Fried Eye

Subjiwaala

Posted on 01. Mar, 2010 by Mani Padma in Fiction, Issue 5, Issues, Sections, Vol. I

He tried to quicken his pace but it was very difficult to maintain a fast pace and drag a half-full vegetable-cart at the same time…It was already 10 pm . He had taken this short-cut for the first time in a bid to save time. It was a narrow untarred bye-lane that lead from the residential area beyond the park, a children’s park in a disused state, to the railway tracks. Just across the railway track and beyond were the slums. Beyond that were the low cost housing units which housed his family of four-a mother,a sister, a brother and himself. If he crossed the unmanned crossing, it saved him at least 20 minutes and about 2 km of walking. But this lane was not much used and and at 10 pm it was completely deserted and dark though the distant lights of the residential area flickered through the foliage of the children park . Just when he reached the turn that lead to the decayed gate of the park , he saw her… a lonely female with- what was that he wondered-something in her arms. A baby! She was around 15 feet away from him, just near the gate but… something about her made him slacken his pace and just gaze at her…

She was striding back and forth patting her baby, maybe rocking it to sleep, crooning a lullaby in a faint murmur. There was an air of melancholia around her which gave the air a magical quality. When suddenly she paused , after turning back to face him. It was dark and he could not discern her face properly. She paused for maybe a few seconds. Then, turning abruptly, she walked away melting into the darkness beyond. He kept gazing at her retreating figure, that graceful retreating figure, and then with a sudden shake of head he moved on.

Who was she? He wondered. Some one from the residential area? Not likely . Or one of their governesses who has come to lull the baby to sleep? Maybe there is a party going on at some house and that’s why she had brought the baby outside to escape the crowd. Or was she from the slums? A poor wife escaping torture from a drunk husband? So lost was he in thoughts, he was surprised when suddenly he realized he was in front of his house. He sighed and entered, back to the realty of his dry existence. At night he dreamed of her- a beautiful lady with no face- but still very beautiful and still very sad.

Next day he deliberately delayed his rounds in the residential colonies. Deliberately because he wanted to use that thorough fare… with a faint hope of seeing her again. So mesmerized was he with his fascination for that mysterious lady that he eagerly waited for the clock to strike 10. His fast pace slackened as the park came into view… and he craned his neck to look for her. But she was not there! Disappointment wrote large in his face. He deliberated on circling the park but then he chuckled at his own stupid thoughts.Of course she wouldn’t be coming here daily, will she? Maybe there was a reason that’s why she was here yesterday. He started pushing the cart again towards the tracks and it seemed very heavy to him suddenly. Just when he reached the crossing he turned back in a reflex and that was when he saw her. She was there with the baby at the corner of the park and was watching him silently.Though she was far away and her face was not discernible , he could feel her steely gaze at him. But he did not stop. He carried on pushing towards the slums.

He felt elated . She had come. She wanted to see him. Was she as fascinated with him as he was with her? Was she really interested in a vegetable vendor like him. Maybe she was from the nearby slums… maybe she was a maid in the residential area… he felt better at his assumption. His dreams that night were more vibrant, more colourful, more random..He felt fresh the next morning. He put on some freshly washed clothes after bath, neatly combed his hair and with a light step set out for the wholesale market. Everything was going well for him that day or maybe he was so euphoric that he failed to see any negativity around him. He waited for the evening to set in with plenty of anticipation.He was breathless with excitement when he reached the park. She was there near the gate.. as if waiting for .. someone. He hesitated at the turn thinking… what to do next? She was there; facing him in the dark.

Damn! Cant they repair he streetlights here he cursed silently.

But he had to make a move.”Err Do you need any vegetables?” he asked, cursing himself this time at his stupid opening line. She shook her head. A firm No.

“I see you every day. Where do you stay?” he asked hopefully suddenly emboldened. She abruptly turned away, and went inside the park without answering him. The baby he noticed always remained quiet. He was puzzled. Now what did he say or do to elicit such a response? He left perplexed. Was it a positive response or did he scare her? He didn’t say anything bad..or vulgar. It was a normal polite query…or did she want him to follow her in the park? Was something fishy about her? No no. She had a baby with her. Of course it cannot be. He decided to speak to her again next day. Maybe she had a story. A sad story. Maybe she wanted a listener. A friend. A wave of thrill ran down him, at the thought.

Next day seemed brighter to him. With an optimistic air he set about for the day in a strange way he felt very cheerful, victorious.When he reached that spot late in the evening, he was surprised to hear loud cries of a baby from inside the park. He peered through the bushes. Yes it was her and the baby. She was seated on a bench with the baby on her lap. The baby was crying endlessly. He parked his cart and hurried towards the gate of the park. What was the mater today? He entered the park and proceeded towards her gingerly. The baby was now wailing at the top of its voice but she was doing nothing. She just sat mutely.

“Hey” he said softly from behind her. His voice was drowned by the baby’s wails. Hey again he tried, a bit louder but still no response. He looked around the park. Of course there was no one there at this hour. He walked decisively to her front deciding to shake her rom her reverie when he saw……. that it was not a baby on her lap…. but a doll…. shocked he looked at her and saw… blood trickling down from her black shining eyes . From her cold dead shining eyes. A scream rang out through the dark night. A scream that nobody noticed.

The next day the beat policeman found the dead body of the vegetable vendor inside the park. No signs of injury

Tags: Fish, List, Thrill