She got done with her second last exam
and she was on her way back home. It was another killer summer noon; she was
heading towards the station wiping her sweat all the way. The train just
boarded when she reached station, so she had an ostrich run to reach the ladies
compartment and somehow got in. While the troop of ladies were getting in, she pushed them
harder and managed to get in too – Mumbai and that’s the significance of
Mumbai’s local trains. Alia got in pushing everyone and took a statue of
liberty position this time and dropped herself into the corner, the queue was
already formed where she needed to get down.
She took a glance around at the people and then got engrossed into her world.
Suddenly something prickled her
down her left calf. She thought it was some small insect that chose to bit her among all. It was constantly irritating her, she was totally annoyed, and she
then started to panic. A distorted mind took place when she started to think
what it possibly could be. She was sweating even more this time. Water was
pouring down her face.
On reaching she got down quickly
pushing the crowd out and made her way home running vigorously. All the
negative thoughts were running down her brain. She tried imagining her red
rushed calf and how it might look. She didn't have the guts to stretch her
jeans up in the middle of the road and see what exactly happened to her leg.
She ran hardest to reach home and rang the door bell. In distress she got into
her house and immediately pulled her jeans up and it was a terror sight that
she got to see. Tears started rolling down her eyes. She felt in despair at that moment. Her mother
rushed towards her at aghast. Alia was
screaming, crying. There were multiple doted insects digging her calf, and it
was multiplying with time. It was a mere combination of some black and red
something melted on her calf. It looked like some chemical experiment had been
tried on her calf which failed. Her
mother didn't know what she was supposed to do. She dialled to Alia’s father
and told him what Alia was going through. A sudden panic at her place made her think
worse, how was she going to give her next exam, she thought. She would have
been detained of not appearing for the exams. And all the pessimisms were
roaming round her neck. Her career will be ruined and life would draught to death. She
started to fear about losing her leg. And all the possible consequences were
driving her crazy.
Period.
Train halted. People started to
get down and some people pushed Alia and made her get down too. The thoughts running
on her drained brain were simplified then. Damn! It was some irrational thoughts that stroke her.
But that insect thing was still
pricking her calf. After getting down she reluctantly pulled her jeans up to
see what exactly it was. Once she did she found nothing, she ran her hand down
her calf. And still there was nothing at all. When she looked closer, it was
just a damn drop of sweat that fidgeted her all the while. A damn drop.
