Short Story: Narcissism

Originally written in Balochi language by: Asghar Zaheer

Translated to English by: Uzair Mehr

As I reached near the main traffic light of Tawam Hospital, the red light of the signal flashed, and two cars antecedently halted there, before me, and I stopped behind them in the line. I had to go toward the left direction of the signal, so I had taken the left-hand lane, yet, it was also the returning direction.

 Meanwhile, as I was waiting at the traffic light, I cast a glance at the rear view mirror of my car as well to see the movements of cars coming and going from behind, and their various routes. Behind me, a gorgeous girl was behind the wheel of a red car. Her black hair was unfurled on both of her shoulders, as though the night enshrouded the moon. Her face was excessively bright. I exactly didn’t know for whom she adorned herself, nor where she was going. I also didn’t know that whether she was genuinely beautiful by nature, or, if it was just by dint of creams and powders she used.

 Anyhow, her black, dark flowing hair and moony visage were a nice combination. A person seeing her only once would be unable to turn his eyes from her. In the short moment of red light, she sophisticatedly gestured as much that took me to a dreamland for a year. I watched her every movement and gesture she made, through the rear view mirror of my car. At this moment, neither did she pay any heed to me, nor to the rest of the world around her. She turned the rear view mirror of the car toward her, which showed the movements of cars coming from back side. She then adjusted the rear view mirror of her car in such a way, that it fittingly faced her.

 She looked at herself in the mirror, over and over again. She dusted her hair off, once, then scattered wisps of her hair on her shoulders. She looked at herself fastidiously, and considered herself glossy. Afterwards, she moved her heart-shaped gold earrings. Then, she smoked a cigarette that she held between her fingers, and reeked its smoke into the air. Once again, she looked at herself in the mirror and turned her head hither and tither. She began to feel pride of her pulchritude. She was so preoccupied with her appearance and ecstatic within her own world.

 She had not even noticed that someone was watching her because I watched her intently and pondered that who the lucky person was for whom she bedecked herself, and wondered where she was going. A vigorous sigh arose in my heart as I thought of how miserable we are here, and how far away we are from our relatives and country. While engrossed in such speculations, I quickly realized and became quite cognizant of the situation around me as the ears-splitting sound of horns started clamoring in the background. When I looked ahead, the traffic light had changed to green, and there was no trace of any cars forth side. I promptly started my car, but at the very moment, I also got a peep at her as rapid as a bullet.

 

Meantime, I saw that she had turned the directionals of her car on. I conjectured that this enchantress would surely turn her car in the same direction as mine, however, if she didn’t turn left, it would also have not mattered to test my guess. Saying the words, I turned left toward the light and caught a firm glimpse of her car. I was excessively exultant that my guess was right. She turned her car toward the signal either. The road had three lanes; the first lane was for rapid vehicles, the second or middle lane was for the vehicles on normal pace, third or final lane was for heavy and small vehicles. After turning through the signal, she didn’t leave the first lane and moved fervently.

 I took the second lane. I brought my car level with hers, and watched her from the side intermittently. She was so absorbed and enraptured within herself singing along to a secret song. I hoped that she might cast her blessed glance at me. But, at this time, she not only disregarded me, but the entire world around her. She was solely fascinated gazing at her own self, and she drove on. I continued peeking at her, aptly, and sometimes needed to quickly heed traffic on the road. She was still smoking the cigarette held middle of her fingers, and puffing out the smoke into the atmosphere. I didn’t know whether she opened the window of her car to let the smoke waft out or to show off her pulchritude to the world. My soul savored watching her, and I became unmindful of my actual task and destination.

The world can change in the blink of an eye, and where does it take a person in a trice. If this world is observed delightfully, it’s evident how comely it is. Likewise, if the world makes up its ugliness, it becomes radically despicable. I was absorbed in such thoughts, and when at that very moment, a car swiftly drove up next to her car, and sturdily laid on the horn of it. The sound startled her, and as she snapped back to reality, she lost control of the car. It directly turned over, after falling onto the footpath, crashed into a beam. I suddenly realized that I was lost and distracted. I still had to carry the blood test records to Tawam Hospital.