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Defiance

In the penultimate moment, he just waited. A guillotine will kiss his neck, and is speed would be enough to separate it from rest of the body. This process will be repeated eleven times, ten times after his head had already been chopped off. But then, that was the law ever since those bearded men who believed themselves to be messengers of god took over few years ago.

He was guilty on many counts, punishment for each ranging from few lashes to being executed few timed over. He was one of the few individuals who was given a chance to plead in public to escape this gruesome end. This was a special privilege given to him by the ruler, so that he begs for forgiveness for all his sins, be blessed with atonement and then back to life as normal ... normal as per as what they thought. That, the ruler thought would serve as a precedent and inspire people to follow their line of thought.

For the one last time he was asked, "You still have the time. Do you wish to come back to the life of a common person or go to hell".

Instead of hearing a positive response they heard a loud but calm voice, "Fuck you bastards", and that too in full public glare. This would have led to humiliation, but then it was against the law to hear anything against the rulers. Hence such statement would not even exist after this moment.

I won't be sorry for anything, for I know I never did anything wrong. I did nothing wrong by not sporting a beard. I did nothing wrong by sending my daughter to school and then college. I did nothing wrong by allowing my wife to go to work, to earn a rightful living for herself and a name for herself. You bastards might have got them killed by lashing them in public, but that doesn't change my thoughts on right and wrong.I did nothing wrong by not paying money for your so-called holy wars. I did nothing wrong by not believing in gods that you have ordained me to believe. I did nothing wrong by respecting those individuals, communities and nations who were unlike you. In fact I am proud of the fact that I am not as you are. Arrogant and vain it may seem, but I am much, much superior in thoughts and deeds than you are.

But it was all written. No amount of thinking about rights an wrong would do any good. After a moment the giant guillotine would behead him many times over. Then he would just be another culprit in the pages of history, the sinner who defied the divine rules and got the rightful treatment.
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