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Mirrored
As I crossed the road, I saw her. There she stood, in a black pleated skirt and red sleeveless vest, checking her phone as though she is waiting for someone. Isn't this the same girl I see every day in the mirror but standing right there is another me, sharing the same height, skin tone, eyes...wait!! My eyes are a deep brown and hair? Should I walk closer? I wondered. Maybe I should be bold enough to go upto her and speak. But the question still remains - is that possible? I made up my mind and started walking in her direction.
A car stopped by her and she got in. Disappeared just like that! One minute passed, I stood there frozen. Maybe it's all a working of my mind. I tried to reason with myself . Finally, there was no way denying that I had seen my doppelganger.
I came home to find my husband had returned from office earlier than usual and my kids busy doing their homework. It was an usual evening that rolled onto night. Finally, when only two of us were together wrapped up in the darkness of the night, my husband and I embraced each other like always. This was our time of the day. Suddenly the image flashed in my mind - me in a red vest black skirt. I told him, yes, with all the nitty gritty details I cracked open. My husband was surprisingly not dismissive about the whole matter. He asked questions about the whole episode. Then suddenly, with a solemn voice, said, " I had once read somewhere that to see a doppleganger is a bad omen."
A week later I saw her again. I was in a supermarket when she appeared in red pants and black striped t shirt. She moved from one section to the other where as I stood frozen as though I am a mannequin, one with a shocking expression. It took me a while to realise that I am acting weird and that I had lost another chance to talk to her. I searched for her but it appeared she was gone.
Something didnot feel right. My instincts instructed me clearly that this was no ordinary co incidence. That night, as I conveyed my worries to my husband, he presented multiple theories, none of which seemed rational . But I gave in to his demands and decided to go for a counseling.
My counselor suggested that I am a depressed wife who is lonely and needs a break. I should engage in various activities that would trigger excitements and also, consider a vacation or an adventure trip. Half convinced by what he said, I returned home to find my husband already home. He has been spending more time with me or atleast, he is trying to since I have had such unnatural experience. He immediately cancelled all his prior meetings , spoke to my kids' headmistress and made all the necessary arrangements for a week's trip to Ooty.
Three days later as I was out in the streets - no, I didn't see her or me or her - it was a boy. A boy, about twelve years old or so, ran into me from nowhere. We almost bumped into each other. He looked at me with deep sorrowful eyes and uttered sorry and vanished in the crowd, as though he was in tremendous hurry. But it felt as if his little act was intentional. I came home and checked the pockets for my keys when I found a little piece of paper containing the words in black ink -"Run for your life".
As if everything that had happened previously was less disturbing that this had to happen to add to the spoil. I kept this incident to myself and after a little consideration, I begun to raise a few questions. Why did my husband not ask me to seek legal help? Why did he push me to go to a counselor and almost immediately, without any waste of time agreed to this trip? It was unlikely that he would agree to take leave from office . Maybe it was all my fruitless suspicions induced by my agitated mind or maybe really there was something. Maybe I should start distrusting everyone around for my safety. I decided to go to my sister's place the next day.
She heard the whole array of events and discussed them with her husband and ofcourse, with my permission. Sunil , my sister's husband, was a criminal lawyer. He immediately contacted a private investigator known to him.
The next few days was all about magma building up inside the volcano of my mind. The day when we would leave for our trip was nearby. My sister called and asked me to visit her at her place immediately.
The next few hours changed the course of my life.
I am now living in a different city with my kids. I had to bring a restraining order on my husband though we are not legally separated as of yet, but he has threatened to come for the kids.
My husband had planned to murder and replace me with his concubine who was surgically given a face and look to replace me. He planned it elaborately enough so much so that if I am to be discovered or problems arose, he would get rid off or send his mistress away and prove that I was mentally unstable. This was obviously a theory weaved based on the numerous evidences that were collected by the private detective.
Only the god of time knows what lay in the future. But seeing a doppleganger is definitely a bad omen.
Sometimes I wonder about the boy who had warned me, who was he?
Write a short story where the protagonist has a doppelganger. #doppelganger
© RupkathaBhowmick
A car stopped by her and she got in. Disappeared just like that! One minute passed, I stood there frozen. Maybe it's all a working of my mind. I tried to reason with myself . Finally, there was no way denying that I had seen my doppelganger.
I came home to find my husband had returned from office earlier than usual and my kids busy doing their homework. It was an usual evening that rolled onto night. Finally, when only two of us were together wrapped up in the darkness of the night, my husband and I embraced each other like always. This was our time of the day. Suddenly the image flashed in my mind - me in a red vest black skirt. I told him, yes, with all the nitty gritty details I cracked open. My husband was surprisingly not dismissive about the whole matter. He asked questions about the whole episode. Then suddenly, with a solemn voice, said, " I had once read somewhere that to see a doppleganger is a bad omen."
A week later I saw her again. I was in a supermarket when she appeared in red pants and black striped t shirt. She moved from one section to the other where as I stood frozen as though I am a mannequin, one with a shocking expression. It took me a while to realise that I am acting weird and that I had lost another chance to talk to her. I searched for her but it appeared she was gone.
Something didnot feel right. My instincts instructed me clearly that this was no ordinary co incidence. That night, as I conveyed my worries to my husband, he presented multiple theories, none of which seemed rational . But I gave in to his demands and decided to go for a counseling.
My counselor suggested that I am a depressed wife who is lonely and needs a break. I should engage in various activities that would trigger excitements and also, consider a vacation or an adventure trip. Half convinced by what he said, I returned home to find my husband already home. He has been spending more time with me or atleast, he is trying to since I have had such unnatural experience. He immediately cancelled all his prior meetings , spoke to my kids' headmistress and made all the necessary arrangements for a week's trip to Ooty.
Three days later as I was out in the streets - no, I didn't see her or me or her - it was a boy. A boy, about twelve years old or so, ran into me from nowhere. We almost bumped into each other. He looked at me with deep sorrowful eyes and uttered sorry and vanished in the crowd, as though he was in tremendous hurry. But it felt as if his little act was intentional. I came home and checked the pockets for my keys when I found a little piece of paper containing the words in black ink -"Run for your life".
As if everything that had happened previously was less disturbing that this had to happen to add to the spoil. I kept this incident to myself and after a little consideration, I begun to raise a few questions. Why did my husband not ask me to seek legal help? Why did he push me to go to a counselor and almost immediately, without any waste of time agreed to this trip? It was unlikely that he would agree to take leave from office . Maybe it was all my fruitless suspicions induced by my agitated mind or maybe really there was something. Maybe I should start distrusting everyone around for my safety. I decided to go to my sister's place the next day.
She heard the whole array of events and discussed them with her husband and ofcourse, with my permission. Sunil , my sister's husband, was a criminal lawyer. He immediately contacted a private investigator known to him.
The next few days was all about magma building up inside the volcano of my mind. The day when we would leave for our trip was nearby. My sister called and asked me to visit her at her place immediately.
The next few hours changed the course of my life.
I am now living in a different city with my kids. I had to bring a restraining order on my husband though we are not legally separated as of yet, but he has threatened to come for the kids.
My husband had planned to murder and replace me with his concubine who was surgically given a face and look to replace me. He planned it elaborately enough so much so that if I am to be discovered or problems arose, he would get rid off or send his mistress away and prove that I was mentally unstable. This was obviously a theory weaved based on the numerous evidences that were collected by the private detective.
Only the god of time knows what lay in the future. But seeing a doppleganger is definitely a bad omen.
Sometimes I wonder about the boy who had warned me, who was he?
Write a short story where the protagonist has a doppelganger. #doppelganger
© RupkathaBhowmick
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