What do you think of when you hear the word “fairy”? Beautiful hair, a pretty face, poetic eyes—all in all, something mesmerizing? This version of the story is sold in many parts of the world, but not here. In the small town of Uttarakhand, India, people knew what fairies were really for. Indifferent, never crossing the boundaries to find the living, legends have it, fairies loved riversides. Some believed in these stories, some sought out the fairies for a so-called experience, while others dismissed them as mere folk tales.
Today, I’m sharing a story my mother told me—a tale of how she lost her mother, my grandmother, to these fairies. Perhaps.
My grandmother would take her cows and goats to graze near a river a little far from home. It was a daily chore. Each morning, she would clean the house, clear the cow dung from the veranda, take a bath, and be ready by 7 am to make breakfast for the family. Once done, she’d pack herself some chapatis, pluck a few oranges, and bring some black salt for the road. This was her routine most days.
But today, the long-told stories about fairies would unfold. Unaware of what lay ahead, she took her things and went to the riverside, her cattle trailing behind. By 1 pm, she had finished her lunch while the cows grazed peacefully nearby. It was a sunny day, but the warmth was gentle—not harsh—perfect for relaxing. As she watched her cattle from afar, eating in peace, she lay back, gazing up at the vast blue sky. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
She awoke around 5 pm to a sky tinged with a soft orange hue. Rubbing the last traces of sleep from her eyes, she began counting her cattle. One, two, three… Suddenly, her gaze fixed on one cow lying on the grass, breathing heavily, its sides heaving with each labored breath. A strange creature—winged and otherworldly—had its mouth so wide it seemed to engulf the cow’s entire stomach. Oddly, the cow hadn’t made a sound to wake her. Had she really been that deep in sleep? It seemed impossible.
Panic surged through her, and she ran towards the cow, but no matter how fast she moved, the distance between them seemed to stretch endlessly. She pushed herself harder, her feet pounding the earth, but the sight of her dying cow and the beast feasting on it only grew more distant. Exhausted, she nearly collapsed but thought, if only she ran faster, she could save the cow. So she ran again, desperate.
Finally, the creature looked up, its golden eyes locking onto hers, and suddenly, she found herself standing face to face with it. Its golden eyes could mesmerize the world with a single glance, its face radiant and unblemished, except for the blood staining its mouth—a gruesome contrast that somehow enhanced its eerie beauty. A strange feeling rushed through her veins, something she had never felt before. Her heart raced, but not with the fear she should have felt. Instead, an inexplicable calm washed over her.
The creature’s gaze held her captive, and slowly, it reached out, cupping her face with cold, delicate hands. A tingling sensation spread through her body, numbing her to everything around her. Her memories of family and home blurred, fading into the background. If the creature took her away now, she would follow without hesitation. She wasn’t scared, nor did she cry for help. Her dear cow lay dying at her feet, yet she felt no remorse, only the same sense of peace she had felt while gazing at the blue sky. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the creature’s golden gaze. As it cradled her face, she stood motionless, terrified that any movement might break the spell and make it leave.
The creature studied her intently, its eyes tracing her features, noting her torn clothes and the scent of sweat on her skin. Then, it withdrew its cold hands and began moving towards the river. She blinked, and it was already halfway across. Unintentionally, she raised her hands as if to ask it to wait for her. But before she could call out, her vision blurred, and she collapsed to the ground. Through a haze, she saw the creature turn for one final look, a faint smirk playing on its lips as it disappeared into the river’s depths, the water carrying its eerie song.
She woke up ten days later, forever changed. From that day on, she was never the same—her eyes always seemed distant, lost in the memory of that golden gaze, and she spoke less, as if a part of her had been left behind with the creature in the river.
TO BE CONTINUED…
This story lingers in our family, a haunting reminder of the fairies that dwell in the riversides of Uttarakhand—creatures not of beauty, but of a mesmerizing terror that few have lived to tell.
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