A NERVE WRACKING EXPERIENCE!

BASED ON A TRUE INCIDENT!!!!

I lay there helpless, unable to move, terror gripping every part of my body, or whatever was left of it. (Since I was perspiring profusely, I assumed that some of my excessive flab had melted away. Incidentally, does perspiration account for body fat?). Anyway, my scientific knowledge about body mass, or the lack of it, was not the question. It was just a vain attempt on my part to add humour to a completely tragic situation, to find the mere hint of a glimmer of silver lining in this big flat cloud.

I know it sounds lame, but can you blame me, considering my extreme distress and anxiety? Every instinct I possessed was urging me to end my ordeal there and try and run away, but I knew that it was hopeless. I was completely trapped. My assailants outnumbered me two to one. I closed my eyes tightly, willing them to go away. The walls of the room seemed to be closing in on me.

My assailants were talking to each other. I tried my best not to overhear, but they evidently did not share my views, and unfortunately for me they possessed loud clear voices.

Assailant number one: "What do you think?"(Ask me what I think, you moron)

Assailant number two, (looks at me, shakes his head solemnly and replies): "The situation has worsened. The damage will be irreparable if we don't take immediate steps. Too bad for her."(Great! What a sweet, caring, sympathetic man.)

Assailant number one: "It will be a bloody job. Anyway, lets get done with it fast."

He then handed assailant number two, gloves and winked, "Be sure not to leave any fingerprints!"(Ha! ha! on top of everything they have a disgusting sense of humour)

Were these people pathetic sadists? Discussing my painful torture right in front of my eyes, pretending I do not exist. They were viler than I thought they were, and I had thought they were extremely vile in the beginning itself. I could have been a piece of mundane tapestry on the wall for all they cared. I stifled a scream as I saw them walking towards me. I tried to get up, but assailant number one hissed, "Don't move. You will just make things worse. Be still." As I started to protest, assailant number two shoved something in my mouth, which scraped my gums and caused them to throb painfully. I tried to mutter angrily, but to no avail, all that came out of my helpless mouth was pure unadulterated gibberish. With a look of horror I saw assailant number one take an ominous looking pointed object, which was making a sickening whirring noise, and placed it near my face......................

And suddenly, I forgot all about my muttering, for all I wanted to was shriek at the top of my lungs. An excruciating pain was racking my whole body. I felt a gush of warm blood in my mouth, and yet they continued with their procedure, completely indifferent to my plight. And a crazy image of Dracula, with blood dripping from his mouth entered my mind. (ummm.......I know I am digressing from the topic, but can tasting ones own blood make one a female Dracula?)

After what seemed ages, (by which I was almost unconscious with fatigue, anxiety and pain, and also a nagging doubt that I would forever thirst for blood on full moon nights) , my assailants decided that I had suffered enough for the day and walked away from me. As I glanced around the room feebly, I saw the door open and my father walk in. Feeling a rush of gratitude and relief I wiped my face and hugged him tightly.

"Are you all right?" he asked, with a concerned look on his face. I smiled brightly and said, "of course. It was just a routine visit to the dentist They performed a root canal treatment on one of my teeth, but apart from that it was no big deal." My father remarked, "My brave girl." and we moved out. But I took a solemn decision that day to abstain from chocolates and brush my teeth twice a day!

Rowling V/S Blyton

Enter Enid Blyton's idyllic world. An exotic land of pixies, goblins, elves and children. Meet Moon Face, and Silky, who will introduce you to the wonders of the Faraway Tree. Where the Wishing Chair will whisk you to lands of untold treasures and delight. Trees will be made of chocolate cakes, and roads lined with ginger bread. As you grow a little older, you might visit Darrel Rivers, in Malory Towers, and whenever you feel hungry, you will find yourself surrounded by ginger beer, ham sandwiches, buttery scones, and chocolate cakes. After having your fill, you can enmesh yourself in the twists of some adventure along with the Famous Five. Find treasure on a farm, or solve the mystery of a missing necklace. Such were the characters of Enid Blyton, which children had grown up with and adored. But as time passed by, there was a lull, and children were shushed in a deep sleep, away from this literary world, by the soft soothing lullabies of her delightful, but predictable characters.

Enter Harry Potter, with a scarred face and charred past. A wizard, whose childhood is tainted with memories of his parents being killed. Meet Voldemort, the darkest and the most evil wizard of the magical world, whose mere name is enough to throw witches and wizards in the throes of fear, and who had tried to kill Harry, when he was merely one year old. Harry, has no time for quaint mysteries of finding a missing necklace. He is forced to face Dementors, who suck out every ounce of his happiness, and coerce him to relive the dreadful memories of his parents being murdered, of his mother begging Voldemort to kill her instead of Harry. At the age of sixteen, Harry has already, survived 6 attempts on his life. His life is plagued with terrible life threatening circumstances, and unanswered questions.

The stark contrast between J.K Rowling's dark magical world and Enid Blyton's utopian existence was startling to say the least............

And surprisingly, when it was believed that children of the current generation had forever lost out on the delights of reading and given in to animated computer games , they awoke from their deep slumber, rubbing their eyes hurriedly and welcoming Harry Potter with more than just an eager interest, in their lives. The exciting and forbidden world of magic, powerful dark wizards and witches, Quidditch, murder, ghosts and phoenixes beckoned them. And they embraced it excitedly.

Was this a reflection of the changes in children's attitude towards life? Or was it the shock value of a completely different genre of writing, which had them hooked? Its possible, that the danger portrayed in Rowlings books gave them a sense of responsibility and the feeling of being a grown up. At last there was a children's fiction writer who did not shy away from depicting death and destruction, for fear of disrupting their minds, and thought them to be capable enough to handle the proceeding turmoil. Whose writing went beyond, the excitement of playing tricks on French teachers, and dilemmas faced by a goblin when he is locked in a prison made of chocolate cake.

But are we witnessing an end to an era, which was once thought to be timeless? Because the phenomenal popularity of Harry Potter, is not likely to be a mere passing phase. Where the Famous Five have just a modest television series to their name, all of the Harry Potter series are being made into big budget films. They say, never judge a book by its movie, and yet all Potter films have been highly successful, their USP being the little or no deviation from the original story line.

Potter influenced children to such an extent, that surveys were done to establish whether people believe in magic. Ironically, children empathize more with Potters experiences, than read Blyton. Where children face a lot more complications and pressure than we did at their age, and identify with Harrys' dilemmas about approaching examinations, performing well at sports, and even the stirrings of the first crush. There is a strong sense of realism in Rowlings books, despite the magical environment. Maybe the pixies and elves were too timid and sedate to survive in times of cut throat competition, and have taken a back seat.

Meanwhile, everybody is awaiting the next Potter book, with excruciating eagerness!