Review: The Devil’s Teacup and Other Ghost Stories

An anthology by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay translated by Prasun Roy, The Devil’s Teacup and Other Ghost Stories immerses readers in a haunting atmosphere filled with eerie objects: phantom beds, haunted teacups, shadowy portraits, mysterious riversides, secluded caves, abandoned houses, ancestral homes, and dark forests. Several stories, such as The Phantom Bed, The Devil’s Teacup, Curious Case of the Paranormal Medal, The Shadowy Portrait, and The Sword of Ronkini Devi, revolve around peculiar paranormal objects that drive the narrative. Once these objects, that may contain a spirit that exerts control over those around it, enter a household, they unleash chaos and destruction or even bring ruin to an entire family. The tales are narrated either by someone who has personally survived these terrifying events or by a witness to the horrors. Suspense and terror build as the characters encounter these objects and the malevolent forces they unleash. Others delve into themes of revenge, deceit, and desperation, with spirits and ghosts continuing their malevolent actions even after death. The villagers in these stories commonly encounter the piercing shrieks of these restless spirits and are often aware of their incorporeal existence.

In The Phantom Bed, the author connects the paraphernalia of abandoned furniture with forgotten folklore that revives itself each time a new owner buys the bed. The sense of history and the mystery surrounding these objects is palpable, with the past and the present being woven together to create a chilling narrative that lingers long after the story is over. The central character, Satish, buys an old bedstead and becomes increasingly unsettled when he loses consciousness and travels back to the time when someone was murdered on that very same bed. Terrified and disoriented by vivid flashbacks and eerie sensations, he finally decides to get rid of the bed. He and the reader are left wondering anxiously about the its next unsuspecting victim.

In Gangadhar’s Calamity, Khan Sahib, the ghost of a drug peddler, lures the titular character into a dark forest. Gangadhar sees the ghost vanish into thin air, confirming the supernatural nature of the encounter. Though all the human characters in these stories are afraid, they are also curious and determined to encounter “otherworldly” beings, which leads them into dangerous and unknown territories.

The trope of a foreign object arriving in a safe home, which is then dismantled appears in The Devil’s Teacup, set in pre-Partition India. Time passes as the superstitions around the enamelled cup from the mela keep solidifying. People in the house recurrently fall sick and die. Eventually, the cup is thrown away into the woods. However, it has a life of its own and returns to the household with a stronger spirit. The return of the cup signifies the persistence of the past, the inescapable nature of cursed objects and how deeply superstitions are ingrained in the cultural fabric. This story, like others in the anthology, blurs the line between reality and the supernatural, making the reader question the boundaries of belief and fear.

This anthology captures the essence of how stories of supernatural malevolence become an integral part of the everyday life of a community. The line between the real and the ghostly blurs and the supernatural influences and shapes how people perceive their world.

But what really sets these stories apart is the humanization of the dehumanized, which makes readers go beyond feeling only horror and terror. This allows for a deeper connection with the characters and their plight. Bandyopadhyay masterfully draws readers into a realm where the ordinary intersects with the occult. The Devil’s Teacup and Other Ghost Stories make the reader think about the profound impact of ghost stories on culture and community, and ponder about the thin veil between the living and the spectral. This is a compelling read for anyone fascinated by eldritch encounters and their place in human experience.

Saleem Rashid Shah is a researcher and a book critic. He lives in Kashmir.