A bite of Reflection
A bite of Reflection
The doorbell rang continuously, and I ignored it. Then there was a big thud, and I woke up with a jolt. With heavy and half-opened eyes, I hurried to open the door.
I saw an old lady standing at the door. She must be in the mid-60s or nearing 70. She looked very familiar to me, but I could not recollect where I had met her.
‘Do you remember me?’, the old woman asked.
Confused, I shook my head in denial.
‘Can I come inside?’ She asked.
Don’t know why but I stepped aside and let her in. Suddenly I realised she looked like my grandmother who had died many years ago. The thought of her spirit standing in front of me turned me edgy, and scared.
‘Are you, my granny?’ I asked cautiously.
She smiled and said ‘No. I won’t tell you who I am. You must recognise me.’
I was dumbfounded for the moment, also relieved to know that she was not spirit of my grandmother. I tried hard to recollect where I had seen her. She was now a puzzle for me. But one fact I was now sure, she was my relative. May be grandmother’s some distant sister whom I had never met.
I offered her a chair, and asked, ‘How are you?’
‘Very lonely.’ And a tear dropped out of her left eye and rolled down her cheek.
I was concerned, ‘Don’t you have anyone to look after you?’
‘I am very lonely. That’s why I have come to meet you.’
‘Don’t you have any friends, relatives?’ I asked.
‘I lost everyone, some because of my ego, some to the fate!’
‘So, what you want from me?’ I was a little worried, in case she insists on staying with me.
She laughed out, and tears sparkled in her eyes.
Suspicious, I asked, ‘How come you know my address? Who gave you?’
‘Do I need to ask someone to know your address?’
And again she laughed out.
I was now deeply scared, regretted why I let her in my house.
Probably she noted my dis-comfort, and was concerned, ‘How come you have not recognised me yet? You only gave birth to me.’
Now I lost patience. I blasted, ‘What the hell? Are you out of your mind? How can I give birth to someone older than me?’
She came closer to me, and hushed in a deep voice, ‘Look at me carefully, you will know who am I.’
Concerned, I acutely stared at her. Her wrinkled eyes though looked worn out but they were so much like mine. I was a bit startled and quickly scrutinised each and every feature of her – smile, hair, nose, neck…and then I realised she was me!
The truth rattled me, and my eyes widened in shock.
She laughed. ‘You only have forced me to come, for I do not want to live such a recluse life. You must amend yourself now!’
And before I could say anything, she disappeared.
I woke up with a shudder, sweating heavily, and realised that I was still in the bed. The doorbell was continuously ringing. I got up and opened the door.
I saw a young girl standing. I had no confusion in recognising her. She was my young self.
Before I could say a word, with tears in her eyes, she shouted, ‘Do not lose me, please!’ And she ran away.
Speechless, stunned, I stood there.
Rakhi Sunil Kumar
