The Hall

The eighty-eight crystal pieces beamed together in concurrent circles, hanging from high-rise ceiling. Fine threads of colour inter-woven in intricate and appealing ways decorated the edges and bordered the top. In a mysterious way the small opening at the apex - allowed the rays to reflect from the crystal onto the many glass lamps positioned in the hall-way. Orange, yellow, and maroon chimneys of the lamps resting on the silver metallic body guarded the flame and casted coloured shadows onto the opaque floor. The faint fading colours from the chimneys blend into many shades, giving a life-like appearance to the immovable objects. The dark-red bordered silk cloth innocently paved the way for the calligraphic verses from a hymn on an off-white base, framed in glass, adorned the right wall. There I was sitting alone on a yellow teak-wood cushioned couch in this enchanted hall. Beside me, there was a large porcelain vase with blossoms of blue and purple orchids neatly coordinating with the delicate yet elaborate carvings in blue on the vase. Sparkling water in a tapering spotless glass body with a wider silver rim was crafted perfectly on the wooden-bottomed table with a glass-top in front of me. In the picturesque and magnificent lay-out of the hall, I was yet to place my eyes on a much more exhilarating object that was duly awaited.

Fresh, mystic and soothing air complemented the grandeur of the hall; and in the translucent rays from the window, particles swayed rhythmically on the silent beats. Waiting patiently I was unconsciously yet voluntarily getting absorbed and consumed by the scenic beauty. Yellow rose petals captivated by some charm were floating in a ceramic pot kept next to the couch. Even my reflection in that pot among the very petals, was far away from imperfections and mortal suffering. There was a pleasant strangeness in that reflection causing a certain disassociation with my being. My fingers seemed softer and lighter in shade, my skin, fresh and unblemished through the new vision witnessing a new world. As the wait continued, I could feel my being becoming as much as part of this scene as any of the object around. It was not just the physical appearance that was transforming to match the pleasing and exquisite set, but I could feel the emotions inside swirling in a whirlpool of excitement as if stimulated by some hormone. I heard a composition playing harmonically through my heart and I could have even mistaken it to be a state of eternal happiness.

The magical realm of which I was a part now rendered a complete loss of any memory that could link my current being to the past, or of my becoming. The objects, the air, the colours were conspiring not to relieve me of any thought that could remind of my life before entering this hall. Every bit of my being was getting camouflaged in the distinct and flawless beauty around. I was indistinguishable part of the hall now and had undoubtedly submitted myself to this new world.

It was much later, completely unaware of the time passed or lapsed, that a thought of peculiar smell got stuck to my head. It was uneasy and discomforting. “Where am I?”, certainly a naive question, but then the lack of an answer to this question creates a dark unknown cloud in the head that in turn raises yet another string of strange and difficult questions. There was a discontinuity in the transition of my being and becoming. Unconsciously and unknowingly a labyrinth of unfamiliar and unanswered questions were created. There was an unsolved mystery about the beginning of this labyrinth, not to mention, the end point was yet to be discovered. Oblivious of the situation, I tried to put some logic and pinched myself hard just to hear a real shriek.  

By now I was sure of one thing that I am an inextricable part of this implacable and unforgiving design. For one thing, there were, no matter how hard I tried to think of, no possible clues of either whereabouts of this place or any remembrance of me entering this hall. Even with the new vision I couldn’t spot any entrance or an exit to this hall. I was getting scared and terrified. I could sense the rhythmic heartbeats were replaced by loud palpitations. The more worried and anxious I got, my mood started overpowering the beauty around. The window at the apex stopped emitting the mystic light and as a result the chandelier started to appear ordinary and dull. I could see dust fixed on some crystals, and few even had their edges broken or surface blackened. I was sure if I counted, there will be some missing pieces too. Though there was no more light coming from the window, still there were these lamps in the hallway which were still lit-up. I wasn’t surprised to see the soot from the flame stuck on the chimney, the colour were also fading and blocking the light. The carbon had blackened the chimneys but I could still see the faint tints of colours hidden beneath the dirt. There were still the shadows on the floor, the dark ones and the regular ones. There was nothing divine and scenic about this hall anymore.

Once again I was reminded of the only dim memory that I had, was of waiting for some object that meant to be more beautiful and exhilarating than all the objects of the hall put together. But there was no such recollection of any knowledge or awareness on my side about the nature and form of this object. Once again a pang of unsettling thoughts took over my body. I could see the verses in the frame aligning themselves and moving in a string, they were taking a shape of something or maybe hinting at something. I wasn’t sure of what it was, but certainly it made me thirsty.  I couldn’t even think of having the water placed in front of me, not because it insinuated a conspiracy, but there was a stinky smell to that pale yellow liquid. It was then my eyes fell on the pot below. The yellow flowers had shrunk into dead dried leaves, and there were green algae that floated unharmed in the pot, along with a strange image.

I could see the markers of age, discrete and profound. The skin of the face had turned pale and now it was hanging like a lump of loose flesh. The bones were the only real part of the face, protruding and overriding all the other facial codes. The eyes had sunken into dark pits, and the muscles around looked feeble, struggling to keep the eye lids open. A network of thread-like lines in a cobweb pattern was covering the entire face. The eyes were not old, but were carrying a story of vast amount of sadness and suffering inside them. I felt pity and remorse for that poor face that was burdened with grief and pain of the world. This was definitely an odd face, a face one might encounter in the streets and turn away from it. This sadness was contagious and infectious, and I knew it. I closed my eyes tight, before it cling to me and contaminate the hall which was anyway moving into the darkness. I was no longer feeling remorse but was disgusted by that face, that very selfish and jealous face that wanted to inflict pain on me. It was then when I observed, a cobweb network, a similar pattern on that face, on my frail and thin hands. I knew that very moment, that evil and unforgiving face had infected that onto me.

By the time, darkness was overtaking the hall, the flames had consumed the air, and I could feel the chill. It was an unusual cold that had surrounded me; I felt my weak bones shivering. As I was freezing in that hall, I could see that last lamp also fading away and the shadows on the wall and the floor disappearing in the enormous darkness. I could feel emptiness breeding inside my core, strangling the fangs of pain. Darkness like a moving cloud of terror was approaching from the rear end of the hall, dismantling and destroying every object on its way. There was a sadistic pleasure I sensed in that last flame that was hinting at the inevitable catastrophe that was bound to happen. There was no time, to argue or fight back, I could just wait to surrender to the darkness or get defeated by it. I chose otherwise, and buried my face into the pot; unexpectedly the water wasn’t that cold. I felt cramps in my body, when I was trying to bend down. I felt the algae touching my skin; it was soft and slime-like. The stale-smell of the ruined relics of a dead object floating made me feel sick and nauseated. The dirt along with my sadness was decaying inside the pot. I felt the dead, old skin melting from the face into the water. The suffering and pain again felt real and tangible. Drop by drop, every bit of the emptiness, a long kept hostage inside was escaping my mortal self, today into the water. I felt a sudden spasm inside my stomach, so horrid and terrifying, giving an involuntary exit to the fear that had accompanied me like a shadow always. Unconsciously once more I was letting go off my being in the hope of a new becoming.