The Baggage

It was a warm summer afternoon. Most of the village folks were having siesta, a few stray animals among them a robust vagabond bull and his side kick were listlessly grazing over dry pasture. As usual Kali Hawa was mulling over intractable problems of cosmos sitting under the Semal tree. A very dull day, not even a little breeze to allay boredom of the inert afternoon.

Just as Kali Hawa decided to wind up session at the Semal shade, he saw a well-built man heaving and puffing past his perch. Astonished, rishivar asked,

 Why are you carrying that strange man on your shoulder?

Surprised, he said, what are talking, there is no one I am carrying?

Then why are you heaving, dragging your feet along the path?

I am just tired?

Don’t you see the man you are carrying?

No.

You are carrying a ‘Vetaal’ on your shoulder?

Now that you mention, I do feel burden on my shoulder but I see nobody.

Hey, wait a minute I have spoken shouldn’t ‘Vetaal’ leave me alone and hang from that forsaken tree?

No, since you don’t see Vetraal, Vetaal doesn’t hear you either therefore he is hanging on there, making your life miserable.

How did Vetaal got on my shoulder.

Why don’t you understand, Vetaal is the baggage dumped on you by the traditions you inherited from your society, parents, and religion. You have to cast them off to get rid of Vetaal. You will feel very light.