Ordeal of that night Didnýt know what time it was but beautiful hadigau was in deep sleep although quietness of the night was constantly being challenged by a few notorious stray dogs. Bange and I were silently sitting on one of the steps to Kisnamandir facing west. We were gone to Baudhha for some jadi buti and chhyang. Pasang gave some really good stuff that evening, we thought. Chabel bata hindai eghar bajna lai sakya thyo kyare. A light crisp breeze was carelessly wandering around. Only thing that seemed obviously missing was the swinging presence of regular drunkards roaming around with all sorts of mixed partial songs. For reasons unknown, we were in no haste to return home. Suddenly, I felt a wave of fear surging inside me. I heard something at distance and before I could react a milk-white horse passed through Bhuteswor with lightning speed. Aghast! I threw my popped up eyes at Bange who simply smiled looking at me. *Did you see that?* I asked with disconcerted voice. *saw what?* Bange casually asked. *A white horse---did you not see it pass through with blazing speed a moment ago?* Bange responded with a question without even looking at me *And who was the jockey---Bhuteswor himself?* No one was riding that horse but I did not tell that to Bange. Instead, I got more terrified for I saw something I was not supposed to see- a ghost may be. Hadigau was infested with ghost stories and most of them were stale but I thought now there will be a fresh one about how Deep died the next morning after seeing a white horse at Bhuteswor. I got up and asked *hin mu** Bange ghar jam* . *Bange got up and instead of taking the steps to the road walked around the temple and headed toward the back of that kisnamandir under the giant peeple tree. --ka hinya ta ye mu**?ýI asked with shaky voice. Ignoring my fear he replied *pakh na ta mu** darpok ek ***o mutera aam ani jamla ghar* and disappeared behind the mandir. I was standing there alone. A few seconds may have passed by---I could not stand there alone so I also headed behind the temple ýye mu** Bange bhandai* but neither Bange did reply nor did I hear him shooting. Worried I almost ran toward the back of the temple. Bange was nowhere around. I circle around the temple. Bange disappeared. I knew he was hiding somewhere looking for an opportunity to exploit my fear. I called ýBange!ý No response. I kept calling him with more shaky voice each time. Nothing. Then I screamed, ýye ma$%#@ Bange!ý This time not Bange but Ghorpa, the barber yelled back in Newari with some foul flavor for disturbing his peaceful night. I came back to Bhuteswor. There was this triangle shaped shrine that hosted a typical looking Bhairavýs face. Had seen that face thousands of time but that night I got scared with him- the Bhairab. People used to say you should never stare at the Bhairab unless you wanted to be dead rather abruptly. I was scared with ghost and the god both, and Bange is nowhere to be seen. What was I supposed to do? I stood there totally confused facing west just left to the Bhairab. I thought of running to the left toward sarsotithan to get to my house but just then I felt like the ground was shaking. Earthquake too? Damn! I was losing myself. Suddenly the white horse appeared near the Bhimsenthan and vanished again. A chill ran down my spine. I faced left and as I was about to run toward my home I heard *toom toom chhya---toom toom chhya* the newari baja they used to play while carrying the dead body to the last rite place cross dhobikhola. Baja ko saath saathai aaimaiharu royeko awaz pani aairaheko thyo---tyo pani merai ghar jaane bato tira baata. ---