Chapter 7

He saw it. It was there. In front of him. He was back in his dream again. The wooden bridge and in front the small white cottage. It was standing there as if waiting for him. The moon had come up; the moonlight falling on the cottage giving it a, mesmerizing effect. The river was still following its course lashing at the wooden bridge intermittently. He crossed the bridge in a daze. He could not believe his eyes. Could it really be true, Haji thought. Is it possible? And where is the old man. He was sitting there on the stairs. There is no one here. Even the cottage looked abandoned. Haji looked around searching for the old man
In the whole journey he used to talk to himself making stories.
The Old man would clutch his hand and ask him. “Have you come for the treasure”
Haji would say” Yes. I have”
The old man would smile, and lead him to the treasure.
He would open the lock to the cottage. Take him inside and would hand him over the treasure lying in the room and tell him “Take this. You have earned it. Go, your wife is waiting for u” and Haji would thank the old man and walk out to his beloved. He never thought what that treasure would be. He just knew it would be something special.
But all this did not happen.
There was no one to call him.
No one to ask him what was he doing there so late in the night.

He walked up to the stairs and looked through the windows. Absolutely nothing .Except darkness. A little dejected, Haji sat on the stairs and decided to wait for the old man. Half of his dream had come true. It’s the other half which was left to be realized.
“Sabar, Haji, Sabar”, he muttered to himself.
He waited and waited and then his tiring eyes closed on him and he slept a much needed sleep.