Shopping Mall

As all village youths, Manua was also lured by city dreams. He had had his best buddy, Hari,  in Bangalore, working as a security guard in a shopping complex of a posh locality of the city. During conversations over phone, his friend described the life of the city and the mall culture , Manua was so inspired that he too though of joining his friend and take up some jobs, if possible job of a security guard. And he came and also successfully got enrolled in a security agency with the recommendation of his friend.

His 1st posting was on the parking basement of the large shopping complex. All he had to do is look after smooth parking of vehicles inflowing and out flowing the mall. Initially it was exciting for him but later he started feeling uncomfortable.

'I don't like to work at the basement', Manua told Hari one day during lunch time.

'why?'

'It is so suffocating and devoid of natural air, everywhere smoke of vehicles.'

'Do not worry, they will change the routine'

'You can ask boss to change your timings. Will you work in the night shift?. There will be less vehicle and less work to do. You can rest enough at the day and get ample of time to roam any where you would like.We shall discuss today with boss'

'Ok'

Manua was allotted at the night shift in the mall itself but not at the basement but at mall. He had to keep a watchful eye on the third floor of the mall. The Apparel section.  

It is the lighting and the public that makes malls lively as if the mall has got its life within.  It is then,  we ignore and overlook minute object or happenings going on at that very moment, that actually make the mall attractive.  But at night when mall is shut, it is as if all dead and lifeless.

With a faint light of one bulb at one extreme end and another at the other extreme make the ambiance creepy as hell. And the apparel section had special feature added to its creepiness, that is with its mannequins looking unnaturally sexy and beautiful. Had it been at the day time Manua would have secretly glanced at the mannequins at the lingerie section. Among them there was the black one, the one with bright red coloured netted inner garments covering its features. The naval dip was so beautifully molded in it as if a real woman body was used as a pattern! to manufacture it. And they know what we like to see; we see the body hence the minuteness and we ignore the face, hence they are faceless!

At night when no one is there to look at and Manua could have seen as much his eyes would have beholded but he tried not see at it. At that time, the face of the mannequin, not the body, appealed him  and the faceless form looked ghostly. 

It has been half past one at night, each step of his reverbed as a strong tap on floor. He thought, how strong a simple sound is at silent environment and he just could have ignored it! when there would have been much noise around. As he was thinking thus, he heard something. It was a faint sound of some one laughing. At first he though to ignore it thinking his ears are ringing but at next moment he heard it again. It came from the section for the children. There were many kid mannequins behind the glass. It is the reflection from the faint light, the little humanoid forms received, they looked unnaturally lifelike as if real kids standing behind the glass, trapped in some captivity. Manua thought not to be panic he stopped for a while to mute the sound of his steps and give a listening ear to the sound of laughter but nothing could be heard. There were sweat in his face he was really afraid. When he was about to move further he heard it again it was louder. He ran, he ran for his life, while hurrying down the stairs he lost his balance and slipped and fell on his back and became unconscious.

Manua was discovered unconscious at the early morning by the housekeeping staffs and he was taken to the hospital.

At about 11am the mall came to life, as it was weekend the crowd poured in and there were people all around and there were kids too. The programmed faint sound of the laughter from speakers near the kid dress section dissolved with real sound of kids  around, like alcohol in water. Some one might have forgot to switch off the speakers the day before.