Edge Of The Cliff

Raghu had a perfect life! Exquisite job, impeccable family, absolutely thoroughgoing existence, and yet he always detected an absence of excitement in life. On a cloudy evening he was on his way back home, finding the narrow lanes empty he raced the car for a sense of thrill which was obstructed by a crossing animal, his car tumbled and hit a stone nearby. He got down and examined his surroundings, there was blood on the tires and the road. More than the damage done to his luxury car he was keen to learn what got hit. He followed the trail to discover a dead goat lying by the roadside. He kept staring at it until a family came running towards him.

That family was terrified at this sight, the middle-aged man exclaimed sobbing “That goat was pregnant, its an immense loss to us”

“Am sorry, it was an accident! I can compensate for this”, replied Raghu in a calm tone

“It would have given birth to a dozen goats at least, you can never compensate “ cried a lady in an angry tone

“I will compensate for a dozen goats “, he walked back to his car and took out cash enough to buy a dozen goats and some excess to them

The family who was angry for a dead goat now exhibited deep respect and gratitude to Raghu. They were so happy that didn’t even bother to pick up the dead goat from the roadside. He buried the goat as his last respect, though a perplexing sight, for the first time in several years he had a deep sense of contentment from this episode. 

A few months later at the breakfast table, his mom who was a psychologist received a distressing call from work

“Mom, what happened? All ok?” Asked Raghu

“It's just the case of deaths reported in the last few months. The police suspect that these are planned murders. They found a pattern in these accidents, all the ones killed were the key members of the family. Someone who earned the living for all”

“ But don’t understand why would someone kill poor? They won’t fetch even a penny from them”, inquired his father.

“Pride, contentment, attention …..There seems to be a psychopath on the prowl”, replied mom

“Or bored! So has police cracked the murderer yet”, asked Raghu as he munched his food

“That seems to be chase still as they have no clue at all. But there is something strange here, the families of deceased do not seem to be impacted”

“What if the murder is giving them money?” questioned Raghu

“Why would one do that Raghu?” implored his mom

“When one is moved to the edge of the cliff, they choose money over life. The money fetched deep respect for the murderer and freedom from the boredom of daily life. Over years his misery found its way into his darker side ”

“When do you think he will stop Raghu?”

“The day he finds someone who will value only life over money”, stated Raghu with a smile and excused himself from the table

His mom looked at him in a state of shock. Turning to his father she commented “ Didn’t this murder start after the accident with that goat? “