Jaleel Khan And His Uncle — The Night in Saddar, Karachi

Karachi — June 2023

It was one of those hot Karachi nights where even after 11 PM the air still felt heavy and burning. The streets were quieter than usual, but the sounds of distant traffic and stray dogs echoed through the city.

My name is Jaleel Khan. I was 13 years old at that time.

My uncle was a Mufti. People respected him a lot, but for me he was more like a best friend than just an uncle.

Almost every night after Isha prayer, we used to ride around Karachi on his bike.

But the night of 14 June 2023 changed everything.

11:20 PM — The Phone Call

I was using my phone when my uncle suddenly received a call from an unknown number.

He answered quietly and listened for a few seconds. Then his expression completely changed.

I asked:

“What happened, Mama?”

He replied softly:

“There’s an old Islamic book for sale in Saddar… an original copy of Kashf-ul-Mahjoob.”

Then he said something strange:

“The seller says it has to be collected tonight. By tomorrow, it may be gone.”

I laughed and said:

“Then we’ll go tomorrow morning.”

But my uncle stayed silent for a moment and then said:

“That man never comes to the building during daytime.”

For some reason… that sentence made me uncomfortable.

11:38 PM — Reaching Saddar

We rode through M.A Jinnah Road and reached Saddar.

Most shops were closed. A few tea stalls were still open, and police lights flashed somewhere far away.

Then we stopped in front of an old three-story building.

The moment I looked at it, a cold feeling ran through my body.

The building looked extremely old — probably from the 1940s.

The walls were stained black with moisture. Broken windows. Rusted balconies hanging crookedly.

Every shop on the ground floor was closed.

Only one light was on…

A dim yellow tube light on the third floor.

It kept flickering every few seconds.

Tick… tick… tick…

My uncle turned off the bike and looked directly at me.

“Jaleel… don’t leave the bike. I’ll be back in five minutes.”

11:50 PM — Waiting Alone

Five minutes passed.

Then ten.

Then fifteen.

My uncle still hadn’t returned.

I called him several times, but he didn’t answer.

Then suddenly…

I received a WhatsApp voice note from him.

Only 4 seconds long.

I pressed play.

At first there was only static and wind.

Then a whisper:

“Jaleel… come upstairs…”

My heart nearly stopped.

It sounded like my uncle…

But not completely.

Like someone else was trying to imitate his voice.

And before I could replay it…

The voice note deleted itself.

Right after that, a loud crashing sound came from upstairs.

DHAAAAM!

I thought maybe my uncle had fallen or gotten hurt.

Without thinking, I entered the building.

12:03 AM — Inside the Building

The inside was completely dark.

Only my phone flashlight lit the way.

The wooden stairs creaked loudly under every step.

CHURRR… CHURRR…

The first floor felt normal.

But when I reached the second floor…

The air suddenly became freezing cold.

I pointed my flashlight at the wall…

And my throat went dry.

There were wet handprints all over the walls.

Fresh ones.

As if someone had just placed their hands there.

Then I heard footsteps behind me.

Tap… tap… tap…

Slow.

Barefoot.

I turned around quickly.

Nobody was there.

12:11 AM — The Third Floor

A half-open door stood at the end of the hallway.

Soft crying sounds were coming from inside.

My uncle was sitting on the floor.

Eyes closed.

Lips moving silently as if he was reciting something.

And standing directly in front of him…

Was a woman.

White clothes.

Long black hair.

Pale face.

But when my eyes moved downward…

My entire body froze.

Her feet were backwards.

Her heels faced forward.

Her toes pointed behind her.

Then slowly…

She turned her neck toward me.

And stared directly into my eyes.

Her eyes were completely black.

12:15 AM — My Uncle’s Eyes

Without opening his eyes, my uncle said:

“Jaleel… go downstairs. Right now.”

I couldn’t even move.

Then my uncle opened his eyes.

And I almost screamed.

His eyes were completely white.

No pupils.

Nothing.

12:19 AM — The Endless Stairs

I ran downstairs.

One floor down…

But somehow I was back on the third floor again.

My breathing stopped.

I ran again.

Same thing.

The third time I returned…

The woman was hanging upside down from the ceiling.

Her hair touched the floor.

And she was crying in multiple voices at once:

“I want my child…

I want my family…”

12:24 AM — The Truth

My uncle spoke in a trembling voice:

“She is called ‘Banjh’…

She lived in this building in the 1980s.

She could never have children.

Her husband left her.

She ended her life in this very room…”

The woman suddenly screamed.

A scream so loud it felt like my ears would burst.

Then she opened her mouth…

And inside it…

There was only darkness.

No tongue.

No teeth.

Nothing.

12:28 AM — The Azan

Suddenly my uncle stood up.

And loudly began reciting the Azan:

“ALLAHU AKBAR… ALLAHU AKBAR…”

The entire building started shaking.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

The bulbs exploded one by one.

And the woman’s scream became inhuman.

Like dozens of people crying together.

Then she looked directly at me.

And without moving her lips…

I heard a voice inside my head:

“Jaleel… stay here…”

At that moment, I felt my soul freeze.

12:33 AM — Escape

My uncle grabbed my hand and shouted:

“RUN!”

We rushed down the stairs.

Behind us came loud footsteps.

THAKK… THAKK… THAKK…

As if someone with twisted feet was crawling after us.

I accidentally looked back.

And what I saw still haunts me.

The woman was crawling on the wall like a spider.

Her neck bent unnaturally.

Her black eyes locked onto me.

And she was smiling.

1:10 AM — Home

We finally reached home.

My uncle immediately performed wudu and prayed two nafl prayers.

Then he hugged me tightly and whispered:

“Jaleel… not every old building is empty.”

I had a high fever for the next three days.

And even today…

Whenever I pass old buildings in Saddar…

I feel like someone is watching me from the third-floor window.