Episode 13
They were thinking...
That once again, humans were after them.
"Let's see what happens this time…?"
Both had curled up in fear.
The sound of the flute was gradually approaching, as if the people playing it were heading in their direction.
Slowly, the haunting tune reached directly above their heads.
And that sound mesmerized them.
The enchanting melody stirred their fragile hearts, almost compelling them to step out and dance. But…
They both knew very well how dangerous it would be to go outside.
So they buried themselves deeper in the soft sand.
The sound of the flute continued, but now it was much fainter.
Then, all of a sudden, it stopped.
After a long silence, when there was still no sound, Molsak lifted himself from the layer of sand.
After waiting a little more, he slowly started crawling upward.
He cautiously poked his head out near the surface.
He looked around.
There was no sign of any living soul in sight.
Feeling reassured, he quietly retreated.
---
The Wadera's Mansion
Wadera Hukam's mansion had long since been abandoned.
He had no children.
He had divorced his only wife.
And he had a brother who, according to people, had left for a city after a dispute with him—and never returned.
This was something people had heard directly from Wadera Hukam himself.
That brother never came back.
And Wadera Hukam never inquired about him again.
In fact, the Wadera was quite happy…
That he now owned all the land and wealth alone.
Whether that brother was even alive or dead—no one knew.
Greed makes a man forget every relationship.
He forgets that the wealth for which he betrayed his loved ones will also betray him after death. It will be of no use to him.
Once the mansion became desolate, the remaining servants looted whatever was left.
Then came the thieves, who took whatever they could get their hands on.
The tragic and mysterious deaths that occurred in that mansion gave it a sinister reputation.
Now, the villagers avoided going there—especially at night. No one dared to approach it.
One night, however, five young men from Goth Bheron entered the mansion with the intent to loot.
They thought maybe some valuable item had been left behind.
They were peeking into the rooms when…
One of them heard someone crying.
A sorrowful, painful cry…
The sound was faint.
They had split up to search different rooms.
At first, the boy thought it was his imagination. But when the sound came again, he was startled and frightened.
He shouted for his companions.
Hearing him, the others ran toward him—thinking perhaps he had found treasure.
But when they arrived, they too heard the mournful sobbing.
They looked at each other in shock and fear.
To hear such a heartbreaking cry in the dead of night, in a deserted mansion, sent shivers down their spines.
The sobbing continued…
But no one was visible.
And they couldn't figure out where it was coming from.
They exchanged glances, then stepped out of the room in fear.
The moment they left, the sobbing stopped.
Or perhaps they simply couldn't hear it anymore?
They wanted to leave the mansion at once.
But one of them, gathering courage, stopped the others.
"What if someone is trapped here?" he asked.
Maybe they needed help?
Until a moment ago, even he had believed it was some supernatural sound…
But the way the sound had stopped after they left the room made him think—maybe there was something more to this.
The others insisted on leaving.
But he managed to convince them, and they all returned to the same room.
The sound was no longer there.
His companions looked at him as if to say, "See? We told you—it wasn't a real person."
As they turned to leave again…
The soft sobbing returned.
Their footsteps froze mid-step.
They all strained to trace the origin of the sound.
Soon, they figured it out.
The sound was coming from beneath the floor.
The first thought that came to their minds was—a basement?
They carefully inspected the floor.
Following the sound, they reached a corner of the room.
No doubt—the sobbing was coming from right there.
They moved aside a sofa that was placed in the corner and were stunned to discover an iron hatch on the floor.
Its panels were closed and locked.
They searched around, but couldn't find anything to break the lock.
Two of them went outside and came back with a piece of iron rod.
With it, they managed to break the lock and open the hatch.
The sobbing grew clearer.
They shined a flashlight down and were surprised to see a set of stairs leading underground.
Leaving two of their group behind, the remaining three cautiously descended.
The scene below was unbelievable.
In the basement sat a withered old man, staring at them in disbelief.
His long unkempt beard and hair made it clear that no scissors had touched him in years.
Next to him was a clay pot for water.
As the group descended, the man shrank in fear, pressing himself into a corner.
They shone their flashlight on him and asked who he was.
But he gave no answer—only stared at them, terrified.
When they stepped closer, he recoiled and hugged his knees tightly.
No matter how much they asked, he didn't speak.
Eventually, they coaxed him into coming with them.
They brought him back up into the room.
---
The Truth Unveiled
By morning, the news had spread across Goth Bheron:
A man had been found locked in the mansion's basement—kept prisoner by Wadera Hukam for many years.
And that long isolation had driven him insane.
People soon recognized him.
That mad-looking man was Wadera Azmat, Hukam's younger brother.
The same brother about whom Wadera Hukam had claimed had left the village in anger.
Anyone who saw Azmat couldn't help but curse Hukam's soul.
Such are men like Wadera Hukam—
They collect curses while alive and even more after death.
Indeed, one who oppresses God's creation never prospers.
Not in this world.
Not in the hereafter.
Azmat was only a Wadera by name.
In truth, he was a kind-hearted, noble man.
His only crime had been…
That he rebelled against the cruel customs of the feudal system and expressed his desire to marry a poor girl from the village.
Azmat had fallen in love and wanted to make her his honor.
But Hukam had flatly refused.
A poor peasant's daughter could never be the daughter-in-law of this mansion. It was against their pride.
Azmat had then demanded his rightful share in the land and said he would leave forever.
Wadera Hukam's ego could not take it.
So he imprisoned Azmat in the basement of the mansion.
And now, years later, he had been freed—by sheer accident.
The news of his release spread like wildfire across nearby villages.
One of them was the village where Azmat's beloved lived.
When she heard he was alive, she came running.
But…
The man who she had waited for all her life—had forgotten her completely.
And it wasn't his fault.
It was the fault of men like Hukam, and their toxic pride, greed, and cruelty.
Though she was no longer young, her love for Azmat had remained youthful.
When she met him, people said…
It was like two long-lost souls meeting again—after a hundred years.
Azmat did not live long after that.
One night, he silently departed this world.
People from all villages came to his funeral.
With teary eyes, they gave him an honorable burial.
Even today, people visit his grave and pray for him.
Nearby lies the grave of Wadera Hukam…
But no one even bothers to glance in that direction.
And if someone does pass by—it's only with their face turned away.
Such is the outcome of one's deeds and character.
---
Meanwhile, in the Desert…
Noori had come to know that people from her village had gone into the desert to catch an old snake.
And that snake—was the same one that had led the shepherds to her the day before.
She was deeply conflicted.
She didn't know how to stop the snake charmers from going—or whether she even should.
Because she had no idea who that snake was.
And why it hadn't harmed them.
She dismissed it as coincidence.
Maybe the shepherds had misunderstood?
After all, why would a snake save a human?
What she didn't know…
Was that the same snake, in human form, had saved her dignity and her life once.
And in its true form—had saved her again.
She waited anxiously for the snake charmers to return.
That evening, they came back…
With a few small snakes in tow.
But the old, long snake they were looking for had slipped away.
For some unknown reason, this failure brought immense relief to Noori's heart.
As if a huge burden had been lifted.
Even she couldn't understand why…
The idea of that snake not being caught made her so happy.
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