This was beyond my wildest dreams. Either everyone around me turned filthy rich overnight, or these sports cars that I've only seen on posters and magazines suddenly became cheap.
"Not bad. These cars will respond like the real thing when you drive them." Enma said with little concern. But she continued "Too bad you don't have a car."
"Well, I had a bike, and it's turned into a Ducati."
"Ducati? Ducati is a bike too right?" she asked with a very indifferent tone.
"NO! Ducati is a superbike!"
"What difference does that make... oh well. Let it be."
So, I let it be and pondered over that happened since I woke up.
*****
Early morning on this Wednesday, it all seemed normal. But as I stepped out of my house to go to office, I found my bike was missing. Instead there was a Ducati standing in it's place. I thought it was silly and expensive joke, when I noticed that all the cars in the parking were top notch luxury sedans or sports cars. The parking plot where there used to be Hyundai i10s, Santros and Suzuki Alto, WagonRs and Swifts... suddenly had Jaguars, Mercedez, BMWs, Corvetts and like I said, cars that I'd only see on posters and magazines. At first I thought that either I might be sick and having hallucinations, or it was a massivly expensive joke being played on me. But then my neighbor, Mr. Sharma, who used to have a WagonR stepped into a BMW M3. I called out Mr. Sharma, we exchanged greetings like we normally did, and talked about the weather and local politics. He got into the car, started it and backed it out from the parking slot. Just as he was about to leave, I summoned the courage to ask him - "Mr. Sharma, what happned to your old car?" He stopped. Thought for a moment, and then said, "You mean the Merc? That was too old and out of fashion. So I scrapped it."
"No no... I mean... the WagonR..."
"Huh? Wagon what?"
"WagonR."
"Does a car like that exist. Maybe you've mixed up someone else's car. Before the BMW, I had a Mercedes. Anyway, good day to you Mr. Srivastava. I must take my leave now." he said and roared his BMW (?) out of the society gates.
And then a boy in a School Dress. "Bhaiya! Can you give me a lift? I've missed my bus!"
"Ah! Rohit. Well, I would have loved to, but you see... errm... my bike..."
I was trying to think up something to say, when I saw something which made me realize that this world could have been as normal as it could possibly be.
"Hey. Shall we get going now? I've been waiting for quiet sometime." that 'something' said with her dark red and serious eyes locked on to me. Her Leather Jacket and black Jeans would've made a very storng impression on anyone who saw her. Thus, another younger set of eyes were locked on to me as well. "Bhaiya? Is she your girlfriend??"
"Err... no. She's a co-worker." I replied rather meekly.
The boy looked with round eyes at her, then at me, and then at her again.
"Wow. When I grow up, I'll work in your company. You've got great girls there..."
Ah! Youth. And the innocent mistakes they make in judging the opposite sex. I just smiled at the fact that he thought this pain in my neck as a beauty. Beauty is only skin deep, and I'd thought I'd lecture him about this, but I decided not to preach my experience with women to this... err... fairly innocent lad. So I apologised to him for being unable to take him with me and went upto my bike. I looked at the keys I had in my hand. They looked like they'd fit in the Ducati.
"Don't worry it's yours. You can play with it." Enma said. And I think Rohit heard it because he giggled as he walked on ahead.
"Don't say things that may cause a misunderstanding."
"Oh! But that's how we have fun. Well, fire her up. We need to get going."
"Where?"
"I'll tell you soon. Let's get going first."
So, I started the bike... No. I started the Superbike and I'll remember the thunderous sound it made. It felt like I was going to ride a beast. Enma got on the passenger seat. I throttled gingerly to take a feel of it's power and the bike immediately responded and shot ahead but then the bike stopped. I started again, and somehow managed to get my untamed beast out of the main gate, and then to the main road. However, the sight at the main road left my jaws on the road. On the main road, where only sport saloons and cars, running savagely fast and powersliding in the turns. It's as if the world was not just commuting, it was racing and all the roads were a massive racing circuit.
*****
And so, I stopped my train of thoughts because Enma patted my shoulders.
"Hey, looks like you're not confident about driving here. Hand me the bike."
"Huh?"
"Yes, I'll drive straight to the place where the disturbance is probably originating from."
We got off the bike and exchanged our seats. I didn't even question if she had a license or not, as my experience said that she could and was capable of doing anything that I'd consider insane. But that easygoing attitude of mine started one of the scariest experiences of my life. Enma was a good, but a ruthless biker. She immediately pushed the ducati to over 100 Kmph in under 4 seconds before breaking for turns. My head didn't work, and I think I was clucthing her tiny torso, trying not to fall down and loose my life. Add to this horrifying, dut efficient driving style of a street racer, the superfast cars trying to race ahead of us.
Soon we came to a halt. I wouldn't have realized that we were on road for only 13 minutes had Enma not looked into here watch and said out her time out aloud. To me it was like an hour in hell. It took me around two mintues to calm down and my heartbeat to return to human levels when I realized where I was standing. And here I could think of only one word - Unreal. But then, having experienced unrealism many times now, it didn't drop my jaw. But I was still surprised nonetheless, as you would be watching a Lion feed on grass.
"Where are we?" I asked while gaping at the 'Unreal' scene before me.
"That's strange. The Reports didn't mention a tower here." Enma said in an unshaken voice.
"That looks like a tower to you?" I said in amazement of her indifference, while looking at a large perforated bone like piece growing out from a building that was supported by what I assume must be ligaments and tendons, that were stuck to the ground.
"Oh! Yes, it's a tower all right. We call it a Spider Tower." She said pointing to the grotesque structure on the roof.
"That was made by a spider?"
"Yes." she replied and started walking towards the building that held the base for the bone... or should I also start saying Tower?
(... to be continued)
=================
Author's Note
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Tried following a more Haruhi Suzumiya Style of story telling that it's author used in the Light Novels. (I have 8 of them :D ) Also, I think I should start thinking a name for this series? Maybe a name for the main guy too... All I know myself, is that he is some Mr. Srivastava...
Also, this time I won't laze around typing part II (or III... who knows...) and I'll make sure the story is completed properly.
P.S - The Car Trap - Part II
