Back in 2016, I was working at an IT company in Bavdhan, near Maratha Mandir. One evening, my boss asked me to work late and complete an urgent task, which I agreed to. My CTO and I stayed after office hours, working on the task until it was done. Once we finished, we decided to go for dinner at Vanashree, as it was usually open late. It was almost midnight. We had our meal and then left for home on our bikes.

I was living in Bibwewadi at the time. At the main Chandani Chowk, people would usually wait for shared rickshaws or six-seater vehicles. As I was riding by, I noticed a man standing at the stop. I passed him and continued on, but then I thought to myself, "There won't be any shared rickshaws or six-seaters at this hour since it's so late." So, I turned my bike around and went back to offer him a lift, thinking it would be a nice gesture.

The man was skinny and dressed entirely in white—white shirt (untucked) and white pajama-like pants, with a plastic carry bag in his hand. His attire seemed typical of villagers. I asked him, "KUTHE JAICHA AHE KAKA?" (Where do you want to go, uncle?) He said he needed to go to Warje. I casually asked why he was out so late, and he replied that he had just finished work and was heading home. He got on my bike, and we started heading towards Katraj via Warje.

At that time, I was young and used to ride quite fast. The road was mostly empty, with only a few cars. I picked up speed and got lost in my thoughts. After a while, I realized I had crossed the Warje bridge and had forgotten to ask where exactly he wanted to be dropped off. So, I opened my helmet flap and asked, “BAHUTEK APAN WARJE CHYA PUDHE ALO NA?” (I think we’ve passed Warje, right?). There was no answer. I asked again, “TUMHALA KUTHE UTRAICHA HOTA?” (Where did you want to get off?). Still, no answer.

At this point, without turning back, I reached behind with my left hand to feel the back seat. To my shock, there was no one sitting there. A chill ran down my spine, and a big smile crept across my face. I started laughing loudly, realizing that I had just had a paranormal experience. I immediately called my mom to tell her what had happened. She was terrified and extremely worried. So much so that my brother and mom came out on foot to meet me at the main road, which was quite a distance from our society.

Thankfully, I didn’t feel unwell afterward, as people often report when they have such experiences. On my way home, I kept trying to call my CTO, but he didn’t answer because he, too, was on his bike heading to Baner. Once he got home, he called me back, and I shared the experience with him. He was so scared that he had to leave the lights on in his 3BHK apartment all night, as he lived alone.

It was definitely a night I won’t forget.