Short story: The Fantasy

Originally written in Balochi by: Ghani Parwaz

Translated into English by: Uzair Mehr

Startled from sleep, he got up apace and stood up. Rubbing his eyes with both hands, he cast a glance all around and looked mindfully, and then tardily hit the road. Grumbling all the way, he moved on.

“Who’s that person calling and startling me from my sleep? No one can be seen here, even nothing’s sound can be heard. Only stratocumulus clouds are drizzling and wind is blowing. There’s gloomy and noiseless jungle surrounding me, however, I feel as though someone is certainly here, who hid himself nearby and can’t dare to bring himself out for a reason.”

 He then paused and uttered,

“Tell me, who are you? Why did you call upon me? Come closer to me. If you have a work for me, tell me about it.” Yet no one responded nor was there any kind of sound. It seemed as if the call was merely his fantasy, and nobody was there in that vicinity. If it were a wild animal, then it would perhaps make some sounds and go away to some other place to conceal itself.

“My heart can’t admit that no one has called upon me,” he said to himself in fantasy.

“Because it was a vibrant voice which galvanized me from my sleep. He uttered such words that were deeply engraved in my heart.”

“Oh man! Wake up now. Till when will you sleep? don’t you know that it’s futile to have an excessive sleep?” and hearing that, I was startled.

At first, he thought that someone genuinely had a work for him, that’s why he called out in response to it. Later, when he mulled over his words and utterances, so he felt that no such allusion appeared from his words and communication that someone had work for him at all. If someone called him heartedly, then surely there must have been another intention.

In half sleep and half-awake condition, he wobbly went away. After walking through the forest, there came a wilderness and then mountains. After trekking through the mountains, there were rivers and ahead was a sea. Suddenly, he felt as though his something was lost in these places many centuries ago and as a matter of fact, he is vagabond in search of that lost thing.

 

Afterwards, he was quite conscious, but at that very moment, he was engrossed in the ocean of solicitude and thoughts. A great question mark also entered into his heart,

“I don’t know what my lost thing is. And from where can I find it?”

Reference:

 Book Name:

 Payaap Magazine 2018

Page No:

41-42