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Zaheer, the Jin was about to arrive. Had I argued that I didn’t want to go to school but wanted to work with Baba on his field, I would have suffered the consequences. The thought sent chills down my spine.

“Do as your elders say else the Jin will grab you.”

I grew up with these forewarnings, various distinct stories of the Jin and I had seen the consequences so I won’t go against my parents wish but instead of going to school, I wanted to work to not to be the poorest. 

Most of the days Maa would give me her share of food and baba to Vasudi, my sister and they would sleep empty stomach. Apart from our poverty, my biggest fear was to get separated from Vasudi.

I was sad, scared and angry. Zaheer, the Jin, snatched away my best friend the previous year. Every year when he arrives, he chooses the poorest family child to fulfill his hunger. He cuts, cooks and eats them. A green, one horned devil with bloody red eyes and sharp visible canines. A merciless, vicious Jin

The following day was the day of Jin’s arrival . I was unable to rest with my troubled thoughts that night. I didn’t want  the moon and the stars to disappear and the sun to rise. Although, we four share the same charpai, my parents, I and Vasudi  yet I was fearful. I slept just before the dawn. When I opened my eyes, I found myself all alone in the hut. 

I woke up with a jolt.

Maa, Baba, Vasudi… I cried aloud. My biggest fear turned out to be real. I found Maa and Baba weeping miserably outside. A group of villagers were consoling them. I got it right. He chose Vasudi. With trembling steps I ran towards the river Bandi. Once my classmate had told me that he takes the children across the Bandi river to his huge cave where he cuts them into pieces.

It took few hours for me to cross the fields, and then the river. I reached beyond that river but there was no sign of any Jin or Vasudi. He might have eaten her and got disappeared. After all, he was a jin. He had wicked powers to destroy the world.

I got back home, devastated. I cried, yelp, began to blame the almighty for our misfortune. But then I overheard Baba exclaiming, “Our crops productivity has been consistently destroying for four years now but I thank the almighty that Vasudi won’t suffer anymore. Zaheer, the messenger of God, chose her to be the part of his Centre, this year. She would attain good education, neat clothes and healthy food. No child of the village knows about it else they would start hating their parents. Let them think that it is Jin who takes away their friends from them.” 

So, we were poor, miserable and liars. Zaheer was kind, worthy and benevolent, not a Jin.

***

Photo By: Pixabay

***

This is an entry for #TheLie #Five00-8, a room8 writing event –in 500 words.
Check out the event guidelines here: https://writers.artoonsinn.com/room8/thelie

Room8 appreciates your rating the story out of 10 in the comments.


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Rekha Mordani

Rekha Mordani is a story teller, co-author of a few Anthologies, blogger and a content writer at LiFT digital magazine. She writes when a sudden thought pops up in her mind. For her, writing is like breathing, one cannot stop.
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