My Prince Charming

I was dragging myself on the crowded streets of the market with my mom and aunt who had a huge shopping list. Since they both were senior citizens and needed young, energetic person to accompany them to lift all their shopping bags, they decided to tag me along with them and spoil my most awaited weekend. The grumpy look on my face narrated the incident I had at the start of the day. Mom used a bucket full of water to splash it on me and wake me since they were late for shopping.

'Why people do not visit grocery retail stores and get free home delivery on all their purchases or why they don't shop online?' I wondered.

I was walking in an unknown direction, an unknown lane. I kept following the two senior citizens walking in front of me and stopped at the shops whenever my mom asks me to. I waited outside of one such shop while my two senior citizens were rigorously shopping inside the shop. I hoped that the task gets completed quickly and I can go back home, tuck myself under the warm quilt. My wonderful thoughts broke when I heard a weird sound which at first made me think that it's a helicopter. As it was nearing, the weird sound got louder and irritating too. With a loud sound, I assumed that the devil machine is nearing. I was scared to turn and look above. I froze. I tried to look for my mom and aunt. They were in the shop panicking too. They were calling me and were gesturing to enter in the shop before any mishap takes place. But my adventurous skills asked me not to leave the ground and face all the adversities with courage.

I gathered all the courage I had in me to look back. A huge machine was flying overhead. It looked like a jumbo jet plane but on a closer look, I saw it had a sharp-pointed weapon on the front body which is rotating at a high speed. It can easily penetrate huge buildings and make them fall. Lots of people will be injured and many will die. I thought it might be some alien attack or some enemy country testing their new weapon on us.

The question here was not 'Who' it was 'Why'

I didn't recall listening to any such news yesterday. Today I didn't watch any news channel so was unsure of any warnings and I don't know if I will be alive to watch the news tomorrow. Now I was curious to know, what is this devil machine? Why it is here? Who sent it? I have to be alive to have all the answers. From the corner of my eyes, I see it coming closer. As it was at thirty feet distance, it came to an abrupt halt and landed down slowly. I suddenly felt the numbness and breathlessness going away the moment the devil machine stopped. I was sweating profusely and so were my mom and aunt. I ran inside the shop to grab them out so that we can be at a much safer place. The moment I stepped into the shop, my mom hit me hard on my cheeks. 'Don't you know it's too dangerous to stand out? You think you are a superhero or you have some superpowers in you? What were you planning to do by just standing there and staring at that beast?' My mom went on and on for a few more minutes scolding and hitting me. I was constantly checking if the devil machine is up again. But thankfully it wasn't. My mom hands me all their shopping bags, 'What is this?' I asked while we started running towards a safe place.

'Shopping bags. We were shopping while the machine was nearing us' replied my aunt with a wide smile.

'Unbelievable. Your daughter was out in danger and you both continued with your shopping inside that shop' I said angrily. I gave an angry look to my aunt too.

Mom smiled and said, 'We got an instant discount. Since the world was ending so we thought to purchase everything at maximum discount'

'Even that shopkeeper was a greedy person. At this moment too he wanted to do his business and earn more money. In the end, we both were happy with the deal' my aunt added.

I heard the sound of the devil machine. It was up once again and now I was not alone running on the street. I had two senior citizens with me running at a slower speed. One thing was sure, we all three were in the center of danger. Everyone started to push and run here and there. These were the same people who stood next to the devil machine watching it closely once it was down. The moment it started with a roar, it was raining cats and dogs. The machine was now heading in our direction at the top speed. It wasn't flying now. It was crawling. I saw a car parking shade and headed straight into it for a perfect hideout. I asked my mom and aunt to stay low and hidden while I was stepping out to see what the devil machine is up to. I started to walk out when my mom held my hand and gestured me not to leave them. I assured her I will be back. 

I was stepping out slowly hiding behind all the cars that were parked in the shade when I heard a loud noise of something getting dismantle. It felt like a loud drilling sound and that was nearing me at a faster speed. If it enters inside the parking shade everything will fall apart and we might bury in here until someone pulls us out from the cement debris. 'I don't want to die here' said my inner voice. I started running towards mom and aunt. It was then when I saw him. He was running next to me. I was now confused. As far as I remember there was no one in the car parking shade when I entered or maybe there was. He was fair and tall. Big eyes, dimple on cheeks, and his silky hairs made him more attractive. I smiled at him and he smiled back. As he was running I can see his biceps bulging out from his white t-shirt. 'Oh so he is muscular too' my inner voice said once again.

I turned back to see grinding part of that machine which got dismantle. He touched my chin and turned to look in front rather than back. I was frightened as I hear the crashing sound of the parking shade. I knew I have to run fast and get mom and aunt out from there. I crossed his path as I turned left. They were waiting for me. When they saw me, they started walking speedily in my direction. I extended my hand towards my mom so that we can form a chain and run out from there ASAP.

Parking shade was now getting filled with black smoke, making it difficult to breathe and run faster. There was a lot of commotion out of the parking shade. People were screaming and running. By now a few parts of the machine broke loose and scattered everywhere destroying everything that came in its way. That devil machine was now completely out of control. Pilots might have escaped or got stuck inside it, can't say. Something hit my foot badly making me dis-balance and fall. My right hand hit hard on the ground. In that loud hustle and bustle around, I heard breaking noise of one or two-finger bones of me.

'Just to tell you it hurts a lot when the finger bone breaks'

My mom was pulling my left hand as the huge drilling part of the devil machine was approaching at a faster speed towards us. My mind was focusing on my broken bones trying to recollect how many finger bones just cracked?

'Is it repairable? How many days or months it will take to get back to normal?'

I started scanning my fingers and trying to move it but the pain was immense. I cried as a thought ran on my mind that it's broken beyond repair.

'What are you waiting for?' a loud voice broke my chain of thoughts and I looked in the direction of the voice. 'Get up and run. Don't just sit there. Run Run'

In that commotion and my broken finger, I forgot where I was sitting and stood immediately. I started running towards the exit as the parking shade might collapse anytime now. I looked back at him as he was running at superfast speed and in no time he covered that 100 feet distance between us. He then held my right hand and helped me exiting the shade quickly with my two senior citizens. I let my mom and aunt sit on one of the dirty chairs and rest as they both haven't run so fast in their entire life. He stood there next to me holding my hand and now looking at me, 'Are you alright?' he asked. I shook my head positively as I breathed heavily.

'and you?' I asked. He too replied in the same manner by nodding his head in affirmation.

I was about to ask his name and thank him but suddenly I saw he raised his right hand upwards pointing to the sky and in no time he was floating at two feet height. Then looked at me, smiled, and finally moved up in the sky. I was shocked. I haven't seen any such thing in my life. I was searching for my mobile phone so that I can get a selfie with him or at least shoot a video of him flying up in the air. Else, no one will believe it. Until I get my mobile phone out of my pocket, he was high above and then invisible in no time. I rubbed my eyes to locate him up there but all efforts in vain.

To summarize I stood there watching the hero of my life with the two senior citizens who were busy talking to each other. They didn't notice what happened. We decided to walk home. I have to help them to get up and hold their hands as we walk. We started to move slowly towards the city. I knew nobody will trust my story because the two senior citizens didn't realize what just happened. I walked in that hot sun. I lost my glares amidst all the commotion. I used my left hand to keep on my forehead so that the sun rays do not hit anymore. I started getting a headache too. We kept walking on that straight road for a few minutes. I was tired and so were my senior citizens.

I felt a shadow appearing over my head. I looked above and there he was hovering in the sky trying to cover the sunrays. I got amazed and shocked to see him there. I felt happy seeing his sweet gesture. He smiled again, I smiled back. He then slowly moved downwards and handed me two chilled bottles of water. I said thank you while my senior citizens stood there wondering with whom I was talking to. I looked at them and handed them the two bottles. These two senior citizens were wondering if I had some supernatural powers.

'What?' I asked them after they passed a surprising look at me.

'From where did you get these two bottles?' mom asked.

'You didn't see him?'

'See who?' they asked surprisingly.

I pointed my index finger a little upwards in the sky, 'He'

They were in shock so was me. I thought we were on the same page as he was still hovering above me blocking the sunrays and they can't see him.

'Can't you see him in the sky? They moved their head in negative. I looked at him and he raised his shoulders gesturing he is not aware of what's happening. I then started to talk to him in sign language. By now my mom and aunt were sure that I am talking to some evil spirit. It is this evil spirit who is responsible for all the mess around. Now their main aim was to protect and save me from the clutches of the evil spirit.

They think evil spirits are females with long hair and long nails painted in red, her lipstick too in dazzling red. Since she is evil of 2020 she had red eye shadow too. The Indian version of evils is dressed in complete white and one hand holds a candle. It is also assumed that these evil spirits have their feet facing backward.

In contrast to them, I see a handsome guy 5.8-inch tall hovering above me. He doesn't have a superhero outfit. He was dressed in a white t-shirt and blue denim jeans. I thought he was perfect for me since I was waiting for the arrival of my prince charming and there he was standing in front of me. His smile was taking my breath away. I wanted to continue looking at him when my mom shook me to bring back into reality. She was under the assumption that the evil spirit is trying to overpower me and will snatch me from them. I will be in her control forever and walk away with the evil spirit. So my mom was holding my hand tightly. She was not willing to let me go in any situation. She was ready to fight and so was my aunt as they both decided to showcase their strengths.

'Mom you are hurting me. Why are you holding me so tight?'

'Be careful and stay quiet until the evil spirit goes from here'

'Evil spirit? Where does that come from?'

'Yes, the one you are talking to. I am sure she is trying to steal you from me and I am not letting this happen. So let us stay here and be together. You cannot leave us here alone'

I was trying my best to understand what she was talking about. I don't see any evil spirit in front of me. I can only see my superhero and his mesmerizing eyes were calling me towards him. The more I looked at him, the more I was inclined towards him. It felt as if I lost control of me. Some unknown power was pulling me towards him. After a few minutes, I was not able to feel the ground. My feet were trying hard to find the ground but more I tried to put my feet on the ground, more I was getting elevated. This seemed weird initially. He stretched his hand and I held it smiling. I forgot that my mom was holding my right hand tightly and she was in no mood to leave it. I was now swinging above ground with one hand with my superhero and another with my mom. Both were pulling me towards each other.

I thought, 'a few days back she wanted me to get a life partner. Now, when I have a superhero with me who looks like the prince of my dreams, he is calling me towards him and my mom is not letting me go. Why?'

'Mom leave me and let me go with my prince' I pleaded. All pleads fell on deaf ears. My aunt, who was standing there watching all that commotion, decides to support my mom.

Funfact1: My aunt can neither see a superhero nor an evil spirit.

She helped my mom holding my hand more tightly. She too found it unusual of me hanging one foot above. For her, maybe, I was getting transformed from a human into a superpower girl. That is a bit strange. She moved her gaze around to find some stones or anything to pick up and hit on that invisible hero or evil spirit. Finally, she found some and quickly walked towards it to pick it. She was now back holding stones of various shapes and sizes big and small. Started pelting it on that invisible energy and she made sure that she is passing it on to my mom too so that she can hit exactly on the evil spirit.

Funfact2: My mom was assuming it to be an evil spirit, however, she too cannot see what pulled me upwards

In their attempt to hit the evil spirit, they continuously started pelting stones. Of which maximum times it missed to hit him and few of them which got hit was onto me. I was screaming out of pain but my mom and aunt didn't stop. Once they finished pelting all the stones, they stood there helpless. My superhero was still standing there holding my left hand and laughing at my situation. I was embarrassed. My mom left my hand and started to walk away. Aunt followed her too. I thought they left me with my superhero and I can now rise high above and seal our relation with a kiss. I was getting elevated near and nearer to him. We both were smiling at each other. I was standing equivalent to him a little above the ground surface and he held me in his arms. I felt butterflies in my stomach. Our lips were hardly at a distance and now ready to feel one another, a huge splash of water hit on my face. I woke up with a startle and started looking around.

'Where am I?' I asked loudly.

'At home and where else?' mom replied.

'We were in the market. How can we come here?'

'We have to go to the market. Get up quickly and dress up. Your aunt will be here at any moment'

"Was I kissing my prince charming in my dreams? Oh no,' I sighed.