The 13-year-old girl was home alone on a balmy afternoon. She was back from school, and her mother had to step out to buy some fresh vegetables. She was fine with that. She was just going to sit and read a book. As it is, she hated putting down murder mysteries. She was reluctant to stop reading at a riveting juncture the previous night. A cat and mouse chase was on between the heroine and the killer. The killer who seemed to be a step ahead of her, but she somehow managed to escape every single time. Add to that the suspense that was building around her best friend who she seemed to be falling for but who was non-committal this far.
Suddenly, she was snapped out of her reverie by a noise. She was pretty sure that her mother was not yet back, and no one else was expected for some time. She brushed it aside and went back to the book. No, there was that sound again. Something had fallen. She stepped out of her tiny room, and her eyes immediately went to the kitchen counter. She saw that a couple of jars had fallen out. Muttering, she went ahead to put them back and then a piercing cry escaped her mouth when she saw him. He was large with bloodshot eyes, and he pounced on her. She ran out letting out a bloodcurling scream. She found her feet and quickly trapped him inside the kitchen, as she locked the door from outside.
She was praying that her mother would return soon when she heard the key turn in the lock. Her mother was just entering with a brimming vegetable basket. Seeing her stricken expression, the mother rushed to her. She told her what had transpired. Her mother gave her a big smile and an exasperated look. She then looked about and found a big rod. Together they opened the kitchen door while she crouched behind her mother. Mother just rushed in and chased him as he hid behind the gas cylinder. Within a few minutes and with some firm hits with the rod, he was dead – the big black rat. The young girl was me. I had a big fear of rats and reptiles.
Then mother made me take the carcass of the dead rat in a plastic cover to throw in the bin. She asked me to stare at his tiny form for a minute. And then she told me that the next time it will be my turn to kill it. I pleaded with her to no avail. A few days later it was my turn. I was mortified. My legs froze; my heart beat crazily, but my mother would not relent. I risked fainting and having a heart attack, but I had to do it. So armed with a broom and a spray, I launched myself at the vicious intruder. And I succeeded in annihilating it. Yes, I faced my fear that day. Never again have I feared that crazy intruder again.
That is how I got rid of the biggest fear of my life. I still squirm around rats but I don’t fear them anyone. I can also expertly demolish cockroaches. As a matter of fact, I don’t fear reptiles either though I find them icky.
Do you also have fear of wriggly creatures? What fears have you conquered?
Watch this interesting film from MountainDew that will inspire you to conquer all fears! Kyunki darr ke aage jeet hai!
Bravo, Rachna. You wrote a mini mystery yourself in this post.
And yes, fear is the greatest inhibitor of nearly everything.
Thank you, Susan. 🙂 So nice to see you here.
You made me breathless for a moment. Thank God, it was just the rat. 🙂
Thank heavens that it was just a rat. 🙂
What now? Fiction? Writers like me are threatened. Must come up with something interesting soon 😛
Nicely done, Rachna
Hahaha Sid. You must be joking. I just tried something new. 🙂 Thanks for reading!
“I risked fainting and having a heart attack, but I had to do it.” Great way to say that we have to conquer our fears one way or another. An enjoyable thriller, Rachna 🙂
Thanks, Beloo. 🙂
Interesting.
Seriously,you should prepare a complete story board and sell it some filmmaker
Haha Chowlaji! Thanks!
ok. you are very brave!
Rats, rodents, lizards – all give me the creeps!!
They are icky!
Nice suspense! As the saying in Hindi goes, ‘Khoda pahad nikla chooha’ ! Literally, it was a rat that scared:)
hahahah What an apt saying, Rahul!
Interesting thought. I realised that I had started fearing heights after that fateful incident in Hogennakal falls where I was trying to climb the fall, slipped and fell into the pool. Later on, I tried bungie jumping just to ostracise the fear of heights.
Wow! I still have fear of heights. Don’t know if I will ever be able to try bungee jumping.
I remember the time a bat entered our house and I was at the gym. My daughter refused to open the door because she’d locked herself in the room. I had to ask friends how to get that creature out and I did!
When you have only yourself to rely on, fear is not an option anymore.
Gosh! It is scary. It really is. Once there was a snake in our house, actually very recently. It had somehow climbed in from the terrace garden and was on the steps. I have never heard my son, Gautam, shriek in that tone. My elder son and I rushed upstairs and saw him rooted to a spot trembling. I quickly took him downstairs. He pointed to a cardboard box upstairs where he said he saw the snake slither in. I did not investigate. I don’t know how to catch a snake. Luckily, Gurdev was home.He used a rod to tease the fellow into a plastic bag. There WAS a snake. It was short. Later, it was released by the security somewhere far. We didn’t want it killed. That incident gives me the shivers.
You are absolutely right! When no one else is around, you have to do what you have to do.
I feared cockroaches too. But, now no more! Though I still feel they are pests! 🙂
Glad your mom made you overcome your fear, Rachna 🙂
I think I never feared cockroaches. Small mercies. 🙂 Yes, God bless her.
Hehehe….I am not so scared of cockroaches but I hate reptiles. I don’t know why. Lizards are the worst or even rats or even snakes. I have fear of heights which I haven’t conquered and no plans either 😛 The last fear I came across is driving highways 🙂
Yeah, reptiles are the scariest. I am still very scared of snakes. I too have fear of heights and I am not into adventure sports at all. Okay, driving on freeways is no fear for me. I remember initially when I used to drive on US freeways, it used to scare me all those large trucks. Here, I hate driving on highways without medians. You know how rash the driving of buses and trucks are hence I prefer the hubby to drive in those stretches.
I’m scared of snakes after I saw one in a temple. But I loved the thought behind this post. Facing our fears is the only way to ensure the fear goes away 🙂
I have seen many snakes. We get a few in our layout every monsoon. Luckily, most of them are harmless, not the venomous kinds but I wouldn’t want to have anything to do with them.
Nice story. I used to fear spiders a lot when I was kid. Then I befriended them by feeding them dead mosquioes and stuff. I still feel a chill though when I see the huge ones in Kerala and all.
Wow! For some strange reason, I have never been scared of spiders except the tarantulas. I saw one in Coorg and one recently in Kerala. It was monstrous.
Nice one Rachna ! Different from your usual style. I must say I didn’t expect a rat 🙂
Yes, tried a different style. 🙂 Thanks for reading, Asha!
Nice one Rachna!! A mystery of your own. 🙂 I too am scared of rats. 🙂
Yes, they are quite horrid, aren’t they? 🙂 Thanks for reading.
Very interesting depiction of how you overcame the fear of rats .I loved your new style of story telling. I am mortally afraid of lizards.
Thank you, Ushaji. I am very scared of snakes.
I used to be scared of driving. It took me a while to get a car out alone but I conquered that fear by driving, driving and driving. Now, it’s become a part of me. I think fear vanishes when we face it headlong until we master. I think fears exist to be mastered. Thanks for sharing.