11 Minutes......!

                            She tossed and turned in her mangled mattress. It’s not because of the thoughts of the movie she watched yesterday at her friend’s home or not because of the dream of her boyfriend-in fact she had none, not because of the uncomfortable mattress or not because of the coldness of the floor she is laying at. But because of the starving stomach which last had its intake early before morning. She started wondering how long she is going to give a try to sleep with this craving stomach. She checked the time in her dowdy watch, it is 10.40 pm. Thanks to her anytime-going to-stop watch because every ticking second reminds her that she still have 7 hours and 20 minutes to end her hours of famishment.

Too annoyed with her craving stomach she woke up and trudged out of her cramped, small sized dungeon called her home. That’s when she watched it, a new pastry shop started before a month. It was a big hit the instant it was opened. She heard her neighbors saying that the pastry shop is known for its chocolate cookies. Her mouth started getting all watery now. It became even worse when she saw a cookie pack kept at display which is exactly ten feet from where she is standing. The workers of the shop were busy packing up. She held her craving stomach much tighter now.

No, she should not think about it, it’s way too much. But she is starving to hell right this moment. She thought of asking the tall lanky worker of the pastry shop instead of doing this. He has always given her a warm smile every evening while she returning home from work, even when she bought nil things from the shop except the smell of the baking cookies. It’s okay even it is a begging in disguise but what if she get humiliated right there and that warm smile vanishes from there on? She evaded all her speculations and pushed herself a step ahead. Suddenly her warm smile man popped out to collect the chairs outside the store. She stopped right there, her legs started to wobble and her palms went cold. After he was done he went inside again. She thanked god zillion times for he not noticing her.

She closed her eyes for a minute and started running blindly as if her destination was 100 meters away, like a mad dog chasing her, like it’s her only life’s chance. She snatched the cookie pack and rushed back to her so called home. She was almost hysterical, her heart paralyzed for an instant out of the fear of getting caught. She unwrapped the pack and shoved it all full mouth as the fear of someone coming by and snatching it right away nailed her. She chocked, but still the taste of getting her writhing hunger settled washed it all away. She was all done with it now. Yet she breathed too hard and sweated like hell. She checked the time now, it is 10.51 pm. She closed her eyes and tried to shun all guilty speculations. When she was at the edge of fidgeting, there was a sudden rattling sound. She was too startled to even peek out. She stayed still for few seconds and started walking out slowly.

There was no one except the flickering street lamp and the sullen pitch dark sky, giving her a sarcastic stare. When she was about to rush back, something caught her feet. It was a big celebration cookie pack with a note on it saying, “You look great when you smile but not when you steal, a gift for your stunning smile”.