One day, Veer's friends said to him, "If you're really that brave, then go to the Sheetal Tree at night. If you return safely, we'll agree that you are the bravest of us all."
Veer liked this challenge a lot. He felt he could prove to everyone that ghosts and spirits were just made-up stories. He decided that he would go to the Sheetal Tree that night and show everyone there was nothing to fear.
As night fell, Veer planned to sneak out of his house quietly. He grabbed a flashlight and his water bottle, then set out. The air was cold, and the sky was covered with clouds. As he walked along the forest path, Veer noticed that everything had become eerily quiet. There were no sounds of birds chirping or the rustling of leaves. This silence sent a small shiver of fear through him, but he reassured himself, "I'm not scared! I'm brave!"
Finally, Veer reached the Sheetal Tree. The tree was enormous and ancient, standing tall as if it had been there for centuries. Its branches stretched into the sky, disappearing into the darkness. Veer walked around the tree and saw nothing unusual. Laughing to himself, he said, "See! There's nothing scary here. It's all just stories."
Just as Veer said this, the wind suddenly picked up, and the branches of the tree began to sway strangely. All of a sudden, Veer felt as though someone was standing behind him. He quickly turned around, but there was no one there. His heartbeat quickened. He thought it might be his imagination. But then, a sound came—a low, echoing voice that seemed to be coming from inside the tree.
"Why have you come here?" the voice asked.
Now Veer was truly scared. His flashlight suddenly went out, plunging him into total darkness. He tried to turn the flashlight back on, but it wouldn't work. The branches of the tree began to move more violently, and it seemed as though faint laughter was coming from the leaves.
Veer started trembling with fear. He tried to run, but as soon as he took his first step, his foot got caught on something, and he fell to the ground. He kneeled there, terrified. The branches of the tree began to bend down towards him, as if they were reaching out to grab him.
"Please forgive me!" Veer shouted. "I didn’t know I was disturbing your peace. I never listen to anyone’s advice, but now I understand!"
At that very moment, the wind suddenly stopped. The branches lifted back up, and Veer saw that his flashlight had turned on again. Everything became calm. Veer quickly stood up and, without thinking twice, sprinted back toward the village.
He reached home and immediately ran to his grandmother. Out of breath, he said, "Grandma, forgive me. I didn’t listen to you, and I learned a huge lesson. There’s definitely something strange about the Sheetal Tree, and I’ve realized that we should always listen to the advice of our elders."
His grandmother smiled and gently patted Veer’s head. "That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, my child. We should always be cautious about things we don’t understand. Fear isn’t always bad—sometimes it teaches us the right path to follow."
From that day onward, Veer never took anyone’s advice lightly. He understood that when elders or experienced people say something, it often carries a deeper meaning. Fear doesn’t mean we should feel weak, but rather, it teaches us to act with wisdom and caution.
And from that day on, Veer never tried to disturb the peace of the Sheetal Tree again.