Lucky Charm

Lantern twinkled in the hands of ammi as she walked in the dark hours of night. Carrying a pot of water on her head, she muttered in her heart. “Marriage to Zia's abbu has not been fruitful, as she worked hard day and night like oxto fill the boxes with the house."

As she walked on the rand she crossed the Peepal tree of the village. Which was said to be haunted by a spirit. Zia's ammi didn't believe in these rumors, as she walked in the dark, cursing her husband. All of a sudden a cycle passed her from behind asking her,

"Keep your mouth shut and walk aside."

Zia's ammi indifferently answered him to keep quiet. On the spur of the moment she saw that the cycle was paddling without anybody sitting on it. She screamed aloud and ran on the fields. Soon the news spread all over the village, how Zia's ammi has met the ghost of the peepal tree.

Ladies of the village came to meet the brave spirit in their house. As she explained the whole incident, adding the flavours of valour to it. Zia's abbu was an unemployed and sluggish fellow, as he kept on sipping hukha didn't paid any heed to Zia's Ammi's jabber. But something was going on in Zia's mind, as he kept on listening to his ammi's talks.

That evening Zia went for around near the peepal tree. He kept on gazing it and then sat under it for a while. His thoughts were taking him to plan a deep game. That night Zia again came back to the peepal tree, he waited for the spirit for a long time. But neither its sign, nor he could see any activity of any shadow.

Soon he dozed off under the tree. All of a sudden he felt someone have wrapped his face with white cloth and was dragging him around the tree. He screamed aloud for help. But he was the only soul around. Somehow he threw off the cloth and ran for his life. He kept on running until he reached home.

He kept the whole incident to himself. Didn't utter a word to his family, and again the next night he reached there. This time he bought a shovel with him and there he started digging a pit. Soon a cycle came, and someone whispered in his ears, was he digging his grave. But Zia remained indifferent to the whispering and kept on digging. Cycle without any sole kept on padding and whispering. Soon someone pushed him hard and Zia fell in the pit. But after falling to, he stood and kept on digging. He kept indifferent and resistant to the spirit. Then the spirit spilled the soil on Zia's eyes, which made him sigh. He rubbed his eyes and again began to dig.

At that moment the day broke, and the spirit vanished. Zia too went home, and again appeared there in the night, with his shovel and started digging the pit. Soon the spirit appeared in white clothes and started staring at him. She said to Zia that he was a brave boy. Zia thanked him and kept on digging. She asked him” why he was digging this pit." Zia answered, “as there was gold hidden under it."

 The spirit laughed aloud and said that the gold was not hidden there, but it was on the other side of the tree. Then also Zia continued to dig the pit. Then the spirit moved around Zia for a while. Sometimes she flew high up in the sky, and dashed down on land, and sometimes passing through Zia's body. This she did a thousand times, but Zia continued to dig the pit.

Then the spirit asked why was he was still digging the ground, though she has said that the pot of gold was on the other side of the tree. Zia answered him, "why I should believe in your words ."

At that moment the spirit moved to the other side of the tree and bought a pot filled with gold for him.

Zia couldn't believe his eyes, but he reluctantly said to the spirit that he didn't want this gold. He was searching for his pouch.

The spirit said it was under the tree, and she bought a pouch filled with cash. Zia seeing so much wealth around, then also kept calm.

But something within him made him open his heart to the spirit, and he said to the spirit "so much gold, he hasn't seen in his life. His Ammi works day and night to earn and Abbu earns his daily wages by doing labour in the nearby farms.

 The spirit kept on listening to him and said to Zia "You are a brave, innocent child, and like you. That is why, I bought you this pot of gold,"

 Zia answered no he cannot, but the spirit said "This gold belongs to me and I died under this tree, protecting this pot of gold. I believe you are a righteous heir to take my gold and by this I will get vimukti from this world.

 The spirit handed him the pot and a white gleam shine from the sky. Music of flute wrapped in cold air came with a gust and the spirit vanished.

Zia carried the pot of gold to his home and from that they purchased a farm.

You may think that this story is a fiction, but in reality, I still have that pouch in my pocket.

A LUCKY CHARM !!!!!