The Demagogue-class Castecaster crash-landed on a strange planet in the Tch O-kid ‘ar cluster of stars. I had lost my bearings and the crash had left me badly disoriented. I precariously stumbled out of the craft onto the alien terra firma.
As far as my eyes could see, the landscape was swathed in eyeball-melting orange. A strange chant reverberated in a loop with unbearable oppressiveness: “dimodimodimodimodimo”.
It was torturing me to the core of my soul! I pressed my palms on my ears and shut my eyes to block it out. But it seemed to seep into every pore of my skin with an inexorable urgency.
Before I knew, I was surrounded by strange creatures with large ears and eyes. Their horn-like appendages were sheathed in shining gold. They forcibly took me to a shed and pushed me on a bed of hay.
“Chew the cud!” they ordered.
“What bull?!” I screamed.
Presently they brought in a yellowish liquid in massive jugs and handed it to me.
“Refreshments,” the stern brown one said.
I said I won\’t have it.
She yelled, “Moo!”
I said, “OK! OK!” and slowly began to drink that disgusting liquid that tasted like piss and grass.
I began to choke … I couldn\’t breathe … I thrashed about … Nooo!!!
With a start, I woke up, drenched in sweat, heavily panting. What a nightmare!
Phew! I was still on Earth and the national elections were on.
As far as my eyes could see, the landscape was swathed in eyeball-melting orange. A strange chant reverberated in a loop with unbearable oppressiveness: “dimodimodimodimodimo”.
It was torturing me to the core of my soul! I pressed my palms on my ears and shut my eyes to block it out. But it seemed to seep into every pore of my skin with an inexorable urgency.
Before I knew, I was surrounded by strange creatures with large ears and eyes. Their horn-like appendages were sheathed in shining gold. They forcibly took me to a shed and pushed me on a bed of hay.
“Chew the cud!” they ordered.
“What bull?!” I screamed.
Presently they brought in a yellowish liquid in massive jugs and handed it to me.
“Refreshments,” the stern brown one said.
I said I won\’t have it.
She yelled, “Moo!”
I said, “OK! OK!” and slowly began to drink that disgusting liquid that tasted like piss and grass.
I began to choke … I couldn\’t breathe … I thrashed about … Nooo!!!
With a start, I woke up, drenched in sweat, heavily panting. What a nightmare!
Phew! I was still on Earth and the national elections were on.
Anupam Choudhury 