Reflection of A Man

By Aayushmaan Malviya

Morning began with a calamity striking my family, my grandchild was found dead. Looking past the jalousie, I saw a reflection, a man, standing in the middle of rain, blood strewn over his shirt, eyes so lifeless, even the grim would think twice. He turned and 

grinned loudly at me.

Dear Diary,

The day was Saturday, just a normal outing for a middle aged man in the office. I was exhausted as I walked through the footpath. Something caught my eyes, after a rough day at work, a coffe would do great, I dived into my wallet, I searched every nook and cranny, it was as empty as my luck. But these thoughts drastically hit the skids as the gate opened and a magical fragrance lured me in. My luck, which I was short on, shined, they gave a special offer. 'Whoever completes our special escape room challenge earns a lifetime of coffee.' My shoulders broadened and a sense of zeal rushed past my soul as I strided towards it, two men wekcomed me with open arms, "You are the first one to try this challenge, other bailed out." I was astonished as I felt pride dashing in my nerves. I walked in and the door closed. The hunt began, the clues were quite easy to find, the time period alloted was 6 hours, but I was done in one. A bed was the most vivid memory of that day, I thought "Why not pass out for sometime?" So I went ahead and dozed off. After few hours, I awakened myself to the most comfortable and tranquilizing win. I went out, got my coffee, drank it with a smirk of valour. I entered as a hopeless man driven by his stomach, but I walked out a free man, but the excessive downpour ruined my mood, I decided to dash home, but it seemed like the universe wanted me to be late, which I already was. The red light summoned the pedestrians, although it was just me and this another kid. I stood right there impatiently waiting for the green light, and I think that kid was as frustrated as I was, there was an opening, a huge gap between two vehicles. I waited, but he dashed into the road, I was incarcerated by my own possessions to be actually monitoring a kid on the loose in the middle of a red-lighted street. I didn't care until I did, it was the most regretful moment of my life as the streets donned red, I rushed to the kid, I was entirely oblivious of my vicinity, my eyes were fixated upon that kid and his blood washing down with the rain, he had so much interest in talking to me back then back then, but now that I am replying, he has held a grudge. The driver rushed past to avoid any conflicts. My instincts kicked in as I picked him up and ran to the nearest hospital, I was trying to make him talk, but he just won't answer. My feet tripped and I fell, crashing my head into the pole, with my vision and conscious whirling out insidiously. I was down sobbing as I was constantly apologizing a to that kid, whose life I could have saved, I felt like I had a connection with him. It felt like a part of me went to hell as that child climbed the stairs of heaven. After hours, I got up, the rain I would never forget, still poured, spreading the blood of that kid on my shirt. I stood up and started walking, leaving the corpse behind, my minf thinking of everything and nothing at the same time as I walked past the bloodshe, I went ahead and just paused at one point of time, I turned and saw an old man staring at me through the jalousie from the cafe, it felt like he had seen the grim, that gave me a chuckle for once.

By Aayushmaan Malviya