A darkly humorous short story of an aged man who defies death using a celestial secret, only to be defeated by his well-meaning family. A symbolic tale of resistance, fate, and irony.
Columnist Abdul Baseer Tajwar
🧚♂️ The Tale Begins:
There once was a boy whose beauty was so mesmerizing, even angels lost their hearts to him. Among them, a celestial being descended—perhaps from the lineage of Harut and Marut—only to fall for the boy’s charm.
Their unusual friendship led the angel to reveal sacred secrets—divine truths about the unseen. The consequence? The angel was exiled to a spiritual Guantanamo-like prison for breaching heavenly trust. But the boy walked away with knowledge that would one day help him cheat death—or so he thought.
🕊️ Secrets From the Sky:
Among the secrets, one stood out:
“If an angel approaches a sick person from the head, they’ve come to take the soul. If from the feet, they’re there to heal.”
The boy, now old and weak, held onto this divine code like a sacred shield.
🛏️ Old Age & Divine Chess
Years passed. The once-glorious youth now bore sagging skin and brittle bones. He had survived several illnesses by observing one key sign—the angel always came from his feet, and healing followed.
Until one day, illness gripped him tighter than ever.
Upon regaining consciousness after a seizure, he opened his eyes—and froze.
The angel was at his head.
Instinct kicked in. Mustering the strength of his youth, the old man rotated himself, placing his feet where his head had been. The angel paused, confused. Divine orders were clear: take the soul from the head side only.
The moment the angel tried to shift, so did the old man. A celestial game of musical chairs began, frustrating the angel.
🧵 The Binding That Ended the Battle
Watching this bizarre wrestling of limbs and position, the old man’s family assumed he was delusional. To "calm" him down, four strong relatives tied him tightly to the bed—unknowingly sealing his fate.
With a wry, satisfied smile—one that would remind you of Asim Munir watching Khan lose—the angel returned.
And fulfilled his mission.
💬 The Last Curse
Just before his soul slipped away, the wise old man gathered all his fading strength and declared:
"Main tu marne wala nahi tha... par in jahilon ne maar diya!"
(“I wasn’t going to die... but these fools killed me!”)
🧠 Takeaway:
This story, layered with humor and sorrow, illustrates how knowledge without power, or truth without trust, can become your undoing. Sometimes, it’s not fate—but the ignorance of the well-meaning—that defeats resistance.
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