Batman...

" I knew the risk when i took the job, lieutenant", said Harvey Dent " How are you getting him back anywa....", and paused to look into a dark night where Batman's eyes were present just a few moments ago.
"He does that" commented the lieutenant...
A scene from The Dark Knight starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, where Batman silently vanishes after a conversation with Harvey Dent.

As a kid, there was no end to my fascination and obsession with these vanishing and appearing acts put up by Batman. I so fervently wished I could vanish just like that and this post is to those vanishing/appearing acts I managed to accomplish over my life time. Most of them were appearing acts because people never seem to sense my presence unless I want them to(Nope, I absolutely am not obscure, I just choose to be). I dedicate this post to this real sweet lady Asha, who has been a victim of my acts more than once.

I was standing in the hallway in plain eyesight. The lighting was a bit dim, but not enough to make a person go invisible. Asha was passing through the hallway and I sensed that she had no idea whatsoever that i was there. I am a decent enough guy to not scare girls in the middle of the night. So i chose to slowly appear out of the background and picking up my most soothing voice, greeted "Hi Asha." I was right, she did not sense me till then. She was a bit startled, regained her composure and was graceful enough to tell me there was no need to apologize cause I did not mean it.

The unwilling victim the next time was Chola. Late in the night I was standing the kitchen,lights turned off cause I did not want to disturb anyone with my phone. And Chola walked in, turned on the light with his back facing me. I went into my "blend in the background" mode, ceased all body movement, tempered my breathing and hoped he would not turn around (I did not want to scare him out of his wits, so i just hoped he would pick the glass of water he came for and leave the kitchen). But turn he did, was startled, swore something in Tamil and then said " Maccha!!! say something daa." I smiled and that was the end of it.

It was Asha again when I was trying to place a phone call from the convenience of the darkness in her room(i feel comfortable in the dark). She came in switched on the light and turned to find me right in her face. She gave a yelp and jumped a coupla steps back and in a demanding yet imploring voice " Why do you always do this???" i had absolutely no answer on me.

The vanishing act I pulled on a coupla guards takes the cake. They were guarding the entrance to the Registrar's office in my university. They had implicit orders to not let anyone pass in. I needed to get in desperately. I walked up to them, was about 4 feet from them among a lot of others who were stopped similarly. I waited for 30 seconds, waiting for a lapse of concentration in both of them and when they both were distracted for a span of 5 secs i walked right in between them and into the office. My nephew, whom I asked to wait outside while i did the infiltration was dumbstruck. It took me two seconds to sneak into a room and I could hear the guards realize what happened and start searching for me.. But I was in and nobody had any idea where...