On a windy and overcast day in a small village Ranikhet in India, there
was some hustling going on. Some children of age group between 8-17 were
seen running in different directions. Moments later it was a complete
silence. Seemed as if they were swallowed by the tree trunks or swayed
by the winds or buried deep under the valley. Somehow they all
disappeared. After awhile, a small figure came running through. Against
the wind, his small but fast paced steps were looking for a refuge. He
ran fast; too fast to notice anything but fast enough to beat the
"beast" chasing him. He now looked for a place to hide, to catch his
breath, to plan his next move, to look for alternatives. He saw a dugout
on his right, ran towards it and threw himself in it. Hiding in there
he waited for his breath and his ears were wide open to keep himself
wary of any danger. He knew the "enemy" can be here anytime. All he
wanted was not let the enemy see him. Otherwise it will be the end of
all this. In the distance, a girl screamed 'oh no!'. "Another one
caught" he realized. He was getting more nervous and looking for some
other place as this place was not safe anymore. Panically he jumped out
and went in between the two parallel walls. 'Is it safer?' He asked in
despair. He was sweating, despite the wind, and shivering with fear. All
the optimism was getting lost in the eternity and he was wondering if
he could have done anything else: may be kept running or getting in a
cottage up the mountains and hiding in a closet. Trying to be
comfortable behind the walls, he mistakenly pushed away a stone with his
leg. That sound broke the silence. That made him more frightful as it
gave enough evidence of his presence. He knew he can get caught any
moment. Sweating, shivering he now started taking even shorter breaths,
to remain unnoticed. He heard steps behind him. With a lump in the
throat, he started turning. Before he could turn, a prominent voice
called "Gotcha!". And the hide and seek game came to an end.
