Chapter 1
THE AFTERLIFE OF KAREEM BHAU
ByADDIE
It was a freezing night of mid-winter when the family of Kareem Bhau sat down together as a family after the longest time at his sad demise. After countless failed police pursuits and criminal proceedings, he was put down purely of natural causes. His reputation in the underworld grew substantially as he was revered for he built the biggest empire one could imagine, an inspiration for the youth. However, under this tall figure, there was a tiny hope for seeking redemption in heaven— a hope that he’d be forgiven for his sins.
Although Kareem was not a religious person, he believed in one thing: Karma; “No one ever gets away with anything in life.” He’d always say and was very right about it because Karma didhit him. The family was strangely relieved than bereaved,as their greed for power and wealth than any form of sympathy or love. But it was not his concern anymore as he was not a part of this world. He believed he’d go to hell for the sins he committed but wished for heaven for repentance of the countless lives he harmed.
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It was a distant, unrecognisable place where no life existed, just a barren land that stretched as far as the eye could see. Kareem woke up on the drought land under the heat of the burning sun. He couldn’t see any signs of life around— no trees, not even a plant anywhere, only a barren, lifeless land.Thirsty for water, but not a single drop around, he was lost and seeking answers but nowhere to go.It was only when The Seven found him that he felt a sense of relief. The Seven were a group of seven horsemen whose only job was to carry the souls to Atheria.
Atheria was a large city carved out of a mountain in the middle of this barren land. It seemed like a normal city except everything was archaic. There were no high-rise skyscrapers, no modern buildings, or even electricity; houses made out of bricks cut out of rocks, a waterfall flowing in the distance, and mountains circumscribing the city. This baffled him because neither did it feel like heaven nor hell.
Kareem was pushed into the crowd right before the entrance. It was exactly when he noticed that everyone had the same clothing— a long, white cloth tied around the body that covered from the legs to the neck but left the arms bare. The guards slowly took each one from the crowd and stamped each one— on the arm and at the back of the neck— with a hot, burning iron. When Kareem got stamped, he felt immense pain. The burning pain made his skin go numb. However, the rest showed no pain. As he entered, he saw a whole civilisation flourishing inside. At this point, he had no idea what was happening except that he’d died. Everyone along with him was taken in a line deep into the city and soon let go. Nothing made sense to him.
As he continued aimlessly wandering, the weather began to change. The calm and gentle sky turned into a dark cloud shadowing Atheria. Harsh winds blew the sand and dust around and blinded his sight. By the time he noticed the change, it was too late. Everybody in the city had vanished into their homes, and all so suddenly that the whole city looked nothing less than a ghost town. The rain poured down, and gradually it turned into a stormy downpour. Kareem had to take shelter, but absurdly none of the houses he tried opened. He knocked, banged, and kicked the doors of various houses, but nothing worked. It was only when he found one single tree that he could seek shelter.
The rain soon calmed down, and the sun shone brightly. Kareem was drenched cold in the rain. After relentless pursuit of shelter, he had lost any hope of it. That was when he noticed that one of the doors of the house was open.
The scent of the house reminded him of a familiar feeling. The peculiar scent of incense brought back a familiar memory— one which he was fond of. He noticed the rooms were very similar too, even the windows were familiar. He gradually went into one of the rooms— a bed, study table, and almirah. It was now clear to him that it was his own house; the one where he spent his last few years and the house where he enjoyed himself with his grandchildren. He looked all around the house, running around with a sense of joy and excitement at being able to see his grandchildren, but soon was disheartened to realise he was all alone.
His eyes were teeming with tears. The voices of women and children screaming, distant voices cursing him. The bodies lying dead, the knife dripping with blood, children watching the blood of their parents. He repented it all. Perhaps he thought, he deserved this; the lives he had taken, the lives he ruined, and the blood he had on his hands— death is a blessing rather than a punishment. Although he had committed several sins, he had deep regret and guilt for it.
A few hours later, after waking from a deep slumber following this episode, he awoke with a sense of acceptance. It was only then that he noticed a bright light shining outside through the door. As he opened it, the entire town was gone, replaced by a vast, endless plane.
“You’ve realised your misdeeds,” a voice said. “You’ve taken lives. For these sins, you’ve received the revelations.”
You get what you do, whether it’s good or bad. Nobody can escape anything. Always do good and be good.
