Flashback

It was a white room. I wished the room was a bit dirty. Too much of cleanliness doesn’t suite me. It made me feel unclean! I had enough time to recall if I’d washed behind my ears that morning. I silently chuckled to myself even in that somber atmosphere. The air around me smelt mildly of an antiseptic solution.

The tubular tunnel of decision in the middle of the room stuck its metallic tongue out. It was hollow with a series of straps. I was made to lie down on that and was strapped to it. I felt sick in the pit of my stomach as the tunnel pulled its metallic tongue inside, but this time with me on it. I shut my eyes tightly as I got lost into the inky darkness. I didn’t have the faintest idea as to what was coming next. A dull noise emanated from all around me. It turned out to be a raucous din in just a few minutes. A din that can chase the living daylights of you! I felt my mouth going dry and was too frightened to open my eyes. At the same time, I was acutely aware of the team of radiologists scrutinizing each and every cell of my body in a number of angles behind me in their computer monitors. The noise did not seem to end at all. I tried to pray. But could manage doing so only for a few seconds. Then I started to think about my future. It was scarier still. Then my long hair…Was it going to stay with me at all? I never before knew that I loved my tresses that much. I had often fought with mom for not letting me to cut and dye them. Now I was even ready for the insufferable long plaited kunjalam hairdo! I mentally kicked myself for thinking about such unimportant things.

Then again, my thoughts shifted to something else…my diary. Goodness! How much I’ve written in that…How much of my deep, intimate thoughts! I hope no one finds that out. I wished I had buried or burnt my diary before visiting this infernal place. I fought a mad impulse to un-strap myself from that cold sterile stretcher and rush home. It took every ounce of self-control not to do that. I opened my eyes to the darkness but couldn’t see a thing around me. It was as though I hadn’t opened my eyes at all! I felt breathing-in the electromagnetic air. My lungs felt full of it. I wondered afresh which section of my anatomy was being photographed at that moment. I remembered to my horror about my zoology practicals. How I hated to kill those mice that blinked at me innocently before they were chloroformed on the dissection table. I felt the vengeful souls of those dead mice hovering in that electromagnetic atmosphere, ready to possess me. I permitted myself a shameful smile in the darkness thinking about my absurd imagination.With a jolt, that sickening noise stopped and the tunnel stuck its tongue out. A few days later, I held my MRI report and kissed my tresses fondly.