Relapse

“Stop. I can’t bear it anymore. I’m gonna fall. Move in. Please, stop pushing,” a man yelled at the top of his voice. He stood at the door and addressed no one in particular. I wondered what was wrong with him. The man suddenly collapsed on the floor as if hit on the chest by some force. I moved near to help him. He wouldn’t stir. I wondered if he was dead. He couldn’t be. Loud voices were coming from elsewhere. I got up and started walking towards the voices. A group of men stood in the center of another room. The mood was angry-inexplicably so. They thought someone had stolen their hard earned money. They were sure they had been duped.

“I want my money back,” one screamed.

“Me too. I trusted them. I gave it to them,” another joined in.

Then all hell broke loose. Everyone was fuming. They wanted their money-hook or crook. I wondered what this place was. Had the world gone insane? Was humanity falling apart?

A hand grabbed me by my neck.

“Are you God?” He had kept a knife on my neck. I looked into his eyes and I knew I would soon be dead. No voice came out. I barely managed to shake my head. He left me and caught another man’s neck instead. Only this time he slit it and laughed as blood gushed out. By then I was paranoid. People here would kill me for no reason whatsoever. I sank to my knees. I didn’t want to see anyone else.

Suddenly, out of nowhere a mob emerged. They lifted me to my feet.

Their question was fairly simple. “Hindu ya Muslim?”

Then one of them pointed at my beard. “Muslim, Muslim,” he cried.

They circled me. I was like a sitting duck. Before I could say something blows fell on me. I couldn’t see anything. I put my arms on my head and fell on the ground. They were relentless. Some kicked, some yelled abuses. There was blood on the ground-it was mine. I couldn’t breathe. I was going to die. Surely this was my end. I gasped for breath.

I found myself sitting on my bed and yelling as loud as I could. Sweat poured from my body. My eyes were open and yet all I could see was an uncomfortable blackness. All I could hear was my own voice. I was alone. I heard my door open. Lights were switched on and two men in similar white clothes walked in. I yelled harder. They would kill me. I knew it.

“Shut him up,” one of them said “or he’ll wake up the others.”

“What does it take to have a peaceful night around here?” the second one said looking at me in disgust.

In a few minutes I felt at ease. My head felt lighter. The lights were switched off again. Silence returned. I slept peacefully- until the next day.