It was a crisp winter morning, fighting her way from fog and cold sharp breeze, Vijaya continued with her brisk walk while listening to Pink Floyd on her ear-pods. She is following the same route and routine for the last two decades, her dedication is inspirational for many.
It was a pleasant morning, Vijaya loves when the cold breeze touches her cheeks while running. On her third round, she spotted a tall man standing by the birch tree. Strange, no one comes to this stadium until 7 am on the cold winter days.
Moving closer to the tall figure, she slowed down a bit. The man was 6 feet or above, huge built up with attire, not from the nearby native areas. His silhouette resembled that of an Afghan or Sindh province.
What a ‘pathan’ would do here in South India, that too this early on a cold morning, she was thinking to herself. When she took a turn towards the figure, a cold wave hit her face and chest. She could feel the chill in her spine and her lips turned dry, slowly damp fog engulfed her from nowhere.
She muted the music and slowly walked towards the tall man, standing by the 200-year-old birch tree. She called out to the man thinking if he has lost his way. No answer! She decided to move a little closer and look at his face.
Swiftly she reached the tree trunk and called him again, ‘Hello! Who are you?’
Still no reply, Vijaya was apprehensive to move any closer and hence decided to check from the other side. She reluctantly moved to the side and tried to catch his glimpse. Her heart was fluttering like an anxious bird in the cage.
He was wearing a torn pathani kurta-salwar with a traditional Afghani turban, the whole place was smelling like death. Scared to move a muscle, she mustered some courage and called him again. His torso moved a bit, Vijaya was losing nerves now, she clutched her phone so hard near the chest. Suddenly a crow came falling and shrilling towards her in full force, she ducked to save the attack.
Vijaya screamed at the top of her lungs and shut her eyes so tight thinking it’s her end. A few moments later when she opened her eyes, the tall man figure was gone.
Bewildered she looked around, but it was all calm and empty. She looked at the spot where the mystery man was standing, he was gone leaving just two foot-marks.
To read the previous post from the challenge, click here.
Disclaimer
This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents in this post are either the product of the blogger’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
This post is part of Blogchatter Half Marathon Aug ’21
Featured Image – Dawn.com
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