Tucked deep within the lush valleys and emerald forests of northeastern India lies Manipur—a land of ancient traditions, warrior queens, and haunting folklore. As I arrived in Imphal, I wasn't searching for ghosts. But one name kept echoing among the locals: **Helloi**.
In Meitei mythology, the Helloi are female spirits—otherworldly seductresses of the forest who entice young men into madness or death. Sometimes beautiful, sometimes formless, they appear most often in spring, dancing near lakes, under moonlight.
I met an anthropology student named Linthoingambi who had researched the phenomenon. "Some say the Helloi are nature spirits, others believe they're cursed maidens, trapped between realms," she said. "Every spring, a few young men disappear. Or return... changed."
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I traveled with her to Loktak Lake, where a haunting mist hovered above the water. That night, as we camped by the shore, a strange song began to rise from the trees.
It wasn't in any language I understood. High-pitched, lilting, almost seductive. Linthoingambi stood abruptly and whispered, "They are near."
At midnight, I saw them.
Figures moving lightly across the marshlands, barely touching the ground. Long black hair flowed behind them, their faces veiled in silver moonlight. One of them looked at me directly.
I don't remember falling. I only remember waking up the next day, soaked, covered in red earth, with a whisper in my ear: "You are not one of us."
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We returned to Imphal. I was feverish, hallucinating for days. Priests were called, rituals performed. Linthoingambi remained silent, only watching me with sorrowful eyes.
She later confessed, "The Helloi don't just haunt the forests. They mark you. Some men, they keep. Others, they send back."
And some, like me, carry a piece of their realm within them forever.
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**To be continued...**