I could not remember the last time I slept so comfortably. It had been tough few weeks with the heavy workload and exhaustively long uneventful meetings. I was finally at home on time. Tonight, I was going to have a good night’s sleep in my bed. The comfortably soft 700 thread cotton bed sheets were calling me into their arms. And tonight, I was going to let those sheets have their way with me. No one could come between us tonight, not even a book. I decided to let myself sink into the warmth of those floral softly colored sheets. It was coolly cozy in the bed. My body was aching for this for a long time. I, my body and my mind (if it can relax even after 20 years of regular Yoga) were going to have a threesome tonight. One of a kind threesome, where we all sleep together hugging each other.
Annoyingly, my almost perfect night was spoiled by loud knocking. Knocking so loud that shook my body into sitting up, but my eyes stayed shut. And then it happened. I felt a gush of chilly breeze pass through my legs, under the 700 thread count bed sheets and the soft plush blanket. That is when I opened my eyes because now, I was scared. Where has this chilly wind come from when all the windows and doors are closed. Wait a minute, I don’t have a bedroom door. I live in a loft-style apartment. So that means someone is at the main door. That scared me even more. The knocking got louder now but I could not move. It was like my body was super-glued to the bed. I started thinking maybe I am dreaming. It will soon pass, and I will wake up from this noisy nightmare. But I did not wake up. The knock was so strong that I felt the force of the hand knocking on my whole body. And, I was officially peeing in my lovely clean sheets.
After a few minutes of being scared, I now got angry. Since the new project took off, I hadn’t had a chance to exit the office on time and have a restful night. It was almost after 2 weeks that I was getting to sleep in my bed. And now this knocking! Who the hell was at the door? And why am I not able to scream or move? What is happening to me? Nothing was making any sense, and then I smelled it. My sheets were stinking of dirty old coffee mugs and rotten vegetables, yet I refused to get out of it. I tried one more time to open my mouth to scream, “Shut the hell up, whoever it is at the door. Let me sleep.” But no noise came out of me.
And then it all became silent. I must have done something, I thought to myself feeling proud. Everything was so quiet and still, and then I felt it again. The sudden chill on my legs. Like a sudden gush of wind only blew near my legs ignoring the rest of my body. While I was wondering how this was possible, the knocking started again. This time it was louder and felt closer. Like someone was knocking right near my ears. “Right ear no left one. No right one. Aaaaaaggghhh!” I was getting angrier and angrier. And I could feel my cheeks getting flushed and turning red with both my useless ears blowing out their own supply of heat. Thanks to this new project and heavy workload, my body parts were feeling and reacting differently to one situation.
Sitting there, boiling and chilling in anger, and the relentless knocking, I thought of my mom. She hated my work hours and was always calling at random times of the day to ask unnecessary motherly questions. “Did you eat lunch?” “What time will be going home today?” “Are you driving late tonight or taking a cab home?” And just like that, I started to miss her so much. The warmth of her hugs and once in a blue moon kiss on the forehead along with the yummy masala chai. It had been quite long since I had spent time with mom. KNOCK KNOCK. I swear this time it sounded like a bang on the door with an extremely cold and poking kind of touch on my shoulder. I could feel the hairs on my neck standing up. Who the hell is standing next to me? “AAAAaahhhhhhhhghhh”.
I woke up with a scream, in the conference room of my office. Akshay was standing next to my shoulder calling my name, “Mehr, Mehr….wake up. The meeting got over a while ago. Go home.” I thanked him and got up excitedly walking out of the office thinking of my 700 thread count bed sheets. Hmmmmm!
Black Coffee and Grey Stories 