Today
26 August 2009
A hot spurt of sand laden wind almost charred his face. His head felt dizzy due to pain. He felt as if he had just come out into lights after years of darkness. Unable to open eyes, he stood; lying down on the roasting sand. He tried to grope around, trying to feel his surrounding. It did not help. The only texture he felt was of the burning sand blistering his hand. After struggling a long time, he mustered enough will power to sit up, unable to open his eyes, blinded by the glowing milieu. Suddenly, a gust of wind threw him back to the ground. He felt his senses going blur and the body losing its consciousness. He felt he was in hell.
He slowly opened his eyes. Everything seemed very dark. All the things seemed hazy as if the world around was moving at a faster pace than his own body. His head still hurt. He glanced above. He saw something which seemed almost like an anticlimax to what he had experienced earlier. The bright light was gone. The hot wind was gone. The hot scorching feeling of the sand was gone. He saw a soothing and cool night sky lit by stars. He was still wondering whether he was dead or was it just a nightmare. He tried to sit up to get a better look. His eyes almost popped out, after what he saw. He could not grasp whether it was fear or anger, but it was certainly not a feeling of excitement. He was lying in the middle of a desert endless like an ocean of sand.
He tried to turn his head to his left. He suddenly felt a surge of pain. He also became aware of a rope tied around his head and the bruises around his neck. He was weak and could not move. He could even feel the rope weighing him down. The whole situation made him feel as a game trapped in a snare, waiting for the hunter to return for his catch. The desert seemed endless and the pain unbearable. An excruciating death seemed inevitable. Suddenly an unusual sight caught his attention; the lone tree standing in the midst of this desert. He saw a rope clinging to one of the branches of the stagnant flora. He was fully aware of his surroundings now and his mind was racing. One thing kept troubling him, what had brought him to this place? Why was he lying there alone? Who or what did this to him? How long has he been out there? What was the way out of this place? The most important of all, who was he??
Pondering over the questions, he concluded that someone had tried to hang him to death. The noose around his neck told the shocking story about the attempt. “But who would want to do this to me?” he thought. “Did I do something wrong?” trying to remember. Pushing his memory to the limit, he sought the event that had led to this predicament. But no, his mind was still numb. It was as if someone had erased all the memories of his past.
While going over the possibilities in his mind, he tried to get to his feet. After two or three attempts he stood up eerily on three limbs. He then surveyed the place for water or food. He found none. The place was a desert stretching in either direction as far as his eyes could see. The only living creature in sight was the lone dilapidated tree which stood out of its surroundings. “How can something grow in such a place?” he said to himself. All of a sudden, something caught his eye. It was some sort of a bag. He hurried towards the bag like a hungry piranha over meat. He almost fell down in doing so. He flung open the bag and emptied its content. All he found was a bottle and a few clothes. He quickly picked up the bottle and shook it like a boy trying to guess the present without opening the wrapping. He was disappointed. No water. No food. Disappointed he surveyed the bag carefully. He found a small diary. The last entry simply said, “Kill @ 25/08/09”.
It had been 10 hours since he had found the notebook. The questions still remained. Whose diary was it? Why and who does the owner want to kill? He had been thinking hard about survival; thinking how to device a way to get out of the desert, alive!! It was dawn. The light rays had started heating the sand. The air was still cool and the sand warm. He had not found food or water. He had climbed up a sand dune to survey the surround. It was all barren; in all directions as far as the eyes saw. Then he remembered. It came to him as a shock. He trembled with sudden awareness. He felt a sudden rush of blood to his limbs and felt a little queasy. He let a loud cry out. “Noooahhh!!” he screamed. He had retraced the chain events that lead him to that place.
Earlier
20 August 2009
It was his first day in the desert. He had lost his way on the very first day. It was almost dark and the day had been like a long struggle. He had not found any food or water. He was looking for settlements or any trails of life. He found none. The desert was relentless and unforgiving. Moreover, he felt, it was interminable.
Ambling around for 4 days, he had not found any help. He was tired and sore. He had used up all his supplies. He was stuck in this hell hole with no escape. He was to die a long agonizing death. The idea of death had settled in his mind. He had given up hope and death seemed inescapable. It was as if was like a moth driven by the sole urge to reach the source of light; as if he was not thinking, like a zombie. He was desperate.
Yesterday
25 August 2009
On the 5 day, he came across a palm tree and decided to put an end to the misery. He waited for the night to end. He wanted it to see the sun rise for the last time. He decided to spent his last night watching the stars and naming them after someone he had left. It was his way of connecting the dots. He retraced his life back to his school days. “It was a nice life”, he thought to himself. “I will miss it”, he said with teary eyes and a hollow voice. It was dawn. It was TIME. He climbed up the tree and tied the rope he had. The other end was knotted into a noose. He said his prayers and remembered his loved ones. He thanked everyone and sang his favorite song. He did not remember its words but he hummed its tune. He walked to the tree as he sang. He was trying to soak in everything around him. He thought,” How difficult was it to take ones life, knowing that it will end?”He wondered, “How come people commit suicides so easily?” He was now climbing the tree. He felt the wind growing stronger and warmer as he moved up. It was caressing his hair like easing him into the ritual. He was not afraid of heights but the knowledge of killing himself was making him dizzy. He was weak, but he had to do it. He had to. To spare himself the misery, to end the endless, to save him- he had to kill himself.
He adorned the noose around his neck with full knowledge of the consequences. The noose was like a badge, his last accomplishment. He lifted his gaze to the heavens for the last time and dove. It was all very quick. He felt the air gushing out of his stomach. He found himself hanging in mid air and struggling for air. He had not died. He was in pain. The rope snapped and he fell on the ground, knocked unconscious.
PS: Suicide is never the answer, it just questions your will. Do not resort to suicides.
He tried to turn his head to his left. He suddenly felt a surge of pain. He also became aware of a rope tied around his head and the bruises around his neck. He was weak and could not move. He could even feel the rope weighing him down. The whole situation made him feel as a game trapped in a snare, waiting for the hunter to return for his catch. The desert seemed endless and the pain unbearable. An excruciating death seemed inevitable. Suddenly an unusual sight caught his attention; the lone tree standing in the midst of this desert. He saw a rope clinging to one of the branches of the stagnant flora. He was fully aware of his surroundings now and his mind was racing. One thing kept troubling him, what had brought him to this place? Why was he lying there alone? Who or what did this to him? How long has he been out there? What was the way out of this place? The most important of all, who was he??
Pondering over the questions, he concluded that someone had tried to hang him to death. The noose around his neck told the shocking story about the attempt. “But who would want to do this to me?” he thought. “Did I do something wrong?” trying to remember. Pushing his memory to the limit, he sought the event that had led to this predicament. But no, his mind was still numb. It was as if someone had erased all the memories of his past.
While going over the possibilities in his mind, he tried to get to his feet. After two or three attempts he stood up eerily on three limbs. He then surveyed the place for water or food. He found none. The place was a desert stretching in either direction as far as his eyes could see. The only living creature in sight was the lone dilapidated tree which stood out of its surroundings. “How can something grow in such a place?” he said to himself. All of a sudden, something caught his eye. It was some sort of a bag. He hurried towards the bag like a hungry piranha over meat. He almost fell down in doing so. He flung open the bag and emptied its content. All he found was a bottle and a few clothes. He quickly picked up the bottle and shook it like a boy trying to guess the present without opening the wrapping. He was disappointed. No water. No food. Disappointed he surveyed the bag carefully. He found a small diary. The last entry simply said, “Kill @ 25/08/09”.
It had been 10 hours since he had found the notebook. The questions still remained. Whose diary was it? Why and who does the owner want to kill? He had been thinking hard about survival; thinking how to device a way to get out of the desert, alive!! It was dawn. The light rays had started heating the sand. The air was still cool and the sand warm. He had not found food or water. He had climbed up a sand dune to survey the surround. It was all barren; in all directions as far as the eyes saw. Then he remembered. It came to him as a shock. He trembled with sudden awareness. He felt a sudden rush of blood to his limbs and felt a little queasy. He let a loud cry out. “Noooahhh!!” he screamed. He had retraced the chain events that lead him to that place.
Earlier
20 August 2009
It was his first day in the desert. He had lost his way on the very first day. It was almost dark and the day had been like a long struggle. He had not found any food or water. He was looking for settlements or any trails of life. He found none. The desert was relentless and unforgiving. Moreover, he felt, it was interminable.
Ambling around for 4 days, he had not found any help. He was tired and sore. He had used up all his supplies. He was stuck in this hell hole with no escape. He was to die a long agonizing death. The idea of death had settled in his mind. He had given up hope and death seemed inescapable. It was as if was like a moth driven by the sole urge to reach the source of light; as if he was not thinking, like a zombie. He was desperate.
Yesterday
25 August 2009
On the 5 day, he came across a palm tree and decided to put an end to the misery. He waited for the night to end. He wanted it to see the sun rise for the last time. He decided to spent his last night watching the stars and naming them after someone he had left. It was his way of connecting the dots. He retraced his life back to his school days. “It was a nice life”, he thought to himself. “I will miss it”, he said with teary eyes and a hollow voice. It was dawn. It was TIME. He climbed up the tree and tied the rope he had. The other end was knotted into a noose. He said his prayers and remembered his loved ones. He thanked everyone and sang his favorite song. He did not remember its words but he hummed its tune. He walked to the tree as he sang. He was trying to soak in everything around him. He thought,” How difficult was it to take ones life, knowing that it will end?”He wondered, “How come people commit suicides so easily?” He was now climbing the tree. He felt the wind growing stronger and warmer as he moved up. It was caressing his hair like easing him into the ritual. He was not afraid of heights but the knowledge of killing himself was making him dizzy. He was weak, but he had to do it. He had to. To spare himself the misery, to end the endless, to save him- he had to kill himself.
He adorned the noose around his neck with full knowledge of the consequences. The noose was like a badge, his last accomplishment. He lifted his gaze to the heavens for the last time and dove. It was all very quick. He felt the air gushing out of his stomach. He found himself hanging in mid air and struggling for air. He had not died. He was in pain. The rope snapped and he fell on the ground, knocked unconscious.
PS: Suicide is never the answer, it just questions your will. Do not resort to suicides.
