Hair Of Derkowit

Dear friend,
 
It all began with an advertisement in the newspaper. The advertisement was like this: “New method for growing hair on bald head, Result assured”. Below the title it was written that a scientist named Dr. Derkowit had found a method for growing hair on bald head by prolonged research. The contact number of Derkowit’s office was given with the advt. below it was written that payment be made only if the hair grows abundantly on the bald.

 
The advt was more than tempting for a young bald man. On that day itself I fixed an appointment with Dr. Derkowit through phone. On the next Monday I met Dr. Derkowit at his office in the city.
 
“I am Derkowit,” an old well built man introduced to me. To my happiness he said that since I was the first respondent to the advertisement my treatment would be completely free. I felt very happy. Dr. Derkowit explained that the Clinic was away from the city and I had to stay there one month for treatment. He assured that hair would grow thickly on my bald head. Before I left the clinic Dr. Derkowit said that no visitors would be allowed during the treatment, and nobody including my wife should know about it.
 
“Complete hygiene is essential for the success of the treatment young man,” he said. I lied to my wife that I was on official training for one month. As fixed earlier I reached Derkowit’s office on the next Friday morning. From the office they took me to the clinic in a vehicle. The accompanying person insisted that I should cover my eyes during the Journey. After reaching the clinic a nurse gave me sandwiches and soup. When I ate food, the nurse scrapped little skin from my neck and asked me to sleep. I dreamed of thick black hairs.
 
Next morning after breakfast Dr. Derkowit greeted me, “dear young man, I am starting your treatment from today, I expect maximum cooperation from your side."
 
I nodded my head in approval. “As we progress you may feel some discomfort, don’t be afraid, sometimes we may tie your hands and legs, don’t worry, it is all part of the treatment.”
 
I was little confused. Then doctor injected a fluid into my nerve. Some sensors were connected on my body and a close circuit television was fixed inside the room. Injection continued for six days. On the seventh day just after the injection a I felt a strange tickling sensation throughout the body. Nurse tied my hands and legs. Injection continued for three more days. On the tenth day all the sensors were removed from the body.
 
***
 
“Success my dear man, Success," Dr.Derkowit said loudly. He placed me before a mirror. To my greatest amusement I saw hair growth on my baldhead.
 
“Now you should know something more about the treatment,” he said and asked me a question, “are Chimpanzees bald?”
 
I was surprised as to why he asked such a question.
 
“No man, no, chimpanzees, ‘Pan troglodytes’ never get bald,” Dr.Derkowit replied with laughter.
 
“You may be amazed as to why I am asking such a question, there is a reason, man.”
 
“What reason?" I asked.

 
“Chimpanzees never get bald, because they carry a gene that prevents baldness, I have traced the genes responsible for your baldness and modified it to resemble Chimpanzee’s gene by chemical mutation,” I was very much shocked to hear this. It felt as if someone was piercing an iron nail into my heart.
 
“So are you trying to make me a chimpanzee?”I asked angrily.
 
“Cool down mister, you will get chimpanzee's hair only, but..."
 
”What but?"
 
“It is an experiment and something unexpected may happen, no problem, we will do the necessary treatment, and you need not spent a penny.”
 
“Why don’t you tell it to me earlier?” I shouted ferociously.
 
“Then you might not have agreed, everything needs a beginning and a person for that.”
 
“Are you making me a laboratory rat, mad doctor?"
 
He laughed heartily and said, “control your feelings young man. Genetics is making revolution in the world, now through you, then there is a lot of possibilities, a man secreting musk, we can use musk deer's gene, then what about a ‘donkey man’ or a ‘Lion man’, a ‘Bull man’. So much possibilities.”
 
He gave out a mad laughter and said,"anything is possible.”
 
It was the breaking point of my patience. I caught Dr. Derkowit at the neck. Suddenly two men came and caught me. Then they threw me into a closed room. They would put food through a gap in the door. Day by day I became aware that black thick hair was growing throughout my body and I was turning into a beast. Then on one day a small projection was formed at the lower end of my backbone, which later turned into a tail. I spent each day in horror and sadness. Urge to escape became stronger and stronger in me.
 
Then on one day I pretended to be sick and when they took me out for treatment I fled with my full strength through an open window. I had developed the ability to climb and run like a chimpanzee by this time. I ran during the night, hided during the day and reached my town at last. Now I was hiding in an old building behind the city press. I was scrolling this letter with an old broken pen dipped in my blood on an old inland. All these I got from the rubbish dumped behind the press. I was losing the ability to write and read. My brain was not working properly. Friend, you can perhaps help me.
 
With love,
 
Binu Kumar
 
I was very much shocked and sad after reading Binu Kumar’s letter. It was almost six Months since Binu left. His wife had reported the miss to police as well as in Newspapers. As no response was there every one believed that Binu was dead. I decided to meet Binu’s wife the next day and to tell her the happenings. Then they could take him to a good clinic for treatment.
 
The next day early morning I went to Binu’s house. I was surprised to see a gathering near the house.
 
“What happened sir?”
 
I asked one man.
 
“Yesterday night a beast resembling chimpanzee came to this house, It knocked at the door, Late Binu’s wife opened the door and saw this beast. She cried loudly in horror. Then her son and the servant beat the beast with an axe at the head.”
 
I saw Binu’s body laying dead on the floor. The body was almost like a chimpanzee. Head was broken with brain out.
 
“The beast may have escaped from zoo,” one person was saying.
 
I was very sad and horrified to see Binu’s body. I thought of telling every thing to his wife. But I realized what was the use? Who was going to believe it? Even if a genetic test is done the body might be identified as chimpanzee's.
 
I turned back and walked towards my home. To whom should I tell all these secrets, who would believe that Chimeras, Ganapathies and Narasimhas are coming?

-- G.S.UnniKrishnan Nair