Shail’s Nest

Once Mr. Black and his brothers Mr. Blacker and Mr. Blackest were sitting with their cronies, Mr. Darkest Gray, Mr. Darker Gray and Mr. Gray. Night was falling and they were relaxing with a drink. Just then they see some sort of light and then suddenly there is someone standing without.

“Who are you?’ asks Mr. Black for he had never seen such a one before.

“I am Mr. Light Gray” he replies, with a friendly smile

“Mr. Light Gray?? There are no Light Grays in this world! What nonsense!” scowls Mr. Blacker, his brother.

“There are only we the Blacks, Darkest Grays, Darker Grays and at the most Grays!” he adds, giving Mr. Gray a slightly contemptuous look.

The look is not lost on Mr. Gray and he squirms in his seat.

Mr. Light Gray smiles and is about to reply when Mr. Gray speaks up, hesitantly.

“If I may say so…I think there are Light Grays!”

“I have seen them on my other side you know!” he tentatively adds. He can feel the contemptuous eyes Mr. Blacker boring into him.

Mr. Blackest glares at him menacingly and Mr. Blacker scowls even more in annoyance. He hates it when Mr. Gray comes up with objections like this. Mr. Darker Gray and Mr. Darkest Gray look skeptical and side with Mr. Black. Even the older Black brothers listen to Mr. Black. He was their leader and what he said went. And anyway they hadn’t seen any Light Grays either. They believe in the color black and were even loathe believing in Mr. Gray who was sitting with them.

Meanwhile, Mr. Light Gray listening attentively to the conversation and the murmurs, beckons to someone standing a little off. They step forward. The group is again stunned.

“Who are these??” asked Mr. Black. There is alarm in his voice.

Some of the new comers are positively shining, that the eyes of the group start watering. They screw up their eyes at this brightness that seems to surround them, blinding them.

“Meet Mr. Lighter Gray, Mr. Lightest Gray, Mr. White, Mr. Pearly White, Mr. Snow White…”

The crowd stares at the newcomers. This is unbelievable!

The world had only Blacks, Darkest Grays, Darker Grays and when you came down to it Grays if you counted the nincompoop who was part of their exalted company.

But..but…who are these people??

And why were their eyes hurting so much looking at these people?? Why was this irrational fear taking hold of them when introduced to them?? A strange fear that wants them to deny the very existence of what they were seeing, right in front of their eyes??

No there could not be Whites, Snow Whites and Pearly Whites, Not Lightest Grays or Lighter Grays! They look at Light Gray and admit reluctantly that there is a possibility that he could exist. The rest were all a figment of the imagination.

Suddenly Mr. Black and his crowd get it!! Why hadn’t they seen it before? Mr. Light Gray is only trying to hypnotize them for his own gains. Ha! He is trying to cheat them, maybe ultimately rob and kill them. That is his motive! He wants to turn their world as they knew it, topsy turvy!!

Mr. Black stands up with his cronies, in a sinister way. They walk forward threateningly and start beating up Mr. Light Gray. Mr. Gray puts up a token protest against this unwarranted action but with the black looks from the Black brothers, he shuts up and joins them in bashing up Mr. Light Gray.

Mr. Lighter Gray wants to help Mr. Light Gray, but is alarmed that he would be hurt.

“Oh dear!Oh dear!” he cries. “Please someone help him!”

“These people are so cruel!” He stands wringing his hands calling out for help and cursing the rulers for failing to make life safer and easier for them. Mr. Lightest Gray stands silently crying and praying for the deliverance of Mr. Light Gray. Mr. White steps forward with determination, trying to help Mr. Light Gray along with Mr. Pearly White and Mr. Snow White.

In the melee that follows Mr. Light Gray loses his life. Mr. White sustains some serious injuries and is in the hospital. …his chances of survival are remote. Mr. Pearly White dies on the way to the hospital. Mr. Snow White is maimed for life having lost his limbs, which were chopped off by the Black brothers, whose diabolical laughter sends chills down the spines of the Lighter Grays and the Lightest Grays as also the Light Grays.

The Whites fewer in number as they are, are preparing again, for they know the future holds more skirmishes and more of them will have to sacrifice their lives. A day would come when the Blacks and his cronies had to agree that they the Whites and their friends existed too!

The Blacks and their followers, the Darkest Grays and the Darker Grays have now convinced themselves that the world is indeed filled with only the darkest of shades and that they rule that world.

Mr. Gray broods alone in his room….he longs to reach out to the lighter Grays and be a part of them. He cannot hope to be one of the Whites ever! …..but, if only…if only, he could have been a Lighter Gray….!! He cries softly to himself.

Life goes on….