The Environment - Fiction of the week - 19

The Environment

‘If we keep this Pakad tree the ghosts will continue to live in it. To get rid of the ghosts we must cut it down’ Yogendra said his proposal publicly and waited for a positive reaction on that. He looked very angry too.

‘The tree which is in the middle of the road is not only disturbing the traffic but also providing shelter to the thieves and loafers. They hide themselves in the tree in every evening and night. If nobody would stop me I am ready to cut and bring it down’ Nanda Lal looked at the tree and said this in unpleasant voice.

‘Uncle, what do you think about this? Should we cut down the tree which has more than  hundred years of history and is also the recognition of the village?’ Babu Lal asked this question to one of the most seniors of the village looking at Sukdev.

 ‘Why should I care for this tree? The people of the locality where the tree is situated should think about it. I have nothing to do with the tree’ Sukdev expressed his indifference view.

Prem Lal, who was believed as a most wise person of the village, came there to know why so many people are gathered there and what they are talking about. Prem Lal got angry after knowing about the subject matter of the meeting. He said ‘we should cut the tree down right now without making any delay. The tree is shelter for those birds which have eaten up my crops making the investment worthless.’

A young man got excited after listening to Prem Lal and walked towards his house to bring the ax. He whispered ‘the shadow of the tree is the main cause of killing the vegetables in my garden. This is appropriate time to cut the tree. I never should miss the golden chance to change it in many pieces’. People very near to him only heard what he whispered.

Sikandar, who was in the meeting, became very happy after knowing the views of different people who were gathered there to discuss cutting of the tree. He however concealed  his happiness. He was in a great need of firewood to burn the raw bricks that he needed to complete his house, which was under construction. He thought that using the firewood to burn bricks, he would complete the construction of his house very soon. He again smiled on his conspiracy, which he had made to get the firewood by cutting the tree. He was satisfied  that nobody noticed his secret plan. Rather, he was surprised getting all people united in his plan which he had hatched for a long period.

Bishwa Raj Adhikari