Paradise
Between the sweetest sounds ever experienced by my ears and
the unearthly smells pouring in from all sides, I open my eyes only to be
blinded by a sharp - but pleasant – ray of sunlight. It takes my eyes a moment
to adjust to the magnificent landscape stretched out in front of me. I find
myself questioning the impossible softness of the cushions upon which I lay,
but on further inspection I find it to be nothing but ground.
I stand to my feet and begin to involuntarily dust my clothes
as I used to do back on earth. Upon realization I smile clumsily and start
exploring my new abode. Around me are trees, bearing fruits never the likes of
which have been tasted by any man – apart from the first, I suppose. When
describing the tree itself, one cannot help but to notice the flowers crowning
the trees like a rainbow overlooking a rain-drenched landscape. Pouting out of
the flowers are aromas so exotic, one wish to spend an eternity just enjoying
the company of these flowers. I find myself wondering, what the great William
Wordsworth would write after rambling through these meadows. The mystery of the
melody is soon revealed as I find the source within the tree trunk. As the wind
passes through the flute-shaped trunk, the tree spits out the most soothing
symphony ever created.
Reluctantly, I start making my way out of the woods to
discover what else God’s land holds to be discovered. One would think why
wouldn’t the angels guide one inside paradise? The answer, I think, is a very
logical one: for someone who had no difficulty in finding paradise, exploring
it shouldn’t require divine guidance.
Once out of the woods, the path leads down a gentle slope, at the foot of which I find a crimson colored river. At first I misjudge it to be blood, but on second thought I question the credibility of finding a river of blood inside Heaven. The smell is sweet, as is the breeze carrying it. I kneel down on the brim to take a sip from it and lo! It is the promised – and much illusive – heavenly wine. For a second I sit there dazed. Seconds slowly turn into minutes but I still can’t find the strength to move myself away from this fountain.
I, being a person born and raised in the dry region, take a
liking to occasional downpours. As a small desire to be pelted by rain formed
within me, the sky rumbled and darkened. Small droplets surrounded me and it
drizzled until my heart was content, then it left me with the soft scent of
moist clay.
Once again I stood to my feet and started walking along the
shore of the brook. Above me danced small patches of clouds. At the end of the
meadows I came to a halt, knowing full well that it would take me an eternity
to roam around paradise and that I most certainly had the time and means of
doing so. Before me unfolded a landscape of such magnificence as could not be
described through any combination of twenty-six letters. The closest I can come
to describing it is through one small phrase: Heaven Almighty!
Authored by:
Usama Gohar Dahri
of class AS Levelat PakTurk Schools Islamabad Branch
.jpg)
I introduced a past paper in our AS Level class yesterday asking students to attempt any one of their own choice. Usama Gohar, richest with imagination and linguistic talent, opted for this one: Description of Paradise. May he be granted the same by the Almighty. See for yourself the way it's been dealt with a masterly hand by our writing genius Usama Gohar Dahri of class AS Level at PakTurk Schools Islamabad Branch
ReplyDeleteExtraordinarily luring.......................... simply words are not enough to describe this beautiful piece of writing
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Sohaib dear. Usama Gohar seems a prolific writer, though he's just a teenaged, AS Level student. The kind of standard he comes with is simply awe-inspiring, I must admit.
ReplyDeleteexceptionaly beautiful...i agree with sohaib ,
ReplyDelete