The voyeur

Most people are comfortable in their skin, unless they are being watched. She was one of those. 

She was pretty, not in the usual way though. With her high cheekbones, twinkling eyes and lush lips, she had the ability to make quite a few heads turn. And the best part was the way she glowed when she was happy.

She had recently moved into her new apartment. She stared into space and went into a flashback.

She had started saving money from the day she witnessed a terrible fight amongst her neighbours. She knew she wanted to get away from this crowded, chaotic place. Not to mention the lack of privacy. Someone would always be snooping around, trying to find out what anyone else is doing. And those nosy grannies! Ughhh! Sometimes, she really wanted to scream at them to mind their own business. There was a specific one that she wanted to punch in the face too. The only time she had invited a friend over (he wasn't even her boyfriend), was disastrous. She had been flooded with seemingly innocent, sarcastic questions and even warned for turning promiscuous. After that, followed a flood of free advice, admonishments about the kind of clothes she wore, and patronizing glances and grunts.

She really wanted to leave the place and experience independence and freedom. Nonetheless, her troubles were over now.

This was the fourth flat she inspected - tiny yet cozy on the top floor of the 7 storeyed building. You could see the kitchen, straight ahead as soon as you entered the house, which was an extension of the hall. To the right of the door, was the bathroom and to the left was a small balcony. The balcony had a boxed grill. She decided that she would have some potted plants there. Beyond the grill was an unrestricted view to the highway and some sparse greenery. There were no other buildings in the vicinity.

This was her haven.

No intruding neighbours, no snooping people and complete privacy. She loved the place. Now she could do what she wants and feel free. Maybe even roam around in the house naked. The thought made her giggle. 

The first few weeks were heavenly. She rolled about on the floor, danced (read stomped around), sang at the top of her voice, spoke to herself and watched TV at a very high volume. She was happy at last.

As the days rolled by, routine set in. 

7:00 - wake up and brush

7:05 - fill water bottle and turn the coffee maker on

7:10 - put on shoes and go for a brisk walk

8:10 - have a cup of strong coffee

8: 20 - go for a bath

8:30 - get dressed

8:45 - another shot of strong coffee and a slice of bread

8:58 - take the bag, keys, phone and lock the door to leave for work

This is when the trouble began. Where's the problem you may wonder...

On a bright Monday morning, when she came out of the bathroom clad in a towel, she suddenly felt uncomfortable - as if someone was watching her. She shrugged the feeling away and went on with her routine. The week passed, the feeling grew stronger. How is it possible that anyone was watching her? The only place that had access to the open was the balcony. She put on her clothes and went to the balcony to check. There was nobody.

"It's just in your mind", she told herself, "You are going bonkers!"

After a week, the nagging feeling just wouldn't go away. She started feeling so uncomfortable that she would take her change of clothes in the bathroom. That was worse. Sometimes the clothes would fall to the floor and get soaked and they would definitely have creases on them. 

She decided to find out what the problem was. On Saturday, she didn't go for her walk. Instead she staged her routine, dimmed the streaming sunlight by hanging her bedsheet on the grill. The entire house was dark and quiet. She sat in the extreme right corner of the balcony, waiting for the voyeur. 

Just like clockwork, at 8:20, at the top left corner of the boxed grill, appeared a pair of black, beady eyes, looking into the house, searching for her. The eyes didn't look human. Terrified as she was, she gathered herself and jerked the bedsheet away. 

And what she saw next, stunned her..

There he was...the voyeur... staring at her with lust in his eyes...

A perverted crow!