NEW DELHI, - Delhiites have barely managed a breather from the monkeyman and they find their hands full yet again. And this time round it is no iron-clawed creature that is spelling terror in the stillness of night. The fear comes from altogether different quarters: crawling snakes.

Following the death and a near-death experience of two residents of a slum cluster in Punjabi Bagh here earlier this month, the ground has been laid for horror tales to unfold.

It all began about a fortnight ago when 18-year-old Rakesh was bitten allegedly by a snake and died hours later. ``Rakesh had come along with his family to Delhi in search of a job. He was sleeping in his uncle's jhuggi when he was bitten by a snake one morning. His family rushed him to a nearby clinic, but he died later while being shifted to a hospital. His family has since gone back to his village,'' says Lal Babu, the area Pradhan.

A few days later, 16-year-old Anil was bitten while he was asleep in his house. ``I woke up screaming with pain and both me and my brothers saw a green and white snake escape into a hole at the corner of the house. We cut open the bite area, sucked out the blood, and rushed to hospital. The hole in the house has been cemented since,'' claims Anil.

And the last such ``incident'' was reported this past Monday morning. A woman was hit on the hand by some ``object'' while sweeping the floor. Though flustered, she proceeded with her household work. Shortly afterwards, she felt dizzy and fell down. Since she did not suffer any external injury, the ``ghost theory'' has now replaced the ``snake scare'' among the 300-odd residents.

Since that incident, the area has been so tense that all injuries are invariably passed off as snakebites. Last year, too, around the same time panic had gripped the area after the residents reported sighting of two snakes. Subsequently a snake charmer was summoned to ensnare the snakes.

Rumours are now flying thick and fast and the fear of the residents is almost taking the form of mass hysteria. One tale doing the rounds is that the snake even assumes the form of a human being and can be sighted on rooftops. Another is woven round the death of Anil's father. Residents claim that it is his wandering ``soul'' which is unleashing terror.

Of course no one is ready to buy the possibility that it is waterlogging in nearby marshes due to the monsoon which is forcing the snakes to come out and attack whoever is around in the thickly populated slum clusters.

• Story originally published by:
The Hindu, Madras / India | Bindu Jacob - Aug 17.01

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