Blackout

Last evening I got off early. And now courtesy wheels, my commute time is barely 5 minutes.

I reached my room, and voila, it was dark.

“No electricity sir, it was not there the whole day!!”  , said the security guard.

Wow this just about does it, back from office and nothing to do. I am sick of coffee days, pizza huts and malls. All were barely a couple of minutes drive away, but I wanted none of it. And I am now sliding down the utility curve of the sight of an idiot box, so there is nothing much to do.

Into my room, and I wanted some music. I switched my laptop on, and it gave a feeble try and blinked off. No battery. My cell phone took inspiration from the Lithium ion in the laptop and blinked off too, so much for smart phones.

I stripped down to my underwear and lay comatose on the bed, opened a bag of ruffles lays extra large and Saint pure grape juice for company. 

“Crunch” and “slurp” sounded loud in the stillness of the surroundings, almost disturbing. I pushed it aside and just lied down, savoring the stillness.

It soon turned very dark, and my abode being a remote place, absence of light was kind of magnified. I struck a match and lit a candle, (I had a box just in case). 

Woohooo the breeze blew eerily outside. The flame flickered, but did not give up. It was like a game between the breeze and the flame, and somehow I was rooting for the flame to win, possibly because it was tangible, and visible.

Staring at the flickering candle flame, I thought,” When was the last time I stuck a candle apart from the purpose of adorning “happy birthday to you cakes”?

The realization hit me. It was during my days at Noida, when blackouts were common and kind of looked forward to. This was the time when you could play hide and seek in the night apart from the stipulated hours and that kind of made it exciting.

No phone…… no songs…….. No sound…….. No food and ……… nobody around.

The winds blowing…… ……… eerily dark surroundings ………….. The slightly damp night…….A railway crossing just about a 100 meters away. 

This was all the stuff horror or let’s says non-love movies were made of. 

However it was not horror I was reminded off, it was Harry Potter.

Almost on cue “ Woohoo” ,  the breeze had turned to a wind intensity. I felt it moving over my lips like it was kissing me.

Dementors …it is the night of the Dementors.

Stop it Rajan, this is the stuff imagination is made off, I reminded myself sternly.

Déjà vu though. I still couldn’t shake the Dementors off me.

Chocolate, yea chocolate is the cure; I had some with me at that instant.

I broke of a piece and slipped on my tongue, it was Bourneveille, rich cocoa.

The piece had become all soggy, and squashed and immediately dissolved. The feel was good, and as a self serving bias, I imagined warmth in my body, mocking the chilly winds, like the flame was mocking it.

“ मुन्नी बदनाम हुई ”, screamed as the room was illuminated , suddenly.

The spell was broken; the Dementors I believe were scared of मुन्नी  ....... but chocolate…well it had its day!!