Entry #86

The Shah of Blah
by Mayur Sharma


‘Who are you?’

‘My name I did not get to choose. I am the one who can tell a tall tale. You can call me the Shah of Blah. I can pluck words like vivid and colorful and entwine a magical spell into them. In bold and colorful strokes, I can weave a story just for you. Don’t ask me if they are real or just a figment of my imagination. But they are, as all stories go, magical.’

‘Tell me one.’

‘Well. This happened on a day not too different from all others. A carriage tore through the silent forest, riding under the beat of moments passing by. He was seated inside, oblivious to the world under the wrap of an arabesque shawl. If you cannot fathom the boredom of eternity, try listening to the buzz of pounding horse hoofs. No. Do it later. Right now, come back to my story. The gentleman in the carriage did not know about the bird circling up above him. But the bird knew it was time. It hovered and then dived into the foliage. Bump, boom, blast, clank, clang, and a crash. It’s awful if you are out of practice, sometimes.’

A dramatic pause.

‘If you think about it, it’s inevitable. The carriage came to a halt. Curiosity always gets the better of your kind. The gentleman stepped out and saw the bird, lying very still on the ground. That’s when it transmogrified.’

‘And?’

‘The gentleman asked it..’

‘What?’

‘Who are you?’