It was a dark night. Ahmed was busy with his computer, working late into the night. He was completely absorbed in his work. The silence in the room was only being disturbed by the pressing of buttons of the keyboard.

The silence would have gone on forever had someone not screamed in pain. The scream broke the eternity of silence.

Ahmed was all ears. Initially he considered it his imagination and began working on the computer again.

“I knew it! I knew that you would never listen to my excuses.” The silence was once again broke by the sound. “You are so mean. Once you finished using me, you threw me away and left me burning in this wicked fire. The fire has been so brutal, it has always burnt everything. But you were so loving, you cared for me, you cleaned me, decorated me and never even left me alone, but now you have not bothered about me for ages.”

Ahmed followed the voice, soon he reached his storeroom. The door was closed but he could listen to the sigh, coming from the storeroom. Ahmed stepped towards the door to open it; he kept his hand on the door and pushed it inside.

A burning light filled the room. Ahmed swiftly opened the door wide, to see what was burning inside. Ahmed was shocked to see a whole new world of books, but all were burning. The books were torn and scattered in all directions.

Ahmed felt sorry for them. He took a few steps forward.

“Ha-ha, how exciting it is to see you ruined,” a devilish laughter echoed from every corner. “Soon you all will be flying up in the air in smoke.”

Ahmed leaned forward to see whose voice it was. A machine appeared in front of him. It was much similar to a computer with a giant screen.

“Ahmed I was waiting for you,” said the machine in a voice as thick as thunder, expressing an evil smile. “Follow me, I have more to show you.”

The machine started walking towards a giant hallway, Ahmed had no choice but to follow it. From a nearby pile of burning books, something glittered, which beckoned Ahmed’s attention. He ran towards it to find what it was.

“You remember me?” said a book, swallowing its voice deep in its throat. “How could you? I was your most favorite book! I can never forget the day when you celebrated soon after you finished reading me. But now I’m counting my last breath.”

Saying this, the book inhaled a painful breath for the last time and slowly closed its eyes. And there stood Ahmed, eyes squeezed shut, tears leaking from both. He cupped the book in both palms and held it to his chest. Ahmed felt the book turning into smoke. Soon the book disappeared from his hands.

“No, you can’t leave me, please I’m sorry, come back! No…!” cried Ahmed, looking up in the sky.

“Ahmed! Ahmed!” said his father. “Why are you shouting? Get out of your bed now. It’s already getting late for your school. Get ready quickly, I’ll drop you today.”

Ahmed removed the blanket from his face and looked around the room worriedly. He got off his bed crawling and ran towards the storeroom. He found the shelf where he kept his books. It was thoroughly covered with dust. He blew away the dust and picked a book. “I regret discarding you. You are my real treasure.”

Published in Dawn, Young World, June 2nd, 2018