Lakshmi Narayan
One day in a galaxy, far far away, a group of guardians gathered. They were there for a critical reason. Over aeons, the cosmos had become littered with useless planets that were not contributing anything to the advancement of civilization. It had got so bad that the negative energy they emitted was affecting the progress of other celestial bodies.
So, with a heavy heart, they had collectively decided to eliminate useless planets from the system so that the rest could evolve and regenerate. One by one, they assessed the contribution of each planet. Soon, it was Earth’s turn. It was, sad to say, not a very good report.
Despite huge calamities, mankind had not learnt the meaning of compassion. As individuals, they were envious of each other. As a collective body, they indulged in wars, riots, murders, torture and sadism. Not satisfied with just treating each other badly, they polluted the environment, harmed animals and mindlessly destroyed Nature.
Plus, their greed for reaping the resources of the Earth was insatiable. Even in their pitiful attempts to conquer space, their aim was not to live in amity with extra-terrestrials but to subjugate them and rob them of their riches. All this was sending up spumes of toxic vibes into the galaxy.
Should Planet Earth be eliminated? Just as they were discussing whether to send a comet to smash into Earth or let loose a pandemic or let the oceans rise in a terrifying tsunami or awaken all the dormant volcanoes, a lone voice spoke up.
“There is one redeeming factor about Planet Earth. It’s called Hope. Every time something goes wrong, Hope rises in the hearts of the people. The poorest of the poor harbour Hope. The hungry hope for a better tomorrow. Each time humankind is down and out, it soars again, riding on Hope. And this one thing has kept them going from the very beginning. While Hope continues to reside on Earth, mankind cannot be destroyed.”
And so friends, that’s how we escaped being annihilated. By the breadth of a hair.
Hope is our life jacket, our lodestar, our safety belt.
(Excerpted from Fables from Beyond, Authors Upront, 2020)
Journalist, author and animal activist Lakshmi Narayan is a former assistant editor of Femina and former editor of Eve’s Weekly & Flair
