“Good Night madam!”, said the doorman opening the door for
her. She gave him a customary nod. She could sense him staring at her as she hurriedly
left the building. It was late. She checked the time..it was 15 minutes past
midnight. Not a cab in sight.
The roads were eerily silent at this time of the night. She decided
to walk towards her home..maybe an auto or a cab would pass by and she could
take a ride from there. There was not much street light as well. She walked in
the little light which fell on the footpath. Her mobile torch was useless.
There was no battery anyway.
She wanted to distract herself from all the thoughts in her
mind. Ever since she left office, the fear of being kidnapped, raped or hit-run
cases filled her mind. Her pace quickened as these thoughts took control of her
mind. ‘This is crazy. I’m being paranoid. Just a few blocks and I’ll be home in
no time’ she said to herself in an effort to calm herself. The only sound she
could hear, was from her own jewellery. Her bangles made the clanging sound as
she swung her arms to walk. She removed the bangles and kept them in her
handbag because she didn’t want to scare herself with it nor did she want
unwanted attention from the people who were sleeping on the footpath.
She could hear a dog bark at a distance. She liked dogs she
thought, trying to distract herself. She had to turn left at a corner. When she
did, she felt strange. She thought she saw someone at a distance behind her.
She took a few steps back and look around the corner to see only an empty
street barring the few people on the footpath. ‘I’m imagining things now.
Great. Or am I?’ , she was literally jogging now. Just one more block and she
would reach.
She heard a bike at a distance behind her. She took out her
phone and began talking. The bike slowed down next to her, and then sped away. ‘Phew.
That was close’, she said to herself. There were two guys on the bike and both stared
at her thinking maybe she was a call girl. Her thoughts have now become
assumptions. She knew she was losing it.
She reached her apartments. The watchman was asleep. She
pressed the button for the elevator. As soon as she entered, she pressed the close
button. The doors were closing, when suddenly an arm came in between to stop the
doors from closing. She let out a deafening scream that echoed the ground
floor. She closed her eyes and swung her arms around so that the person could
not get a grip on her. She knew she lost the battle when someone had held her
hands firmly.
“Pooja !! Stop
screaming.. it’s me, Varun !”. It was her husband. She hugged him and began
sobbing. “I was worried” she said, now crying heavily. “I know. I know”, he
said brushing her hair. They reached their flat. She took a sleeping pill and
lied down, watching her husband close the door. Soon she was asleep.
Varun closed the door and took out his phone and dialled a
number.
Varun : “Doctor, it’s me, Varun. Sorry to disturb you at
this hour.”
Doctor : “Its okay Varun. Tell me.. is Pooja okay ?”
V : I am afraid not Doctor. Its happened again.
D : What do you mean ? Its almost a year since she had a
breakdown. She takes her medicines on time, doesn’t she ?
V : Yes Doctor. I left the apartment to have a smoke. She
left the apartment in the meantime. I didn’t realize the building had a new watchman
as well. The previous one knew about Pooja’s disorder. He wouldn’t let her out.
Luckily she came back into the building.
D : *sigh* Okay. I guess we have to start the treatment all
over again tomorrow. Bring her in tomorrow. Take care then. Good Night Varun.
V : Will do. Good Night Doctor.
Varun kept the phone on the table and went to bed. He saw
his wife sleep peacefully. Poor Pooja has been suffering from paranoia ever
since our son was killed by a truck right before her eyes. He kissed her on her
forehead. He closed his eyes and went to sleep knowing tomorrow was a big day.
The End.
