Social Short Story – Justice of Nature
Photo Credit: www.cepolina.com
The sun was slowly setting, birds were returning back to their nests after a long working day finding food for their children and for their young ones. Before sun set Ali entered into the suburbs of “Halab” (a place in Iraq) Ali was a trader who used to go in other countries and sell his goods there to earn money. He was in Halab for the same purpose to sell his goods and his animals. Only after a few days he was able to sell all his animals and he decided to go back to his home land Mousal.
Ali did not realise that a thief was constantly chasing him, the thief knew that this business man has a good amount of money in his pocket. After covering few miles Ali decided to rest under the shadow of a big tree. Ali sat down under the tree and closed his eyes, the moment he closed his eyes that thief attacked him. The thief put his dagger on Ali’s neck and asked him to give whatever he has. Ali was very confused, he started to look here and there and shouted for help, but it was such a deserted place that no one was there to help Ali.
After realising that he was not going to be helped by any one and his survival was in hands of the thief he decided to give all the amount to the thief that he had earned after selling his goods. Ali handed over all his money to the thief and asked him that if he is allowed to go now. The thief didn’t agree on leaving him, he was up to kill Ali.
“Please leave me alone now, you have taken all my money now please leave me” said Ali to the thief in a shivering voice.
The thief showed no mercy and started attacking him with the dagger, Ali was shouting and crying in agony and pain his breaths were getting shorter and shorter, Ali looked here and there and no one was there to witness all this, suddenly Ali saw two pigeons sitting on a near by tree. Ali addressed the pigeon and said “oh pigeon I am dying, please be the witness of my murder” these were the last words that came out of Ali’s mouth.
The thief had killed Ali, he repeated Ali’s words in a disgraceful manner while laughing “oh pigeon I am dying, please be the witness of my murder”. The thief now started to make his way back to his house and was continuously repeating the last words of Ali and was laughing all the time as if for him it was just a joke what Ali said to the pigeon while dying.
There at Ali’s home his family and his kids were waiting for him, many days had passed by but there were no signs of Ali coming back hence his elder son decided to go to Halab to see his father. When he reached Halab he was told that Ali had left few days back and he should have been home by now. His son met a person who told him that after selling all his animals Ali had a good amount in his hands and he was returning home with that amount but was attacked by a thief on the way and was killed, that person told him about the grave yard as well where his father was buried.
Ali’s son went in a state of shock after hearing about the murder of his father. He visited his father friends, his business partners and the buyers as well he tried everything so that he can get to the murderer of his father but no one knew that what exactly had happened and who had killed his father. In shear disappointment and in agony he decided to return back to his home town Mousal. He decided to meet the police person their and decided to seek their help. The police person wrote a letter to the authorities in Halab and requested to find the assassin of Ali as soon as possible. Days passed by but the assassin could not be found. After disappointment from everywhere Ali’s family decided that they would not try to find the assassin now. Time kept on running and days and years kept on passing, authorities changed but the assassin could not be found. Everyone had forgotten the murder incident including the family of Ali but except one person. One person did not forget anything and it was the same person who had murdered Ali, whenever he used to see a pigeon he used to recall those words that came out of Ali’s mouth when he was dying.
One day that person who had killed Ali was invite on lunch at his relative’s place. His relative was quite an influential person so many authorities and dignities of the city were also invited on the lunch. When everyone was asked to start eating, he opened a big pan to see what was in there to eat, when he opened it he saw two roasted pigeons in it. After seeing it he went into some other world of thoughts, a tree, two pigeons and an innocent person’s dead body started to appear in front of his eyes and everywhere in his thoughts.
“oh pigeon I am dying, please be the witness of my murder” “oh pigeon I am dying, please be the witness of my murder” the words of that innocent person(Ali) were echoing in his mind.
After all this un willingly he busted into a loud laughter. Everyone looked at him and asked him that why he was laughing? He pointed at the roasted pigeons and laughed again, he kept on laughing un willingly then suddenly words started to come out of his mouth, words on which nobody could actually believe, everyone was in a state of shock. He started to tell his story to everyone how he killed an innocent person. Everyone present there had forgotten the lunch and was listening to his story. The moment he told the truth to everyone he realized that he had committed the biggest mistake of his life buy telling this to everyone.
After that everyone went out and told this whole stories to the police of Halab and the higher authorities decided to take immediate action on it. People cooperated with the police and the thief was eventually arrested. The thief had no option other than to confess in front of the police as well and in the court room as well. The judge ordered that he was to be hanged till death. Before the day when he was to be hanged his wife came to meet him and asked him that for so many years no one knew that he was the murderer then why did he confess it now? He told his wife that he himself is amazed and shocked that what provoked him and he spoke out everything.
Next day many people gathered to see him get hanged, a man tied his neck with a rope and he said only one thing before he was hanged “I didn’t confess anything on that lunch, it was the pigeons who testified everything”. He was hanged, and while his body hanged two pigeons came and sat on his head. Everyone present there said only one thing. “Pigeons have indeed confirmed everything Nature has done its justice”….
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