and yet another day...

GL(with all her venom): I'll get you out of my life....whatever it takes!
particle(with equal fervour): whatever it takes.

"Mummieeeeee..." sniffs GL as she splashes water into her eyes yet again... but the particle that has gone into her right eye just refuses to budge... and hurts her eye with more vengeance than before... and GL doesn't give up. Not yet. After all, it's a mere particle... a speck of dust. And she, a thinking, reasoning human being. And what's more, its HER eye!

Its 6pm and GL's been struggling from the past half an hour to get this thing out of her eye.

Unfortunately it has lodged itself right in the centre of her upper right eyelid. The eye had begun swelling and turning tulip red. Endless drops of an eye-cleaning solution had irritated the eye beyond GL's endurance ( GL's strong, you know.. and not afraid of being hurt )

Minutes drag by... GL still thinks some eyedrops and a good sleep will definitely nudge the particle out by morning... GL tries to ignore the throbbing pain. The eye's turned beet red. And half it's usual size.

particle(sneers): Ignoring me, huh?
GL(sneers back): And why shouldn't I?
particle: Cos I can hurt you... and hurt you real bad.
GL: Huh.. really?
particle: Look what I have done to you already.
GL looks away, wishing the tear brimming in her good eye doesn't spill. Not now.
particle(in a kinder tone): Call for help, GL. Arrogance doesn't help.

It's 11pm. GL calls for help.

At the hospital, syringe-loads of saline has only forced the particle to wedge deeper into GL's eyelid from the inside. Tears stream down GL's good eye. A visibly distraught Rj asks for an eye-specialist only to be turned down. None were available at that hour. Rj makes umpteen calls to locate an eye-hospital that could be open. And finds one.

particle: Hey GL, I am real sorry. Didn't mean to see you in this state...
particle: Hey GL, say something...
particle: come on... please say something.

Meanwhile, GL has made her way to the nearest mirror. The white-of-the-eye has gone so red that GL can hardly locate her eyeball! GL's eye is a mere swollen slit, not more than two red centimeters, when open, and a fat frog's eye when closed.

The doc on duty suggests an eye-patch. Rj suggests an eye-doc. GL can't stand the thought of anything touching her already sore-with-pain eye...settles for an eye-patch.

plop... plop...Two drops of Ciplox plop into GL's eye... a white eye-gauge reeking of hospital-smells is placed on the hopeless eye... and bandaged firmly with two parallel bands...

Ciplox does the needful... GL has stopped whining and Rj is relieved. The ride back home is peaceful. Rj steers clear of all potholes, and GL is sorry for him... On a normal day, GL and Rj go bumping full speed into every single pothole.

Back home, GL gingerly gets into bed, and HD (the imaginary and good-for-nothing guy in GL's life) is at her elbow again.

HD: so hows the feeling, GL?
An impromptu tear rolls down GL's eye as she looks sullenly at HD. How could he be so mean!
HD: Hey come on... I meant how do you feel NOW that your eye is not hurting the way it hurt before?
GL(wipes her good eye): Feels better. But I look so scary... even to myself!
HD: huh... of course not, GL. You look pretty, you know... like a pretty young thing....
GL: a pretty young thing?
HD(takes a good look): ... umm...like a pirate...you know... a pretty pirate.
GL(finds it so funny): hahahaa.. lemme see.

Bounds out of bed and is facing the mirror in record time... ( women and mirrors are separate-me-not's )

The patch doesn't look all that bad anymore.. the pain's forgotten... the ordeal seems like a thing of the past... and GL's grinning from ear to ear... at being called "a pretty pirate"!