Submitted by Shravan Meda
Pranava bundled his way through the thick forests of the Western Ghats. STOMP! STOMP! His aim was to find the last ghost tree, and retrieve its fruit to heal his mother.
Days ago, his mother had fallen ill, and none of the medicines helped. He recollected his favourite bedtime story. A tale about the ghost tree of Sahyadri.
In the heart of the Sahyadri forest, resides a ghost tree. The last of its kind. Its trunk glows in the moonlight. Its leaves shimmer like red rubies. It only bears one fruit at a time; one that is gold and tastes as sweet as a thousand nectars combined. One bite of the fruit can cure a human of all ailments. A person with pure intent will one day be able to find it.
“How do I find my way to the tree, amma?” asked Pranava sitting at her bedside.
“You have to trek through a dense forest, swim across a deep lake, and climb a tall hill”.
Pranava set off on his quest the next day. A black dove flying above, distracted him. He tripped on an outgrown root, and rolled down the side of a cliff.
SPLAT!
His body ached from the tumble, and he had scratches all over his arms and legs. But he had to go on. The tumble took him to the forest’s edge next to the lakebed. The cool waters of the lake soothed his aching body as he dove in. SPLISH! SPLASH! Tiny fish with sharp teeth bit his feet. CHOMP! CHOMP!
A solitary black swan warded the fish off, and escorted him to the lake’s north bank. Dripping wet, Pranava flopped onto the lake bed, exhausted. His feet hurt from the bites. But he had to go on. Pranava crawled his way up the hill. SCRAPE! SCRAPE!
A langur scurried along beside him. At the top of the hill, he saw the white tree shimmering brightly in the moonlight. So bright was the tree that one look at it made him completely blind. Head in hands, he sat wounded and alone, as tears rolled down Pranava’s cheeks…
A sharp rustling noise made him pause. “Who is here?!”
“I’m a spirit of the forest”
Pranava crawled closer to the voice. An aroma of fresh jasmine filled his nose. “How did you get here?”
“I was with you all along. As a dove, as a swan, and as a langur. Why do you cry?”
“I came here to save my mother, but now my own body is shattered. I have failed…” bawled Pranava.
“Why don’t you eat the fruit and cure your ailing body?”
“NO! The fruit is for my mother” said Pranava vehemently. He wiped away his tears, and began climbing the tree, but…THUD! He fell to the ground. “You are so close. Don’t give up now!”
“Will you guide me?” asked Pranava.
The forest spirit became his eyes as Pranava hung from the tree’s lowest branch and slowly made his way across it. With each move, pain coursed through his body…but he had to go on!
As his palm closed around the fruit, he let go and braced for the fall to the ground…but it never came. The next instant he was staring at the inside of his home. His arms ached no more. His feet had no blisters and he could see everything. It was a miracle!
His palm held the golden fruit. The fruit that had saved him, and one that would make his mother whole again.
About Shravan:
Shravan writes all things fiction—children’s picture books, chapter books, and short stories. He is currently an unpublished writer working on a fiction manuscript at this time. Whenever he feels overwhelmed with the novel, he switches to writing short stories or children’s stories. He had been working in the US for over a decade, but he has recently rekindled his passion for writing. He helps support his father’s family business which takes up most of his day, but he writes when he finds any spare time.