Chapter - 1

No one wants to be a dreamer!... No one has the desire to travel to new places, learn new languages, eat new food, play new games, mingle with different people in dream and so on. The excitement of foreign tourism in particular is greatly enhanced. It's very funny. But, the funniest thing is to know the horrors of the ghosts as you travel to new places in dream. And in that dream, facing the demons is terrifying. Getting rid of them is a daunting task. At that time the eyes will glue, the chest will tremble in fear and the sweat will increase. And when you wake up, there's nothing wrong with that. I had a similar situation one day.

It was a tiring summer day. I was busy all day with a feast. I had a lot of sleep after dinner. The power was cut off. After eating, I slept on the floor with a sheet. It was a hot summer night and the inside of the house was very hot also. I was soaked in sweat. I couldn't put up with the heat anymore and woke up. I grabbed a thin sheet and my smart phone and went up to the roof. There was a gust of wind on the roof. The roof was also very cold. It's almost midnight. I couldn't sleep. Laying the sheet on the roof, I fell asleep facing the sky. I turned on my smartphone and saw a variety of hill stations that go on tourist trips during the summer. While searching on Google, I suddenly came across a hotel name. The name of the hotel was Banff Springs Hotel. Seeing the beautiful picture of the hotel made me want to know about it. I went to Wikipedia and read about it in detail. I saw a mysterious news. In that hotel didn't have room number 873. I was amazed to read about that. The cold wind was blowing slowly. I stared at the sky and thinking about it, not knowing when I was asleep. Then I started dreaming.

I dreamed that I was going to Canada by plane that night. The passengers were seated in their own seats on the plane. Many were asleep, leaving only a few on board. Some of them were reading books, some were playing games on their smartphones and some were watching movies. The plane was en route to Ottawa, the capital of Canada. I didn't know when I was asleep.

After a long time, an airhostess came up to me and I woke up. She said humbly, "What can I help you, Sir? Any problem!!...". I smiled and replied, "A cup of coffee, please!!..." She brought me a cup of coffee. With a sigh of relief, I leaned over and asked when the plane would land. She said respectfully, "The plane will land at 2:08 PM, Sir." I drank coffee and started reading a magazine. The plane landed just in time. I freshened up there and ate at the hotel. Then I took a texi to the Banff Springs Hotel. The taxi driver was telling me about the hotel and driving. I enjoyed his words. He continued to talk about the hotel with a smile on his face.

He said, "The Fairmont Banff Springs, formerly and commonly known as the Banff Springs Hotel, is a historic hotel located in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The entire town including the hotel is situated in Banff National park, a national park managed by Parks Canada. The hotel overlooks a valley towards Mount Rundle, both of which are situated within the Rocky Mountain mountain range. The hotel is located at an altitude of 1414 metres (4639 ft.).

The hotel opened in 1888 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, as one of the earliest of Canada's grand railway hotels. The hotel property has undergone several states of growth and redevelopment. The original hotel structure was designed by Bruce Price, with another structure completed in 1914. In 1926, a fire destroyed the original structure on the hotel property, although replacement structure was later completed in 1928. The building was designated as a National Historic site of Canada in 1888. The hotel property is presently managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts."

After taking about the hotel so much, I was very happy with the driver. This time I asked what facilities the hotel has.

He explained, "The Banff Springs Hotel include 757 guest rooms and suites spread throughout hotel property. The hotel property also houses a number of event spaces, used for conferences, weddings and other social events. Event spaces within the hotel building include in Alberta Dining Room, the Alhambra Dining Room, the Cascade Ballroom, Mount Stephen Hall and the Riverview Walk. Given its location, the hotel property also features outdoor event spaces, including a terrace garden.

A number of areas within the hotel property are also occupied by the restaurants, or other food based services. As of December 2017 twelve restaurants operate within the hotel property. Restaurants located within the hotel include 1888 Chop House, the Waldhaus, and the Rundle Bar "Castello". The latter restaurant also hosts the hotel's afternoon tea. The hotel also hosts a locally sourced market, Stock Food & Drinks. Other facilities located on the hotel property include a bowling alley, five turf- topped tennis courts, a swimming pool, and a 27-hole golf course designed by golf course architect Stanley Thompson. Spa facilities were opened at the hotel in 1991."

I smiled and said, "The hotel picture is dancing in front of my eyes when I hear it from your mouth. Turn the car around and I'll leave for India." The driver burst out laughing.

After a while I asked, "Who is the owner of this hotel?" He replied, " The Oxford Properties is the owner." I questioned, "Who is managing it?" He replied, "The Fairmont Hotels and Resorts." Again I asked, "How many elevators are there in the hotel?" He said, "There are twenty three elevators in the hotel." I said, "Hey!, You're so smart. You know everything about the hotel." He smiled a little and stopped the car for a little rest.

To be continued....

The Missing room 873

A scary ghost story