He slammed down the laptop screen in despair. “Can’t think of a plot, God Damn it!” The room let off a feeling of emptiness, just like the creative void buzzing in his head. He paced about the room, making slow grunts as he raced his thoughts. The obsession with writing a new short story was pounding his head hard. Something had to be done….

———————–0———————————————0————————

2 minutes. The next metro was not quite far away. Roy stood waiting at the edge of the platform, just behind the yellow line with his hands in his pockets. The commuters had started filing behind him. The metro station is always a spectacle to behold. Lots of stories unfolding in front of the world. Even though it seemed that he was nonchalant to the world around, he was very keenly taking in passing moments. Trying to register every sound, every smell, and sight. A story can pop out from anywhere, like the trail of smoke signalling the presence of humanity in the most desolated outgrowth. The eye for detail is what makes a great author. 

From the side of his vision, he noticed a small boy standing perilously close to the platform edge. He was almost ahead of the yellow warning strip. Suddenly, Roy felt the muscles in his arms twitch. A train of thought started blasting off in his head and he couldn’t control it. Before he could realize, he turned to his left and rushed towards the boy. His arms were extended in front as if to shove off the boy. Gathering all his strength, he dug his feet in deep and made himself fall on face. Thud!

Everyone at the platform was in shock at this episode that transpired within a few seconds. To any bystander, it seemed as if a puppet doll had been pulled to the left and made to fall by the puppeteer. Some bystanders rushed up to him and helped him to his feet. Thankfully, there were no cuts or bruises on his face or arms. He patted the dust off his trousers and shirts while being in a dazed state. What on earth was I going to do? For those few seconds, an external force seemed to tug at him and control his movements. He had self-consciousness, but the thoughts were not his own. Now his head felt numb and in pain at the same time. No thoughts were there. All he could do was to pass blank stares to the people and objects around him. 

All of this played out in the two minutes before the train was due to come. Finally, the metro pulled into the station and came to a smooth halt. The sound was mechanical yet haunting. He composed himself and entered the compartment. When he turned to face the platform, he saw a face. Deep scar on the right cheek, lurking at the far end, standing by a wall. The countenance made him uneasy for a reason. Ah Damn it! This is the day for strange things.”

His station was yet to come in another 20 minutes. He was killing time by mindlessly scrolling through his Instagram. The glamorous rich people and their Europe trips. He took a deep breath and rested his phone on his lap. 

The compartment was filled with quite unremarkable faces. He was glancing at them lazily. And then, the sensation was back. He felt the signal to rise up and slap the middle aged, bald guy standing in front of him. There was a motion in his legs. However, this time he was prepared. He clutched the seat on his sides forcefully and took deep breaths. NO! No , No…..

He was left gasping for breath. Something was wrong. He could not figure out why he was getting these uncontrollable impulses to do nasty things. 

And then, the train halted at the next station. The doors opened and a swarm of bodies diffused in and out of the compartment.  His eyes widened when he saw one of the new entrants. How on earth…

It was Him. He immediately noticed him sitting terrified and passed him a smirk. Roy did not know how to respond. In a moment, he knew. He signalled to an old man to take his seat and himself stood up. Roy leaned onto the mystery man’s shoulders and whispered, “I saw you on that station. What is going on?”

Hearing this, the man chuckled. “Look around carefully. And I mean CAREFULLY. Stare into the eyes of the people around you.”

Roy passed him an irritated frown and was perplexed. However, he did what he was told. And then he felt it for the first time. There was something unreal about everything and everyone around him. He felt a distinct coldness that shrouded him and separated him from the people around him. As he continued to lock sight with one of the passengers, he noticed that the man was not responding to him at all. Rather, the eyes contained a void that made it seem as if a cardboard cut-out was standing in front of him. Roy started feeling uneasy and turned back to the mystery guy. He rested a questioning look at him and the man understood. “Well, Roy…..”

————0———————————————–0———————————

“Ay, what happened to your face, Cilian ?” 

He was meeting his school buddy Denver after a considerable period of time. They had been the best friends in school, but then higher studies forked off their paths. That, however, had not diluted the love they had for each other, Whenever they met for their once-every-three months hangout, it was as if life resumed from their last get together. And Denver was one of his friends who was in awe of his creativity and always eager to know his friend’s latest fictional exploits. 

Cilian frowned and touched the scar on his cheek. He  chuckled a little bit and continued. “Just a small injury, it’s pretty much healed now. Now listen.” He was shifting in his seat out of excitedness. He leaned forward and started in a mocking, mysterious tone. “You know what Denver, yesterday I was honestly mad over myself for not getting a plot. And then, it happened! A very cliche idea I must say.  Ever seen those cute puppet shows, artists managing the fate of puppets with their fingers?” 

…

Kartik Sharma is an undergraduate student at the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru. His firmament is dotted with good books, classical music, and films.