Death Rehearsal

They were around me. Raghav rubbing my feet, Srini holding my hands and others recounting how fatal the whole situation turned out. I was gasping for breath, wincing in pain while trying to come in terms with a surreal experience I endured few moments ago.  

The river was ambling at a gentle pace for some distance before submitting itself to gravity -Bhoom-A steep fall. We chose a place where it was shored by stones. I was on my last outing with my lovely team from IBM on July 22nd of 2006. We were a bunch of brats, absolute fun loving who preferred eating and speaking only Non-Veg! Poor Shilpa Dasarakottapally was the only girl exemplifying a fleeting drizzle or may be a lonely Cactus in a barren desert. 

The river at Mekadatu, about 100 kms from Bangalore

As usual, I was sitting semi-clad, happily hurling pranks at those who were posing in water. It was all fun until that fateful moment. Jinny pulled me into water with his mighty arm around my neck and started making circles. Apparently the cheers all around pumped up his confidence and he lost focus on what lay ahead. Only I knew that I was struggling and unsuccessfully tried to free myself. Panic rushed in when I realized I could not feel the bottom of river any more. It meant I was completely depending on Jinny’s tight hold to stay afloat. It was painful but only anchor for me to stay calm. Breathing became difficult with each passing moment. By now fear took over me completely. I started holding Jinny with all my might, flapping my feet madly hoping to find some base. He thought he had control over the situation until our glued bodies started coasting towards high velocity zone of water. Expressions changed on faces which were thus far thinking it to be all fun. Smiles disappeared. Joyful screams gave way to desperate shouts.

Prahlad, the master swimmer got into action trying to hold us back. But Jinny’s enormous body plus 40% extra (that’s me) was not easy for him to handle and flaunt his heroics which he usually does. Moreover Jinny hooked to him which made him lose his control. Joe our manager joined in. Sadly, it was not the IBM office on 2^nd floor-C Wing, Prestige towers where he could strategize a project plan. It was freaking water at its diabolical best. What poor Joe could all do is volunteer himself as another ring to the drowning chain of software nerds and help a budding journalist from Bangalore with some sensational news - 'Black day in history of a 100 year old company'.

I remember shouting my voice out. Finally giving up when I completely drowned. I clenched my fingers haplessly looking for a grip, but all they could get is water slipping through. I knew I was dying. The foreplay was on - Faces of all my family members were passing through my mind like a reel.

Does it happen with everyone? It’s impossible to cross-check this fact with anyone who successfully completed this weird journey from life to death. Is it because of my voracious aptitude for fiction? I read something like this and my mind accepted it happens this way?

The pictorial reel ceded and my senses ceased to work for a good few seconds. Dumb creatures, they atleast acted so, silently enjoying the imminent freedom from a Thinking machine. But their merry was short lived. The fact that I am sharing this melancholic tale means they are still enslaved.

How did it happen?

Pure divine providence. A hand, a hand of God reached out from shore. Srinivas, true to his name, played a godly act. Joe quickly took in Srini’s hand and the human chain drifted towards the shore. Further details can only be explained by the audience who watched a high intensity drama for free. On any other day, a little more than gentle breeze would have blown Srini away, but it was truly his day, he was the hero, our savior. The hand of God saved me whilst I was staring into the eyes of death. 

Every time this thought strikes, a deadly scare makes me shudder. My feet still crave for the base they were crying for in deep water. I never get near water now. I am sure there should be some strong reason for me to see this day. I am waiting to see what mission almighty has planned to accomplish through me.

Ammi has a role in almost every post, here she comes.While returning back that night, the mobile rang.

'Kya hua?, Subah se call nai kiya kaiku?, kitha pareshan kartha tu beta. Paani mein tho nahi gaya na? Nakko bolto sunta ichh nai’, she said. 

‘Nai Ammi, mein theek hoon, badh mein call karoonga’, I said, switching off the mobile staring into the darkness.