. However, at night while resting in the room provided for him to stay, he hears wears noises and when out for investigation over it, encounters a ghost. The story continues with Chauhan explaining him the causes of the incidents.
So this story is absolutely bizzard. I didn’t the story much . The conclusion drawn dis not please me at all.
The Apartment on the Tenth Floor –
This story is rather interesting.
The story revolves around a particular apartment and the spectator of that, a little boy, from the balcony of him room on a different building. The boy saw every midnight certain spine chilling death scenes in that peculiar apartment on the tenth floor which kept on displaying each night till the day the deaths took place somewhere else. When gone to enquire about that apartment with his best friend, they found that room unfinished and thus deserted.
He was a sleepwalker and that brought in an incident that left all his dear ones broken forever. What was the incident? What was the secret of that ghastly apartment? To know, all you have to do is pick up the book.
What I found disturbing the lack of justified closure to the story. I find it unfinished. As also, the last scene shown in the apartment is quite impossible to imagine. It’s out of place.
Betal Pachisi –
All who have read Vikram &Betal already know that story. It is a shortened version of the whole tale. I do not understand quite, the need to add a shortened story of a pre existing work in between a book of a writer’s own works. I found it out the place and very disturbing.
So here ends my thoughts on each story of the book. And having said so much already I don’t think I need to add anything more to it.
May 25, 2019
Decent book
The book as the name suggests depicts total 8 stories 1 in poem format and the other 7 like short stories crisp and clear. Each and every story is different but to be honest, 2nd, 4th & 5th stories are worth reading. the last story is somewhat fiction. As am not a big fan of fiction, only those stories were very interesting to me.
Overall its a nice decent book to read
Loved it
The book as the name suggests depicts total 8 stories 1 in poem format and the other 7 like short stories crisp and clear. Each and every story is different but to be honest, 2nd, 4th & 5th stories are worth reading. the last story is somewhat fiction. As am not a big fan of fiction, only those stories were very interesting to me.
Overall its a nice decent book to read
Loved it
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