amusingmuse’s blog

Occasionally, I talk in my sleep ' many of us do and mostly it is a few incomprehensible sentences or maybe a few groans and grunts. My case is slightly different, though not a regular 'dream talker' when I do talk ' I sure talk! Any change in environment or location invariably means a couple of nights of chatter and then peace.

My roommate tells me she has a groggy memory of me yelling 'snakes' at the top of my voice at some god forsaken hour some nights ago. The snakes, obviously made a speedy disappearance because I didn't utter another word for the remainder of the night and my roomie unconcerned about the reptiles, who could be invading my dreams slept soundly too.

The night before last however, my friend's endurance gave way. She supposedly woke up to me yelling 'I can't see anything! I can't see anything ' its so dark!' I guess my trip to the 'house of horrors' at Universal Studios the same day had some bearing on my hysterical display in the dead of night. Anyways, my friend jolted out of slumber, bolted from her bed, saw a shadowy figure on my bed (which of course was me sitting upright), thought I was being attacked and decided she could save me by yelling louder. A few yells later, she realized it was I, who was sitting on the bed, unmoving and patiently repeating that it was quite dark and that I couldn't see. Taking control of her frayed nerves my roommate, explained it was dark because it was night and that I should shut up and get back to sleep. Surprisingly, I took her advice, lay down and only woke up the next morning to the mutterings of a very annoyed female. A very exasperated room mate tried to tell a very sleepy me about the happenings of the night,however having absolutely no recollection of the night's dramatic events I assumed she was talking about herself and told her to think nothing of it. I added that she often mutters in her sleep and that I had heard nothing the night before so she shouldn't worry about having disturbed me. Ofcourse, the lady jumped at my throat!

My 'sleep talking' is also one of the reasons why my sister is not very enthusiastic to share a bedroom with me. We were both alone at home, some years ago and after watching the movie 'Raaz' (which is a horror flick complete with blood curdling screams) late into the night fell into slightly uneasy slumber, with the lights left on to give us some courage! Well, it seems my sister woke up in the middle of the night to find me sitting up in bed staring at her sleeping figure, all the while muttering something under my breath. The situation, the hour, the silence and my loose, black hair teamed with a pale nightdress, I am sure would have given the staunchest of ghost busters a shiver and incase of my kid sister who has never been known for her bravery it was her worst fears come true. The poor, terrified soul gave a piercing scream (to this day I haven't figured out why the neighbours never turned up) which shattered the thin walls of my dreamland and made me wake up with a start. It took me an hour and my favourite bracelet to pacify her and get her to spend the rest of the night in my room!

Ofcourse, my family is by now used to my infrequent nocturnal ranting which are usually not as loud or energetic as in the case of incidents above. My mother though is yet to come to terms with it ' she insists that I talk in my sleep because I have done something to offend the gods ' like having laughed during a Pooja,, turned my back to an idol in the temple or worse still having eaten beef! At regular intervals she hounds me for a confession on my wrongdoings so that she can appease the God’s involved! My brother on the other hand says he is not surprised that I can't stop talking even when I am asleep considering the fact that I have been barmy ever since he has known me. My father's problem is slightly different' it seems I speak in English during my dreams and that too very fast. His grouse is that due to language constraints he is unable to make head or tale of what I say thereby missing out on chances to know of my darkest secrets!

Thank heaven for an education system which expounds the importance of thinking and conversing in the English tongue - so what if we have a first language that should be given preference?