In the serene depths of a river, a small fish spots a tantalizing morsel—a piece of meat dangling temptingly on the surface. Her instincts tell her to seize the opportunity. But just as she darts forward, a wise old fish intercepts her path, offering a grave warning. “Do not be deceived,” says the old fish. “That piece of meat hides a deadly hook. The moment you bite it, the hook will pierce your throat, and no amount of thrashing will save you. The fisherman above will feel the tension on his line, pull you out, and you’ll meet a terrible fate—chopped, spiced, and fried in boiling oil, only to be devoured by humans. This is the end that awaits those who fall for such traps.” The young fish, curious yet skeptical, dismisses the warning. She looks around the river and sees nothing but calm waters. No fisherman, no fire, no oil, no human hands ready to feast. “The old fish,” she thinks, “is stuck in the past, clinging to tales and superstitions. This is the modern world. I have researched the waters myself, and none of what she says holds any truth.” Confident in her judgment, the small fish bites into the bait. In an instant, the hook digs into her flesh. She struggles, just as the old fish had foretold, and the fisherman begins reeling her in. One by one, the horrors she had dismissed begin to unfold—the hook, the knife, the fire, and the waiting mouths. This simple story speaks volumes about our own lives. The fisherman’s bait represents the fleeting pleasures and illusions of this world. The hook is hidden beneath what appears to be harmless or even desirable, drawing us closer with the promise of satisfaction. But like the small fish, we often fail to recognize the trap until it’s too late. The wise old fish, in this tale, mirrors the Prophets and messengers who have warned humanity for generations. They caution us about the seductive pull of worldly desires and the inevitable reality of death and the afterlife. They speak of consequences that are not immediately visible but are as certain as the hook in the river. Just as the fish’s fate was sealed when it ignored the elder’s wisdom, so too are those who disregard the messages of the Prophets.
“Let us not be the ones who wake up to the truth only when it is too late. Instead, let us learn from the wisdom that has been passed down through the ages, understand that the real test is not what we can see, but what lies beyond our immediate perception. For in the end, the hook is inevitable—but how we choose to live before we encounter it is entirely up to us.”
We live in a world where the tangible often overshadows the intangible. We see the glimmering opportunities—the career successes, the wealth, the pleasures—and they lure us in like that piece of bait. But behind these temporary joys lie the hooks of greed, pride, and heedlessness. Modern society encourages us to question everything, to believe only in what we can see and measure. Like the little fish who scorned the old fish’s wisdom, many today reject the teachings of faith as outdated or irrelevant in the face of modern science and reason. But the truth remains—death, like the hidden hook, will come for all of us. No matter how far we swim in the river of life, we cannot escape it. And when it does come, all the illusions of this world will fade away, leaving only the stark reality of what lies beyond. Just as the fish is helpless once caught, so too is man powerless to undo the choices he made in life once death has arrived. The fisherman’s trap is not cruel; it simply follows the nature of things. The fish is caught because it chose to ignore the warnings. Similarly, the consequences we face in the afterlife are the result of our own choices. The Prophets, like the wise fish, have done their part by warning us. It is now up to us to either heed their guidance or to chase after the bait of this world, unaware of the hook lurking beneath. In the end, this story is a reflection of life itself. We are all swimming in a vast river, surrounded by temptations and distractions. Some, like the small fish, will dismiss the warnings of the wise, relying solely on their own limited understanding. Others, like the large fish, will recognize the wisdom in ancient truths, choosing to live with an awareness of what lies beyond this world. Time is fleeting. Just as the fish can never return to the water once caught, we cannot return to this life once we have crossed the threshold of death. Let us not be the ones who wake up to the truth only when it is too late. Instead, let us learn from the wisdom that has been passed down through the ages, understand that the real test is not what we can see, but what lies beyond our immediate perception. For in the end, the hook is inevitable—but how we choose to live before we encounter it is entirely up to us.
(The author is Sr. EDP Head at SKIE Classes Khanyar/Soura . The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
Aubaid Ahmad Akhoon
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