1001 Nights: Millennial Edition
Part 2: The curious case of the intimidating Ifrit
Legend has it that a Genie shall repay with its power for having been released from its curses. But this incident has sparked outrage and has lead to disbelief among people and they are filled with angst against this betrayal.
A fisherman was out in the seas, going on about trying to catch a fish and while ranting about his woes, caught something heavy in his nets. Elated with newfound enthusiasm, he took it up only to find an enchanted enigma.
It turned out to be an ancient model of the lamp that contained the genie. He finally deciphered what to do with it and invoked the genie. But the genie wasn’t filled with gratitude. Instead, he was filled with rage — rage against the dying light he was shut upon in.
He erupted outside, claiming the name of Sulaiman to be the righteous prophet. The fisherman was offended and retorted, “What timeline are you stuck in? Sulaiman has been dead for years! You need to start learning about what’s been happening now.”
After the genie had announced what he planned to do, the fisherman was taken aback and asked him for the reason for this uncanny betrayal of his faith and spirits.
The genie went on: “I was one of the rebels against Lord Sulaiman. He got the better of me and I was overpowered by his Wazir. I was imprisoned, banished and thrown into the waters. I promised to myself that I’d make sure the world went into recession, if I’d been released within the next 100 years. I waited and waited, only to find that the century had passed. I made another promise to cheat people out of their own money through any means necessary, if I’d been released by this second century, but no one came to my rescue. In a fit of rage, I promised myself that I’d do everything above AND kill the person who will rescue me. However, I shall provide them the choice of their death.”
The fisherman regretted having been curious and that his indirect act of generosity served to be a death trap.
“So, man of the seas, choose how you’d like to die.”
“I shall drown. Drown in the sea of disappointment for having brought upon my own doom.”
And it ended. The genie had exacted his revenge.
News of the fisherman’s death has left the community in silence.
This article was written in collaboration with Kiran Krishnan.
