Why I always lock my door when I sleep

So it’s Halloween and while I love me some horror movies to watch on this night, I can’t help but remember a little incident that happened a few years ago.

I rarely locked my doors when I slept, before. I just didn’t feel the need to do so. I had nothing to hide, I wasn’t afraid of anyone or anything would barge in and frankly if I were to sleep late, someone could just come in and wake me up before I became late for school. Even my uncle was surprised when my mother mentioned to him that I do not lock the door at night.

“You should lock the door when you sleep.” He looked at me. But I was indifferent to the statement. I was okay with how things were going, so why lock the door when there really is no need to?

But all that changed after one night.

It must have been around 10 years ago. I could not sleep that night. I tried reading a book. I listened to songs. I turned sides countless times. But sleep did not come easy that night. Mainly it was because of this scratching sound I could hear faintly in the distant. I even opened the door a few times but I just couldn’t figure it out.

Sleep eventually came around 1 am.

But I woke up again at 2:30 am.

In my half asleep state, I saw this person sitting on the sofa beside the window. I almost turned on the lights to check. Then I remembered: I always do that. It always seems like the clothes on the sofa seem like a person to me in the dark, made up by my mind. It’s happened countless times.

So I just shrugged, and I went back to sleep.

I woke up late the next morning at 7 am.

I turned to look at the sofa, there were no clothes. Then, I realized I had arranged my closet only the previous night.

I was dumbfounded. I opened the door and I hurried downstairs.

My parents and elder brother were having a serious discussion.

Our TV was missing and so were some other items.

It turns out we had been robbed that night. The scratching sound I had heard of appeared to be the robber. My brother thought he heard something so he opened the door to check.

The robber sneaked into my bedroom, because it was the only bedroom that was unlocked.

It was the robber casually staring at me sleeping that I saw that night in the dark.

Needless to say, I have always lock my door at night, since then,

Comments

Rajamati

I think we’ve all heard the song of Rajamati growing up. It is so popular that many people in Nepal claim this is the only Newari song that they have heard. The song was written some 200 years back. The first few lines go like this, which I’m sure you must have heard of, unless you’ve been living under a rock: Rājamati kumati, jike wasā pirati Hāya bābā Rājamati-chā Rājamati mabila dhāsā Kāshi wane tela bubā Hayā biu Rājamati-chā. San dhāsā kuli kuli, mikhā dhāsā bālā bālā Sakumi yā mhyāy machā lā Khwā dhāsā tuyu khwā, khwālay niga tee du Tāhā Nani yā Rājamati-chā. It is said to be written by or rather from the perspective of a man who was infatuated and in awe of the beauty of Rajamati. He describes with great admiration: her hair, her eyes, her complexion and the little moles on her face. However it is unknown who the writer of this beautiful song is. The song rushed into popularity after it was played in England in 1850 when Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana vi...

Everyday Phases by my Mother part 2

I have been meaning to write this part 2, especially after Every Day Phrases by my Mother , the first part was liked by so many and also because, well, the phrases and the dialogues never end with my mother. I did tease her about writing a book or making a scrapbook about all her phrases, but we never got around to it. So here we are, after almost 4 years, apologies if the Nepal bhasa wordings are incorrect somewhere Ne tha ne masau Bhwauthau pwa This is basically saying, not being able to take advantage of the situation or not doing what you are supposed to do at the event. If you get invited somewhere that has food, you should eat there. Neu twanyu tha yu yethe, jui chwanyu kata pinyu yethe I have heard this one many times. In the society that we live in, impression and your social image matters a lot, especially when it comes to family prestige. So it does not matter what you do at home but once you step outside, there is this social obligation of dressing appropriately, behav...

The Oldest Kumari

Dhana Kumari Bajracharya resides amidst the hustle and bustle in Gabahal, Patan. She is a 70 year old woman, who you would think is much younger at age, if you look at her. Age seems to have done justice to this beautiful woman. What makes this wise old woman different than other wise old women in Patan? She is the oldest Kumari of Patan. Kumari, the living goddess is a tradition or a practice that has been around for many years and that has been celebrated widely in the Kathmandu Valley. The very first Kumari goes back to 17 th Century. The process to choose the Kumari is divine and a girl must go through several tests to get chosen as the Kumari. Dhana Kumari Bajracharya is the longest serving Kumari of Patan having been established as the Kumari from 2010 B.S to 2042 B.S. A whooping 32 years. Perhaps her case is the most rare that we might come across. A girl serves as a Kumari until she reaches puberty, or she has her first menstruation. After that, it is believed that th...

My World

Search This Blog