The Shadows

Mom and Dad left for Verma Aunty's marriage anniversary party after showering a set of instructions upon me. They were a bit too much concerned while leaving their teenaged daughter all alone for the whole night. I promised them to remember all the do's and dont's and secured the doors immediately after they were gone.

"Yippeee....!"

I jumped with joy as I gained command over the house for the whole night. I was now free to play loud music, watch late night shows and chat with my friends till my parents return. I was on cloud nine and to celebrate the occasions I decided to take a selfie. I hurriedly grabbed my phone, pouted my lips and clicked a picture. After editing it painstakingly, I posted it on my social media profile. Once it was done, I went upstairs to my room for having a bath.

After a leisurely bath I picked up my phone, eager to get back to my social media profile and count the likes and post replies to the comments that my picture might have got by now. As expected, it was flooded with responses and I jumped on my bed with an enthralled ear-to-ear grin. But the very next moment, my eyes noted something scary in the snap and blood drained off my horror stricken face. In that picture, I was standing with my back towards the kitchen. The back door of the house opened into the kitchen. Though the kitchen was only dimly lit but as I zoomed the picture, I noticed it as clear as crystal. On either sides of the back door I spotted two dark shadows that resembled human form in appearance. On zooming the photo I could clearly decipher that those shadows were actually two masked men.

'Two robbers have broke into the house!'

The thought nearly knocked me off my senses. I sat there absolutely numb for what seemed to be an eternity. A few minutes later, I came to my senses and jumped to my feet.

"No!" I told myself, "you have to be brave. You have to muster the strength and courage to defend yourself. It's your duty to protect this house in your parents absence."

My first thought was to call the cops. But then I realised that by the time they could make it, the robbers will have done there job and will be off. I was the only one who was in a position to tackle the grave situation in hand. I tip-toed out of my room and moved towards the stairs that led to the ground floor of the house and peeped down. I noticed some activity and heard some muffled noises from Dad's office room downstairs where the safe was kept. I quietly ran back to my room and pulled the sheets off my bed. I opened the sliding glass doors of my bedroom that led to the balcony. I tied those sheets to the railing and ran back into the room to grab my hockey stick. I climbed down the balcony by the help of the bed sheets tied to the railing. Once landed safely on the lawn, I ran to the garage and switched the power off. Soon the house became drowned in an ocean of darkness.

Without making any noise, I ushered myself in through the back door and made my way to the office room. I held my hockey stick upright and waited in silence behind the door of the office room.

"Go to the kitchen and bring some candles," I heard one of the men whisper to other.

The moment he came out of the office room, I hit him as hard as I could.

"Aahhh....!" He writhed in pain.

"What happened?" The other one said as he rushed out.

I hit him on the back and he tumbled over the man who was already lying on the ground. I kept hitting them frenzied by the ecstasy of triumph. When I became absolutely satisfied that I have mashed them up properly like those boiled potatoes my mother had taught me to mash the other day, I let out a pleased sigh. I wiped the sweat off my face and ran back to the garage to switch the power on. Once the power was reinstated, I ran back into the house to tie them up and inform the police. But as soon as I returned to the scene of crime my jaw fell and my face turned pale!

"Oh my God!" I said as I bit my tongue in regret, "what have I done!"

The next day, I bought a large bouquet of beautiful flowers and placed a card on it which had the word 'SORRY' written upon it in bold letters. I carried the bouquet to the hospital where my cousin and his friend were being treated. They had 'broke' into my house yesterday night with a cake to surprise me on my birthday right when it was midnight!