STORIZENCONTRIBUTE
46 | STORIZEN MAGAZINE JULY 2019
X and Y
by Pranay Pratap
“I need you, can you please
come over?” she said and just
hung up. No other words, no
pleasantries. Just that one
simple statement. I could
imagine her moving around the
house. Her hair all messed up,
clothes all shabby, glasses
askew with a cigarette in her
mouth vigorously puffing away
at it. I got dressed and hailed a
cab, she didn’t live that far
away and something in her
words told me that I would
regret blowing her off.I arrived at her place and knocked
twice on the door. No reply. I
stood patiently for 5 minutes and
knocked again. Two sharp knocks.
She opened and it was like
imagination had come to life. She
looked exactly as I had pictured
her in my mind except for the fact
that there was no cigarette yet I
the sharp pungent smell of
tobacco lingered in the air. I had
given up smoking quite some time
ago and the smell made me flare
my nostrils. It was like a siren
beckoning me with promises but
all it had to offer was death.