I was suddenly awakened by a scratching sound from under my pillow. I switched on the light and lifted the pillow to look for the reason. What I saw was horrid enough to freeze me. There was a huge black rat with its beady eyes fixed on me. The rat and I, facing each other, remained motionless for a while. Then, the rat outsmarted me in taking a decision. It stood on its hind legs and trotted towards the edge of the bed where I was sitting terror-struck. The rat’s advance made me jump up instinctively. And the rat bounded into the air, landed on the floor, swiftly climbed the wall, reached the window and hid behind the curtains. Oh, it was a narrow escape for me! But I wondered if the rat regretted having missed the target! As I stood restoring my courage, I spotted another fat rat climbing and hiding behind the window curtains, followed by a smaller one. Suddenly I heard a hiss from somewhere. In a fit of panic I turned around to witness a monster rat scurrying towards my friend who was lying fast asleep on the other side of the double bed. It was a hair-raising sight. I shouted repeatedly to alert my friend to the approaching danger, but my shrieks had little impact on him. But, to my surprise, the monster halted with a short squeak, took a U-turn and vanished behind the window curtains. For a long while I didn’t hear any sound nor did I notice any movement. I began to feel relaxed and drowsy. As I was about to fall asleep, I saw with my half open eyes that the window curtains were fluttering. I got up with a start. I saw the rats come out from behind the curtains one by one and run across the room as if it were their playground. It was at that moment that I heard a loud knocking at the door. I had no courage to leave the bed and pave my way through nasty little monsters. But the incessant knocking compelled me. With my eyes half-closed, I walked to the door with extreme caution as if there were landmines around. When I opened the door, my friend who occupied the adjacent room dashed in and entreated to be allowed to sleep on the sofa in my room. He said he would in no case go back to his room to be tormented and terrorized by rats. And without waiting for my response he just threw himself onto the sofa and fell asleep. I looked at the open door which seemed to be signalling a new menace from the neighborhood. I just made a dart for the door and slammed it shut. Though I saw no rats afterwards, I could not sleep for the rest of the night. Maybe, they were all waiting for the door to be open for their escape!
