The Package That Was


Ding dong rang the doorbell and I looked towards the main door , startled . I was alone at home and was not expecting anyone . I was not expecting any delivery either , for I had ordered absolutely nothing from Amazon . So , who could it be , I wondered as I quickly logged into my phone to check for visitors notifications from the apartment main gate . Sure enough , there were no notifications .

A feeling of intense panic began to grip me and my hands turned clammy even as I heard the doorbell ring again . I took a few deep breaths and went towards the main door . I opened the door ever so slightly and peeped out . Strangely , there was no one , but I saw a big box sitting right in front of the doorstep . I opened the door and noticed that the package was addressed to me . Shocked , I looked around , but there was nobody in the corridor .

I looked at the package , my eyes reflecting the turmoil that was going on in my mind . There was nothing unusual about it . It looked like the typical carton boxes in which stuff like groceries and essentials were delivered - brown , nondescript and boring . What caught my eye was the note that was taped to the box . It said ‘PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL’. I did not know anyone who would send something private and confidential to me, that too not an envelope of documents but a delivery in a carton box !

My mind went into a state of dilemma even as I wondered about the content in the package ,thinking up unpleasant scenarios like explosives, even as the voice of reason told me that was impossible . Who would want to send something like that to me and why?  The only way to find out would be to open up the box . I braced myself for the worst and began ripping open the box from the top with a pen knife . But no matter how hard I tried , the knife was not able to cut through the duct tape . That was strange . The duct tape looked pretty run- of- the- mill and the knife was sharp ! Just as I tried to make sense of what was happening , I heard the fire alarm in the building go off !

I sat up on the bed with a startle. My heart was drumming an incessantly rapid rhythm even as I tried to make sense of where I was . Turns out , I had fallen asleep on the couch , waiting for my family to return ! ‘What a nightmare’, I muttered to myself as I headed to the washroom to freshen up . I turned the lights on but I heard a crackling sound and the lights died down. ‘Ding dong’ rang the doorbell ..





Image design : Aditi Sowmyanarayan

Comments

  1. UmaMay 3, 2024 at 9:16 PM

    Hi Aditi,that was a like thriller.your narration is awesome.
    Ding Dong..ha ha

    ReplyDelete
  2. SrishtiMay 8, 2024 at 1:34 PM

    Brown, nondescript and boring 👌love your choice of words to describe a box. Waiting eagerly to see what happens next ...

    ReplyDelete

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