Sacrifice

The little village of Gaudapur nestled peacefully in the valley, a mile away from the banks of the River Indus. Despite its small size, it was wealthy, and the land around it was extremely fertile. No one glancing at the peaceful, tranquil valley would suspect that it had been the scene of fierce skirmishes between the villagers and the dacoits who terrorised the area.

Jatilsen’s Enmity

Jatilsen, the dacoit leader, coveted the grain stored in the granaries of Gaudapur. This greed escalated into fierce enmity when Parshuramji, the village chief, hanged Jatil’s younger brother. A profound silence hung over the village streets. The only accompanying sounds came from the village pond, as, beside it, two little boys, Ghanshyam and Mukhi, played with wooden swords. Ghanshyam was the village chief’s son, and his companion Mukhi was the son of the head herdsman.

The Distressing News

While they played, Gopu, Mukhi’s father rushed up to the children, panting. In great haste, he placed Ghanshyam on his pony’s back and prepared to whisk the child away to a safe place against the imminent attack from the dacoits. Mukhi, left alone, was terrified.

Heroic Sacrifice

Understandably terrified, Mukhi spotted the approaching Jatilsen and, in a final act of friendship and obligation, claimed himself to be Ghanshyam, the desired target of the dacoits. The dacoits, unaware of the deception, swiftly exacted their revenge. A little distance away, Ghanshyam glimpsed plumes of smoke from their village, clueless about his friend’s ultimate sacrifice.