Last night, at around midnight I woke up with such a bad dream, that I almost jumped over the bed, I was just shouting for help, my wife awoke and asked what is wrong with you. I said that it was really a terrific nightmare. After that I could not sleep just lay and think about the sequences of the dream, I was seeing the violence happening in our locality. I was quite amazed this chain of thoughts. I thought about the words of my wife, what actually is wrong with me, but then my mind shifted again this peculiar dream. I have never witnessed violence in my life, meanwhile I have read a lot about violent literature, but that was long back, a decade back, when I was fond of reading, now I hardly get time to read. I looked toward my wife, the way she was sleeping calmly, in silent deep, pleasant sleep.
I came downstairs, switched on the TV, adjusted on colours, maybe I could see the missing episodes of Big Boss, but something else was running on channel. I shifted almost every channel from MTV to DD Bangla, but I was not able to concentrate on anything. The same morning I just came back from Shimla, I have been on an official visit to Chandigarh, After finishing work at Chandigarh, I decided to go Shimla, that was just 120 km for get some peace of mind. I reached Shimla at around 11 at night. The weather was terribly cold and I was not carrying any woollen cloth, in hotel I felt a little comfort by covering with two thick blankets.
In morning when I woke it was almost ten, I looked outside from the window, weather was misty and foggy. First I thought I should take a walk to Mall road, but it was too early to take a walk at Mall, I came on the bus stand, few local buses were about to leave. I stepped into one, baring the few students, bus was almost empty. I bought a ticket of ten rupees and adjusted on a front seat. The best way to see Shimla is the bus, take a ticket and go where the bus is taking you to.
Destination sometimes does not matter, if you ask what is the destination of life then may be it is the death. It sounds unpleasant, but it is reality, and reality always seems harsh. Till afternoon my excursion of Shimla was over. After lunch I tried to take some more sleep at hotel room but a melancholy and solitude feeling havocked on my mind. I picked up the newspaper, browsing it carelessly, looking for something that can catch my attention and I don’t know when I fell slept.
At around nine I left the hotel room and took a taxi to the main bus stand of Shimla from where I could get a bus to Delhi. The main bus stand was so far, on an isolated place, and in geographically such a remote place where even ghost will fear to go. At counter I enquired for the Volvo to Delhi, the counter person said, that only one seat left, that is in the corner of last row, now choice is mine. Finally I bought the ticket. When I placed on the seat I remembered the look of counter clerk, the seat was really uncomfortable, on the right side sit a fat lady on the left side the side support was almost pinching in my stomach, I took the shawl that I bought from Shimla in morning, covered my face and closed the eyes .
