The Last Feast.....
The Last Feast.....
Inspired by a surreal world where appearance defines identity, and prejudice becomes more dangerous than instinct.
In a world where Humans and Birdfolk lived side by side—but never together—there existed two very different families.
One belonged to the ancient Birdfolk.
The father, Rudrak, was a magnificent rooster. Though fully a rooster in appearance, he walked upright, wore clothes, spoke like a human, and was respected for his wisdom and honesty.
His wife, Hamsini, was a graceful hen. Kind-hearted and gentle, she was admired by everyone in her village for her compassion.
Their children, however, were born different.
Their son, Veerak, had the strong body of a human but the proud head of a rooster. Brave, humble, and compassionate, he inherited his father’s courage.
Their daughter, Chandri had the graceful body of a young woman with the gentle face of a hen. She inherited her mother’s kindness and always believed goodness mattered more than appearance.
Although they looked different from one another, they were a happy family. They celebrated festivals, laughed together, worked hard, shared meals, and loved each other deeply.
Across the valley lived another family.
Unlike the Birdfolk, Raghav’s family believed humans were superior. They often referred to Birdfolk as creatures rather than equals. Though both communities lived peacefully, an invisible wall of prejudice separated them.
Their paths rarely crossed.
Until fate changed everything.
One rainy afternoon, a massive landslide blocked the only road connecting the valley.
Arjun was returning home from town when the ground beneath him collapsed.
He slipped toward the edge of a rocky cliff.
Just then, Veerak happened to be passing through the forest.
Without thinking twice, he rushed forward, grabbed Arjun’s hand, and pulled him to safety, risking his own life.
That single act of courage changed everything.
Arjun, who had grown up fearing Birdfolk, realized the young rooster-headed man had saved him without expecting anything in return.
Gratitude slowly became friendship.
Friendship became regular conversations.
Conversations became shared laughter.
Months passed.
Whenever Arjun met Veerak, his younger sister Nandini often accompanied him.
Unlike everyone else, she never stared at Veerak’s rooster face.
She listened to his words.
She admired his honesty.
She saw kindness where others saw differences.
Slowly, love found its way into their hearts.
One evening beneath the old banyan tree overlooking the valley, Veerak and Nandini confessed their love to each other.
They promised they would face whatever challenges lay ahead.
⸻
A few weeks later, Veerak gathered the courage to tell his family.
Silence filled their home.
Rudrak looked down for a long moment.
“A human family may never truly accept us,” he said softly.
Hamsini worried that her son would spend his life being insulted and looked down upon.
But Chandri smiled gently.
“If kindness has no species, why should love?”
Her words echoed through the room.
After hours of discussion, Rudrak placed his wing on Veerak’s shoulder.
“If your love is true, then you have our blessing.”
Veerak embraced his family with tears in his eyes.
⸻
Nandini’s confession, however, created a storm inside her home.
Raghav slammed his fist against the dining table.
“A rooster-headed creature?”
“You expect us to welcome him into our family?”
Meera looked horrified.
“What will people say?”
“They are animals pretending to be humans.”
“They are beneath us.”
Every sentence wounded Nandini more deeply.
She refused to give up.
Days became weeks.
She argued.
She cried.
She stopped eating.
Seeing her daughter suffer, Raghav and Meera finally gave in—not because they accepted Veerak, but because they wanted peace inside their own home.
Their words said yes.
Their hearts still said no.
⸻
To celebrate the agreement, Nandini invited Veerak’s entire family to their house for lunch.
Although Rudrak felt uneasy, he trusted his son’s happiness.
Hamsini sensed something strange in the invitation but chose hope over fear.
On the appointed day, the Birdfolk family arrived carrying flowers, homemade sweets, and gifts.
Nandini welcomed them warmly.
Raghav and Meera forced polite smiles.
The atmosphere felt peaceful.
At least on the surface.
⸻
Lunch preparations began.
The first dish served was spicy mutton boti.
Rudrak looked surprised.
“We usually don’t eat mutton.”
Veerak politely added,
“If there’s something simpler, we’ll gladly have that.”
The words were spoken respectfully.
But Meera took them as an insult.
“So our food isn’t good enough?”
“It wasn’t meant that way,” Hamsini replied calmly.
“We didn’t wish to offend anyone.”
Raghav’s pride had already taken over.
He turned toward Arjun.
“Go to the market.”
“Bring a fresh chicken.”
“We’ll prepare something they’ll surely enjoy.”
Arjun looked uncomfortable.
He wanted to object.
Instead, he quietly obeyed and left the house.
⸻
To ease the growing tension, Nandini suggested showing Veerak and Rudrak the beautiful garden behind the house.
The three walked outside together.
Rudrak admired the fruit trees.
Veerak smiled as Nandini showed him her favorite flowers.
Meanwhile, Chandri wandered deeper into the orchard, happily watching colorful birds flutter through the branches.
Inside the house remained only Hamsini, Raghav, and Meera.
Their conversation began politely.
Then came hidden insults.
Those insults turned into accusations.
“You people should never have dreamed of becoming part of our family.”
“You will always remain creatures.”
Hamsini stood her ground.
“My son loves your daughter honestly.”
“Love should not be judged by appearance.”
Those words only fueled Raghav’s anger.
His years of prejudice exploded into uncontrollable rage.
Within moments, shouting became violence.
Then…
Silence.
Hamsini never walked out of that kitchen again.
⸻
Hatred erased every trace of humanity.
Raghav and Meera no longer saw Hamsini as a person.
They saw only a hen.
By the time the others returned from the garden, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of freshly cooked chicken curry.
Nothing seemed unusual.
The dining table was ready.
Everyone took their seats.
Veerak looked around.
“Where’s Mother?”
Meera smiled without emotion.
“She’ll join us in a few minutes.”
Though uneasy, Veerak believed her.
⸻
Outside, Chandri noticed several white feathers scattered near the washing area.
They looked painfully familiar.
Curious, she followed the trail toward the backyard.
Then she stopped.
Beneath an old chopping table she found fresh blood flowing across the ground.
Among the discarded remains lay her mother’s beak.
Time stood still.
Her entire world shattered.
A scream echoed across the house.
“No!”
She ran toward the dining hall with tears streaming down her face.
“Don’t eat!”
“They killed Mother!”
“They cooked her!”
The room froze.
Veerak slowly looked down at the bowl of chicken curry before him.
His trembling fingers released the spoon.
It fell onto the plate with a sharp metallic sound.
Rudrak stared silently at the curry.
Then at Meera.
Then at Raghav.
He understood everything without another word.
⸻
A roar unlike anything the valley had ever heard shook the house.
Every ounce of grief became unbearable fury.
The dining table overturned.
Plates shattered across the floor.
Chairs splintered.
Windows cracked.
Rudrak attacked with the pain of a husband who had lost his lifelong companion.
Veerak fought with the heartbreak of a son whose mother had been murdered.
Raghav defended himself with blind hatred.
Meera screamed as chaos consumed the home.
Arjun returned from the market only to witness both families destroying each other.
He stood frozen in horror.
At the center of it all stood Nandini.
She watched the man she loved fighting against the parents who had raised her.
She looked at the bowl of curry.
She looked at the feathers clutched tightly in Chandri’s shaking hands.
The horrifying truth overwhelmed her.
Her vision blurred.
Her legs gave way.
She collapsed onto the floor.
Darkness swallowed everything.
⸻
By sunset, the house that had been prepared to unite two families had become a monument to hatred.
The valley would remember that day not as a celebration of love, but as the day prejudice consumed compassion.
It was never their different faces that destroyed them.
It was the hatred hidden behind human ones...................
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