"Ever heard of Mecho? "

"Nope, what's that?"

"It is an entity that stops the fishermen and ask fish from them. Sometimes, they also eat the fish from the fishermen's boat."

"Do you believe in these things????"

"Yes"

"Did you ever encounter any Mecho?"

"No, but my grandfather knows a man who had an encounter with a Mecho. He told me about it."

"What did he tell you?"

"It was midnight. He was fishing in the river.

He got a lot of fish. He threw his fishing net again. He got some more fish, more, more and even more. He continued to get fish.

He was in the middle of the river. He was the only one on the boat. Gradually, the boat started getting heavier. He thought that it was because, he had a lot of fish on his boat. "

"Then? "

"After fishing for long, he turned behind. What he saw, shook him to the core.
There were no fish.

" No fish!!!!! "

"Not a single fish. This frightened him. He was in the middle of the river. He tried to lift the oar but he couldn't.

He felt something on his shoulder. But then realised that it was just a mosquito.

The boat started to shake. He started getting nervous. He was sweating. He didn't know what to do.

Suddenly, he felt that the boat was getting lighter. He still couldn't figure out what he should do. His feet were trembling. He wanted to calm himself down. So, he took out his beedi and lit it. He started smoking. He sat still for some time. Then he took the name of God and tried to lift the oar. This time he could do it.

He didn't waste any more time. He rowed the boat as fast as he could and reached the bank of the river. At that moment, his boat felt heavy again. He thought that it was his mind playing tricks on him. He lit another beedi. He took his fishing net and walked home, smoking beedi all along the way."

"And what about the Mecho? Was there any Mecho?"

"Yes. The boat felt heavy because there was a Mecho on it. That entity ate up all the fishes. It lured the man to the middle of the river. It would have killed him. But the beedi saved him. The fire of the beedi drove it away. If he would not have smoked again on reaching the river bank, the Mecho would have followed him home. "

"Do you believe in such entities?".

"Yes, I believe in them. While fishing, if you hear any voice which asks you to give some fishes to them, then give the fishes. Do not say ‘no’ even if they ask for all the fishes you have."