Murophobia!

“Look around and run!
Having pests is no fun!
Set the trap and simply trot!
Just hope to god twil be caught!”


Do you know what is the common thing between an Elephant, Frank Costanza from Seinfeld, Dr Henry Jones (The Father of Indiana Jones!) and Bloodsport (The member of the suicide squad!)?

Well, they all have murophobia!

Intrigued!?

Read on!

It was the year 2002 and we were just fresh from Internship and we all were preparing night and day for the entrance examination once again!

Then one of my friend Suggested that our Thalaiva; Rajni (who else!) had a movie coming up and it had a scene in which they had ‘imported’ a very amazing tree and what not! It also had a Japanese actress and Manisha Koirala!

Of course we did not need any details since after all it was Rajni!

The issue was we had to get up very early in the morning and stand in the queue! There was no advance booking those days and even if there was am sure we would either not know or afford it!

So early morning we took a bus and reached one of the two theatres showing the movie!

The line was already forming but we were not very far from the window so we knew we could get in! All we had to do was wait!

Then after some time the regulars turned up! Rajni songs were sung and played and danced on!

The regular mega fan came with his attire of Rajni and is mannerisms! It was a grand show even before the movie!

Then after a long wait which made people start commenting that the movie is either delayed or cancelled the reel came in a big chariot like vehicle just for show!

We all jumped for joy! The ticket window opened just then and we all rushed in!
Songs from Padayappa, Basha and Thalapathy were heard from everywhere!

Now the theatre was this old one which we never visited in the morning but only for the night or evening show! We somehow found our seats in the darkness and sat!
Then the moment the lights and AC was turned on, a loud noise was heard which was the banging of seats and similar to marching soldiers! It was coming closer and closer and then when everyone looked down with horror we saw RATS!

There were at least a hundred rats who were suddenly disturbed by us! They were nicely munching the old popcorn and other food stuff people would have dropped from their seats! Then when the lights were turned on they ran!

It took close to a minute for them all to rush down and disappear behind the screen! We put our legs up the seat and simply held on!

The movie was mediocre but some dialogues were really amazing like, Known is a drop and unknown an ocean! But what I remember most clearly were the rats!

And yes! Murophobia is the fear of rats! The fear of mice and rats is one of the most common specific phobias.

It is sometimes referred to as musophobia (from Greek “mouse”) or murophobia (a coinage from the taxonomic adjective “murine” for the family Muridae that encompasses mice and rats, and also Latin mure “mouse/rat”), or as suriphobia, from French souris, “mouse”!

The stories where we see even elephants getting scared of rats have found to be valid in experiments where they have been known to avoid rats! Now when even an elephant is scared of them then me being terrified of them is natural though I have caught and ‘disposed’ of some when we had rat problem in our old house! It was not a good feeling!

Of course talking about feeling and not rats reminds me of Bryan Adams! And don’t worry; the rats will not RUN TO YOU!

Now don’t worry, the rats are sleeping! You can too!

Shubh Ratri!