Angel of death| A Mughal era story by Sri Shradha,14
What happens when an old merchant encounters the angel of death? 14-year-old Sri Shradha from Bangalore, writes an engrossing story, set in the Mughal times.
One fine morning in Rohta, an old merchant was selling his wares in the market when he saw someone looking at him with a surprised expression.
When the merchant realized that it was the angel of death who had come to take him away, cold sweat broke out on his spine and goosebumps erupted on his arms. He had had a satisfactory life but he had never found a ‘special’ moment to savour.
As fear of death overtook him, he ran to the city of Agra where he resided. The merchant thought that even death wouldn’t dare enter the capital of the king.But alas, that is not what happened. When the merchant entered the city, the first person he saw was the angel of death.
The tired merchant who couldn’t run anymore said, “Okay, I give up. You can take my life but before that, you have to answer one question.”
When death agreed, the merchant asked, “Why did you look surprised when you saw me at the market?”
Hearing this, death smiled with an amused expression and replied, “I was surprised to see you at Rohta because I was supposed to meet you and take you to the afterlife at Agra. But here you are now, at Agra.”
The merchant smiled and felt a deep sense of satisfaction. He had left the angel of death perplexed for a while. That was the crowning moment of glory he had been waiting for all his life.
