THE CROW FEAR

The Crow Fear - Thabarak Rahman Saahini

When I opened my eyes, I saw my wife and son, helping me to be seated in the car. Right now, I have started to fear the evenings of the city. But, I was thinking, are the ripples of the fear only my illusion? When I look outside, yes, even in the half-conscious state, I can see the same fear on everyone's face.

I tried to touch the wound of my head, again the severe pain ...... I am a common man in this city. First, they beat me, and then they apologized. Again, I say to you, I am neither a gang leader nor a local politician. I am a reputed schoolmaster. Somewhere in this city, there is someone with my face... Sometimes, he may be a criminal or an innocent man.

My throat was dry. I felt the bitterness, I don't know how to say it to you. In the city, there is a narrow line between life and death, it's the only reality. You may say, that its a lie. But that's not at all a lie, but that is my hard experience.

Now, I am trying to forget those terrible moments of the last night. Who is the man they are searching for? He has a family there? His family, maybe waiting for his body in the mortuary of the city medical college...Now I want to sleep. But sleep has distanced me from the last night like a mirage.

Please, will you stop the song? I screamed. The driver has stopped the song. Shameema looked at me with fear. My son suddenly turned and looked at me with his half-sleeping eyes.

Now the phone is switched off. I almost reached him, but I was trapped. Anyway, I will find him. But now, my wife diverts me to home. yesterday, today or tomorrow, someone like me would be murdered in the dark corner of the city. Sometimes he may be an innocent person, or for solving a fault again doing that same fault. Is it correct? This new tragedy in my life is not an unexpected one, it was clouding somewhere already a few years ago and has now started to move against me, like a poisonous serpent.

The car is almost speeding. When I looked outside, I felt, the city has been transformed into a dense forest, and all buildings are changing like wild animals. I put my head in Shameema's lap, and when my face has touched her abdomen, I felt like I found my real roots.

She kissed on my forehead, "No one from my family has gone to the police station or court yet, you have a family and a child, do you remember that?

Shameema murmured.

'My dear Shameema, I am not a criminal. I am just a victim, please don't speak like this'.

'Are you still following him? Oh! I can't imagine that moment. You were lying on the street with major wounds.' 'Right now, you should forget your friend, that wretched fellow. Even now, are you in reverie? Please, do not allow his memories overrule your life.' 'If you do all as you wish, you must forget me.'

When she told this, there was a painful request in her eyes.

Don't you know? He is my friend, since my childhood.' I can't avoid the green memories of him. Without those memories, my life is incomplete.

'Are you still being like a flying kite? Anytime you must come back to the earth. I hate schoolmasters and writers'.

Sometimes, she speaks like a philosopher beyond my calculations. Sometimes I think, I didn't try to understand her likes and dislikes. I saw, the reddish color alloying her face. There were beautiful small earrings on her ears. That added beauty to her face. I like this, that was my present for our first wedding anniversary. 'I am a writer and school Master. I can't win the hearts of my students, without any motivating words. Such words can create courage in the wings of their expectations.'

'However, if you don't come back from your imaginary world, I will refuse your food. I say to you as a wife, you don't forget that.' Shameema again murmured.