There it was. A yawn. Sleep had finally hit. A quick look at my mobile told me it was 1.13 am; so well, it was about damn time since I had already whiled away a couple of hours aimlessly. After trying to read a book, failing at it, then trying to watch a movie and failing at that too, I had cluelessly wandered out to the balcony around 11.30 pm. Had just stood out there like a zombie for around 20 minutes, only to realize that it was chilly and also that my legs were beginning to ache. Going back in, I had wrapped myself in a cozy blanket, grabbed Holly for company, dragged out my bamboo chair for a seat and settled down; to gaze blankly at the wide and empty sky, or to contemplate, as I like to call it. (I had always been immensely thankful to my balcony on sleepless days like this. The view is beautiful and absolutely calming, with only bare land, thick trees, and the sky to behold; not to mention the enjoyable privacy.)
Now, I had snapped back from oblivion with the sudden yawn only to realize again that I pretty much remembered nothing about the thoughts that had transpired in my mind during the time of "contemplation". Deciding that the sanest thing to do was to sleep, I was just about to get up when something moved in my peripheral vision on the left. It was a tiny light, flickering behind a clump of trees that was about 50 yards away and just beyond our building fence. I looked closer. The light was dim, vanishing now and then. Was that light coming from a mobile torch? It definitely looked like one that was concealed safely within a shirt's front pocket; and if so, the dark object HAD to be a person. Soon, a dark object materialized into my view, which was moving slowly along the tree-shrouded path. Feeling a quick chill run down my spine, I craned my neck and listened hard for a silent rustle or a crunch or any sound that was a sign of human life down there. Two seconds later, a thin scraping noise reached my ears, like something heavy was being dragged on the ground. By then, I had begun to shiver, both from cold and the fear of unknown.
I sat rooted to the chair, my eyes following the silhouette and ears taking in the scraping that suddenly seemed too loud and obvious amid the natural noises of the night time. A few more seconds and the party would emerge out of the thicket that obscured my view, and I could clearly see what was going on down there. Wrapping my blanket even more tightly over my head and hugging Holly to my chest, I waited. After what seemed like years, the light was finally near the edge of the last tree. My heart beat quickened and I dared not to even blink, for fear of missing something. That's when the light stopped moving and the silhouette suddenly disappeared, just behind the last tree. The noise had also subsided.
Almost a minute had passed and there was still no movement. I could only spot the dull torch gleam and nothing more. In order to get a better view, I leaned slightly to my right and craned my neck. Still nothing. I was just about to shift further to the side when the light, without any warning, quickly shot up to the tree top from where it was hovering.
Now, I had snapped back from oblivion with the sudden yawn only to realize again that I pretty much remembered nothing about the thoughts that had transpired in my mind during the time of "contemplation". Deciding that the sanest thing to do was to sleep, I was just about to get up when something moved in my peripheral vision on the left. It was a tiny light, flickering behind a clump of trees that was about 50 yards away and just beyond our building fence. I looked closer. The light was dim, vanishing now and then. Was that light coming from a mobile torch? It definitely looked like one that was concealed safely within a shirt's front pocket; and if so, the dark object HAD to be a person. Soon, a dark object materialized into my view, which was moving slowly along the tree-shrouded path. Feeling a quick chill run down my spine, I craned my neck and listened hard for a silent rustle or a crunch or any sound that was a sign of human life down there. Two seconds later, a thin scraping noise reached my ears, like something heavy was being dragged on the ground. By then, I had begun to shiver, both from cold and the fear of unknown.
I sat rooted to the chair, my eyes following the silhouette and ears taking in the scraping that suddenly seemed too loud and obvious amid the natural noises of the night time. A few more seconds and the party would emerge out of the thicket that obscured my view, and I could clearly see what was going on down there. Wrapping my blanket even more tightly over my head and hugging Holly to my chest, I waited. After what seemed like years, the light was finally near the edge of the last tree. My heart beat quickened and I dared not to even blink, for fear of missing something. That's when the light stopped moving and the silhouette suddenly disappeared, just behind the last tree. The noise had also subsided.
Almost a minute had passed and there was still no movement. I could only spot the dull torch gleam and nothing more. In order to get a better view, I leaned slightly to my right and craned my neck. Still nothing. I was just about to shift further to the side when the light, without any warning, quickly shot up to the tree top from where it was hovering.
*Crash*
The shock of movement had completely tipped me off balance and I had fallen sideways from my chair to the balcony floor. Hoisting myself up hurriedly and picking Holly from the floor, I stole another quick glance at the light before running inside. As the light caught my eye again, it dawned upon me just then - it was a firefly gleam.
The shock of movement had completely tipped me off balance and I had fallen sideways from my chair to the balcony floor. Hoisting myself up hurriedly and picking Holly from the floor, I stole another quick glance at the light before running inside. As the light caught my eye again, it dawned upon me just then - it was a firefly gleam.
P.S: I realized later on that I did not even have my mobile with me outside. Confused to the core, I returned back to bed, spotted my mobile, and grabbed it to check the time. It was only 12.44 am. Apparently, I had snapped back from my oblivion only after the fall from the chair. Neither had there been a dark object nor a scraping noise. The wonders and imagination that a jobless mind is capable of just amazes me :D
P.P.S: Holly is the only toy I've known in my life till now, who has been keeping me company for more than eight years. She looks like a cross between a dog and a teddy.
P.P.S: Holly is the only toy I've known in my life till now, who has been keeping me company for more than eight years. She looks like a cross between a dog and a teddy.
Anusha
