7.45 am. She is getting late and he is still asleep. They both recently got married and it is her first day to work after two weeks’ leave. She teaches in a nearby school which commences at 8. He works in a multinational company and has few more days to enjoy. So she leaves him sleeping and proceeds to her school.
8.30 am. Assembly is over. She is receiving facilitations from everyone at school. She thinks of her sleeping hubby and smiles. Her thoughts are soon shattered by the voices of children who are now running all around her. She could not think of anything else for next two hours.
10.30 am. Break Time. She sends a text to him. No reply. She sends another text. Still no reply. She thinks of his casual attitude and smiles again.
10.50 am. Break is over and she gets busy like a bee.
01.30 pm. Home Time. She hurriedly collects all her stuff and rushes towards the gate. She is intercepted by a peon who tells her to report to Principal’s office. Half heartedly she turns right and spots few police persons. Ignoring them she enters the Principal’s office and finds a police inspector sitting there. She is told to wait in the staff room.
01.45 pm. She calls him but no reply. Now she starts getting worried. All sorts of bizarre thoughts enter in her mind. Hope he is all right. She now calls her mom, bells keep ringing and there is no reply. She starts feeling sick.
02.00 pm. She is summoned into the Principal’s office. The police persons are staring at her. She starts to shiver in the summer sun. It is becoming increasingly difficult for her to breathe. She closes her eyes and recalls her psychiatrist telling her that she is alright now. Her dual personality has been cured. Her evil twin is long gone. She opens her eyes and suddenly sees her shadow getting away from her. She faints.
04.00 pm. She wakes up in a hospital. Her mother is sitting by her side. She looks around with hollow eyes. Suddenly she recalls something and starts screaming…I killed him, I killed him and becomes unconscious again.
05.30 pm. Her eyes are closed. She feels warmth in her left hand. Sobbingly she tightens her grip and feels his hand. She dares not open her eyes.
05.31 pm. She hears him say her name. Slowly she opens her eyes and finds him standing right in front of her. Time freezes.
06.55 pm. They are interrupted by a doctor who tells him that she collapsed in school probably due to weakness.
She knows it otherwise. She could tell that this day will come again and then he will not be here to bring her back to consciousness. She closes her eyes.
Written By: Nadeem Alam
Shadow is published in the Mag, 2 Feb 2019
0 Comments