Arjuner Khal

There once lived in a small nondescript village of Bangladesh,  a man called Arjun. He was a simple person, with a few acres of farmland. Blessed with abundance of water, Arjun's  farmlands  gave enough  produce to keep the family going throughout the year. An exceptionally strong man , Arjun would work hard in his fields throughout the day, come home in the evening, relax  under the starlit sky and watch his children playing around him. Kind-hearted and good-natured, Arjun was loved by one and all.

It was one of those years, when the rainfall was below normal. Sensing tough days ahead, Arjun decided to dig a canal to get water from the nearby Madhumati river upto his fields. Along with a friend, he hired a group of around 10 daily wagers to do the job. It being the blazing days of summer, the group decided to start work very early and wrap off  early. Accordingly they decided to be at the field next morning  during  the Azan(call) of the First Namaz(Islamic Prayer) , which usually is at around 3.45 AM. Arjun’s friend Fazal told him that he would bring the group of laborers to his house at that time. Together they would leave for the fields.  Arjun finished his dinner with his friend and bade him good-night.

Next day, when the night was still dark, Arjun heard  a knock. Startled by the  knock at dead of the night, Arjun wondered who was at his door. The table clock  showed 2.00 AM. He heard an indistinct voice calling out his name. Was that Fazal? But why at this unearthly hour, was Fazal calling him? He went out with a small kerosene lamp. In the dim light , he saw a form which resembled Fazal, but which was covered from head to toe with a Chaddar(Light  Shawl). “Is it you Fazal?”, Arjun asked. “Yes Arjun, sorry to have arrived so early”, the voice replied.”The chief laborer came to me after I returned from your house and said that he wanted to start  earlier than  decided”. “Fine, if that’s so, lets get started”, Arjun replied. He picked up his ploughshare, took with him a small packet of food, the lantern and left for the field.     

There was something eerie about the night. It was pitch dark  all around. Far away a Jackal was howling. It seemed that  something sinister would happen. Arjun started feeling a little uncomfortable. Fear was something alien to him. But tonight, he started getting creepy. As he kept moving, he noticed something which puzzled him. It was Fazal. Why was he not removing that cloak of his? It was a mid-summers night, temperatures were running high.  Why then this cloak? Also, Fazal was behaving very strangely. He seemed to be maintaining some  distance from Arjun, as if something about Arjun was scaring him . “Brother Fazal, what is the matter?” Arjun asked, “Why are you moving so slowly?”. “Nothing Arjun, just got  lost in my own thoughts. Brother, why don’t you relieve yourself of that massive iron ploughshare of yours”, Fazal  replied.  For a moment Arjun thought of reliving himself of this burden. But then something deep within him forbade him to do so.”It is OK Brother, I will carry it”, Arjun replied. Although he couldn’t see Fazal’s face in the dark, he instinctively felt  Fazal’s displeasure. They continued ; after sometime Fazal  again repeated his offer of carrying the plough, this time albeit much more aggressively. Now Arjun sensed something was wrong. He turned around, and tried to see Fazal with the faint light of his lantern. Fazal jumped back , as if he was stung by a scorpion. “Don’t you do it again, don’t you bring that mass of fire near me”, the figure from the cloak howled. The voice was not Fazal’s. Arjun now realized what was going on. This was definitely not Fazal. This was something Evil, some disembodied spirit which had taken the form of Fazal to lure him to the field and kill him. Now it made sense; he understood  why Fazal was trying to take away the ploughshare from him. Iron scared evil  spirits. As long as that piece of Iron and the lantern was with him, the ghost wouldn’t be able to harm him. But what was he to do? Would he run away? No, it couldn’t be. If he tried running away, matters might come to worse. He decided to go to the field, he would pretend as if everything was alright. The first Namaz would be called  in another couple of hours , the sacred Prayers were known to dispel evil spirits. 

For the first time in his life, Arjun was mortally scared. Mustering  whatever courage he could , he moved on with the Ghost in the form of his friend Fazal following him. Once they reached the field, they started their  work. The ghost  volunteered, “Arjun, give me your ploughshare, let me start digging the canal”. Arjun refused firmly, “No Fazal, I will dig the canal, you clear the earth that is being burrowed out”. Thus they began their work, Arjun digging the canal, and the Ghost clearing the earth;  each pound of earth that it threw fell miles away. All the while the ghost told Arjun, “Rest awhile my friend, keep aside your ploughshare and rest awhile”, but Arjun knew that the ploughshare was his lifeline. The moment he stopped digging and kept the ploughshare aside, the Ghost would pounce upon him. Thus he continued digging  without a moments break. Within a couple of  hours , aided by the supernatural powers of the evil one , and his fears,  Arjun  had accomplished what would have taken an army of laborers atleast three days to achieve – his canal  was ready.  As he looked at the sky, he realized that dawn would set  in soon. The Azan for the Fajr Namaz would be heard in a while. Ah, Hold on yet a while brave soul, he told himself.

Around early morning, at the appointed hour, the  real Fazal turned up at Arjun’s door. Arjun’s sister was shell shocked to see him, she told him  the events that had happened since mid-night.  They both ran to the field, and saw what was going on. The sister was a very powerful lady, well versed in occult powers. She uttered a mantra(Chant) , the ghost ;let loose a cry of pain. He assumed his real form, a hideous dark monster, he yelled and he howled. In a voice that was bestial, he said ,”Arjun your ploughshare and your sister   saved you today  , but I will be back,I will have my vengeance. You wont be lucky again”. Saying so,  the ghost vanished. Arjun fainted, more from non-stop digging than fear. When he was  brought back to his senses he was surrounded by a sea of humanity. People from the nearby villages came running, the word had spread, Arjun had miraculously dug a Khal(Canal/Trench) overnight with the aid of a Ghost. Arjun became a celebrity , people named the canal as  “ Arjuner Khal”.

 Even now Arjun is alive;his  Khal  still exists. If you, dear reader,  don’t believe me, visit Lakhimpur village  of Narail district in Jessore division of Bangladesh. Probably on a moonless night,  standing near Arjuner Khal, you might chance upon a cloaked figure, waiting in the dark; waiting for some other  Arjun, waiting to extract his vengeance.