Once bitten twice shy

The following sequence of events occurred on May 7, 2012 between 10 am-11 am. 

Place: South of Delhi  

It was a beautiful and unusual Monday morning with sun shining too mildly and breeze blowing too strongly for the month of May. Mother earth seemed like a paradise with birds chirping and a general friendly din all around. For no particular reason I was full of vigour, radiating energy. My heart was singing with joy at the thought of meeting friends in my workplace.

Somehow I was humming the song

Bhawra badaa nadaan hain......

Had I heard it on radio in the morning, perhaps.

But then who cares? Life was good and I was feeling happy.

Work was heavy as usual, but I was jubilant. Getting out of my car, there was a spring in my step as I hurried to my room.  Climbing two stairs at a time I made short work of reaching my office at the third floor. 

There is a  cluttered unkempt look about it which I am so used to. The place is full of equipment, books, tables, chairs and people. 

I concentrated on the list of things to be taken care of during the day. ............It seemed endless, but nothing could distract me today. Or so I thought. I began the day with the usual chores while simultaneously joking with colleagues. People were hanging to my every word as i skillfully regaled them with various tales and anecdotes. It was all going so smoothly. Tea and refreshments were served as was customary.

Just as I was about to bite into a mouthwatering samosa, I felt a sudden stinging pain at the back of my neck. Like someone had poked a needle. Dropping  my samosa, I quickly clasped my neck only to feel an insect fly away. 

Sirrr.., its a Tattaiya... 

one of the  staffers screamed. 

What? A Tattaiya? A Wasp? 

Dirty images of a yellow coloured flying monster soared before my bespectacled eyes.

The entire gang poured over my neck to behold the sight of attack. It was a revoltingly unpleasant feeling.  Tch...Tch.. it will soon swell up, someone remarked. One enlightened soul quickly got hold of a dirty rusting piece of iron to rub on the wound. Thankfully, he was stalled in the pursuit by a chance telephone call from my mother to remind me of something.

I informed her of the unprovoked attack by the flying yellow creature. What do I do? Do not rub rusted iron over it, she warned me. Did she have an x-ray vision? Come home and I’ll fix something, she ordered. I left a message for my boss and ran to my car. It was a painful drive back home. 

All the song & joy just vanished, thanks to the ugly insect.

By the time I got back, my mother had prepared a concoction out of lemon juice mixed with turmeric to be applied over the wound. She applied it cautiously while I lay upside down.  

Though the pain in the neck has ceased, but the pain of my unfulfilled desire to annihilate the venomous pest lingers.