THE ALLEY OF DESIRE

The skies were twinkling with a few stars, the moon appeared bright and huge, it probably was a Super Moon that night but Raj wouldn’t know as he had lost track of days since a while. Raj stopped suddenly near a filthy dumpster as he saw someone lurking around the dark corner of the alley. For a large man he was, Raj feared confrontations - he couldn’t throw a punch to save his own life. So the mere thought of having to face a possible mugger froze him in his tracks. Raj has always been like this, probably because of the vile memory from his childhood. He was beaten by a couple of bullies when he was 10 in a similar alley who sought his toy car. That day left a scar on his mind and a fear for life.

Raj was 23 now and not even a mugger would dare confront a muscular guy like him, but his past still makes him anxious. On seeing the man, like a kid, Raj panicked and hid behind a cage door which stood near the wall. The figure he saw in the dark started walking towards him. As the petite looking man approached closer, multiple thoughts ran through Raj’s head. Raj thought of arming himself with a metal appliance on the ground near him, but he wouldn’t hurt a fly for crying out loud, what would he do with a weapon?

That man halted near Raj. He had a mask on his face. Turning his back towards Raj he said, ”just pretend I’m not talking to you, do not say a word! I had to trick the policemen guarding the bylane next to this one to reach here.” Raj got more anxious with every word that man spoke, his mind was about to explode with the thoughts of what was going to happen. That man kept a small packet aboard the cage on a barrel and walked away in the darkness. At that very moment, Raj’s phone rung, startling him as if he was committing a crime. He turned it off, grabbed the package and ran in the same direction he came from.

It was the 50th day of Lockdown, Raj had just got someone to smuggle a packet of cheese which he had desired from day 1.