The Unseen Force

tigabaine - yes, ygs_sayan copy/pasted this one as well as the others. Didn't catch on in time to prevent it from happening until a little too late.

Looks like our young author has carefully cut copy pasted 2010 version of "an office haunting" by sanjubhat... The paragraph is exactly same to same... Nice try.!better luck next time.

Greetings, Sayan.

First, a sincere tip of my hat to SDS for his measured intervention and his negotiating skills.
SDS is a very astute and calm member of this group.

I'm sure neither Rook nor I meant any offence; I'm pleased to see in your response that you were not upset, rather that you were affronted. I realize that cultural norms can result in people communicating at cross-purposes. In both England and the US, a "receptionist" literally manages the appointments for a business by receiving (that is "greeting and welcoming") customers/clients/patients, answering the telephone calls, taking bill payments, and scheduling appointments; there are some businesses within each shopping mall which need to have such a person employed when the store is open. In a restaurant or cafe, the individual may be called the "host" or "hostess" in the United States, whereas in Britain, the position would be called the "Headwaiter" or the "Maître D" (from the French term "Maître d'hôtel," meaning -really- "host.") If there is a part of a mall which has people answering questions for the general public, that's the "information desk" or "guest services" station. The confusion came about because of the imprecision in the sentence indicating that the mall (the entire shopping mall) had a receptionist (that is, one person behind a desk) assisting everyone who entered!

It is not that your narrative of the supernatural aspects of the events was at all suspicious; as you've described the events, they seemed quite plausible (though a supernatural over-reaction to someone napping at work, and an understandable over-reaction to being shoved by an unseen entity). Under these circumstances, I was wondering if the mall was a recent construction, or if it had been recently refurbished. If so, I'd consider the possibility that the construction site manager or the foreman had passed away, and was lingering at the jobsite because (in his mind) it would be "unfinished work." Shoving someone who's asleep is more the action of a manual laborer or a demanding supervisor than it is the action of a receptionist's boss.

So you are aware, Sayan, there are plenty of English-language translations of modern Indian Literature, and there are several Indian writers, such as Amitav Ghosh and Avarind Adiga, who write in English. (To the best of my recollection, there is no mention of receptionists in the mall in "The White Tiger," but it has been about 6 years since I read it.) Any cultural ignorance you encounter may not be bigoted or offensive, merely curious because we have so much more to learn.

Growing up in Leicester, England, my neighbours were Dilesh and Kamla, my friends in high school were Prassad, Assam, Mohammed, and Keith (that's a Hindu, two muslims, a Roman Catholic, and I was raised Protestant). Still, I find myself learning new things EVERY DAY, even when my background should have made me more aware than I am of other cultures. Please, in future, consider our questions to be an attempt on our part to fill in the gaps so we can avoid misunderstandings.

Be well,
Biblio.

ohh... You know what, I'm not offended or irked #sds/ rook...it's just that you people's comments did make me a bit deplorable at that moment...that's all... Anyway, if any of you guys ask for clarifications or anything related to the story, I would surely be there to do that... Thanking you~ ygs_sayan 😁

Hi ygs_sayan, I am also from India. I feel that you need not get offended or irked by the questions people ask about the narratives. I have gone through such phase. We have to answer them to explain things that are prevalent in our country. And people like Rook are quite experienced posters and they do need some clarity about the experience and encounter. So that they will be in a position to suggest or advise or comment further. I am not defending them. But, what I want to say is that we do write our experiences and it is for the people, who read our narrative, to either accept it or not or comment it, in our favour or otherwise.

About your experience, even I do want to have some explanation. I do know that it is in a restaurant, where you guys have been taking your dinner when you heard the scream. I was just asking you if there were others from the Mall like people from other shops and establishments nearby because you said the scream was so loud that you guys were shaken. And if so, what was their reaction. Please do respond and we are asking only for clarification.

Regards and respects to you.

SDS

Mr.Sayan,

Please calm down and excuse our ingnorance... Well at least those of us who are not from nor visit India... As we do not understand some of the things that happen there. We were simply trying to understand the job description you provided. So yes... Do they have receptionist in the Malls in India is a fair question... Heck even with your added details I am not sure what you mean... Unless it is something like a Host of Hostess position... Someone that greets you and shows you to a seat.

I found your experience plausible... So please take a deep breath when it comes to questions as people try to understand your culture.

Respectfully,

Rook

Moreover, I do NOT feel anything unexplained, misunderstood, unbelievable or unacceptable regarding the story, especially after I have been done with clearing off the doubts, misconceptions, and confusions prementioned & this is to ALL...
With regards~ ygs_sayan...

[at] to everyone... 'a receptionist at a mall, do they really have those in India?'...what do you people mean by that?!... India may not said as 'developed' but it IS a 'developing' country...& here we do have malls where there are receptionists too... Also for you people's kind information, the receptionist I'm talking 'bout is that of the cafeteria and not that of the mall as a whole...& true to say, I did mention that 'we' checked the CCTV logs and by that I meant me, my friends and few others including the security too present at the site at that very moment... It's also to be noted that I did write the story in short maybe skipping too many a points which I should have mentioned actually in the text... Anyway sorry for the inconvenience...

Ohhh, I'd thought the receptionist was for a specific storefront business within the mall, near the coffeeshop: appointments, phones, etc.
Now it makes even less sense...
-Biblio.

Dear Rook, I agree with what you say. But still the receptionists in malls are uncommon in India. So, that question we have asked. But still we have to wait for O/P to reply to the other questions like why others didn't turn up when they heard the scream or were these guys the only persons in the restaurant etc. Till then, I am keeping my fingures crossed on this one.

Regards and respects to you Rook.

SDS

Oh...I must admit this though... A resepctionist at a Mall? Huh? Do they really have those in India?

Respectfully,

Rook

Hi folks... If the receptionist job description included monitoring CCTV for the building (more of a security position) or if they shared a desk with security who happened to be on rounds at the time. Then its possible the system was already open on a computer at the reception desk... If it was already open it would be easy to access the CCTV logs and review... Especially if the individual attacked wanted to see what happened to them.

As for what happened... If it happened... I would venture to guess a 'Former Supervisor' was not happy this individual was falling asleep on the job.

Respectfully,

Rook

Hi ygs_sayan, I have the same questions as dreamer01 and lady-glow asked. Were you guys the only people in the restaurant and even if you were the only ones, what happened to the security personnel, who would be stationed in such Mega Malls.

Please do respond.

Regards and respects to you.

SDS

Unless you're from law enforcement, it's very difficult to get access to CCTV logs of an establishment. This seems to be a scenario straight from a Hindi Horror TV serial.

I agree the story is weird. Really have no clue how lady-glow arrived at her thoughts, though. Links...?

Am peeing in my pants right now, am scared to death! Maybe the receptionist invited some sort of energy unknowingly since he was the target. Am not sure, just guessing
With respect...PB!

Wow that's really freaking scary. I would of soiled myself and urinated at the same time. Truly a terrifying experience.

That's weird.

I have some questions about your story:
-Were you and your friends the only ones trying to help the receptionist? I would expect for, at least, one security guard coming to check what was causing such commotion.
-Like dreamer01, I don't get how you were able to access the CCTV logs without getting into trouble.

I will appreciate your feedback.

Thanks for sharing.

thanks for sharing your experience, very unusual.

I do have a question to ask. You stated that you checked the cctv logs. How did you know how to do this, do you have experience or aurthorisation to work the security equipment?

It just seems unusual or maybe I am misreading what you have said.

Cheers,dreamer01 😊