The Poisonous Mango Tree, A short story by Ranjit K Sahu

You can spend an entire afternoon in the orchard without experiencing  a moment of monotonicity. The various shape, size and color would have transported you to a different world, in the orchard below the small hill. The road is still not well paved but the trip is worth. The mangoes being cultivated for fruit purpose are all in an area where the sun hits its strongest rays, adding to the glow and glamour of the ripening fruits. The ones grown for pickle or use as raw are located in a more shaded portion.

The workers would gladly accompany you on a tour around the ripening mango trees letting to pluck a few and taste before you fill your basket and walk to the cashier.

However, they would not let you venture around a tree with the  fruits looking the  most appealing. The tree has been fenced all around and labelled as ‘poisonous’.

if you express your curiosity about the left out tree, the grandson and cashier would explain. . “Grandfather’s legacy. His way of nurturing wildlife.”

Bio of the Writer: Ranjit K Sahu is a writer, translator, photographer and visual artist living in the USA.