The Cost of Disbelief, A Snake's Vengeful Strike

 The Cost of Disbelief, A Snake's Vengeful Strike

From the Digital Age to Echoes of the Past

In this era dominated by Artificial Intelligence, even a basic understanding of AI can propel one to prominence. The digital landscape has proven a boon for those adept at formulating their queries as effective prompts.

Yet, have you ever pondered those times before the advent of keyboards, when our means of expression were limited? Even then, certain individuals managed to reach millions through their writings, their words resonating deeply even today. I, too, encountered some of these timeless narratives in my childhood. Inspired by their enduring power, I felt compelled to share these stories with you, attempting to convey them in the same spirit in which I first read them. Here is one such tale.

The Enigmatic Kiros: A Palm Reader's Prophecy

This story revolves around Kiros (or Kero), a renowned palmist of his time. A name synonymous with astrology, his insights were said to be unerring. The narrative I encountered under Kiros's name recounted the life of a vibrant individual whose destiny took an unforeseen turn.

In my own experiences, I often met people eager to know their future. The accuracy of my predictions had garnered me a certain reputation, a trust that made me well-known. However, I always believed that a person's thoughts held more significance than the lines on their palm. While some individuals placed their faith solely in their actions, for most, the allure of destiny etched on their hands remained potent. This story unfolds in a time when India was under British rule, a period that exposed us to numerous foreign writers.

An Unexpected Visitor and a Glimpse into Tomorrow

One evening, as I was contemplating my next pursuit after finishing my work, a knock echoed at my door. Upon opening it, I found a friend accompanied by a young man, perhaps in his early twenties. His eyes sparkled with a playful energy. He greeted me with a cheerful "Hi," and after the initial formalities, we settled in my drawing-room.

Our conversation meandered through various topics, including inquiries about my profession. Gradually, the young man grew comfortable and revealed his passion for hunting and exploring the wilderness. He expressed a keen interest in knowing what my astrological insights held for his future. Shortly thereafter, I had his birth chart prepared.

The jovial young man sitting before me was eager to hear what his future held. As I studied his horoscope, my gaze repeatedly returned to his face. The revelations his chart unveiled about his tomorrow sent a tremor through me. Suddenly, he inquired about my deep contemplation, asking what in his birth chart had caused my sudden seriousness. He was eager to know what had prompted my hesitation. I demurred, stating it was nothing of concern. However, I did foresee a distant journey and an impending marriage for him. He would experience years of joy, with every happiness life could offer gracing his existence. These days, I predicted, would pass swiftly. Yet, I felt compelled to offer a piece of advice: he should cease his wanderings in the forests and abstain from hunting as much as possible. His horoscope revealed an incident during a hunt that cast a shadow over the rest of his life, a vision that filled me with an inexplicable dread. My grave warning, however, was met with laughter. I fell silent, aware that my predictions were not always absolute, praying that this young man would never face a hardship too great to bear.

A Journey Taken, a Life Forged

Soon after, the two men took their leave, and the incident faded into memory. Then, one day, I learned from my friend that the young man had joined the English army and had gone to India. Sometime later, I received a letter from India. It was from him. He wrote that, just as I had predicted, he had reached his destination after a long journey. There, he had met a woman, and within a few days, they had married. He felt as though he had found every happiness in the world and was content with his job and his life. For many years, I heard nothing more from him, nor did I seek any news.

The Shadow of the Past Returns

One day, an unexpected knock echoed at my door. I opened it to find a gaunt figure standing before me. He appeared ill and frail, with a long, unkempt beard and clothes that looked unchanged for days. Abruptly, he asked if I recognized him. I had never seen anyone in such a state and shook my head in negation. As he began to speak, my senses reeled. Before me stood the same young man, now a mere shadow of his former self. My heart ached at his transformation. The vibrant, spirited youth I had once known was unrecognizable. Instinctively, I embraced him, and the room filled with the sound of his choked sobs. A long silence followed. Finally, regaining some composure, he seemed eager to speak.

"What has befallen you," I asked, "that you stand before me in this condition?" He took a deep breath and began to recount his tale. He explained that on the day he had sought my predictions, he was a man who held no belief in astrology. His life revolved around travel, hunting, and pleasure. He had noted down my words, intending to prove them wrong upon our next meeting. Shortly after, he had gone to India as an officer in the English army, a position he considered the fulfillment of his greatest ambition. There, he had met the daughter of one of his superiors. They had fallen deeply in love and married quickly, embarking on a blissful life together. One day, he had recounted my predictions to his wife, including my warning about hunting and avoiding dangers in the forest. He had shared this with amusement, but he had noticed a flicker of fear in her eyes, which he had dismissed with a jest. Their life together continued joyfully.

As an army officer in a subjugated India, he often attended banquets hosted by local nawabs and rajas, which also presented opportunities for hunting. His wife, though generally fearless, always grew apprehensive before these excursions, constantly reminding him of my warning. He would simply laugh it off.

Years passed peacefully, and their relationship remained harmonious. Eventually, he longed to return to England, missing his home and loved ones. Permission for his return was granted. At the time, he was stationed in a region of India renowned for its dense forests. When the local landlord learned of his impending departure, he organized a grand feast in his honor, followed by a hunting expedition in the jungle. Without hesitation, he accepted. The day arrived, and amidst the lavish hospitality of the landlord's mansion, preparations for the hunt began. Observing this, his wife expressed her reluctance to join. He initially mocked her fears, but the seriousness in her eyes instilled in him a sense of unease. Yet, he pushed these feelings aside and prepared to go.

It was a dark, moonless night. Everyone rode on elephants, while men with drums led the way into the jungle to flush out game. He and his wife rode together. Soon, their eyes adjusted to the darkness, and they could see reasonably well. After a long while without sighting any prey, he began to think they would return empty-handed. Suddenly, a rustling in the nearby bushes caught his attention. He saw a large pair of snakes, intertwined. Without a moment's hesitation, he fired. The shot echoed through the jungle, and his companions rushed to his side. He pointed towards the bushes. Seeing the enormous snakes, the landlord exclaimed, "Rai Bahadur Sahib, you have made the gravest mistake of your life! By attacking a pair of cobras and killing one, believe me or not, the snake will surely avenge its mate!" He scoffed at the Indian landlord's words.

He was still ridiculing the idea when his wife interjected, "I have complete faith in what he says. We must leave this place immediately!" Initially, he didn't take her words seriously, but an inexplicable conviction in her fear compelled him to decide to leave the city that very day.

He noticed the color drain from her face. He swiftly made preparations to return to England. Several days were spent in the flurry of travel, and they reached Mumbai. As their ship was to depart in a day or two, they stayed at a hotel. He felt a deep regret for his actions, constantly berating himself for his impulsiveness.

He wanted to leave as soon as possible as they had to board the ship the next morning, so they stayed awake all night. He asked his wife to rest for a while, but she soon fell asleep due to excessive fatigue. He was thinking again and again how he would make her happy as soon as he reached his country. Because he knew that his wife was not afraid for herself but for him. While thinking this, suddenly his eyes fell on a corner of the window, from where a long and thin shadow was moving very fast towards his wife's bed.

He reached it in the blink of an eye, but it was too late. The snake had already attacked, its fangs sinking into his forehead.

A thin line of blood trickled down. Her eyes fluttered open, looking at him with a questioning gaze, before slowly growing heavy. He cried out like a madman, consumed by remorse for his actions. Her fear, his dismissal of it, and the landlord's ominous words echoed in his mind. He could only weep.

Having recounted this tragic tale, he looked at me with a questioning gaze. But the arrow had already left the bow. Shortly after, he rose and departed. A few days later, I learned that he too had passed away. I remembered the day he had first come to me, full of life and laughter.