Fiction
Rahim’s Swan Song
A story of love, loss, and redemption

Rahim was blind. Everything around him was dark, and he couldn’t even see his own bed. He thought he might have gone blind, but he couldn’t understand how. Just a few minutes ago, he had been able to see everything, and then suddenly he had felt a pain in his heart, and darkness had fallen upon him.
His heart was racing and pounding, feeling like it was about to jump out of his chest. But the most unusual thing was the complete darkness. He tried to open his eyes as wide as possible, hoping to catch any light, but there was none.
In the midst of his struggle, he saw a light in his mind’s eye. He focused on the light, and suddenly a slideshow or projector started in front of him.
He saw himself as a child, living in a small village in India. His entire family was there: his brothers and sisters, his loving mother, and his hardworking father who always did his best to provide for his children. He saw his childhood friends and the small pond where they played. He saw all the toys, houses, and people.
He even saw his family’s migration from India to Pakistan in 1947. He watched as they settled into their new house and his father’s new business. He saw his mother’s illness but also her unconditional love despite her troubles.
He didn’t want to see all these things, but he was forced to keep his eyes open and watch the show. His brain struggled to understand the situation and tried to shut down the unwanted history show.
The scene changed, and he saw his teenage years. His school friends invited him to play football on the school grounds, but he was afraid of getting hurt. The slide changed again, and he was in college, young, energetic, and smart. He aspired to become an actor or a writer, inspired by Indian literature and art.
Then, he saw the first love of his life, “Rani.” Just a moment ago, he had been trying to end this show, but now, he was captivated. He couldn’t bear for the show to end. He felt the same numbness in his body as he had on the day he tried to confess his feelings. His body shook just as it had that day, and droplets of sweat formed on his forehead, just like back then.
The slide changed, and now he was going abroad. He tried to scream for the previous slide, desperately wanting it back, but nothing happened.
Then he saw his wife, “Resham,” and his three children. He witnessed their wedding ceremony, children’s birthdays, school days, their friends, and his business. He saw the peak of his wealth and status in society.
He also saw his sins, his mistakes, his misdeeds. His arrogance, bad behavior, and lack of consideration for others’ feelings. Everything was right before his eyes. His brain tried to reject the show, but his heart repented, and tears streamed down his face.
Now he saw his old, fragile body in a single room, all alone. No one cared, no one knew he was dying. He started crying, trying to yell, scream, shout, and call out to everybody, but his words had no voice.
Only his heartbeats remained, racing as though they knew this was their final race. Indeed, this was their last race, and the moment arrived. The show was over, everything was dark now. His once-stiff body had become soft, and his struggle was over. “HE WAS DEAD.”