A wind has picked up outside
suddenly. The vulgar noises of cars and horns and bikes are laced with the
soothing undercurrent of the wind flapping against his ears; hair - uncut and
untidy – now reminding him of their existence as the wind hits them. Everything
seems slower, significantly slower.
He is filled with an
overpowering urge to look behind and see who is standing; knowing fully well
that there possibly can’t be anyone. He feels like he is one of those honest
cops in a 70s bollywood flick, who is invariably the hero’s dad, being framed
by the villian’s right hand man by clicking his snap while the vamp has
attached herself to his grasp with a blatantly lascivious look. It is an alien
feeling, but one which he has been having increasingly frequently nowadays. He
is yet to understand what it really is, but it is choking and frustrating him
endlessly.
He knows he has to deal with
it, but behaving uncharacteristically, he wants to delay that as long as
possible.
He intently opens up the laptop,
looking to add a few intense songs to the playlist and spend the next 20-25
minutes with the entire world blocked out. The songs on the list, he plugs in
the earphones and closes his eyes. Allowing each note and emotion in the voice
to sink in, he feels the deep fury and frustration in the singer’s voice. With
a sudden chill, he opens his eyes, only to find them wet. A stream has started
flowing, unreasonable and unstoppable.
It is a relief, not without
a sharp angst; he hates the feeling of pity for himself, and has gone to great
lengths to never succumb to it. With a sudden feeling that he has to move, or
he may never be able to do so, he gets to his feet in a jerk.
The horizon changes.
In size, in shape, in colour
and even in smell.
All around now there are
lights - as if he is in the middle of a badly managed laser show.
The fact that he was on the
terrace of the tallest building in a mile around meant that there was a 360
degree view for him. Exerting all his willpower to focus his sight on the
details on a grey winding road in the distance, he can see a deluge of cars. It
is striking as to how many of them are white. It is summer season, so white
would be the colour – he reasons. Immediately he is laughing out loud at his
own stupidity – all those cars are probably air-conditioned; Also, he had
forgotten that he was thinking of cars, not clothes.
The people in the cars seem
unreasonably and irrationally happy, though not one face is visible. He feels a
strong pang of jealousy, as he sees a sedan in where there are just 2 people in
the front seats. It is clear that they are deliberately driving slowly, trying
to extend the moment.
Another day, another time,
another place – all come flooding back. He can see himself clearly – 10 year
old, standing on top of an extended branch of a particularly tall neem tree. It
was a selected vintage spot, about 25 feet from the ground, showing the
farthest fields in the line of sight. That day he wasn’t looking for anything
in particular, but it had seemed to him that he was.
He can still remember the
instant at which he had seen it. A 8 feet long dark brown viper with beautiful
black scales. Initially he couldn’t make out whether it was climbing up the
tree or down. Then he saw the tail, and it was clear, the movement was upwards.
It was on the trunk, about 40 feet from where he was standing, and there were
all the chances that it would make its way to some other branch. That would
make sense, especially as almost all nests were on the thicker branch on the opposite
side. So if the viper had any sense, that’s where it would head.
But the creature was taking
its own time.
It seemed indecisive – even
turned around as if to climb down – only to circle the trunk and emerge again;
this time a single eye shining more than it should. Then it started climbing,
ever so slowly this time. The movement was now sharp and decisive, as if it was
purposely slow to allow the time for him to panic. As it reached the V where
the 2 branches started, the viper straightaway took the one with him without
even stopping to think.
Instinctively, he snapped a
branch and held it towards the general direction of the creature. It would be
tricky to try and push it off the branch as if had coiled itself around the
branch.
He looked down. A straight
jump of 25 feet – on hard ground with baval thorns spread all across. It was
more than twice what he was used to. He knew he had about half a minute to
decide.
He took a moment to look at
the snake clearly. He had read somewhere that more than 2000 people died in
India every year after having bitten by a non-poisonous snake – not knowing
that it was so, and panicking therefore. It’s scales and movement were
unmistakable. It was a viper alright. He had seen 4 vipers before this one, and
this one almost seemed like the one that had appeared in his neighbor Raju’s
garden – only that was a smaller one – just about 4 feet. But there was no
doubt about this one left.
He looked down again. In
case he jumped and broke his leg, he would have to limp his way back across the 2 fields separating him from
his home. Vipers were not known to pursue, and most likely he would be left
alone.
Something inside him wanted
to chase it off – it didn’t seem fair – he had been on the branch first. Why should
he be chased off ? But it was clear that things would be more under control
after he jumped.
So he closed his eyes for a
moment and took a deep breath, looking at a particular spot on the ground and
thinking of it as the target. And then he jumped.
It took almost an eternity
this time to reach the ground. And his last thought was that of a fierce pride
- he was definitely going to hit the targeted spot.
Surprisingly, no one had
seen him, and it was half an hour before someone noticed. An ambulance was called
and someone rushed to wake up the sleepy family members. Both the legs had been
completely shattered by the 10-storey 135 feet fall. But on his face there was
an expression of freedom and victory – now the emotionless viper that was
choking him from the last few days would no longer chase him.
He was free.
