The LED panel read 10….The fan whirred noisily in the roof…TING…11…
She had to bend to pick the phone and then it happened. THUMP. Something bulky landed on the roof. It was heavy enough to shake the elevator. Her throat dried up. Her brows knitted in fear and concentration. The mass which landed on the roof struggled a bit. Its cry muffled and its body helpless. Kaajal reached for her gun. The movement stopped. The .45 ACP clicked and cackled in the eerie silence. The roof panel started turning red. Blood dripped from the crack and landed on her shoes. Strength replaced fear and she was ready to take it down. As the beast plunged into the shaft, the metal box thundered. She could feel death running towards her. She fixed her eyes on the roof in concentration and courage. To strike sharp and strike correct.
The elevator lifted up in the shaft. The attempt was deliberate
and slow. Time was ticking away. Kaajal fussed with the collar of her business
suit. She twirled her hair like a nervous woman. Her long fingers were slightly
trembling. It was 1 in the morning. Her
only companion was the noisy fan. It gushed in hot air into the elevator. The
sweating made her more claustrophobic.
Her Blackberry beeped. One new BBM. “Kaajal, Please pick up the
call.” A drop of sweat rolled down from
her brow. “Not now Ayaan. Not now”. The elevator shuddered near the 13th floor.Then it came to a jolting halt. The fan broke down. She steadied herself, dropping the files and papers from the meeting. Her clammy palms left marks on the steel walls.She looked around. There was no sound, no scratching of metal. None at all.She had to bend to pick the phone and then it happened. THUMP. Something bulky landed on the roof. It was heavy enough to shake the elevator. Her throat dried up. Her brows knitted in fear and concentration. The mass which landed on the roof struggled a bit. Its cry muffled and its body helpless. Kaajal reached for her gun. The movement stopped. The .45 ACP clicked and cackled in the eerie silence. The roof panel started turning red. Blood dripped from the crack and landed on her shoes. Strength replaced fear and she was ready to take it down. As the beast plunged into the shaft, the metal box thundered. She could feel death running towards her. She fixed her eyes on the roof in concentration and courage. To strike sharp and strike correct.
“Kaajal!! Kaajal from section C.” The announcement got her back to reality. She
stood up to acknowledge the achievement. The entire room resonated in applause.
The claps were for her so she humbly smiled. In their world she was a survivor,
in her dream she was about to die.
