Imagaria

Imagaria

PART 1

“Chocolate.”

The colour of her eyes is melted, gooey, dairy milk chocolate, which sticks to my fingers as I pry it from the foil wrap. Most would say brown, but for me, Pari’s eyes are….. chocolate. I have known those eyes when they were crinkly five year old and I have seen them grow up to steal a million hearts. I have seen them light up with laughter and I have seen them flash with anger. Pari’s eyes are her best feature, her tiny pixie like nose, a bit upturned and her rosebud mouth, completes my world.

I clutch my head in frustration. What the hell am I doing ? She is not mine. Never was. What am I doing sitting here in this restaurant alone, staring at Pari ? She, who is oblivious to me. She, whose heart would break if she knew I was here, looking at her.

My heart constricts, as if in physical pain as she turns her chocolate eyes towards Samar. Eyes, which today, are radiating love.

I have known Paridhi since forever.  We are immediate neighbours and have been to the same playschool, school and college. I have played as much doll house with her as she has cycled around with me. I have seen her fall in and out of love and she has hidden my ciggies from my mom. For her, I am her constant. For me, she is my world.

I have lived in perpetual hope. Still do. That one day, Pari would give up her experiments in love. That one day, I would have the courage to rock the boat. That one day….she would notice that my eyes are brown too.

Pari has become an obsession with me since Samar has entered her life. The suave, dashing Samar, with his MBBS degree and eloquent oratory skills. I could literally see Pari fall head over heels. Sadly, I could also see Samar fall for her. How can I stop the tide ? How can I change the course of events ? It’s led me to this sorry state where I have taken to stalking her every move. I loathe myself for this behaviour. My subconscious  refuses to talk to me. I am moving as if pulled by an invisible black force into a black hole of my making.

Pari gets up slowly, elegantly. Everything about her is elegant. Her pearl white dress, minimalistic accessorization….grace and elegance in each movement of her body. Pari gets up and starts moving my way. She hasn’t seen me yet. It would be disastrous if she did. I can’t tear my eyes from her yet I need a quick exit. I signal the boy,  “ Can you direct me to the restroom?” “ It’s straight down the corridor to the left sir.” He replies with a polite smile. I make my exit just before Pari’s chocolate eyes land on my vacated seat.

In the washroom I sit down on one small bench kept near the door. My head falls into my hands. Despair washes over me. What am I doing ? I need to speak to Pari. I have to tell her. It’s either this way or that. Rage replaces despair. If there was one thing I could do without fear of discovery, it would be to get rid of Samar. Wishes…the bubbles surround me…bursting slowly, one by one.

I get up to splash some water on my hot face. The water is cool, washing away some gloom. I raise my eyes to the mirror, and there is a different face staring at me from it !!! 

The scream in my mind doesn’t reach my lips before I pass out……

PART 2

I have woken up. It’s just too bright. I close my eyes again. Slowly prying them open one by one. Where am I? Am I alive ? Am I dead ? Is this what afterlife feels like? It’s white and yellow around me. Light and light and more light everywhere. I get up slowly. My body seems fine, just a little lighter maybe ? Where am I ? What is this place ?

I can see someone coming towards me ? He is walking or gliding ? and why is he glowing ? Is this indeed heaven? Can a person die by a Ghost and land up in heaven ? The feeling of panic mixed with incredulity seeps into me.

The gliding fellow comes closer. He seems like a regular college kid up close. “ Whassup mate ?” his question surprises me , yet puts me at ease. “ You a newbie ?”

“ I guess so.” I proffer. “What is this place ? Am I dead ?”

“Nah ! not so soon…but  you are stuck though.” He scratches his oddly glowing head. “ This is Imagaria, matey. You are in a world behind the mirror.”

“WHAT ???” My pitch rises . “ Don’t bullshit me kid. This is no magic land!”

“ No it isn’t, sweets. It’s pure, random bad luck. We are super unlucky to have landed in front of a mirror during a flicking.”

“ What’s a flicking ?” I am slowly drawn into this absurdity, which is my life right now.

“ Flicking is a prearranged, time in front of  mirror at which the person outside gets switched with the person inside. It’s the only way you can enter or leave Imagaria. The mirror and the time are absolutely random…so you could land up in a different continent altogether ! Or, you could land up back in your room. Like I said, It’s a matter of pure, random , chance.”

“And how do I arrange this flicking ? Can I even do that ? Or it happens on its own?” the absurdity has given way to incredulous acceptance.

“ Ahhhhh ! for that you need Harry, matey! I can get you there. I am Rob by the way…been here a while. No plans to leave yet. I can help you though. Follow me around slowly. Just be careful to remain with the light rays….you are an image now !”

“ Image ? like a real, erect, virtual, inverted sort ?”

“Yup. Seems like you got your physics right ! To Harry’s then ?”

I follow Rob down long rays of light. Keeping in mind not to stray away from the rays. I see more and more images around. Kids, old men, women, girls, all gliding around. Some together, some disjointed.

“Here we are matey. Harry is to be found at the intersection of this ray.” Rob glides away jerking his head towards me once.

I continue along the ray, till I spot someone ahead. It’s a girl. Bright, iridescent, all colours of the spectrum in her dress. Every possible metallic hue on her body. She is dressed very oddly in pyjamas and a short colourful blouse. Every odd accessory possible is adorning her.

“Where can I find Harry?”

“And who may you be?” She asks in the sweetest voice.

“I am Abhy. I am new to Imagaria” She is too dazzling for me to look continuously at her.

“Abhy, Welcome! I am Harry. Harry Potter.”

“WHAT ? Are you serious ? What rubbish is this man ?” I cannot understand the frustrated giggle which is escaping fro me.

“Yeah. I Didn’t like my name…so decided to take on Harry Potter instead when I landed here. Have always liked the bloke.” She matches my giggles. “You seem interesting Abhy. Never felt my heart flutter before. Can you feel the flutter too?”

Whoa ! that’s a bit too strong. Is she kidding? Making fun of my ‘newbie’ status ? Or is there a genuine twinkle in her eyes?

What am I doing? I need to find a way out of this place. Not go wondering about the fluttering of the heart of girls who call themselves Harry Potter.

“I need to get back out , Harry. You’ve got to help me. .”

“I can and I will. It may take a couple of years though. You will need to collect enough photons to buy the ticket to the lit fest. Then too you must be really lucky to have your name lit up in the randomizer.”

“You mean to say, I am stuck here for years…and the way out is a matter of random chance?” I am delirious by now.

“That would be a fair assessment.” Harry Potter gives me her sweetest smile

PART 3

Harry is lying by my side. We are carefully poised at the intersection of four light rays, which allow us to be together. Harry has followed me around like a besotted pup for a while now. She never wants to go back out. She is happy here. She helps people collect floating photons. Enrols them for the lit fest. Claps the hardest when their names shine in the randomizer, then helps them find the right spot for flicking. She also helps the images avoid the tongs. The vicious images who snatch away people from the flicking spots to put their people in.

It’s a strange tranquil world. There is nothing to do but float around in hope that there would be a flicking chance soon enough.

I lay thinking of Pari. Has she missed me all these days ? Is Samar still around? Is she still thinking of me…or is it out of sight, out of mind.

“Abhy ? You know how I never want to leave this place right ?” Harry asks.

“Hmmmm. So?” I am distracted

“You know, with the years of helping I have done, I can leave whenever I want , without the Randomizer lighting my name.”

“Really? This is news to me Harry.” I am interested now. “ So, why don’t you?”

“Never found a reason to go back. But if you agree to flick with me together, maybe I can think of it….” Harry is soft, hesistant in her request.

I see her sincerity. It scares me. It baffles me. I have grown to be fond of this oddly kind girl. Do I really matter so much to her ? Can I give her back what she is offering to me?

I search within myself. Self doubt rears its head, I crush it. The devotion I see in Harry is beyond what I have felt from anyone in my life. I am sure I can give it a try. Maybe this is what destiny has in store for me.

I say yes.

The light in Harry’s eyes are brighter than the rays surrounding us.

We run hand in hand to a premarked flicking spot for Harry. She is happy, incandescent, iridescent in her beauty. 

We wait by the mirror. Someone is approaching…

I observe him carefully as he walks to the door. I know that time is running out yet I suppress the urge to check my watch. I take a deep breath and start counting in reverse under my breath. "Ten, nine, eight, seven..."

He looks into the mirror…It is SAMAR…………………..