The Mad Man

You mad …get away

Those screeching shouts of the mob resonated in his ear drums. He failed to diagnose it right that he was losing grip on the equilibrium of his life in those dark corridors of his past life. When he was finally branded ‘mad’, he gradually found himself within the four walls of a stone-built house, impugning his fate. Though the seasons took their turns competing and overlapping with each other to prove their worth, he beheld them with contempt and ignorance. However, time played the spoil sport depleting his body, forcing his feeble bones to protrude beneath the pale skin. The braids and shabby bearded face did justice to his name, ‘the mad man’. There hid in the deep recesses, his dusky eyes refusing to embrace light. They just adorned his scruffy face failing to reflect his interior self to the world outside. He was so absorbed in the chamber for he could not separate from the four walls that protected him deceptively. Neither the past nor the fate of the future bothered the man, for he was so unceremoniously flowing with the time. He had it all on the faded pages of life. And now, hallucinating on and off, he was chained as the sole guardian of darkness.

Shackles embellishing his feet had already gifted him with indelible lesions, and his reckless movements kept those wounds afresh. When those fetters embraced those fresh wounds he groaned in pain, but often with intermittent hysterical laughter. The tears that found way through his tatty face dampened his untidy attire. Groan sometimes turned into loud cries. But they all stayed within those four walls. Loneliness befriended him mercilessly, though undesired. When the pain grew severe the he began laughing hilariously.

One day his cries broke the captivity of the four walls in pursuit of some merciful ears. Forming wings, they traversed far into the abode of God crossing the seven seas, to let Him know about the plight of the mad man. Consequently, God resolved to help him in his distress. Through an oracle God commanded him to stand on his feet. A flash of lightening lightened up the dungeon, where he was imprisoned. He shuddered in horror; trembling embraced his pale body turning his slender throat dry. After a moment of hush, he yelled in unsteady voice,

“Who is that?”  

The oracle said, “Get up”

When the silence persisted again, he gradually regained his courage, and began looking for the source of the oracle.

“Who…Who are you?”

“Can you save me”, raising up his gaze at the roof the mad man asked with the folded hands. At that moment, he realized that the stout chain that had been holding him tight all these years was moving away from his feet. Freedom dawned in him with an indescribable delight. Raising his trembling hands in gratitude he bowed his head and thanked the unknown savior. His eyes shed few more drops of tears with joy. The rusted hinges of the doors, began producing shrieking noise while opening up it up for the mad man revealing the world of freedom. Shedding the days of darkness, the mad man walked towards the door.

Rugged village pathway with red dust layers received him alluding to offer him a red-carpet welcome. As he strolled further, he was greeted by the mesmerizing attraction of the place and the exquisite beauty of the views around him. His feet led him to a beautiful valley. Nature had taken a keen interest in decorating the valley with green meadow with few trees in and around. He spotted a blue lake in a short distance away. He walked towards it in hurry. The crystal-clear water reflected his image evidently. Stooping further, he drank from the lake with joy. Taking off his shabby clothes, he dipped himself in the lake. He noticed his vague reflection, moving away with the ripples. As he stood there motionless, he grasped the water had already washed him clean. Once he was out of his bathe, he realized that he was hungry. He looked around for some food and found a tree filled with attractive fruits. Managing to climb on the trees he had his fill with sweet fruits. Once his hunger was satiated, the next luxury was to catch a nap under the tree. And he did so.

In his deep sleep he felt himself flying on the air, soaring high like an eagle. However, suddenly he fell off the sky like a worm which lost its grip from the tree top crushing down to the earth. Darkness…. thick darkness all around. He cried out in excruciating pain as the shackles rubbed onto his fresh wounds spilling fresh blood. As his desperate cries filled the dungeon trying to find a way out of it frantically, the night was slowly embracing the day outside. Soon the mad man further fell into a state of frenzy.