The Road of Thorns
- Varun Goel
- May 9
- 2 min read
Varun Goel
9769117718
The Road of thorns
In a quiet desert village, a narrow road connected people to nearby towns - bringing trade, stories, and life itself. One day, a bitter man named Raghav decided to change that road.
Raghav was known for his anger. He distrusted others and found strange satisfaction in their discomfort.
Every morning, he planted tiny thorny shrubs along the path. At first, they seemed harmless.
But as weeks passed, the shrubs grew stronger, their sharp edges tearing into the feet of travelers.
Villagers pleaded with him to stop. The headman warned him. Children cried after being hurt.
Yet Raghav ignored them all. In his mind, the world had wronged him and this was his way of evening the score.
Seasons changed, and the once-busy road turned silent. Traders stopped coming. Neighbors avoided the path.
The village began to suffer not just physically, but socially and economically.
One day, Raghav himself needed help. He fell ill and tried to walk the same road he had filled with thorns.
With every painful step, he realized what he had created. The journey that once connected him to others had now become his own punishment.
Exhausted and bleeding, he finally broke down. The next morning, for the first time, Raghav did something different - he began pulling out the thorny shrubs.
It took days.
Then weeks.
His hands were cut, his back ached, but slowly, the road cleared.
Some villagers noticed. A few stepped forward to help. Not because they had forgotten his actions - but because they believed in change.
Over time, Raghav replaced the thorns with flowering plants.
The same road that once caused pain now brought beauty and connection again.
And Raghav? He walked it every day - not as its master, but as its caretaker.
THE END
Discussion Points
Small harmful actions grow over time – What seems minor at first can become deeply damaging if ignored.
You eventually face your own actions – The harm you create for others often comes back to you.
Change is possible, but difficult – Correcting mistakes takes effort, time, and humility.
Kindness rebuilds what harm destroys – Even after damage, positive actions can restore trust and community.
STORY CREDIT: This story has been adapted from a story in the six volumes of Masnavi by Jalalu'din Rumi, translated by Maryam Mafi
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