AND then we see in the faces and figures, millions of apprehensions, clear and dark, for their souls lurk deep inside their beings, so that dusk is eternally falling within them. After a stroll back from the garden, Janet was bewildered to find her tipsy guests sitting around the party tables, all with the same faces. It was 12 o'clock in the night. “Did I get too drunk?“ she twitched her eyes as she stared at the frayed lot.
Janet silently proceeded to the living room, her heart pounding against the ribs, body tingled as though she had prickly heat. Where were her friend Eliana and her colleague, Emrick? Wasn't this supposed to be her housewarming party? She quickly slipped into the bathroom, heaved a sigh of relief when she saw her own face. She was suddenly conscious of her maid's presence and regained control of herself. “Hey, Mary. Is anything wrong with me? Why do you think everyone looks the same in the party?“ “Maybe they all are talking about the same things, ma'am,“ uttered Mary as she filled her glass of whiskey and soda.
She lit a cigarette and sat amidst people in their designer wears, driven to excitement with the fancy cocktails and starters, laughing as they exchanged tales of their friends' affairs, foreign holidays and expensive houses, all the things that take them a little ahead of each other. Strangely, no one seemed to recognise her. She felt hot with shame and misery. What snobs! She felt exhausted, sat there for hours, smoked cigarettes after cigarettes, and wished she were dead. She wanted to lift the veil from everyone's face, pry into the silken darkness of their lives and fold their hands over it.
Janet could not take it any longer and stepped out into the fresh, cool garden. As she stared at the starry sky, a great weight lifted from her mind. Maybe she needs to think only about one face and united voices of countless people and even the most mundane one, feel a breath of high song that has no equal.
Meghna Maiti
Janet silently proceeded to the living room, her heart pounding against the ribs, body tingled as though she had prickly heat. Where were her friend Eliana and her colleague, Emrick? Wasn't this supposed to be her housewarming party? She quickly slipped into the bathroom, heaved a sigh of relief when she saw her own face. She was suddenly conscious of her maid's presence and regained control of herself. “Hey, Mary. Is anything wrong with me? Why do you think everyone looks the same in the party?“ “Maybe they all are talking about the same things, ma'am,“ uttered Mary as she filled her glass of whiskey and soda.
She lit a cigarette and sat amidst people in their designer wears, driven to excitement with the fancy cocktails and starters, laughing as they exchanged tales of their friends' affairs, foreign holidays and expensive houses, all the things that take them a little ahead of each other. Strangely, no one seemed to recognise her. She felt hot with shame and misery. What snobs! She felt exhausted, sat there for hours, smoked cigarettes after cigarettes, and wished she were dead. She wanted to lift the veil from everyone's face, pry into the silken darkness of their lives and fold their hands over it.
Janet could not take it any longer and stepped out into the fresh, cool garden. As she stared at the starry sky, a great weight lifted from her mind. Maybe she needs to think only about one face and united voices of countless people and even the most mundane one, feel a breath of high song that has no equal.
Meghna Maiti
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