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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
( OCTOBER, 1922
Ah, put not your trust in life. Man is even as a goat in the hands of the butchers.
Meanwhile somebody whispered into Hir's ear that her parents were going to send her back to the Kheras and that they had already sent a message to have her fetched away. And Kaido chided Hir saying: "If the Kheras come there will be trouble, many quarrels and much disturbance. The witnesses of the marriage will come and they will confound your mad tales."
And Kaido and the Sials held counsel together, and Kaido said: “Brethren of the Sials, such things have never before been said of our tribe as will be said now. For men will say: Go and look at the faithfulness of these Sials. They marry their daughters to one man and then contemplate giving her in marriage to another."
And the brethren made answer : "Brother, you are right. Our honour and your honour are one. All over the world we are taunted with the story of HIr. We shall lose fame and gain great disgrace if we send the girl off with the shepherd. Let us poison Hir, even if we become sinful in the sight of God. Does not Hir always remain sickly and in poor health ?"
So Kaido in his evil cunning came and sat down beside Hir and said : “My daughter, you must be brave and patient."
Hir replied: "Uncle, what need have I of patience."
And Kaido replied: "Ranjha has been killed. Death with glittering sword has overtaken him."
And hearing Kaido's word Hfr sighed deeply and fainted away. And the Sials gave her sherbet and mixed poison with it and thus brought ruin and disgrace on their name. The parents of Hir killed her. This was the doing of God. When the fever of death was upon Hir, she cried out for Ranjha saying, "Bring Ranjha here that I may see him once again."
And Kaido said: "Ranjha has been killed. Keep quiet or it will go ill with you." 80 Hfr breathed her last crying "Ranjha, Ranjha."
And they buried her and sent a message to Ranjha saying: “The hour of destiny has arrived. We had hoped otherwise but no one can escape the destiny of death. Even as it is written in the Holy Koran: "Everything is mortal save only God.'”
And they sent'a messenger with the letter and he left Jhang and arrived at Hazara, and. he entered the house of Ranjha and wept as he handed the letter.
Ranjha asked him : "Why this dejected air? Why are you sobbing? Is my beloved ill? Is my property safe?"
And the messenger sighed and said: "That dacoit death from whom no one can escape has looted your property. Hir has been dead for the last eight watches. They bathed her body and buried her yesterday and as soon as they began the last funeral rites, they sent me to give you the news."
On hearing these words Ranjha heaved a sigh and the breath of life forsook him.
Thus both lovers passed away from this mortal world and entered into the halls of eternity. Both remained firm in love and passed away steadfast in true love.
Death oomes to all. Even Noah the father of many children, the master of the storm, the king of religion and the world, died at the last of a good old age and was buried.
The world is but a play and fields and forests all will melt away in the final day of dissolution. Only the poet's poetry remains in everlasting remembrance, for no one has written such a beautiful Hir.
