Long long ago

Long Long Ago

Long long ago, how long ago, no one knows;  there was an island, abandoned and secluded. No one dared to go there, despite its luxuriant verdure. Since years the animal world lived there peacefully with no interference from the humans. Every day was a feast time for the insect world, with no fear of being trampled down beneath the heavy bulldozers. A variety of birds flourished with stout muscles and strong plumes, enabling themselves to soar high, no humans to encroach their realms. The community of monkeys chattered gleefully, bouncing from one branch to another for there was no threat of the trees being cut. Otters and badgers communicated with each other whistling and screeching. Even the nocturnal creatures brightened up the place with vivacious calls. Thanks to the rumours about the island that there were evil spirits and ghosts reigning there since time immemorial! No one dared to step on this island. Thick bushes and undergrowth protected the island from greedy eyes of the world.

The island was just a few metres away from the shores of a suburban town. However life is transient. Nothing is permanent. Such luxury at the island  no longer prevailed.  An entrepreneur, too bold and brave, bought the whole island from the government at the price of peanuts and made exhaustive plans to develop it into a mine of wealth and so did he.

Day and night, the island was being cleared and construction was at its peak. Within a few years the island was transformed into a glamorous land of fantasy and dreams.

It turned into  a shopper’s paradise. Resembling a little hamlet, it encompassed more than five hundred cottages and structures that housed the best products of the world. Mr. Entrepreneur's charismatic personality and faith in his success attracted many a brands and business houses. The most inviting factor was a small helipad for the rich and a number of luxurious yachts and boats to bring in the customers. It became a week-end get away with shopping, best foods and luxury stays.

Right at the far end was a large ground for an outlet for pet animals, birds and fish. Surprisingly that  structure could not get completed despite incessant efforts made by the engineers. The structure would either collapse mysteriously or would never be built at all. Sometimes holes would appear on the walls or it would be infested with white termites or the paint would chip off.

Engineers stopped working at that site and the architects gave up too. Even the masons refused to work on that site thinking it to be something deadly and spooky.  

A tall wall was built around that site to prevent it from the rumours and gossips. It remained a mystery for a long period. The island became a popular hunt for the rich and famous. Even  place there. It became an icon of glamour but that site remained secluded and abandoned.

The entrepreneur was aware of that jinxed place but he was also aware about the site which could be the best spot on the island. His restless heart could not remain still. He could not give up on that place.

The bald and brave entrepreneur visited the so called haunted place one night. His golden pendant with Om emblem hung boldly around his neck. He visited there every day with his torch and other safety tools for days together. He found no clues of any danger or apparition  .

He was convinced that there was something wrong with the physical world and not the world of spirits. He called for a special team of masons and paying them through his nose, he got the whole site dug deep enough, only to find a pool of sulphuric acid which was perhaps the cause of all the trouble.

It took him months together to get the ground cleared of all the acids and another couple of years to construct his dream structure of a pet shop; a unique pet shop where the birds flew freely and the cats purred around and the puppies howled and barked to their heart’s content. They were pampered and fed the best food and cleanest water. All the creatures were in their best of their health. One would love to own any of those pets who were perfectly trained by the best trainers of the world.  

Each pet was sold for ten times the normal rates and the little pet shop became a real gold mine for Mr. Entrepreneur. It took a span of six years to develop the island and another four years for the Pet shop to rise but the effort was a worthwhile one.

The island which was a realm of beautiful creatures of God now became the realm of rich and spoilt brats of the world.