D'Souza Chawl, Mahim

D'Souza Chawl is a residential tenement compound in Mahim, built in the early 20th century to house mill workers. At the centre of the compound stands an old well, now sealed with concrete. According to local oral tradition, a female resident fell into the well and drowned — calling for help that never came in time.

Her ghost is said to roam the area around the sealed well at night, appearing as a woman's figure that surfaces and vanishes. The sound of anklets (payal) is the warning sign residents describe — heard near the well when no one is visible. The spirit is considered non-threatening to current residents, who appear to have reached a pragmatic coexistence with the legend.

The chawl remains an active residential complex. There is no formal visitor access, no documented historical record of the drowning, and no academic study of the legend. The story is entirely oral and local.