The Mysterious Chakva Spirit Story and the Haunting Park

It was a pretty normal afternoon in Ambernath, Maharashtra. My friendâs grandmother left her office around 2:00 PM to head home. Normally, it would take her less than 30 minutes to get there. But by 5:00 PM, she still hadn’t arrived. She had suddenly disappeared. No one could reach her on the phone, and her office colleagues had no idea where she went. Evening turned into night, and her family grew extremely anxious. They didnât know whether to go to the police or wait a bit longer.

Then suddenly, at 10:00 PM, the doorbell rangâand there she was, standing at the door. When everyone asked where she had been for so long, she gave only one word in response: Chakva.
Caught by the Spirit Named Chakva
This story isnât mine, but that of a very close friend. He told me how his grandmother had been caught by a spirit named Chakva after leaving her office.
This spirit is known to be extremely mischievous. It makes you wander in circles along the same path. You lose all sense of time and donât feel tired. You keep walking, thinking youâre almost home, but Chakva never lets you reach your destination. Your mind convinces you that you’re close, but the spirit traps you indefinitely.

My friendâs grandmother only escaped Chakvaâs spell after asking a rickshaw driver for directions. That broke the enchantment.
Youâd be surprised to know that thousands of people fall victim to Chakva every year in Maharashtra, especially at night when they roam aimlessly in the forests. Chakva targets such wanderers first. The power to manipulate time and space is possessed by very few spirits.
A Disturbing Incident in London
At first, when I heard Chakvaâs story, I didnât believe it. But then I heard about a strange incident in London, and I started to think that maybe spirits who can control time really do existâand we should never make them angry.
A long time ago, a 23-year-old student named Jo went out for a night of clubbing with four of his friends: Catherine, Josh, Emily, and Sam. They were all studying at Oxford University and were just weeks away from graduating.

They had planned to drink and have fun all night. But Jo was differentâhe knew what was right and wrong. He decided not to drink, fearing that if they all got drunk, they’d never make it home. So he refused even a single drop of alcohol.
By around midnight, they left the club. Jo looked at his friendsâ faces; all of them were intoxicated and still in the mood to party. Jo insisted they go home. But Sam interrupted and said, âThe night is still young. Instead of going home, letâs spend some more time together. Soon weâll all go our separate ways.â
Everyone agreed with Sam. Jo couldn’t leave them aloneâhe was the only one sober. Then Sam suggested a place where they could chill for a while. It was like a park.
Entering the Park of Shadows

When they reached the park, they saw the gate was wide open. There was no security guard or any other person in sight. His friends were thrilled to have such a big park all to themselves. But Jo felt uneasy. He kept glancing around at everything, though it was too dark to see clearly.
His friends laughed loudly and threw things around. Suddenly, Jo smelled something foulâlike something had died nearby. But the others didnât smell it, possibly because they were too drunk.
Jo warned them to leave immediately, but they continued messing around. Suddenly, a shadow ran behind Joânot one of his friends. Goosebumps covered his body. His senses were fully alert. He turned around but saw nothing in the darkness. The temperature dropped drastically, and he felt very cold.
Jo told his friends, âWeâre not alone in this park. We need to get out now.â After much pleading, they finally agreed. They walked toward the exit. Jo looked at his watch: it was 3:00 AM. He felt they shouldnât be out so late.
Although there were five of them, Jo felt like two more people were walking behind them. For some reason, he felt unsafe.
The Black Figures Behind the Gate
After exiting the gate, Jo turned to look back at the park. His breath caught in his throat. Right behind the gate stood two black shadowy figures, pointing toward themâas if calling them back. Jo froze for a moment and signaled his friends to look. They also saw the black shadows.

No one said a word for a second. It felt like they were under the spiritsâ control. The shadows slowly began walking toward themâjust like humansâbut with no visible physical bodies.
Suddenly, Emily screamed loudly. That snapped everyone out of it. All five of them ran at full speed and hid behind the nearby bus stop.
Josh held his head and asked, âWhat did we just see?â Catherine was convinced they werenât human, as they had no shadows. They just wanted to leave immediately.
They saw a bus approaching in the distance. It had the number 303 on it. Relieved, they thought it would be safer to be around other people. They got on the bus and sat at the very back.
Unfortunately, aside from the driver and conductor, there was no one else on the bus. Sam got up to ask the conductor where the bus was going. But when he reached him, he saw that the conductor had no faceâjust a black shadow where his face should be.
Sam screamed and fainted. When he woke up, his friends and the conductor were around him. He told them what he saw. The conductor laughed and said, âSir, why are you joking? Please relax and wait for your stop.â
Then the conductor turned to Jo and said, âI donât think youâre going to die today.â
Jo was shocked. Why would the conductor say that?
Death on Bus 303
Before Jo could respond, Emily began screaming uncontrollably. Everyone rushed to her, asking what was wrong, but she couldnât speak.

A few minutes later, she stopped screaming and collapsed. Josh checked her pulseâEmily was dead.
Terrified, Jo ran to the conductor and begged him to stop the bus. But the conductor turned toward him, laughed again, and said, âI donât think youâre going to die today.â
Now Sam started screaming, âSave me!â But no one could understand what he needed saving fromâthere was no one else on the bus.
Samâs voice began to fade. He, too, passed away.
Jo couldnât comprehend what was happening. He tried to stop the bus, but the conductor and driver seemed completely deaf.
Now Catherine began screaming. But Jo didnât go to her. He had lost hope. He sat by the window, staring outside.
Trapped in a Time Loop

Suddenly, Jo noticed that they were passing by the same park again and againâas if stuck in a loop. He looked at his watch: still 3:00 AM. Thatâs when it hit himâthey were trapped in a time loop by a powerful spirit, and escape was impossible.
Josh began screaming now, begging Jo to save him. But Jo was helpless. He couldnât save anyone. Slowly, Joshâs screams fadedâand he, too, died.
Just then, the bus stopped. The doors opened.
Jo stepped out and realized he was at the same bus stop where they had boarded. He turned to look at the park. The driver and conductor were walking inside the gate.
Near the gate, Jo saw a sign he hadnât noticed before. It read:
âGraveyard Number 303â

The Spirits of Konkan: More Than Just Stories
Now, I donât know how much of this story is true or false. But spirits that manipulate time are mentioned in almost every cultureâs urban legends. These spirits anger quickly.
The Konkan region of Maharashtra is considered the home of supernatural spirits. This area is always said to be divided into two worldsâone of gods and the other of evil spirits. Here, divine and supernatural forces often blend, creating a land of fear, faith, and mystery.
Unlike the rich cities like Kolhapur and Satara, Konkan has always been quite poor. People rely on farming, fishing, and mango plantations. But nature isnât always kindâfloods and storms frequently strike.
Thatâs probably why the locals turn to higher powers for helpânot just gods, but also spirits. Rituals like goat or chicken sacrifices are common to appease them.
Some spirits that were once feared have now become gods. They are worshipped as demi-gods, protectors of Konkan, with small statues installed in their honor.
But tourists often treat this as a joke and disrespect the local beliefs.
So next time you visit a new place, never touch anything unusual without reason.
âImages used for illustration purposes. Some may be AI-generated for visual storytelling.â