The wind wafted softly caressing her face. The leaves glistened partly because of the moonlight and partly because of the lamp that hung pretty close to it. Somehow it seemed to be the perfect night.  Everything, calm and serene. Then, the insects started creeping in. It all started with a little dark one which seemed to be intrigued by her computer screen and refused to let go of it no matter however much she blew at it.

Fine! I have to share the screen with you then. She thought to herself.

He had been watching her and laughed at her defeat.

"Why don’t you just crush the damn thing?"

She looked at him. His features were just a blur in the shadows.

Why don’t I just crush him?

She didn’t know the answer to that. The creature, reassured by his minute victory, proceeded to examine his new found territory by crawling all over the screen. She watched it as it walked on the typed text transforming letters. All throughout, she had felt peace and somehow, she felt that the bug had something to do with it. It kept moving on the screen and she let it be.

A mosquito started buzzing near her ear and then she didn’t feel all that peaceful anymore.

Bloody Mosquito.

CRACK

He held a racquet shaped object in his hand and beamed at her happily. She looked away. And yet another victory... 

The Wait

You sit in the room, waiting. Waiting for a sound, even a small tiny little decibel of any sound. Made by a being oblivious to the listener. A sound that was intended to be made but was not intended to be heard. You wait. Staring into space. Your only companion that gives you some respite from the silence is the clock. Ticking the minutes away. Time sweeping by. Its face turned to you. The seconds speed on. No sound. But you wait. Endlessly. Your life slips by. Memories come rushing into your mind. Each jostling the other in its importance and its pettiness. You look up suddenly. Was that a sound? Some sign of life. No. Nothing. The silence weighs heavily in your ears. But you wait. That is the only thing to do. You look down again. You were told to sit. To be patient. That is what is expected and that must be fulfilled. You have to wait. No other option available. 

And so, you wait....