THE DREAM

A hand appeared out of thin air. No, it was solid perhaps or even solid air. Yes it was. A woman was working in the kitchen perhaps or maybe she was cleaning the store. Bent over something she was completely engrossed in her work. Perhaps she was collecting something. Newspapers! No, Lalita wasn’t sure. She was standing in partial darkness .Light was shot on that woman. Who was she? She wasn’t sure.Lalita tried to come close and maneuvered her movements. Who was that woman she wanted to know.Curiousity drew her closer & closer.The air contained something. She couldn’t understand. She felt a pang of panic somewhere near the left corner of her bosom. Something was wrong. Utterly wrong! She had reached at least a foot near that woman.

“Mother!” she said.

There was no reply. The woman was totally absorbed in whatever she was doing.

“Mother?” As each second passed , as no reply came her curiosity and fear were almost on the verge of bursting-now or later.Lalita was sure she was her mother. But she couldn’t listen to her. She wasn’t even paying attention to the movements in air which were caused by Lalita’s movements.

“Why?” Lalita felt another shot of panic. Something had happened which was completely out of her understanding. In so much dark and silence one could not have ignored even dropping of a pin. Footsteps were much far behind when it comes to the list of ignorance.

“Listen Mother! I’m here.”She tried once again. She couldn’t tolerate much. She moved her steps forward hastily and grabbed her shoulder. But she backed off perplexed. She had touched her mother but her hand perhaps had not felt her cold skin. Had her nervous system jammed? She couldn’t feel anything. She knew there was very much cold in the place where her mother was bent doing some work. She felt as if she was dangling in to air and maybe that was the reason her mother…..? She looked down. Horror had now started melting into her nerves. She looked at her hands and whole body. She was solid air! Not a solid human being. She could feel her transparency. She could see through herself!

“Mother, listen! Mother! Mother! I ‘m here! Look at me!” She screamed enough to make anyone’s ears shatter. But air still remained still and that woman too.

Horror had swept Lalita completely.She shouted her lungs out. Once more she tried to grab her shoulder. She ran again to her mother; to tell her she existed, she is there; she is solid, listen to her. Everything stood still.Lalita by now had exhausted of what was happening. She was trying to hold her mother desperately. Hug her and talk to her, to tell her something had gone wrong. She had turned into solid air, a ghost like air. Nothing worked. She stood aghast. She did not exist for them, for any living being for she had turned transparent. She pounced to grab her mother once again. The wind started blowing with rage sweeping Lalita off her feet. She felt as if she was being dragged. Some invisible hand had grabbed her and was pulling her in the darkness. The more she tried to release herself, the more she was dragged .She wriggled to get out of grip. She couldn’t! She protested .Tears started rolling from her eyes. And then….