Nightmare

He was late for the examination. He should have reached by 2 PM. It was already 2.15PM and he had still not reached the examination centre. Fear was seeping into his mind. He tried to walk briskly but for some reason or other his feet did not seem to follow his intent. He cursed himself.

‘Why did I choose to walk? I could have taken out my scooter. I think I own a car. At least I could have come by the city bus.’

He kept walking without reaching anywhere. It was getting dark. That made him nervous.

‘I won’t reach the examination centre. I will miss this last opportunity too, just because I can’t find the place where I have to go.’

He looked around himself. There was nothing familiar about the place he was walking through.

‘Where am I?  I have never been here. I must be dreaming. Yes, I am asleep and dreaming. I don’t have to write any examination. I already have a decent job. This is only a dream. Yes, yes I am dreaming. I must wake myself up.’  

A sense of elation rose somewhere within. He tried to get up and break out of the dream.

‘No, I am not asleep. It is not a dream, I have to write this examination and I am late, as always. What a nightmare it is to write an examination?’

He kept walking, worried that he was getting late for the examination, worried that it was getting dark and that he will never find the place.

**

Sun arose and everything about the morning was fresh and cheerful. But he found it difficult to leave the bed. He was dead tired as if he had walked and walked for miles.