This is a story about a village surrounded by lush green mountains. The place is known for its serene beauty and calmness. The always-flowing breeze augments the serenity of the place. Thanks to beguiling nature, people from far-off places want to come and stay in this place for a longer duration.
All the residents of the village used to live happily in this remote part of the world. They used to share joy and sorrows. Whenever there was anything to celebrate or mourn, people would always come together to share.
Then, one unfortunate day, as the villagers woke up to start their normal life, the village was eclipsed by the upcoming doom. Some witch had made life hell in this region. Everyone had become ill and nobody knew how to control this epidemic. Everywhere there was panic. Days of happiness were behind. Merry faces were painted with shadows of despair.
The village head, who had been at the forefront to get a grip on the situation is feeling helpless. He called the best doctors to control this disease so that happiness would return once again. Finally, the first death was reported in the village due to this illness. Rahim, 25, a tall healthy boy with curly hair, was bedridden for some time and eventually lost the battle. Everyone was crying over his death and they were blaming the epidemic for his death. Praying for an immediate end to this disease in their troubled life.
People were busy giving him a proper burial. All assembled in the courtyard near his grave. With their moist eyes, they bid farewell to the first casualty that this epidemic had caused. Without seeing any control of the epidemic. The village head appealed to the villagers to prepare another grave to save time in case of another death. All agreed and they started to prepare another grave.
Everyone went to their homes in despair and was seen as frightened. In the evening, the village head lost his senses and fell to the ground. and succumbed to this unknown disease. He was the second victim of the doom.
He was aware of the deaths to come due to this epidemic, the reason why he would urge to prepare a grave. But he was unaware that this time his number was next.
The future seems too bleak; no one is trying to enter the village. The economic condition worsens and it becomes difficult for people to feed their families.
People start to think it is better to migrate as the economic condition worsens. There was only one way just to evade this disease and it was to get out of this village.
Within one month, the village becomes empty. Men and women started to leave to safeguard themselves from this epidemic. Everyone migrated and no one looked back to see this village again.
People have a sigh of relief when they leave the village; disease too gets wiped from this village. No one died of this disease any more.
The disease which was untreatable for the doctors had only one solution, to leave the native place. Happily, they forget the epidemic and the repercussions which it had on their lives.
It was time to go back to the native village. Everyone thanked God and started to live peacefully and joyfully. Everything was back to normal, there was no epidemic anymore. People have a sigh of relief. They thanked God and started to live peacefully and joyfully.
The writer is a freelance journalist and can be reached at uh*****@***il.com
Short Story: Digging The Grave
