The Ujaad ( A short story)

Once upon a time there was a barren land. Every body had written off the land as useless. People used to pass by it daily, but none noticed it. They used to call it ‘Ujaad’ (Barren). The land felt out of place, dejected and depressed. It hated the name ‘Ujaad’. 

One day a mice tried digging a burrow, but the ground was so hard that it abandoned the project midway. Time passed, one day a squirrel brought some fruits from the Peepal tree. It tasted the fruit, did not find it appealing and dropped the fruit which rolled down the burrow dug up by the mice.

Come rains the burrow filled up with water, the Peepal  seeds in the burrow germinated and took roots. Peepal has the habit of surviving in the hardest of conditions. It grew with time into a young tree, casting it's cool shadow on the barren land. People suddenly noticed the tree and started resting under the tree.

Time passed. One day a Mahatma (a sage) passed by and decided to rest under the tree. He was tired and quite liked the place. He meditated under the tree.

Years passed and he stayed transfixed at the place in deep meditation.  People were amazed by his steadfastness. They used to offer food for the Mahatma which remained untouched. Birds and little creatures devoured the food instead. Yet the Mahatma would not open his eyes. People started flocking in great numbers, to have a glimpse of the great man.

One fine day the Mahatma opened his eyes, and cast a glance all around. His aura cast a glow all around, illuminating the ‘Ujaad’ even during night. He spoke great words, gathered a huge following and delivered scriptures after scriptures sitting under the tree.

Finally he became old, one fine day he asked people to dig up hole in the place for him to attain Samadhi (Salvation). In the middle of the night he entered the pit. Thirty one days passed. People got curious and entered the pit. The Mahatma was nowhere to be seen, they found a heap of roses where the Mahatma had rested.

The story spread all over the world, people came from far and near to pay their respects. The area got highlighted on the map and a large city developed around the barren land. The land continued to be called as the '‘Ujaad’'. But the fruits it now bore were the sweetest of them all,  by no stretch of imagination was it barren any more.

Nature's evolution is an unending process. It makes, destroys and rebuilds again. Nothing is constant. Nothing is useless, everything finds it's own utility over a period of time.

Names may be misleading, it may not depict a true picture of that the name denotes. A sure shot reason for people not to go by a name. If the world calls you names don't be affected by it, time proves most things wrong.

Salvation is a guaranteed process, as matter gets converted from one form to the other, salvation is certain.

No single person is responsible for your salvation . The universe orchestrates. The mice brought the seed, the land gave it roots, the rain made it grow, the Mahatma found peace under the tree and finally he rested upon the place to bring glory to the ‘Ujaad’.

Life is a multiple act play, just play your part and keep faith on the provider who shall deliver through his myriad ways.