TABLET TRIBULATIONS
Tick tock, tick, tock…. Time was ticking away, louder than ever.. I stared at my left hand and then at my right, back and forth, back and forth, as though I was in the process of getting hypnotized by the hypnotizer’s magic charm. I stared down at both my hands long and hard. I shuddered when I saw that nasty, red, oblong monster staring right back at me- it was blood red and did little to nullify the mounting trepidation and misgivings that had been gnawing my insides for the last three quarters of an hour. Every time my hand went towards my mouth, my mind did not cooperate and every time my mind cooperated, my hands did not.

My mind kept telling me ‘’consume that red monster and end it all. It is the quickest way to end that unpleasant thing that has caused your throat to become parched, your head to make you feel as though a few hundred men are hammering away its insides, the only way to stop your eyes from burning as though on fire, the only way to end all the pain and torment.’’ Even as my mind instructed me in almost firm, sergeant like tones, my hand simply would not oblige. My mouth twitched, my hands gave away and my jaw trembled violently on seeing that little red monster lying in the close of my palm, almost leering at me, as though aware of its impact on my irresolute, ever changing mind.

The last time I had been in this state, I had tried to make myself feel better, end all unpleasantries… and then, I had chickened out completely. It had become almost suicidal ; I had gagged, choked, coughed, come close to asphyxiation and then realized for a wee, microscopic moment that I was too young to suffer so much and had escaped from the suffocating clutches of the evil, red, one.

Today, it was déjà vu all over again and I was back to staring at it in reverence that can be evoked only out of sheer fright. Time was flying by. It was now or never. I had to do it at some point in the near future, which meant, pronto. So, I braved myself, told myself that I could do it, looked skywards, praying to the gods(so much for self encouragement… !!). I looked down at my hand for a final time, threw my head back, popped the little monster into my mouth, and emptied the can(yes, the huge one) of water into my mouth. I retched, I choked, but finally, …. Yesss, I had managed to defeat the enemy. I swallowed little more water (about another galleon or so) and sat down to savor my triumph over the evil one.

Ahh, the tribulations that can be caused by a common cold curing capsule, to a person who, after almost 19 years on this exalted earth, still hasn’t managed to master the art of consuming them!!!!

P.S. : I would like to thank a certain Mr.P whose narration of a particular incident inspired this article . :)