Daijiworld exclusive caricatures by Harini

Januray 5, 2007


Akash Sinha turned his side when the pricking pain bothered him over his neck just below the right ear. He scratched the spot. The uneasiness continued with strange itchiness troubled him at the waist.  He rubbed the part and slept on his back. Something bit him at the ankle, quite similar to mosquito bite. Akash Sinha could not take it any further.

It was mid-night and the ceiling fan was rotation in its full capacity to create enough of wind chill effect. The body was fully wrapped with the blanket. Mosquito had no scope to make any assault. This had been an area of concern since quite a few days. His nights were disrupted by the itchiness and irritation. He was suffering from lack of sleep without knowing the cause.

He had heard of individuals during old age would suffer from wakefulness and susceptible to disruption. This could result in less amount of nocturnal sleep. Akash Sinha was sixty seven. He had always preferred to get up before the sunrise. But his sleep mechanism had shown changes in its pattern, especially after the death of his wife about nine years back. It was not easy to live alone. The sleep had become fragmented with nightmarish occurrences. He believed perhaps it was customary for all who cross sixty and particularly those who live isolated.

Usually he would be awake by 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning. But since last few days the pattern of interruptions in snooze had shifted to 2:00-3:00 am.  It would begin with skin irritation, but then he would remain conscious on the bed until early morning hours. Abruptly he felt some bite near his ear. Akash Sinha became suspicious.  He got up and switched on the light. He picked up his spectacles and examined the pillow.

He was taken aback.

A deep brown wingless insect was crawling down the pillow in search of shelter. It was not just one. They were in multiples. He hit them hard with the hand. Nothing happened to them. One fell down on the floor and rest disappeared in to the dark corner cracks and crevices of the cot. He focused his eye on the one over the floor tile. An attempt was made to crush with the footwear. It remained unscathed.

He picked up a coin from the table and squashed hard on the creature. Blood trickled out. He checked the smell and got a whiff of the typical stink. There was no doubt. His bed had become the favorite hiding place for the bed bugs. They were the real cause of his sleepless nights. He had become the host for the active and hungry bed bugs. They could be present in hundreds in the gaps of his wooden cot. The very thought of blood had been sucked up by the thirsty insects made him feel pale and anemic.  He could not sleep on that bed anymore. He turned off the light, moved to the living room and tried to be comfortable on the sofa. He was too disturbed to catch up with the sleep. The weakness inflicted by the bed bugs haunted him.

A well conceived strategy had to be worked out to wipe out the traces of Bed Bugs and to put an end to the problem.

He closed his eyes. He felt tingly, but the mind was too active to fall into sleep. He waited and by 5:00 am he went to the washroom. After fifteen minutes he came out and stepped inside the kitchen. He felt lot better after sipping the first cup of tea. The newspaper came at 6:00 and that was his favorite leisure activity. He continued reading and by 8:00 he had his breakfast. The maid servant who would do the cooking and cleaning was expected at 9:00 am.

He was living all alone without many options.

He had a son and a daughter. His son was doing fine with a highly paid job in the private sector. He was living with his wife and children in a separate house. The son- in- law was working in Saudi Arabia. His daughter’s apartment was not very far from his house. They would make frequent visits, but most of the occasions with the plea for money. The needs would fluctuate from time to time, but the motive was always to gain from their father.

Their mother when alive was never less in slapdash expenditure. She always had lived with the reputation of compulsive shopper until death. Their family circle was repentant on the way she spent lavishly on branded clothes, ornaments, cosmetics, personal care products, restaurants, parties and even on unwanted medicines, but she always had remained self-righteous in being extravagant. This had made even Akash Sinha to believe that the success of marriage co-existed in the capacity of a man in providing the financial support to his family. Better the capacity, higher the success, although his job in Singapore helped him to manage the burden.

The maid servant came in at 9:00 am. Within thirty minutes of her appearance she hesitantly approached him with her appeal.

“Sir, I may need five hundred bucks.” She requested with a voice full of hope. “Please do not say no. My husband is under treatment for kidney stones. I have to take him to a specialist. You may deduct in my next salary.”

Akash Sinha always had soft corner on deprived and underprivileged. Considering the pitiable condition he could never say no. But his servant’s needs would crop up every now and then. She would ask him to deduct in the salary, but he would forget quite often. His memory had gone weak with old age.
 
“I am troubled by the bed bugs” He gave her the cash. “I could not sleep. I believe they are hiding in the gaps of my cot.”

“My goodness.” She was concerned. “If you could arrange the insecticidal spray or powder, I will put it in infested corners before I leave the house.”

Akash Sinha nodded. He decided to go out to the market. When he dressed up, the familiar noise of the motor cycle encouraged him to peep out. His son stepped inside with the helmet in his hand.

“Good Morning Dad.”

“Good Morning.  Are you not on duty today?”

“I am on my way to work. I am in need of some finance, hence I thought of meeting you.”

“What is so urgent?”

Their financial needs would inspire them to see their father. There was no norm to return the funds once taken. He knew their tricks but could not reject them. His daughter just last week had borrowed one thousand bucks to pay the school fees of her child. She had come with pretext of delayed transfer of monthly allowance from Saudi Arabia.

“Our TV is out of order. You are aware of the mind-set of your grand children and daughter- in- law. They can not function without the TV on.” He scratched his head. “I may need twenty thousand.”

His son had good earnings and perhaps a sound bank balance but still was stretching hands for just twenty thousand.

“Why do you want to go for a TV worth twenty thousand? There are TVs available even for ten-twelve thousand.” Akash Sinha suggested.

“No, this particular brand comes with better operational options.” He clarified.

“I do not have cash in hand.”

“It is okay, you may arrange for the cash. I will come day after tomorrow.”

“Anyway first you will have to find solution to my problem.”

“Why do you worry when we are so near? Tell me, what is the hitch?”

“The bed bugs have captured my cot. My life has become miserable.” Akash Sinha explained. “They have sucked enough of blood, leaving me frail and fragile.”

“This is very simple.” He smiled. “There are insecticidal sprays available in the market. You can easily destroy them.”

It did not sound so simple for Akash Sinha. Since he was dressed up, his son left him in the market area on his way to office. First and foremost Akash Sinha entered the shop and bought bed bug spray canister. While stepping out he remembered his son’s request for twenty thousand. He reached the bank and updated his pass book. The bank balance in the savings account was just seven thousand.

He was shocked. He had six hundred thousands as fixed deposit. The quarterly interest was due only after next couple of months. When he had retired from his job and came down to his mother land, he had slightly above fifteen hundred thousand. He had imagined the rest of his life could be spent from the interest generated from the fixed deposit receipts. During that time his son had completed the post graduation and was picked up by a multinational company. The daughter was married off.  And during the course somehow he failed to shield the safe deposits in the bank, mainly due to his munificent mindset. There was no flaw in his habits, positioned always away from alcohol and cigarette.

He withdrew some the cash from savings account and left only the minimum balance. There was no need to visit the bank for next couple of months until the interest was payable.  On his way back he remembered to pay a visit to his doctor. The doctor had instructed him regular health check. The doctor did the routine check up and advised to continue the existing medication for blood pressure. He insisted on long walks both in the morning and evening. While paying the bill Akash Sinha got the impression that he was always charged more than others. Then he did not know how to haggle with the gracious doctor who beamed infectious grin.

His mind was preoccupied with Bed Bugs. They had tasted his blood and wished for more. He wanted to demolish their presence.

The maid servant was busy with cooking when he reached home. He handed over the Canister.  The insecticide spray was applied to the slat, frame, gaps and other hiding places of the bed. He closed the door for sometime after she finished the job. The odour was too awful.

“The bedbugs are huge in size.” She reported. “Your blood has made them healthy and sturdy.”

She swept and mopped the place. She left the place with a bag in her hand. Akash Sinha wanted to check the contents. While getting into the house for work the bag would seem weightless, but while going out it appeared heavy. He had strongly felt the quantity of rice, onions, tomatoes etc. what he would purchase was more than the requirement of his actual consumption. He had the suspicion, but could not dare to question the integrity of the lady. If she declines to continue the job it could be bigger head ache to get one more servant.

His priority was to eliminate the bed bugs. As usual at night he prayed before going to bed. All he wanted was peaceful sleep till morning. He was hopeful on the success of insecticide spray. But his hopes were short-lived. The spray must have had killed some, but the remaining bed bugs were highly active. They relished his blood. He was their easy target. But at midnight he woke up and spent rest of the night in the living room.

Next day morning when he was applying the insect repellent the head master of a local private school came in. The school management had planned to renovate their library. Hence he was on a mission to meet the prospective donors. The heads of different groups and communities would undoubtedly remember Akash Sinha when they conceive any projects based on fund collection. In the public eyes he had earned bountiful during his tenure in Singapore. Akash Sinha was clever endowment collector’s effortless target.

By evening a group of youngsters came to his house asking for contribution since diwali festival was nearing up. They were on an assignment to collect money to decorate the neighborhood during diwali night. Akash Sinha solicited for their expert opinion on the techniques to exterminate the bed bugs.

“Once the bed bugs creep up it is not easy to wipe them out.” The leader of the group made some intelligent remarks. “They invade in and seek out people to sip blood. Bed bugs are highly active in darkness, but when hungry they venture out even in light to seek a patron. You are left anemic and they gain power to grow in multiples.”

“But then what is the sure shot solution?” Akash Sinha was agonized.

“A solution exists for every problem.” He lit a cigarette. “Where do they hide? I believe their primary hideaway is cot and also the mattress.  Take it out, give a hot wash and leave it under the scorching sun. Do not shift it in until you are confident that they are destroyed. They are sure to be wiped out when exposed and roasted. You may have to manage without your cot and mattress for some time. But it should not be a real issue, isn’t it? Self security is more critical.”

Akash Sinha offered some contribution but thought it would be the last. The squad collected the cash and left the place. They seemed dejected as the amount was below to their expectation. Akash Sinha was delighted. He grasped the logic behind the hot wash and self security. There was clear opportunity to win over bed bugs. He sensed the reality.

Next Sunday his son visited him. He could not control his laughter when he saw the cot and the mattress which had been kept under the hot sun.

“Why are you amused?” His father quizzed him.

“It looks like you have suffered enough.” He sounded superficial. “Who gave this idea to throw it out?”

“I want to save myself from the bedbugs.” Akash Sinha clarified. “A hot wash has been given. I am sure it would work.”

“Dad, I came to collect the twenty thousand which I had asked to purchase a new TV.” He scratched his head.

“I do remember. I do not have enough cash. Shall I give a check?” Akash Sinha picked up the check book.

His son did not resist. He gathered the signed instrument, thanked his father and walked off with a broad grin. Akash Sinha was in peace. The collapse of bed bugs had given the sense of relief. After just four days he gave a buzz to his father to express his displeasure.

“Dad, the check is bounced.” He was frustrated. “Your bank has dishonored the instrument.”

“Is it so?” Akash Sinha was unruffled. “Perhaps I do not have sufficient funds in my account, couple of other checks also been rejected.”

“Why do you issue checks when you have no money in the account?” Disappointment erupted in his tone.

“What can I do? I do not know how to say no when approached.” He was not apologetic. “But do you know the good news? The hot wash to the bed bugs really worked. Now I am liberated from the crisis. The cot and the mattress have been shifted back to the bed room. Yesterday I had good night sleep.”

“Oh…”  His son could not continue further as he disconnected the line.

Akash Sinha softly whistled and switched the TV on.