Trapped in my room!

12 Jan

Saturday 11.10am

The unimaginable excitement and overwhelming enthusiasm were evident in the pouring whatsapp messages in my friends’ group chat. It was their first time for Petta and I was going to watch it for the second time. We were getting ready for the 1.50pm show on Saturday. It has always been a mandatory ritual for us to eat before or after a film. Since it was a Rajini film and we needed lots of energy for howling, whistling and cheering, we decided to go for early lunch at machans

 “Hey, I already thinking of eating fish meals lah.”

“I also want to try that. And also the briyani.”

“I’ve been dreaming of machans food for the past 2 days.”

All these messages were flooding my whatsapp. These friends of mine are the kind of people the world needs. They think of the food to order 2 days in advance, few memorise the menu, few dream of it, few talk about it all day and night.

Along with electrifying Petta chats, Marie Kondo was also the highlight in the whatsapp chats. We were sharing videos and images of our decluttering process. I have been sending them pictures of my cleaning process. 

Saturday 11.20am

I entered my room leaving the door open, thinking of our Rajinified film session in about 2 hours time and the Pettafied lunch we were about to have. I walked towards the window panel in my room, to draw the curtain. A massive aggressively strong wind blew and in a split second, heard a loud door slam.

I hate the sound of slamming doors. Even in public areas, especially at multi-storey carparks, people slam the door instead of gently closing it. It completely annoys me. That sound disturbs every ounce of peace in me. 

As I was cursing myself for not placing the door stopper for my room door, I walked towards it.

I opened the door knob. The door didn’t open. I tried both turning it clockwise and anti-clockwise. But nothing happened.

I realise I was trapped in my room. 

Unplugged my phone from its charger, instantly called home, from home. My mum picked up the call. 

“Ma, I am inside my room. But cannot open. I think the door lock jam la.” 

Her initial reaction was shock followed by a slight shriek that sent tremors to the entire block for 3 seconds. I was able to hear all that from my room.

“Ma, don't need to panic. try opening my door first.” 

By then, my entire clan was outside my room trying to open the door.

My dad asked my mum, “ Where is the room key?”

“Damn it!” I mumbled angrily.

My planets were not aligned properly and according to Hindu astrologers, they believe in this negative energy/ trouble-giving planet/ wrong timing called ‘7.5 sani’.  

At this moment, 7.5 sani was really doing a ‘iruki anichu oru umma tharumo’ on me. 

While Kon-maring the prayer room where the keys were kept, I shifted 3 bags full of keys to my room since most of my drawers were empty after decluttering my life. I remembered my mum telling me not to keep the keys in the room for obvious reasons and that keys should always be kept in the central area of the house. I wanted to shift the key bags to its original place today. But stupidity of mine and fate have planned something else. 

Saturday 11.30am

”Naan apaveyyyyyyyyyy sonnen” ( I told you soooooooo many times)- my mum’s and all other Indian parents’ favourite dialogue that they utter atleast thrice a day to their kids. 

The ‘apaveyyyyy’ has an extra extended sound that usually goes through all 7 swarams (musical notes) and ends with the highest note.Unfortunately, this time round, they were right and I have committed a crime. Yes, according to Indian parenting penal code section 1986, this is an unforgivable sin. 

 I was standing there feeling quite embarrassed behind closed bars doors. 

I got the key bags and thank god, my mum had already labelled each one of them. One of the orange coloured tag read ‘GA room’. I removed that key from the keychain and slotted under my room door. There was enough space for the key to go through and my dad got hold of it. He attempted opening the door.

My mum, “not this one. This one is window key. There is another key.” 

I didn’t know I had all the keys for success. Scolding.

“Where got?”

”check properly. Not this key”

I checked the bag and found another one with the tag- “GA rm”

This is the kind of people that named the mrt stations- ‘farrer park’ and ‘farrer road’

I slotted this key under the door. After trying everything and nothing worked, it was official that I was trapped inside my room.

At this exact moment, I had 2 worries. 

Worry 1) Will I be able to eat pallipalayam chicken chaaru from machans kitchen?

Worry 2) Will I be able to make it for Petta?

“Amma, it is ok. Don’t try anymore. The door lock jam already. You call the locksmith.”

“Ok…”

“Do you have his number?”

“should have”

I informed my enthusiastic friends about my trap. Sent them a selfie of myself standing beside the door knob. I waited on my bed.

I looked around my room as though I was seeing it for the first time. The room was bright since it was still daytime and the curtains were opened. So I didn’t feel really petrified. I had a half-filled water bottle. I had my laptop in my room. The wifi was working. It actually looked like a luxurious and privileged trap.

A few questions and solutions popped up.

What if this had happened on a weekday when all of them have gone to work?- Call the locksmith on my own? call a friend first? (Helper would have assisted as well.)

What if I had to go to the toilet urgently?- Use plastic bag? Use the bottle? 

I was quite surprised with the list of survival skills and possible solutions I could come up with. 

I heard someone opening the door knob. And saw a long ruler sticking in, from the other side.

“Who is this?”

”Naan thaan” (It is me)- my dad answered.

“What a ruler of an empire couldn’t do, a long ruler can accomplish it.” is how parents think sometimes.

“What are you doing?”

”Trying to open and see.”

”It won’t work. Is the locksmith on his way?”

”Yes yes, he said another 30 more mins.”

My mum’s voice, “You ok right?”

Meanwhile, I was getting ready to go out and didn’t want to waste anymore time. Texted my friends to order my favourite chicken chaaru.

Sat 12.20pm

Heard a loud bang on the door knob. The locksmith uncle opened the door.

My parents’ first reaction, “apaveyyyyyyyy sonnen”

Me, “I wish I had potato chips inside. If I had food inside, then no problem lah. Quite fun inside”

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I took a grab car to reach machans kitchen on time for lunch first and narrated the incident to my friends one more time with more vivid details and of course, enjoyed Petta for the second time!

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This happened on 12 Jan. 

A few days before that, there was a leak in the kitchen sink. 

On 15 Jan, there was another unexpected water tube hose burst under the toilet sink. 

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“Ellam samaan set-um theedir theedir nu odaiyuthaam saayuthaam. "