HALLUCINATION

Robin and Peter were breathing inside one room. The room was made up of glass walls, with steel rods forming up most of the outlines and roof was white, pure white and whole city could be seen. There was not even a single door in plain sight, lest they find it. They didn’t know which city, they could see lights, as anyone would in the night, a city big or small is filled with light. Too much deceit a city offers. Most of the hoardings, billboards and advertisements nearby featured fair girls with text in English. So it could be anywhere, India, UK, US anywhere. Peter was last time in his office in Ohio, he ran off early last Thursday as he could remember. Robin, he worked late in Singapore, same company another office. They both had their Thursdays and went back home and they don’t remember what and when and where and how did they land up.  Hazy and unclear, Robin thought. “Peter, are you hungry?” Robin wasn’t sure, he was full of questions, but he asked this. While Peter kept wondering how Robin knew his name, he wasn’t sure how to react, he didn’t say anything, looked up, made an eye contact for a few moments and looked away deep into the city. Robin knew, his expression shouted confusion, and he wasn’t hungry. It’s so strange city functions not at all bothering about how a guy who might be sitting in the same car doesn’t matter to another one. Robin knew things, he knew that he would not be able to get out of this room and he would never feel hungry or need anything, but what really bothered him was, he didn’t want to try. His so called roommate didn’t make a movement till now and suddenly he spoke “em wonk uoy od woH?” , Robin spoke as if he knew it since he was born, “Green coloured ID with a black strap, unable to talk, stuck in his own feelings, Running away from work, lost, Peter, you have to be Peter….”. Peter was scared the very presence of such an awkward psychic wearing formals was unusual and he was stuck. Not that he was complaining, he couldn’t resist a response “peels ym lteas uoy dna ecneserp ruoy fo zuc deracs lleh ma I zuc, yddub, gnihtemos ro dog nikaerf uoY”. “I understand boy, even I have not slept in years, you know violence? It creeps up, and then you want to do something, really, really stupid but you want to live so you don’t wanna die and do things but you are stuck and then you want to sleep and you can’t, its creepy, I read that, I don’t want to scare you, but honestly I can’t get out of it, and I wanna stay inside it and I want to live but that I can’t, you know I am a coward and outside no one cares you live or you die, there is no one to talk to and you continue to be the only one amongst everyone and……”. Peter stands up, kicks him in the face and shouts “niboR!”, “what the…. What the hell are you doing man?” Robin tried to dodge him but he gets kicked hard in the face, “niboR, pu ekaw!!! Wake Up!!! Robin!!!” Peter shouted and kicked him in his face all over again, this time he almost had Peter’s sole in his face, he raised his hand to brush the sole Robin looked at his hand. The wonderful limousine had slowed down, traffic is troubling sometimes, Though Singapore government has managed it pretty well, but a vehicle has to slow down and wait at traffic signals, lights, a city in evening is always filled with lights, Robin was quite embarrassed. It took 30 minutes from office to the airport.

Both Peter and Robin were diametrically opposite yet same. Robin worked for long periods while Peter worked for shorter time periods, he got tired easily. The only problem with both of them was their own attitude. They clashed as if the two on either sides of the mirror wanted to strangle each other, but can’t as their finger tips got glued to each others’ and can’t help but stay and look at each other and scathe each others’ souls through eyes only, maybe that was their only way of satisfaction. But both couldn’t sleep well, as the matter of fact, one ran behind everyone, looking for happiness and the other one stayed and waited and waited and waited, killed time hoping that happiness would come to him, but a big city is a big city, isn’t it? The city doesn’t care how a guy who might be sitting in the same car doesn’t matter to another one.