The Snake and the Mirror

Introduction

The story is a narrative within a narrative, told by a homeopath doctor to a group of listeners.
The doctor opens with a startling question: "Has a snake ever coiled itself round any part of your body?"
He proceeds to share a terrifying yet humorous incident involving a cobra that happened in his younger days.

Time & Place: It was a hot summer night around 10:00 PM in a small rented room.
Conditions: The room was not electrified and was infested with rats that constantly ran along the beams. It was an outer room with a tiled roof and gables.
Financial Status: The doctor had just started his practice and had meagre earnings. He had only sixty rupees in his suitcase.
Possessions: His wardrobe consisted of some shirts, dhotis, and one solitary black coat.

Unable to sleep due to the heat, the doctor sat at his table with a kerosene lamp and a large mirror. He began reading the Materia Medica but was soon distracted by his own reflection.
Personal Appearance: He was a bachelor and an admirer of beauty. Looking in the mirror, he made two "earth-shaking" decisions to look more handsome:
- He would shave daily and grow a thin moustache.
- He would always keep an attractive smile on his face.
Marriage Plans: He fantasized about marrying a wealthy woman doctor with a good medical practice. He humorously wished for her to be fat so she couldn't catch him if he ever had to run away after making a silly mistake.

The Arrival: The noise of the rats suddenly stopped. A dull thud was heard behind him. As the doctor turned to look, a fat snake wriggled over the back of the chair and landed on his shoulder.
The Crisis: The snake (a full-blooded cobra) coiled around his left arm above the elbow. Its hood was spread out, and its head was hardly three or four inches from the doctor's face.
Reaction: The doctor was "turned to stone." He sat motionless like a statue, holding his breath, feeling the presence of God and the proximity of death.
Pain and Helplessness: He felt his arm being crushed as if by a rod of molten fire. He realized with horror that there were no medicines in the room if the snake struck. He felt like a "poor, foolish and stupid doctor."

The Distraction: The snake turned its head and saw its reflection in the mirror. Seemingly fascinated by its own beauty, it uncoiled from the doctor's arm and moved onto the table to get a closer look.
The Flight: No longer a stone image but a man of flesh and blood again, the doctor quietly got up, slipped out the door, and ran for his life until he reached a friend's house.
The Next Morning: After cleaning up and spending the night at his friend's, the doctor returned to his room to move his things.
The Theft: He found the room "cleaned out" by a thief. Most belongings were gone, except for his dirty vest, which the thief left behind—the doctor interpreted this as a final insult to his hygiene.
Conclusion: The doctor never saw the snake again, describing it as a creature that was "taken with its own beauty."

Based on the story by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer

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