"18 Minutes"

Written By

-Saim Mahmood

Door Squeeked, “Come on In,…..” He Asked.

The time came for which he has been waiting for almost 18 Years but at that time, for him, these 18
years were just like the tip tip of water from some old rusted tap. The pause of these 18 minutes have
made him thoughtful more than passed 18 years.

Heeds which travelled in his mind were from the classes to play ground, from food to hunger, from
dresses to naked body, from small pavilion to a bungalow, from rough path to smooth road everything
he suffered, he faced he endured he challenged went through his mind in this spawn of "only" 18
minutes.

He never thought much about himself and his life but these 18 minute pause just paused like a movie
which only filmed his past not future. Mixed with the beautiful thoughts and the taste of bad and some
time vicious incidents intake.

He looked himself into mirror and for the first time he could never judge himself that how he was
looking, it was purely the feelings which were sweeping in his heart taking all the physical involvement
out, he was suspended between the horror of failure and the jubiliancy of success just like a drowning
man in the water living thousand life and dying hundres times. Just like the man who had reached to No
Man's Land.

He looked again and there was only his past, he felt that his presence has been denied and mirror was
unable to stop the thoughts of past which he worked and suffered for the very day and time for which
he lived for his entire life.

The final defence of his thesis was submitted and galaxy of intelectuals were debating on his work to
declare him as a Doctrate Scholar or to give his 18 year's brook back and asked to relive this spawn
again.

He came back and sat on the chair which was placed outside the office. He looked at the watch and the
time was unable to tell his time and he felt flow of heart beat had beaten the movement of watch hands
and suddenly the door squeaked . A man with white hair full of experience and healthy black
intellectual eyes took a glance at him. His face was expressionless and the time he took to move his lips
seemed like centuries passed and dropped in a gleam.

His lips wagged but his ears watched and eyes heard.
"Come on in…………Doctor!"