The Golden Love

Owen had only three gold coins left in the world. And he had just thrown the last one into a cursed lake. If the lake betrayed him, his mother would die of hunger. In a remote village, there stood a small mud house. In that house lived an old father, his wife, and their only son, Owen. Owen was eighteen years old. He was handsome. He was hardworking and kind-hearted. There was honesty in his eyes. And a deep love for his parents in his heart. Owen's father worked in the fields. Owen helped him by gathering firewood. Every morning, he took his axe. He went inside the forest. He cut dry branches. He carried the heavy bundles on his shoulders. He took them to the market to sell. The heavy loads had injured his shoulders. Sometimes the wounds would bleed. But Owen never complained. His mother would see his wounds and cry. "My son, please stop going into the forest." "You are hurting yourself." But Owen would smile gently. "Do not worry, Mother. I am fine." One day, his father became seriously ill. He had a very high fever. There was no doctor in the village. Owen tried to take his father to a healer. But before they could reach him, his father died. Owen's world collapsed. His mother became a widow. Their home fell into poverty. There was barely enough food. Owen buried his father with tears in his eyes. He sat beside his grave for a long time. A few days later, Owen returned to the forest. Now the entire responsibility was on his shoulders. His mother also became weaker and sick. One night, she called him. "My son," she whispered. Owen sat beside her. His mother opened her trembling hand. Inside were three small gold coins. "I have kept these since my wedding." "They are all I have left." "Take them, my son." "Use them wisely." "Start a small business and change your life." Owen stared at the coins. Then he kissed his mother's feet. That night, he could not sleep. For the first time, a new hope filled his heart. Next morning, Owen left for the city. His mother blessed him. "My son, never become dishonest." "Always speak the truth." Owen looked into her eyes. "Mother, I promise." "I will never let you bow your head in shame." He walked along a rough dirt road. He had nothing but an old blanket and three gold coins. The sun was hot. His old shoes were broken. But his mother's prayer was in his heart. He believed these three coins would change his fate. After hours of walking, he saw something strange. A large lake appeared in the middle of the forest. This was no ordinary lake. People called it the Lake of Destiny. Two tall men stood at its edge. They had sticks in their hands. They were guarding the lake. Inside the lake, many people were diving. Some came out with diamonds in their hands. Some came out with pearls. Some came out crying with empty hands. Owen went closer. He saw a man give one gold coin to the guards. Then the man jumped into the lake. He came out with a handful of pearls. Owen's eyes widened. He asked another man, "What is happening here?" The man said, "This is the Lake of Destiny." "Give one gold coin and dive inside." "Whatever you find is yours." "But if your luck is bad, you may get nothing." Owen's heart started beating fast. He thought about his mother. She gave him three coins for business. What if he could turn one coin into a hundred? He said to himself, "O Allah, help me." With a trembling hand, he took out his first gold coin. He gave it to the guards. The guards shouted, "Go inside!" The water was cold and deep. Owen held his breath and dived. He dug the sand with his bare hands. His fingers touched something hard. He pulled it out. It was a round tin box. It was old and rusty. He came out of the water. He opened the box. It was empty. His heart sank. He thought, "What will I do with an empty tin box?" But hope is a dangerous thing. He thought, "Maybe the next time will be better." He took out his second gold coin. He gave it to the guards. He dived again, deeper this time. He searched for a long time. His lungs were burning. Again, his hand touched the same thing. Another rusty tin box. Owen came out, broken. He had two useless tin boxes now. Only one gold coin was left. Tears came to his eyes. "My mother's last coins are wasted," he whispered. He looked at the lake one last time. This was his final chance. He gave his last gold coin to the guards. And he jumped in for the third time. He dived with all his strength. He dug like his life depended on it. And again, he found it. The third tin box. He came out of the lake with nothing. No diamond. No pearl. No gold. Just three rusty tin boxes in his pockets. He did not have the courage to return to his village. What face would he show to his mother? He turned and walked deep into the jungle. His steps were heavy. His heart was broken. He sat on a stone and started to cry. At that exact moment, something in his pocket moved. The first tin box was shaking violently. Owen jumped in fear. He took the box out. It was shaking on its own, as if something alive was inside. With shaking hands, he opened it. A small golden baby snake came out. Its eyes were shining like stars. Owen moved back. He thought the snake would bite him. But the baby snake spoke. "Do not be afraid, kind human," the snake said. "You have freed me from prison." "I was locked in that box for many years in the lake." Owen was shocked. A talking snake. The baby snake continued, "My name is Sahara." "I am the only son of the King of Snakes." "My family lives in a cave not far from here." "Please take me to my parents." "They will give you a great reward." "They will offer you gold, silver, and diamonds." "But do not take any of it." "Ask them only for one thing." "Ask for The Magic Ring." "It is a magical ring. Whatever you wish, it will give you." Owen said, "What if they refuse?" Sahara said, "They will refuse at first." "Because that ring is their greatest power." "But you must be stubborn." "Tell them you want nothing else." "If they still refuse, tell them I will leave them forever and come back with you." "They love me more than the ring. They will be forced to give it." Owen felt pity for the small creature. He said, "Alright, I will take you home." He placed Sahara gently on his palm. And he started walking towards the dark caves. The path was difficult. There were large rocks and sharp thorns. His feet were bleeding. But he kept walking. Finally, he reached a giant black cave. Strange hissing sounds were coming from inside. Thousands of snakes were crawling on the walls. As soon as they saw a human, they rushed to bite him. Owen closed his eyes in fear. He thought his end had come. But Sahara shouted with all his power. "STOP! He is my friend! He saved my life!" All the snakes stopped instantly. Then, from the darkness of the cave, two enormous figures emerged. The King of Snakes and his Queen. Their crowns were made of pure gold. Their eyes were burning with anger and worry. They looked at Owen holding their lost son. And the King spoke in a voice that shook the entire cave.