Myriad of Illusions – Part II
Anjali could not only see her father’s name on the mobile screen, but also hear him calling her name. Her mind went into a dizzy. How could she hear her father, when she hasn’t picked up the phone yet. In all the mix-up, she was trying hard to click on the button to accept the call. ‘Anju, Anju, Anju’, her father was shouting repeatedly. She also felt him shaking her shoulder and asking her to look behind, but she wasn’t able to turn. She was paralyzed in one position, desperately trying to pick up the call.
‘Anju, Anju’, her dad called again. Her entire body shook and she got up straight on the bed as if someone jumpstarted her system. She was sweating and panting, frantically looking around, feeling the bed with her fingers and trying to make sense of her surroundings. It took a few seconds before she realized she was dreaming. She looked up to her father, with confused eyes, standing on her bedside. He was speaking, ‘Anju, you are getting late for school. Please freshen up quickly and come for breakfast, darling. I am waiting downstairs.’
Anjali had moved past the dream and forgotten most of it when the wheels of the car screeched to a halt near her school gate. She wished a good day to her dad and walked slowly towards the school. Although the dream was a distant memory, she made sure she was aware of the noises around her, noticing her batchmates entering the building and the hustle bustle of the morning hour. Her nerves calmed down completely on seeing everything as normal. The day went about as usual, she made a couple of new friends, Sammy and Rohan, both hailing from Bangalore. They had opted for the boarding facilities of the school and were there for the last five years. They asked her to hang out with them during recess. She was happy about the new acquaintances. They even invited her for a small get together this coming weekend. Ms. Payal, the physics professor, became her instant favorite in the first class itself. Anjali loved her approach towards physics. How she connected physics to the daily life and understanding the universe as a whole, really intrigued her. She looked forward to exploring more of the subject.
Anjali was walking happily towards the school gate after the classes, expecting to see the driver her father would have sent. She saw Rohan waving at her from a distance, asking her to stop. He came close to her and said, ‘hey, there is a lady waiting for you at the locker area. She came to the classroom after you had left, I was still talking to Ms. Payal and she enquired about you. I asked her to wait there for you.’ Rohan said it hurriedly, wished goodbye and left. Puzzled, Anjali retreated towards the building again. She wondered all along who could be asking about her in this new city. She thought, maybe her dad sent his assistant as well to pick her up. She jogged toward the locker area which was almost deserted by now. She saw a woman dressed in a beautiful pink saree, holding an umbrella in one hand, standing with her back towards Anjali. Anjali reached closer and called out, ‘excuse me, I am Anjali. Are you waiting for me?’. The woman turned in an instant and said with a dazzling smile, ‘Yes, Anju’. Anjali froze again!
