Ghost in the Village

The Tragic Loss

Long ago, there lived a farmer named Ranjit who was happily married. Unfortunately, one day, his wife fell ill with a fever and, within a week, she passed away. Heartbroken by his wife’s death, Ranjit vowed never to marry again and decided to hire a woman named Pushpa as his housekeeper.

The Eccentric Housekeeper

Pushpa was a hardworking woman who kept the house tidy. However, she was not very bright and often behaved foolishly. One day, she boldly asked Ranjit, “Why don’t you marry me? After all, I do all your household work.”

Ranjit laughed scornfully and replied, “Are you out of your mind? Marry you? Never! I can never see you in my dead wife’s place.”

A Lesson in Foolishness

Despite his rejections, Pushpa frequently pestered Ranjit with her marriage proposals. Exhausted by her constant demands, Ranjit decided to teach her a lesson. One night, after a long day, Pushpa fell asleep. Observing her snoring, Ranjit crept to the cattle shed where he kept his bullock cart. He took some black grease and smeared it all over Pushpa’s face, hands, and legs.

The Transformation

The next morning, Pushpa woke up to the crowing of the rooster and hurried to wash her face. Upon seeing her reflection, she became terrified, thinking she had transformed into a black spirit. She rushed back to the house and shouted, “Is Pushpa at home?”

Ranjit responded from inside, “Yes! She is busy with household chores.”

The Ghostly Encounter

Upon hearing this, Pushpa’s fears grew stronger, and she dashed outside. Two thieves lurking nearby saw her and raised an alarm, screaming, “Ghost! Ghost!” They fled in terror.

Pushpa shouted after them, “Don’t go! I won’t harm you! Please help me! Come back!” The thieves hesitated but bravely returned, and the trio set off together through the village.

The Failed Heist

Upon reaching a house, the thieves sent Pushpa into the cattle shed to drive the cows out. Pushpa called out loudly, “Which one shall I drive out?” The thieves shouted back, “Don’t shout! Just choose any and drive them out!”

Confused, Pushpa exclaimed, “But I don’t know which one to choose! Please tell me!” Hearing the commotion, the householder rushed out, and the thieves panicked and fled.

Village Rumors

Pushpa chased after them. The householder, seeing the dark figure of Pushpa, believed it was a ghost, and quickly spread rumours the next morning. The thieves, on the other hand, were unlucky and went without food for two days.

A Night of Chaos

On the third night, the thieves decided to raid another house but left Pushpa behind. Alone and hungry from not eating for two days, Pushpa ventured into a nearby vegetable patch to eat some sweet potatoes. When the patch owner saw her in the dark, he assumed she was a ghost and sought help from the village witch doctor.

Armed with his tools, the witch doctor approached, but when he heard Pushpa call out, “Well, was it good hunting today? Did you get a nice morsel?” he was filled with fear. Panicking, he jumped off the farmer’s back and fell into the muddy ground. The farmer ran away as fast as he could.

A New Beginning

Ranjit had been watching Pushpa’s actions and could hardly contain his laughter. However, feeling pity for her, he finally took her home, made her wash off the grease, and eventually married her. Afterwards, Pushpa, cured of her foolishness, lived happily with Ranjit.

The Lesson Learned

Ultimately, lightening the task where many share the toil proved to be a humorous yet transformative experience for both Ranjit and Pushpa.