The
night was unusually cold and gloomy. I was sitting on the back seat of my 19
days old maruti alto which was gliding past the relatively thin traffic. I
could feel the chill of the breeze slowly going down my spine
as it was flowing through my perfectly
set hair . A sweet voice asked me to close the slightly open window and I
complied. It was a short journey and we finally reached the destination well
before expected. The door sprung open with the slightest of my efforts as if I
have always known telekinesis. I stepped out of the car. It was dark and foggy
as the hour hand might just have swung past the niner. I was not confused but
couldn’t figure out if I was elated or desolate. It felt like I could sense the dementors in proximity. I looked at the
old building standing barely 100 feet from me. I was expecting a déjà vu here but I could hardly recognize this place. There sat an old man at the entrance stooping
over fire and covered in woolen clothes from scalp to toe trying desperately to balance between keeping himself warm and not catching fire. We walked past him and
went up the stairs to the first floor. Each
one of us was holding a bag or something in our stiff hands. We went straight
for the room for which I already had the key. Just a few steps across the empty
corridor and we were facing the grayish blue door. It was room no. 94 but it
was not supposed to be open. I was holding the key anxiously but there was
nothing to unlock. We exchanged a vacant
stare each and then I knocked the door hesitantly
still holding the key in my hand. There was no reply...I waited and knocked
again. A young man answered this time...”kaun
hai be”. I ignored the carelessly demotic tone and answered...’its me , Amit’. A decent looking young boy opened the door,
greeted us all and invited inside. I inspected the room from outside the door and
the stepped inside careful enough to put the right foot first. The moment I
invaded the young boy’s habitat I knew something was not right. I took a step
further anyway...but as I ventured deeper into his abode I felt a strong force against
my nares as if I was being smothered. I could sense the choking but seemed
helpless as if someone has sucked all the oxygen out of the room
instantaneously. I could feel my nasal hairs burning with the intense noxious
smell creeping up my nose. I was trying to hold onto anything I could reach and
fight the vigorous desire to stop
breathing and drop dead when I noticed
the bare feet of the supposedly innocent boy who turned out to be the daemon
here. His feet were still wet with sweat and the soggy socks and shoes unarguably
dipped in basilisk venom were lying just 5 feet away. I gathered my senses and
ran for the balcony door and rushed it open. The next moment I was literally
hanging from the dilapidated railings for a breath or two. A gush of fresh air
felt like a stroll in the heaven itself. After resuscitating myself, I came
back for my parents and was relieved to see they were all coming to senses. We were
saved this time with what could only be described as divine intervention and It
was only surprising how a manageable event like shifting into my very first hostel room during first
year of my MBBS turned into an ordeal. Only god knows what I went through or
may be ‘My Nose Knows’...
I
am sharing my odor story for the ‘My Nose Knows’ contest as a part of the #SniffSniff activity
at BlogAdda.
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