It all started with a silly argument.
My parents were fed up with shoes inside the house.
So we had a new rule.
The shoes will be kept outside the house. All of them.
You can imagine 11 pairs of shoes lying outside on the floor.
What a mess...

It was night-time.
Time to sleep. Time to get the shoes inside.
My dad had picked up the shoes and brought them inside.
My mom was now cleaning them, when I entered.

Mom, to Dad - Yeh jutte yahin darwaze ke paas rakhne hain.
(These shoes need to be kept near the door)
Dad, to Mom - Acha, main rakhta hun.
(Ok, I'll keep them)

Mom, to Dad - Arre, aise nahi. Doosri tarah se.
(Not this way, the other way)
Dad, to Mom - Kaise, theek to hai. Tum khud hi rakh lo.
(How? This seems ok. You do it yourself)

Dad goes and sits nearby.
Its a hot day. No respite even in the night.
The house has a main wooden door and a second mesh (jaali-waala) door.
The main door is open to let the air in.

Me, to Mom - Ek rack kyu nahi le lete.
(Why don't you buy a rack?)
Dad, to Me - Faltu ke paise nahi hain.
(We don't have useless money)

And I am surprised, this did not seem an expensive item to buy.

Me, to Mom - Aise vertical nahi rakho. Horizontal rakho.
(Don't keep vertical. Keep it horizontal)
Mom, to Me - Kya hai? Kyu faltu mein sir kha raha hai?
(What? Why are you bugging me, uselessly?)

Me, to Mom - Rasste mein rakhne se problem hogi.
(It will create a problem to keep them in the way)
Mom, to Me - Kya problem hogi. Raat mein kisse bahar jaana hai?
(Whats the problem. Who is going out in the night?)

Shoes finally lined up on the floor. Blocking the path to the door.
We all sit down. And poof, the light (electricity) is gone.

Me - Main darwaza band karke aata hun.
(I'll go and close the door)
Mom - Sirf jaali waala band karna. Garmi hai.
(Only latch the mesh door. Its hot)

Its completely dark. No one has bothered to light a candle.
I try to avoid all the shoes and then inevitably stumble down.
I land on my knees and I hear a hisssssssssssssss.

What? Where? What was that sound?
I look up. Towards the door.
Outside I see nothing, its all dark.

The spray, the white spray.
I see the white spray, accompanied by the hissing sound.
Someone is spraying something, next to the door.
I can only see the spray coming in.

I panic, try to get up.
By the time I reach the door, I am totally drowsy.
Oh shit, this can't be happening.
This is one of those ppl who put people to sleep and rob them.

Shit. I try to grab the main door.
My fingers slip from the handle.
I try again. Able to move the door.
Bang. The door gets closed. I latch it hurriedly.

I fall down. Land up on the floor with my back to the door.
Sitting down, head swimming.
I try to yell. Only a whisper comes out.
Me - Mom, darwaze band kar do saare, kissi ne spray kiya hai.
(Mom, close all the doors. Someone has sprayed something)

I pass out...








And then I wake up. Drenched in sweat.
Certainly not a pleasant dream, I think.