Why don’t you people stand here after 11 pm, I asked the rikshawaala.

It was 11 pm of summers of 2007. I was returning from Goverdhan after completing the 26 km Parikrama around the holy Goverdhan Hill. I went there with my friend from Faridabad which is 135 KM away. It was the day when I had walked for almost 35 KM since the morning 4am. We returned by a bus. My friend stepped got down at his stop at 11 pm. My stop was 15 mins. away from there. While my bus was racing towards my stop my mind was thinking of the possibity of getting some Riksha to home after getting down of the bus. My home was 3 KM from the bus stop. One need to pass through a Railway Crossing Gate to get a riksha. I just remembered that all the Riksha pullers leave the crossing before 11:30 pm. I prayed Lord Krishna to help me get something to reach home else I will have to walk another 3 KM more. By the time I reached the Crossing I saw only two Riksha standing there. One already hired and other was in the process of getting hired. Fortunately the Riksha puller refused the other guy and agreed to take me home. He asked me double the charge as a Night Rate. I happily agreed as I was quite tired. When we started, it was 11:50 pm already.

It was a silent night and though I was tired, I was in a good mood. I thanked my God that I was not walking down to my residence and decided to have a small talk with the Riksha Puller. He was unusually silent. I broke the ice.

"Why don’t you people stand here after 11 pm", I asked the rikshawaala.

The Rikshawaala sighed a bit and asked me if I have noticed the Peepal Tree on the sides of the tracks on the crossing. it is an old tree which is not very dense and thick. I said yes. Rikshawaala sped up his pace.

"Baabuji, since the time these tracks have been laid, all the people who have died after being cut by the speeding trains haunt that tree. The tree that appears green and calm the whole day becomes horrible in the night. You will find ghosts and spirits everywhere on and around it. Even when it is humid and calm, the tree sways as if caught in a storm. All who reside on the tree appear to have unusual hatred for the Rikshawaalas. Who so ever remains standing there after midnight is stoned and is showered with seeds and bark of the tree". This is the reason why we guys leave by the midnight.

I was enjoying the conversation. I sounded bit concerned and said, “Why don’t all you rikshawaalas find some priest and get some pooja etc done to help those wandering souls in reaching the other world. Rikshawaala chuckled and said, “Baabuji, if there is one or two soul, one can think of some way to liberate them, there are thousands of them, each with its own reason of haunting and wandering. No one knows what they want and need from the world that they have left long ago.

Why don’t you people do a better thing, I said sounding really eager to help and advise, why don’t you guys bring an idol of Hanumanji and place it at the foot of the tree. Half of the ghosts will get librated just by his holy presence. The rest who are little hard headed will be taken care of by the mighty club (Gada) of the god. After all Hanuman ji is famous for his might against the ghosts.

Suddenly a silence prevailed. The guy didn’t say any thing. I cant say what happened. Why the guy didn’t react to my words. We were passing by a crimination ground. I am not a type who gets scared easily but the silence the Rikshawaala acquired on listening to my idea made a shiver pass through my spine. I called my dad to keep the gates open as I will be home in few minutes. I reached home, I paid the guy the charge and turned back to enter my house. When I turned again to lock the gate I was stunned. No riksha or rikshawaala was there. The road was empty from end to end. I came out to check where the guy has disappeared. I couldn’t find anyone. Where did he go? I had requested the God to help me in reaching home. Who was he, one of those tree dwellers or some one sent by my god to help me reach home?