A strange Island(Zuhaib Ali) “I have seen numerous islands but this little one entices me the most” murmured the fisherman. He decided to stay there for some time instead of fishing. While landing on the island, he realized that the source of fascination was neither bamboo cottages nor the fair people of the island. The fisherman soliloquized, “The Mountain seems full of magnets, catches me like a metal.”

He had been rowing the boat for hours hence he was exhausted. He began erecting the tent for the rest near the water. A child sitting on a log was gazing at the tent which was something new for him. “Can it bear the storm”, inquired the child innocently. “No” answered the fisherman indecently. “Our houses are durable,” the child said in a soft sound.
“Maybe” mumbled the fisherman and ignored the child. Meanwhile, he noticed a cottage on the mountain’s peak. “Is someone living there” he inquired.
“A lady tired of people’s taunting”, the child replied and went off.
“Wise revenge, I should have paid him attention” the fisherman murmured and became curious about the lady and cottage at the peak.

The sun had disappeared behind the mountain. There was no light of any lamp on the island except at the zenith of the mountain. He stared at the light for a long time from his tent and finally fell asleep.

The next day, he asked a farmer about the lady who told him that her daughter had eloped with her beloved, since then she had been living there far from people. She had not talked with anyone after that incident. “I wish I could change, these are the only words of that lady.” the farmer explained. He got more and more intrigued as he went on inquiring about the lady.

He climbed up the mountain where he saw the old lady whose white hair had turned brown of dust. The fisherman went closer to her. She said more than I wish I could change. It was the first time someone did not mock her and instead inquired about her health. She talked to him at ease, to a stranger. But that was pretty normal in her circumstances because no one on the island was listening and all they could do was insult her about her daughter. These emotions and thoughts were termites to her body.

“We have a peculiar custom. At the moment of babies' birth, we choose the life mate for our daughters and sons. They will have to marry, whether they like each other or not. My daughter had informed me that she was in love with another boy but there was nothing I could do about it. They wanted to escape from this custom not from the island, not from the family, not from her father, and not from me at all" she explained in no time.

“Where are your husband and other family members?” the fisherman asked.

“I am the only one who survived, bore the people’s taunting, and finally decided to live here,” the old lady said.

The fisherman was about to bid farewell but the old lady asked the fisherman to visit her again. “Why did you share your story with me?” the fisherman asked the last question.

“May God save me from my neighbors. Strangers’ taunting can last not more than a day,” said the old lady with tears in her eyes.

“I am the sinner, I am the killer. I wish I could change” these were the frequent words of the fisherman on his way back to the boat.

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