During the unsavoury struggle for snatching authority, the toughs among the pious made hay. Their only occupation was to grow tougher
In an unprecedented upheaval, a huge wonderful villa surrounded with historical landmarks, monuments, architecture of antiquity, libraries, museums, theatres, parks and playgrounds was partitioned. The villa was apportioned on the insistence of the very pious persons among the occupants of the huge habitat of the humans, who had lived together for centuries. The pious refused to live with rest of the impious people in the villa.
The pious gave their part of the partitioned villa a name. They called it Pious House. They tore down the original edifice and razed to the ground everything and anything they deemed contradictory to the principles of their pious life. They erased the commonly cherished values of the past that had established the name, fame and reputation of the undivided villa. The pious began reconstruction of Pious House from scratch. What the pious gave no importance to was that the years spent together are indivisible. You may partition present, you may partition future, but you can’t partition the past.
You always have to have a committed and an upright person to lead you through trials and tribulation. He is called a leader. Suddenly, hunger for leadership among the pious occupants plunged Pious House in disarray. It sunk into chaos and confusion. In case a person managed to become the leader, he was immediately faced with the problem of being dragged out of authority. No wonder, soon thereafter he was removed. The crude mechanism for throwing out a leader from authority was his alleged involvement in corruption. Any pious person who succeeded in becoming the leader no more remained angelic in the estimate of other pious persons in the House. The pious became so engrossed in the struggle for snatching authority from each other that they totally neglected the basic and bare needs for survival of the Pious House.
During the unsavoury struggle for snatching authority from each other, the toughs among the pious made hay. On a few occasions, Pious House experienced the crude authority of the toughs whose only occupation was to grow tougher. They undermined the need for pen, and instead bought guns. When questioned, the toughs replied, “You can’t keep enemy at bay with a pen. It is a gun that thwarts a predator.”
If anyone refused to accept the theory of the toughs, and steadfastly believed in the enormous power of the pen, they were subjected to lick the barrel of the gun, and smell death. When you neglect or undermine the pen, you invariably undermine the need for development in the field of education, socio-economic, politics, trade, commerce and industrial sectors. You can’t plough fields with guns and cultivate wheat, rice and maze with tanks. You can’t sustain starving children with bullets. However, the toughs borrowed loans and procured guns and bullets through grants and grants-in-aid. Pious House sank into disorder and disunity.
Meanwhile, the neighbouring villa progressively developed in the field of science, technology, education, trade, commerce, industry, arts, performing arts and fine arts. People from far-flung areas came to the villa to witness their rewards derived through sustained endeavours for multifaceted progress. No one from abroad bothered to look at Pious House.
One night, it was rumoured that a gigantic monster called Doom was seen loitering in the proximity of Pious House. Some of the people who actually saw the monster were of the opinion that the unusually huge demon was looming large for prey. A team of elderly wise called on the tough ruler whose good name was Aflatoon. He posed as if he knew everything about everything that existed within the womb of the earth, depths of the oceans and up in the heavens. He laughingly brushed aside the concern of the elders, and said, “The gigantic thing is a friendly monster. It is improbable that it would do us any harm. Go home and sleep peacefully, and remember, for us Pious House comes first.”
After a few nights, the massive monster Doom appeared as close as a stone’s throw away from Pious House. People panicked. They rushed to Aflatoon. He smiled, and said, “We are not supposed to pick up trouble with invincible Doom. Remember, for us Pious House comes first.”
Next night, the people learnt that the monster Doom had devoured a rugged mountainous house in the vicinity of the Pious House. They trembled and rushed to Aflatoon, their all-knowing ruler. He smiled, and said, “The demon and I have dined together. We will not be attacked. Remember, for us Pious House comes first.”
After a few nights, the monster Doom pushed its vicious paws and menacing jaws within the parameters of Pious House. The intrusion shook the edifice of Pious House. The occupants felt frightened. Aflatoon said, “Your fears are unfounded. Look what invincible Doom has given us.” Aflatoon demonstrated a fabulous fortune of precious stones and tons of silver and gold.
The dismayed dwellers of Pious House asked, “Can’t you stop demon Doom’s intrusion in Pious House?”
“Neither think nor utter anything foolish,” an angry Aflatoon said. “Remember, for us Pious House comes first.”
With Aflatoon in the saddle, the devil Doom runs the affairs of Pious House.
