Shades of Life (standard:other, 1105 words)
Author: Nadeem Akhtar	Added: Sep 18 2001	Views/Reads: 3726/2162	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A story describing the criminal indifference of rich to the society and human sacrifice made by poor.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

"Is there any need to tell?" he asked. 

"Yes, please." 

He remained silent for a while, nodded his head in a negative way, then
rose from his chair and spoke. 

"No, sir, I don't think it necessary to tell. Let me go now!" 

I was astonished at his strange attitude and I spoke in a cold stubborn
tone. "I am not accepting your amount if you will not tell me the 
truth." 

He turned worried. " Is it so?" 

"Yes! Please let me know why you want to donate it. I am afraid of
saying that you yourself seem to be in need of it. Please tell me 
clearly." 

"Sir," he started saying, " I am an unfortunate father of a daughter. I
had been saving some money for her marriage and decided not to spend it 
on anything else but God had some other plans, as I could not see her 
happiness. She died when she was just thirteen but her death multiplied 
the love I had for her, and I kept on saving money from my income in a 
frantic manner. It was already a thirteen year-old habit, and was hard 
to give up instantly. Then, I considered it to be a token of my love 
for her. I continued and when I saw your advertisement in the 
newspaper, I decided to give it to you. In this way, perhaps, my sorrow 
for her may become easier to endure and I may get some peace." 

When he reached the last sentence he could not control himself, and
liquid sorrow poured out of his eyes as the tempest within him became 
wild and unrestrained. 

Feeling a tear in my eyes, I rose up from my chair, placed my hand on
his shoulder, and tried to soothe him. Nothing is more soothing then 
time itself and he was tranquil after a few moments. I asked his name 
and whereabouts merely to relieve the sadness in the atmosphere. 

"No, perhaps, it is not required at all," he replied "Please don't ask
me. I am a poor factory worker and I don't want to be advertised for my 
love. Thank you very much. Just allow me to go, and thank you for all." 


Saying this, he rose and moved quickly towards the door. I placed my
head against the back of my chair and closed my eyes and a cool, 
comforting light spread within me. I saw a strange world which I could 
never see with open eyes: Nawab and Seth Sahib had turned into 
Lilliputians in front of the poor factory worker's Gulliver-like 
stature. I saw him holding an invisible chain that tied all those in 
the world who suffer. They were all so closely tied and connected to 
each other that no one else, except they themselves, come to help one 
another. A smile spread on my face with this enlightenment and I opened 
my eyes to see the world around me, with a revived interest in life. 


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