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His hood extended from around its throat with the familiar eyespot pattern of a typical King Cobra on its back. It had flattened out its neck ribs, spreading the hood wide. Slowly coming into its attack mode, I realised. Cobras are usually shy and intelligent creatures. They tend to get in this mode when they sense that danger is near. The hunter tendency was coming out in him and right now, the girl in front was the prey. The crowd had terrified the creature but, that’s not the reason why the creature got directed at the girl. A small red drop on the fingertip of the girl, which she hasn’t noticed yet, was visible to me. Oh God, he is smelling blood. One small drop of that red liquid, all it took to become the food of this creature. Only a faint smell of it triggered such strong tendency. Everyone is scared. Nobody had the guts to go ahead and save the poor one. But, something had to be done. We can’t stand here and see the creature gulp the human. I was on that line when, some men with big sticks in their hands, started approaching behind the creature, raising it slowly so that the snake doesn’t know. They are going to kill him, out of nowhere a sudden rebellion came in my heart as they rose the sticks higher.“No” I cried “Don’t do that” “Are you crazy?” one of them, with big moustache said, as he looked at me. Looked like as if the creature had heard me because, as I cried, its hood turned to me and he shifted his position a little. Its forked tongue came out and he has raised himself to its full height. Black skin with faint pale yellow cross bands down the length of the body and smooth scales, a creature with hypnotising power. I too, was in that state, because I continued gazing in its eye, when one bite from it can kill me. Slowly, without lifting my gaze from it, I said “Try to lift it softly from its tail, through stick”“It will attack” said the girl, still sobbing “No, it won’t” I said directing her through my hands “Go, run”“What?” she asked again” I said run, he is not looking at you now and don’t forget to tie a piece of cloth to that wound of yours, everyone” I said “Please, make some space. Don’t choke it. It is afraid of us that’s it” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, the mass behind me started lessening and the spot became free at last. Still some curious glares at my back, were directed towards the creature.“Go, now” I said to the creature “No one will hurt you. Go” Some minutes of earth shattering silence, with breath hitched in my throat because any movement from my side, it will strike. I didn’t flinch my gaze and kept on staring in its eyes. Finally, giving me and my audience a huge relief, it crawled in other direction.
Until the time I made it to my house, I was completely tired with no strength to attend the evening’s event. I said this thing to mum too, to which I got this reply “Don’t be like this Ra” she gave that annoyed look to me, through the corner of her newspaper, which she was reading at the moment “Deepak has helped you so much. You should at least give him that much credit”“Yes,” I started ascending the stairs up to my room, to get ready. Both of us lived in a small house near chick chocolate shop. Like every house of hills, ours basically consisted of one barely called sitting room. One kitchen. Two rooms, single staircase and one small bathroom, if you want to call it so. It was a congested kind of place, built on such a fragile base that only a faint tremor of an earthquake is enough to bring it down in pieces. Thankfully, one never occurred here. Dad’s death had not only made us emotionally weak but, it has also made us leave our fabulous house in Dehra Dun and come here instead.With enough money in my hand, I wanted to build a safe house too, where we don’t have to live in any kind of fear. Turning on the shower, I started scrubbing myself but, the flashes of the day’s incident still fresh in my mind. The eyes of that reptile… I closed my eyes and let the water sliding down, soak me entirely. Those eyes, charming and haunting. They had held a certain magic, but a silent warning of coming danger, too.
“Rashi” Kaya, Deepak’s wife, hugged me tightly, as I entered their house. Deepak’s house was much spacey and larger than mine, decorated with pink and white balloons. I had always envied this one fact, that, he had his residence on the main mall road. The centre of the town, where every luxury and facility was available for both tourist and natives.“Happy birthday, Kaya” I said, as I hugged her back and handed over my gift to her. Dressed in my normal attire, I was shivering due to the approaching winter. Kaya, a slender, stylish woman contented from her life. Though it had been only some days of my knowing this wonderful couple, Deepak loved her enough. A bulky man with a slight tummy! but, apart from that, a gentle soul.“I was waiting for you only” she said and turned to proceed towards the table laden with her birthday cake, gifts and what not. Music played on and the cake ceremony was applauded by all. As soon as it got over, turning to me, she offered plate. “Thanks,” I said, as I took a spoon from the table.“Why don’t I introduce you to some people?” she smiled “Deepak told me about your recent rejection of job. Don’t lose your heart, honey. You will get one soon”“Thank you,” I sighed, suddenly losing the appetite for my favourite dessert. Still, not to show her, I bit into it with great enthusiasm.
The party was at its peak point, till the time people got over with music and dance. Some laughed, some giggled, and the atmosphere filled with warmth. Apart from me, everyone here knew everyone. Finished with my dinner, was having some normal apple drink, when; Deepak came beside me “Met someone?”“Some” I said “But, I am not sure, if they are the people I am searching for”“What does that mean?”“Means” I said “I have no idea, if anyone here has got a vacancy in their book shop, or beauty salon, or even their grocery shop”“Look Ra” he sounded desperate now “I have given it my best and, I am still searching, trying to get you in a comfortable job…”“D” I said “I am irritated right now. I am tired, freezing, and on top of that, feeling like a failure, not only for me but, for my mother too”He patted my shoulder as he said “We will get through, don’t worry” he went away, leaving me for a minute or two