The World Without Clocks

A World Without Clocks
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He can not remember what exactly has happened. All that he could gather bit by bit are disjoint pieces of memories.
He was riding his new bicycle. He had one despatch bag strapped to his shoulders. The day was hot and sultry. Yes, he was pushing his paddle desperately. He overtook a group of giggling school going girls. He crossed the market complex, then came a sharp left turn. And a lady with a shoppers’ bag just appeared before him, apparently from nowhere! A shout! A nasty pain in his back, then it was all dark.
He has opened his eyes. No, there has been no pain. The room is small, with off white ceiling and peach green walls. He has been lying on a cot. He could focus on white linens and filtered mild light pouring into the room.
Since when he has been here? How could he arrive? And what is this God forsaken place called? No, there is no one to ask, no newspaper to peruse, no calendar to look at.
Well, what time is it? surely it could be ascertained. His desperate eyes scans all the four walls, but in vain. There is no wall clock in the room. It is fine. one can surely detect the exact time. Only one glance on his Citizen wristwatch will do. What a shock! He finds that he cannot move his wrists. Those have been tightly clamped with the iron cot he has been lying on.
An unknown crippling fear gradually crawled into his mind.

He needs some water to wet his perched throat. He tries to shout but except some in audible gutteral sound , nothing comes out.
Once again, he tries to fit all the threadbare broken bits of his memory into some plausible pattern.
yes, the face of the lady was somehow seen somewhere . Was she a neighbour? or relation of his mother? or someone working in the same office but not one of his acquantances? He tries hard but once again darkness sets over his mind.


He has lost all counts of time now. This room does not allow sun shine to peep into. This room is devoid of any civilised human existence . It does not have any newspaper, any calender or wallclock. What an absurdity! No civilised world can do without a wall clock. Why, his own office possesses some twelve wall clock hung on the walls of reception counter, canteen, record room, and all the cubicles meant for the staff. And suddenly he feels the bitter taste of biles in his mouth. Now all the bits have nicely fallen into the slot.
He was in a hurry! His boss had given him a pep talk on" punctuality and work culture'' day before yesterday. There has also been a not so subtle hint about possibility of reduction of bonus . It has also been told that an errand boy cum despatcher like him could be found dime a dozen, even in this small backward township. Therefore, he had no intention of reching late and had to digest some overdose of tongue lashing. He was positive that he would reach the office in the nick of time.
And after the successful overtake he was in front of the lady with a known face. Lady was in a hurry, why so he could not fathom.He had pulled the livers of both the brakes in order to put the bicycle in a deadstop position. Then something charged from the side and a sudden pain in his wasteline and he was thrown on the dirt road. And now he cannot reach his office in time.
Yet, who has brought him here? why he cannot move his wrists? Is it a hospital? is it a police lock up? Whatever it might be, why none shows up? and why there is no wallclock? How could a day of a civilised world can move without a wallclock?
As if in the reply, someone says "Hickory Dickory Dock,
A mouse stood up the clock.
The clock struck one,
The mouse came down."

A musical female voice! but no one was visible.
----- Why there is no wallclock?
------ Don't you see? The word time does not have any meaning in our world. Those have been banished in the world of rodents.
----- What about those nice good old famous wallclocks like Big Ben and the likes?
------ Those have been melted into oblivion the day your Salvador Dali painted his famous melting clock canvas.
------- Who are you?
A shadow of a female glides into the room.
------ Dont you recognise me? I am the unfortunate one whom your reckless drive has brought into in this world without wallclock.
you could not see the truck negotiating the bend, neither the crash. Now we are comrade in arms !




With a sudden cry he wakes up. His shirt has been drenched in perspiration. He looks at the walls. Oops! What a dream! 840
He pinches himself. Yes, it is a nice mellowed morning . Sunshine is entering into his bedroom through the filter of clouds. And the hands of the wallclock is indicating that he can reach his office in time without hurrying up. .
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