THE SNAKE

The snake!!

It had not been a month since Mohit had found the small stream of river in the dry, scrubby forests in the outskirts of puruliya. Yes the dusty roads with the hot uncomfortable air, the body itches frequently calling for a cold bath. The whole world got cracked with the extreme anger of the sun. The sunrays were very hot and it seems that they were piercing the earth with a hot, red blade moving in an uneven path. The branches of the thin seesham tress were tousled and brown. The thirsty ponds and other small crooks lamenting for a cold bath except Mohit’s river. Trees were covered with chalky dust giving them a ghostly appearance and their branches were hanging little bit down like thin broken hands because they were unable to tolerate the intolerable heat. It was 11’o’ clock when Mohit came out of his dingy, gloomy house. He was wearing a filthy bermunda and his upper body was naked. He was going to take a dip in his small river. He had a tall, fatless, thin,light brown body with big unruly hairs. He glanced outside and observes that there was no one not even a single human being outside except some of the street dogs dozing under the shady woody trees. The scorching wind was making monotonous shirring and whistling sound. The trees were lashing with each other. When the wind dashed Mohit’s face it seems to him that someone had put a hot pan on his face. He covered his face with a thick towel. The wind continuously playing the game. He walked the dry, rough road with his thin and cheap rubber chappals and they were not able to defeat the heat of the road. It will take 5minutes to reach the river. He saw that some urchins were goofing and smoking under a big tree. When he was some yards away from the river he can smell the aroma of the moist soil and relatively cold air with a deafened sound of the water rolling over the smooth round pebbles. When he reached there he glanced at the green limpid water, he was to saw his face on their like a mirror. The water had a gentle translucency with green limpid water. He immersed his thin skinny leg into the water. He moaned “it’s awesome”. He jumped and started to swim there. He saw that some of the fishes floating over the round pebbles under the water. He slowly moved his body and then suddenly splashes his hand on them trying to catch them but he found nothing except some silt and pebbles. He stayed there for 1 hr. when he came out he saw that his skin had

Become crippled and crispy. He dipped his towel in the cold water and rubbed his body with that. Suddenly he realized that his eyes were coming close to each other and his head was dazzling. He settled his backbone against a big unknown tree and started to take a sweet siesta. At the middle he felt something rough and heavy was moving over his legs. He opened his eyes and a cold shudder ran across his spine!. He saw that a enormous, heavy back snake moving over his legs. Suddenly a idea flashed in Mohit’s head like a sparkling star. He thought that if he moved his body then the snake will bite him and if not it will pass. It was very heavy and Mohit can felt its power. The snake stopped and started to turn his head towards Mohit’s chest. His heart started pounding hard and his whole body had started shaking and sweating. He was unable to recognize the snake’s name. one moment he felt that it was not a snake but a devil. The roughness and heaviness increased on his chest. The snake raised his triangular big head. The eyes were weird and fiend. There was a sign of cruelty and wickedness in one corner of his mouth. Mohit felt that as if the devil was smiling by seeing his fear and tension. The devil slowly opened his big, smelly mouth. Its long white fangs calling for red blood!! They were staring at each other. Suddenly the devil rushed and inserted his fangs into Mohit’s left cheek. Mohit snarled “help!!!”….. And then absolute silence. Mohit sat on his bed gawking everywhere of his small room being puzzled. He rushed to his dreamland and saw nothing except a big lizard gazing at him.