After finishing her homework, Zarin was boringly scrolling through her Facebook account. Suddenly one notice from 'Environment club' caught her eyes. Because of the upcoming Environment day of 5 th June, they have arranged a competition for students to publish their own story, article or poster about environment related issues.
"What a creative way to raise awareness among people! When people will try to write about environmental issues, they will know how bad the situation is. Thus many people will get engaged to protect Environment!!" Zarin thought excitedly.
She immediately decided to participate. But she couldn't think of what to write about so many environmental problems. Thinking about it she fell asleep. At midnight she suddenly woke up hearing someone whispering her name.
"Who is there?" Zarin almost freaked out. Because she could hear the sound but there is no one in her room.
"I am in your mind. You can't see me." Zarin felt a little skeptical. How can anyone enter her brain?
"Ghosttt!!! There is ghost in my room."
"I am not a ghost. I am the spirit of earth."
"Eaaarth spirit!!" Then that is also one type of ghost."Zarin was dumbfounded.
"Trust me, I don't mean any harm to you."
"What do you want from me then and how can Earth speak?" Zarin questioned the so called spirit.
"I could always speak. It is just people don't hear it."
"Then how can I hear it today?"
"Because you wanted to hear me."
"I wanted?" Zarin can't remember when did she want to talk to ghost.
"I told you I am not a ghost." Earth spirit was speechless.
"Whatever. What is your purpose?"
Earth spirit didn't reply to her question directly instead said to take Zarin some where. Zarin was skeptical.
"Earth ghost you are not going to kill me right?"
The earth spirit was frustrated.
"No, trust me."
"But if I suddenly disappear everyone will be worried."
"Don't worry, no one will know."
After some argument with the ghost, not a ghost but the Spirit of earth, Zarin decided to go with him.
Earth spirit took Zarin to a very beautiful place.
"Wow, so beautiful. The air here feels so fresh."
Zarin closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Just as she was about to ask the earth spirit which place it is, she saw a car heading towards her.
Zarin immediately run in the opposite direction, saw there was another car. Soon she was surrounded by car, rickshaws, autos. She barely managed to go to a safe place.
"Cough, cough!" Zarin yelled at the earth spirit,
"Do you want to kill me? You suddenly teleported me from a village to middle of the road."
"Didn't you ask me what is this place? So I brought you back to present. Do you know now?"
"You mean, Dhaka was that beautiful village." Zarin looked around and was shocked.
"Yes, many years ago, Dhaka was a simple village adorned with rows of palm trees and open fields. The tranquil village was sparsely populated, and the howling of foxes echoed through its lush surroundings.
But now Dhaka is the busiest city in the world teeming with life, vehicles, and towering buildings. It is also one of the the most polluted cities in the world now."
"Dhaka has undergone significant changes in the past 50 years. While the development of Dhaka has brought about many positive changes, it has also faced challenges. So I don't know whether the development of Dhaka was good or bad."Zarin said what she thought.
Earth spirit said in a mocking tone, "Right Human developed but they compromised the environment."
Zarin felt the Earth was upset. In order to distract it's attention, Zarin requested to visit a beautiful place in Bangladesh.
Earth spirit teleported her to Sylhet. As soon as she landed, she fell into water. "Dear earth spirit can you give me a warning notice before so that I can be mentally prepared."
"Since May 2022, heavy monsoon rains and water from upstream in India's northeast have inundated large parts of the Sylhet division in Bangladesh and leaving millions of people marooned and triggering a humanitarian crisis.
There was no previous warning for this flash flood, so the local people could not make any preparations. Can you imagine what the people here went through?" Earth spirit replied to her in a heavy tone.
Zarin also felt bad for them. Suddenly remembered she was also in the same situation. "I can imagine that later. Now take me to a place with no flood please."
"As you wish."
Then she was teleported to a northwestern area of Bangladesh where droughts are very common. Looking at the dry land, Zarin furrowed her eyebrows.
"Earth spirit, you are messing with me."
The spirit earth ignored Zarin and told that,
"Drought is one of the most frequent natural disasters in Bangladesh which severely affect the agro-based economy and people's livelihood almost every year."
"I know the country suffers from severe droughts at least once a decade. During the last 50 years, Bangladesh suffered about 20 drought conditions." Zarin sighed.
She touched the dry land, felt pity. Then suddenly the scenery changed.
What can be seen first is an approximately 5-6 feet high pile of municipal waste, weighing in tonnes. The putrid smell is overwhelming, and discoloured polybags are abundant, starting at the pond's littoral zone.
"I knew it. The ghost took me to another ghostly place again." Zarin muttered while holding her nose.
"Zarin, do you find this place familiar?"
Zarin said angrily, "Who wants to be familiar with this stinky place?"
Earth laughed, "You only noticed this stinky place and the pungent smell but behind the wall of waste, is a dying pond fully covered by aquatic plants such as water hyacinths, weeds and more."
"Earth spirit, tell me the truth. You came to take revenge against me, right. Can you take me a normal place at least for once?"
Then the Earth spirit took Zarin to the sea side. Zarin looked at the Earth spirit suspiciously.
"Are you planning to take me to the middle of sea?"
The Earth spirit laughed and told Zarin that she will not mess with her again. "Let's enjoy the scenery together."
Zarin sat on bench looking at the beautiful sea. She heard the Earth spirit sighed in distress.
"What are you thinking again?'' Zarin asked the Earth spirit.
The Earth spirit replied, "You know that the climate experts predict that by 2050, rising sea levels will submerge some 17 percent of the nation's land and displace about 20 million people."
Zarin was silent.
The Earth spirit continued, "Actually I had been watching humans for centuries. I had seen them destroy my forests, pollute the oceans, and poison the air. But I don't understand why. Why are they destroying their own place? Why are they hurting me?"
Zarin felt a lot of guilt and sadness. She now understood why did the Earth show her those places. She knows how deeply the Earth loves human despite their flaws.
Zarin sincerely apologized to the Earth,
"We are sorry, friend. For a few moment of pleasure and selfishness we brought you so harm. We didn't even realize what we were doing. We promise to do anythings to make it right. We'll make the Earth beautiful again." Zarin said with a voice full of determination.
The Earth spirit felt comfort. She knew that humans can be great stewards of the planet if they want.
The earth spirit said to Zarin, "You must keep your promise otherwise not only me also you will be a ghost one day."
"Yes, otherwise everyone will be ghost."
After saying that both of them laughed out loud.
It's time for me to leave. Earth spirit said to Zarin.
"You are leaving so soon."
"Why are you reluctant now. Weren't you keep calling me ghost?"
Zarin scoffed. "Will you come again?"
Earth spirit smiled and said mischievously, "Only if you keep your promises."
Zarin wanted to say something more but
Suddenly the alarm sound woke her up.
Zarin's mother said with dissatisfaction, "Wake up, otherwise you will be late for class."
Zarin looked at her mother in a daze. "Where am I?"
"Where could you be besides your bedroom?"
"So I was dreaming all the time!." Although it was a dream Zarin remembered that she vowed to treasure the precious earth and protect it for the future generations.
****At School*****
Zarin's friend Cyra approached her from behind,
"What are you doing?"
"Ah! You scared me. When did you come?"
"I was always here. You are so deep in thought that you didn't notice. Anyway what were you thinking?"
"I was thinking of the story I would write for call for the write up event."
"Great! I also wrote but I can't come up with any name. Have you thought of the name?"
"Name?" Zarin thought for a while and then remembered her dream. She laughed.
"I asked you the name, why are you laughing?" Cyra looked at Zarin with confusion.
"I decided the name now."
"Are you going to make a funny name?"
Zarin shook her head.
Then softly replied to Cyra, " it will be "Whisper of the earth"