An Encounter With The Kafkaesque Guest

A close-up photograph of a Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis) perched on a textured surface. The mantis has long legs, a needle-thin body, two sweeping antennae, and an oversized, triangular head with two calculating eyes staring directly into the camera lens. Its wings feature a vibrant streak of green. — **A Chinese Mantis (*Tenodera sinensis*),** encountered on a summer morning, inspired by the absurd anxieties of Gregor Samsa and the ancient, prehistoric world it outlived.

Waking up to find a prehistoric visitor on my bedroom wall felt like a surreal intrusion from the world of Franz Kafka.

On a quiet Tuesday summer morning, I woke up to an unexpected guest. As I opened my eyes, I found myself staring at a praying mantis perched on the wall, just two feet from my face. (It was a Chinese Mantis Tenodera sinensis.) For a moment, I lay there paralyzed, utterly fascinated by its bizarre anatomy—those impossibly long legs, a needle–thin body, two sweeping antennae, and an oversized, triangular head dominated by two massive, calculating eyes. It remained perfectly still, clinging to the drywall like a miniature alien.

Suddenly, Franz Kafka crept into my mind. I couldn't help but think of his famous 1915 novella, The Metamorphosis, where Gregor Samsa wakes up in his bed, pondering the mundane anxieties of his life, only to realize he has transformed into a monstrous insect.

Looking at the mantis with a mix of awe and sudden paranoia, an absurd thought flashed through my mind: What if I woke up tomorrow as a giant mantis?

"Oh, no," I muttered to myself, trying to shake off the morning fog. "That’s impossible. Surely, what happened to poor Gregor wouldn't happen to me..... right?"

Keeping my eyes locked on the creature, I blindly swept my hand across the floor, hunting for my phone. Once my fingers gripped it, I carefully raised it, opened the camera, and snapped a few shots—including the one you see above.

As the shutter clicked, the mantis slowly turned its head and stared right back into the lens, as if posing. Once the photoshoot was over, I gently caught the mantis in a handkerchief and escorted it out the window. It landed safely in the grass below.

Later, I remembered reading that praying mantises—much like cockroaches—have been roaming the Earth since the time of the dinosaurs, long before humans ever evolved. They survived the apocalyptic asteroid impact 66 million years ago. Looking out at the garden, I realized I hadn't just met a bug; I had momentarily shared my bedroom with a prehistoric survivor.

The word "mantis" is derived from the Greek mántis, meaning "prophet." If you look closely, its forelegs are poised as if in perpetual prayer. There are roughly 2,300 species of mantis worldwide; approximately 180 are recognized in India, and 49 have been documented in Nepal. In Assamese, they are known as Gagini; in Nepali, they are called Namaste Kira or Aankha Phoruwa; in Bengali, they are affectionately called Lomba Pa Dadu (long-legged grandfather).

With their 3D vision and heads that rotate a full 180 degrees, these creatures are master hunters. They are the true friends of farmers, silently guarding our crops by keeping smaller insect populations in check.

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An Encounter With The Kafkaesque Guest