Tears rolled out of my eyes when the girlfriend of the protagonist died. The novel ended with a sad note and I slept with a heavy heart.
I woke up with a deafening noise of people crying for help and suddenly a big chunk of concrete fell over me from the ceiling. I was in pain. I was negotiating with the almighty for saving me in an exchange of all the good things I have ever done. Everybody else must also be doing the same; but our prayers were not listened anymore. The building collapsed and in no time we were a part of the wreck around. The sight of reptiles and insects intruding human territory increased fright and numbness.
I was suffocating and losing senses. A slideshow of past, good and bad times, struggle and happiness surged in. I was dying. Everybody was dying. All the money and comfort was scattered around me but proved meaningless at that very moment. “Paths of Glory but Lead to The Grave”….so true.
A faded spot of light was getting closer and clearer. It was a new world. Flawless in all means. It was neither heaven nor hell. It was a world of realization of our own acts. A huge screen was showing the images of destruction. Mother Earth was dying a dreadful death along with her children. An unfortunate mother; who could no longer stand the stabs from her own children.
I looked around and analyzed that place. I was awestruck. It has out casted every definition of beauty. The place looked similar to the description of what Earth looked like a millions years ago. I saw strange extinct animals and plants around in their full bloom. Seeing that, I forgot every luxury I was used to have. The sorrow of death also vanished as soon as I found my dear and near ones there; having dead in the same way or other. We chatted and shared our experiences of death. We were amazed to see how men and animals can share the same space without harming each other. Beautiful birds, exotic fruits, colorful flowers, cool breeze, crystal clear rivers, blue sky and a warm friendly Sun. Everything was perfect. We sang and danced and ran around in a trance of joy.
Suddenly, a stentorian announcement filled the air. “This place will be replaced with Earth. The only condition to live here is that people have to survive through some simulations”. “Few simulations for being in such a great place till eternity was not at all a bad game”, I thought to myself and followed the crowd.
My heart, which was pounding with excitement a moment later has now, sank of fright after seeing that filthy sight. We had to survive through all that we have done with the plants and animals on Earth. It was a deep circular enclosure without any windows. The roof was exposed to the enormous Sun vomiting out hot dry ultraviolet rays, smoke grey colored air was full of poisonous pollutants, the soil beneath had not an inch worth standing upon; it was soaked with industry wastes and covered with plastic bags, pale gray stinking water bodies, dried up trees, rotten animals, blood dripping furs were scattered everywhere on it, and the worst of all was the burning temperature of 65 degrees, minimum. Who knows if it had radioactive elements also hidden somewhere.
What? I mean how a person can survive here without fresh air and clean water? It is impossible. But the next moment my wits were defeated by the thought of a new Earth as a reward of this suffering. Everybody gave up with the same desire. Finally we all were stuffed in that enclosed area. By time, suffocation and heat increased and soon it was getting unbearable. People started killing each other to have an extra share of oxygen. Killing a few aided for some time but within an hour more than half people died due to heat and scarce air. The sight was awful. Soon enough there was no sign of life. They failed to survive in their own world of luxuries they made for themselves. Not a single animal of the species of Homo sapiens was left in that enclosure.
It was, indeed, a new Earth outside. The most beautiful ever; but without a trace of humans. I wish we all could live it once. I wish at least I could……
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