19.9.12

The sound of running water

In my building, the apartments are such that the kitchens share a wall. So, when my neighbor cooks, I'd know, with all the clanging and banging and the whistles from the pressure cooker. It was reassuring, somehow. Or at least that's what I expected her to feel, when she heard my vessels clang and bang and the mixie whizz at, umm.....unconventional cooking hours (K & I are both midnight snack lovers!)

But my neighbors moved out about a month ago. So, I don't hear any anymore Bengali through the brick walls. There's no constant, rhythmic thud, from a pre-teen practicing basket ball at home. And of course, there's no clang and bang and no smell of food cooking in the Bengali favorite mustard oil.

A couple of days after they'd left, one afternoon, I heard the tap from something I imagined to be a bubble top water storage open and close. I thought, 'Hmm..there are new people here already? How come I never heard them move in?' I soon forgot about it.

The next day, I heard the same sound, again. It was like someone opened the bubble top and were filling a bottle with water. I was in the kitchen, so I came out to see if K was using our bubble top. Nope. So immediately I opened my door to check if my neighbor's door was locked. It was. From outside. A small shiver of fright ran criss cross inside me. Asking God to help me control my high flying imagination, I went about my day.

But this sound of water wouldn't leave me alone. Seriously, whenever I was by myself, I'd hear this sound. What is supposed to be calming (the sound of running water) suddenly started scaring me. I thought, gulp, I was hearing things. And things were making themselves heard only to me.

One afternoon however, while K and I were having lunch, I heard my ghost sound. This time, K reacted and was looking around for the source of it. Can I tell you, I was so relieved that I wasn't the only one hearing these sounds. We tried to figure out the source, and before he left for work, he managed to whisper "maybe there's a ghost here" and bid goodbye, chuckling naughtily.

By now, I was pretty distraught at hearing these mysterious sounds. Why running water? Why at only certain times? Why not at night? Why does the source of sound seem to come from different directions everyday? Are there invisible people living next door? Or are there invisible people living in-door? Maybe there's a time dimension oddity and there are two families living in the same house and I can hear them, but they can't hear me. Maybe the audio will turn visual one day and I'll be able to live in my dimension, but also witness a different dimension.

It was confusing and scary and weird. So, I did what any normal person would do. Watched T.V. In HD. So good.

It was while I was watching T.V, that I heard the sound again. This time it was very soft. And 'EEEEEEE' very close. I investigated around the sofa like a hound. Only I used my ears instead of my muzzle.

And I found it. The source of my distress and mystery and fear and palpitation for the past week.

Drumroll.

 It.....was........my.......phone.

Sheesh.

It was then that I remembered that a week ago, I had downloaded an app to remind me to drink water every few hours. And it had been dutifully doing so. At regular intervals, with the sound of running water.

To say that I was relieved would be an understatement.

Imagination....thou art an fickle friend. 

6 comments:

Vadapoche said...

LOL!!!!Missed your blog for awhile.

Hi. I have nominated you for a blog award. http://vada-poche.blogspot.in/2013/02/a-blog-award.html

G's world said...

Congrats you have been nominated for the Liebster blog award! Please click the link below and comply with the rules in order to acknowledge! Cheers! :)

http://gayathreeganesan.blogspot.in/2013/03/the-liebster-blog-award-is-mine.html

Divia said...

Ashika you are a great story teller!

'Stung by the splendor of a sudden thought!' said...

ROTFL!!!!.....Chance'se illa Ash!.....what do we do with you and your imagination!

Ashika said...

Hehehehe!! What do 'I' do with my imagination Daffo?!

Ashika said...

@Clement

Hey, thanks Clem!

@Gayathree

Thanks G!

@Divs

That means a lot to me, Divsu!

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