It was a beautiful night. The moon in total splendour generously spread light on all who sought it. The river that flowed with its rhythmic motion accepted the moonlight with all humility and shone like a river of stars. In gratitude, the river painted the moon with a slight hue of blue. From a distance, it seemed that the moon and the river kissed each other; their passions taking over after not having met for over a month. The small cascades in the river seemed like eruptions of joy while the sweet melody of the flowing river provided for the right background score to make the setting perfect. With no peeking eyes, except the stars to add glitter, some fireworks and a few night birds and animals to keep guard, it was love in paradise. The other creatures, having done their bit for the day retired to sleep and regain the energy needed to battle the oncoming day. Life, though challenging, was peaceful in this quiet little jungle.
At a distance, the cries of wolves were heard. Did they wish to join in and add some overtones? They never did, but then why today? What began with one soon transcended across the pack. What had awoken these sly animals that sensed things before they happened? Was it a human intervention, a hunter on the prowl? The cries of the wolves woke up the entire forest. Mothers made sure their little ones were safe. The adults grouped together prepared to face any attack. The emergency bugle had been sounded in their land and their master strategic plans had been kicked in, but least did they know, no plan had been created for this kind of emergency.
It was as if the Gods were having a duel of their own, the spectators being the stars above and the earthlings below. At first, words were exchanged resulting in deafening thunders. One after the other the replies kept getting louder, each side trying to make his point by overpowering the other. When words failed to prove a point, weapons were drawn. The skies trembled with fear and cracked open to reveal streaks of lightning. Sparks began to fly and the poor animals below hid their faces in the earth. Suddenly all this celestial drama came to an end, ending with three gigantic shooting stars crisscrossing the night sky. Where they would fall, was not known. But it seemed like the worst was over, at least for now.
“Ouch, I can’t see a thing. The sand is all in my eyes”
“Forget seeing, I can’t feel a thing”
“You can’t see a thing, you can’t feel a thing. I don’t deserve to be here. But…all thanks to you both”
“It’s not my fault; I never started it.”
“Mine neither”
“Enough! Both of you. We are already suffering enough. The Gods unable to bear us anymore have banished us from heaven. Unless we get our act together and resolve our differences, we won’t be welcomed back. So let’s work on that in a calm manner, which I hope we can do and get this sorted quickly. Or you never know, we may have to make this earth our home, the thought of which itself, is disturbing. Let’s dust ourselves of this sand and get this done right away.”
The three beings in conversation were Love, Intelligence and Boldness. Leaving no stone unturned in trying to prove their supremacy over the other, they were always at loggerheads. Their news had spread far in the heavenly kingdom, much to the anxiety of the rest who lived amicably. They had been warned many a times, but all it did was quieten them for a few days. The days that followed saw an increase in momentum surpassing the previous heights reached. The last fight involving the three went beyond the limits of tolerance, both in temper and destruction and had widespread implications threatening to divide the entire kingdom into sects. Using all his powers, Love played with the emotions of the people and blackmailed them. Intelligence, using all his wit, played games and laid traps. A favorite of all the intellectuals, he had a strong following beyond compare. Boldness drew fear away from the minds of the people and made them believe that they could win over any calamity that threatened them, no matter how small in number they were.
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