Aaditya and them

Aaditya leaned against the wall to have a closer look. His eyebrows twitched as he saw them. Going in a straight line carrying small grains of sugar on their backs.

Aaditya looked closer. They had created a chain, they were lined up one after the other. One of them would travel not more than five centimeters - only to transfer the grain to the next one in the chain. This made things easier, faster and absolutely co-ordinated.

Aaditya placed his finger in their path. The ones around his finger lost their contact with the rest of the chain. Slowly, the disturbance spread to the ones in the subsequent part of the chain.

Aaditya lifted his finger. They took hardly any time to get back to work - in the same straight line.

They were the ants in Aaditya's kitchen.

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I quickly took the grain on my back. I hurriedly moved to the next one. I pushed the grain from my back to his. It suddenly went dark. They all said it was going to be the night now. But I told them confidently that it was a shadow. A shadow of something huge.

We all were alert - ready to face a hindrance of any sort. But we were still working. As we had always done.

Soon I realized that I could not see the one I had to give the grain on my back to. I kept moving around. The others behind me joined.

The load on my back was getting unbearable, but I knew I would not let go. I had to carry it on my back, it was the food for my community. For my township. It was a part of my duty and the objective of my existence.

Soon, I could see the other part of our chain. And we continued.

I happened to look at the source of the shadow. It was a man.

And he was looking at me too...