And, the stars welcomed him...in their abode - I ~ Fiction series

"Guide us in the hour of need"

Four year old Nyssa was playing with her bunny Troy. The toy bunny was white with shades of brown, a gift that her father had gifted her, last Christmas. It looked at her with its deep black eyes as she softly whispered in its ears, “Hush Hush Troy! Papa is coming home”…………………………

Sarah Jane stared blankly at the ceiling as her new born was sleeping peacefully next to her, oblivious to the effect, the sudden twist of fate had on her. She then called out to Nyssa and hugged her tight. The tears will flow. They will not stop. Not, this time.....

Shirley Tomas placed the rosary beads back in the drawer. She had held them in her hand, long enough since the dreaded phone call 9 hours ago. She prayed for a long time. Her heart failed to accept the truth even as her mind came to terms with the fact, that she could never relive the phone conversation with her son, about a day ago. And then, the tall gallant man appeared next to her and said, "It is time."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was a big crowd that had gathered outside the villa of Retd Brig Benji Tomas. The old man stood briskly at the entrance of his two storeyed villa. His face was expressionless, as always. His mustache was neat and trimmed. His rimmed spectacles made it hard to look into his jet black yet, mystic eyes. He stood tall, impeccably dressed in a white shirt, striped scarf, brown corduroys and well polished wellingtons. His wife, Shirley stood there alongside her husband, with glazed  eyes as though they looked into an other world. Matrix, their German Shephard guarded their home with extra caution this day. And then, the old couple looked up, as a huge army truck came at their door step. The moment was overwhelming. The moment stilled the air. The moment was deafening as, Maj Neil Tomas, the hero of Ernakulam, the son of Retd Brig Benji Tomas had arrived home, for ever. 

The lion-heart who stood by his oath, fought his adversaries with all his might, and took the bullet on his face to protect his comrade, had come home to his family, in a mahogany coffin draped gracefully in tricolor with a huge wreath resting on it. Shirley Tomas staggered as the old man held her by her arm, lest she should fall. Her only child now lay there sleeping in that coffin, never to open his eyes again to feel his father’s hug, his mother’s kiss, his wife’s love, his daughter’s delightful squeals and his day old son’s sweet little nothings……

Maj Neil Tomas had arrived at his final resting place, a martyr…..And then, the stars welcomed him...to their abode.....

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

P.S: The above is an attempt at a short story from my side, as a testimonial dedicated to the brave hearts of our country like Maj Raghuram, Maj Mukund, Capt Deepak Sharma and many more.....who have sacrificed their lives, guarding our motherland. 

"May your tribe increase."

Amen.

Surviving the odds, becoming the fittest ~ Entry post for BlogAdda's WOW contest

(The below post is a part of Write over the weekend an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.)

The two brothers played around with a medium sized round smooth stone that looked like a ball. As they both ran for the coveted kick, their mother signaled them to be back home. Serabi looked fondly at her sons. A single mother that she was, she had a long way to go in preparing her sons for an uncertainty riddled future that awaited them. After all, one day they will grow up and they will have to battle the challenges of this dangerous world all by themselves. 

Kumal and Sangha were oblivious to the thoughts that bothered their mother. For them, it had been just playtime and tummy time until a few months ago, when they were barely able to open their eyes. But now, Serabi felt, the sooner they learn the rules of their tribe, the better. And most importantly, she had to bring them both on the same page, considering how different the brothers were from each other. From the time they were born, both siblings were like chalk and cheese. Kumal, the first born exuded aggression. He would  go looking for trouble and dabbled in unprecedented risks all the time. Sangha, on the other hand was docile. Also, he was more cautious about venturing alone. Serabi, being the practical mother spent more time with the younger one, knowing for a fact, she had less to worry about the elder one. After all, Kumal was independent. He would survive the odds, come what may. However, Serabi had one thing to do, before she had to leave her sons, a tough decision made already. She had to prepare her sons for their lives ahead. She had to train them. She had to make sure that her sons were ready to do what the members of her tribe did best. And that was, to hunt!

Marco had been observing the life of this resilient tigress for a long time and had been documenting every detail of Serabi’s life ever since she became an adult. When she saw Marco for the first time, she was untrusting, scowling and roaring at the strange instruments that glared back at her. However, in the months to follow, Serabi exhibited a comfort level with Marco, probably concluding that he and his instruments were no threat. She rendered both, harmless and useless respectively. Needless to say, it had taken Marco a great deal of time, patience and grit to have been able to communicate with Serabi in untold ways. For instance, she would even pose for the camera if she was in a good mood. In other times, she would totally ignore Marco and lie down with her back facing the camera. Apparently, Serabi had realized that all humans don't poach and all men with a gun in hand do not hunt. Marco was one of those few living good men for her, as he advocated tiger protection. He worked with his team – Save the Tigers, hard to breed the endangered royal cats in captivity. And bringing Serabi under their wing was a big step towards achieving their dream of breeding more tigers. Serabi had given birth to a litter of four from which two succumbed to death because of medical complications. But Kumal and Sangha were born healthy. Once they were a few months old, Serabi and her cubs were left in the same jungle from where she was picked up and not forgetting to mention, their lives were monitored. She knew, she had to go back again, once the cubs were trained to become the tough, ruthless and able predators, that was expected of them.

Serabi, like all mothers of her kind hunted and brought the food for her cubs. Of course, Kumal and Sangha were very small then. And that time, she too had limited hunting stints as she was nursing them and it was dangerous for her to leave the cubs alone and go hunting. But now, Kumal and Sangha were almost adults and they were gradually showing a sense of self dependence. All she had to do was now teach them to hunt sans assistance. For instance, Serabi would bring a live fawn and leave it among them, to see if the brothers were fast in pinning the creature by the neck and biting it off. Kumal, being the aggressor always managed the first attack flawlessly. Whereas, Sangha still had to catch up in pace, stealth and aggression, all of which were prerequisites for a seasoned predator. The second time, Serabi had planned the attack on a herd of chitals, as she covered for Kumal and Sangha, where both had to grab the nearest prey, each. However, due to Sangha’s indecisiveness and lack of time precision and, the sharp hearing sense of spotted deer, the plan failed. Serabi thought over. And this time, she was planning something big, something that would bring out the ferocity in Sangha. After a few days, she prepared the young cubs for a big guerrilla attack. And this time, she raised the bar.

Serabi was planning a hit on a herd of buffaloes that were grazing on a large patch of pastures near their hunting ground. She lay low with her sons, observing the movement of the herd and trying to figure out the weakest link in the herd. She signaled Kumal to be where he is, and ordered Sangha to charge first. Sangha was reluctant as he moved behind but, his position allowed him just one thing: Do or die! His mother had positioned him near the water patch that was inhabited by crocodiles. It was a tricky spot. A slight miss in focus would make him the hunted. And then he had looked at his brother, who looked through him, as if saying, “Now is the right time! Charge!”. Sangha focused on the herd again and saw a baby buffalo drifting away from the herd towards the water patch. Yes, this was his moment. He crawled stealthily as his bright black stripes camouflaged his striking appearance midst the yellowish green grasslands. He had to take extra care as he couldn't go too near the water patch, as he had already spotted a crocodile boss also aiming at his subject. And then, that precise moment when the baby buffalo suddenly stopped drinking, alerted by rustling of leaves, Sangha charged. He grabbed the young mammal and bit his neck, bringing him down on the ground with a thud. He dragged his food away as Kumal and Serabi sprang up from their locations and made a move. The herd was alerted as they raced against time to escape the gnashing teeth of the royal cats.

The aim of the outcome was achieved. Serabi would now go back to captivity, to breed. Her sons were now ready. Kumal and Sangha looked at their mother, as she was caged in a big van and was being taken away. And then, they turned back and made their way towards the jungle. Yes, they had heard a growl. A mating call. It was time for the hunters to enter a new phase. It was time to breed more Kumals and Sanghas. It was time to balance the food chain, the right way, the only way!

P.S: Inspiration for this story is drawn from NatGeo and Animal Planet that features a lot of programs on the nature of tigers, their endangerment and their breeding in captivity. The story above is a small attempt from my side just to imply that even five sensed creatures have the going tough. They go by the rule that lets them live - Survival of the fittest! There is just no choice!

And then, the tattoo screamed.....now what? ~ Entry post for BlogAdda's WOW contest

(The below post is a part of Write over the weekend an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.)

3 months back.....

Veena was ecstatic. Her best friend Nisha had called in the morning. So, she was finally convinced to meet this guy who might just be the right knight in shining amour. Nisha was a widow. She had lost her husband Adwait, three years back in a car accident. Thereafter, she had sunk into depression. After a lot of counseling and emotional support from her family, she had finally come back to self, accepting the reality. And now, she had given in to her parents' wish of entering a remarriage. She had met Jeevan through a matrimonial website a few months back. After a couple of pleasantries exchanged over mail followed by a couple of friendly conversations over phone, Nisha had agreed to met Jeevan for the first of all times. Parents of both Nisha and Jeevan had been looking forward to this alliance and were anticipating that the first meet culminates into a pact soon. As all parents would wish, Nisha's parents wanted her to move on.

Veena was happy for her best friend. She wished her a lot of happiness. At least, she wished Nisha to get a life partner who would be the perfect gentleman, unlike her's.....and her thoughts trailed off. She had never discussed her personal life with anyone. Not even Nisha. Just when she was about to ask her the name, Nisha had hung up as she had a call coming her way. Nisha, on the other hand had then just thought about giving her fiancee's name to Veena but then dodged the idea thinking it would be better to surprise the latter when she came down to meet her. And the phone kept buzzing. Of course, it was Jeevan.

Nisha recounted her first meeting with Jeevan. Even thinking about him made her smile. They had met at Bristtos, a coffee shop that was just five minutes away from Nisha’s home, for the first time. The conversation as expected, was going just the way it should. Nisha found Jeevan very warm and jovial. He listened to her in rapt attention as she opened up in a way like never before. She had never interacted with anyone much in the past three years, since Adwait's untimely death. She found herself laughing heartily after a long long time at the funny anecdotes Jeevan shared with her. A lot indeed, happened over a cup of coffee and some cheese corn sandwiches that day! They talked about anything and everything under the sun, including careers, their likes and dislikes, about their family background et al. And it was almost three hours of intense conversation after which Nisha felt a warm gush of love and security. She had not believed that her first meeting with Jeevan would convince her of a remarriage. But now she was sure, she had found her match in him. She was in love! Cupid had struck! Nisha had excused herself for a while as she proceeded towards the washroom. She had called up Veena.

Nisha: “I don’t believe I could fall in love so easily! Veena, I think I have found my soul mate!”

Veena: “Girl, I am so so happy for you! Would like to meet you both together when I fly down to Delhi next time. By the way, what is his name? What does he do?”

Nisha: “I am not disclosing anything over the phone! Move your bum here and you will know J”

Veena: “3 months for me to touch down there. So be it! And all the best, sweetie! Bye”

Present day.....

The door bell rang. Nisha woke up with a start. She opened the door to find Veena standing right outside. She was overwhelmed. The childhood friends were meeting after a span of five years. A lot had happened for both of them. They were in touch frequently. And yet, there were many things they had not shared with each other about their personal lives, over the long overseas calls they had. Both had hidden a lot from each other. Yet, nothing had changed between them. They caught up with old times, school and college days and a lot more. Over the long uninterrupted conversations, Nisha came to know that Veena had married and separated too, from her husband, citing irreconcilable differences. The friends found solace in each other's company and time flowed like water.

Veena: “Ok! Tell me about him, now! To start with, at least name please!”

Nisha: “No easy way! I have a test for you. You will know him, if you pass the test! I have asked him to come to Bristtos today at 4 PM. And I shall not accompany you inside. Let me see if you can spot him without my help. After all, no one knows my tastes better than you do.” Veena could only nod.

At 4 PM, Veena entered Bristtos. She took a quick glance around. The coffee shop was crowded as it was a Friday evening. Her eyes scoured through the crowd. And then, as destiny would have it, her eyes fell on a tattoo on a wrist of a man sitting with his back towards her. A sense of deja vu engulfed her. He was drumming his fingers on the table. A habit she felt she knew too. But more familiar was the tattoo, she saw – ‘Regret Nothing’. She had seen that tattoo before! If only she could remember where.

The words – ‘Regret Nothing’ were inked on his wrist. And listlessly, she proceeded towards the table to take a closer look. That is when Nisha jumped from behind,

"OK, girl! You got him right! Meet Jeevan, my soon to be fiancee. And, Jeevan, this is Veena, my best friend, my soul sister and my partner in crime!”

Veena almost staggered. Her eyes recoiled in horror as she saw the man. The ruggedly handsome face that she had once fallen for, only to know later how he camouflaged the dark sadistic side of him with an infectious lopsided smile, shot back a grim look that appeared menacing to her. His cool demeanor hid the ugly ill temper that surfaced when his contempt grew, feeding on the fear of his victims. And, Veena was jolted by Nisha as Jeevan extended his hand, "Hey Veena! Nice to meet you!"

The same lines that she had heard five years back, when she had met him in a conference in New York. The memories were fresh. The wounds on her psyche were fresh too, even after half a decade. For the first time, she felt stranded in a situation where she had no control. The shock took its time to sink in. Above all, Jeevan had not shown a flicker of recognition. 

Should she tell Nisha about this man who happens to be her ex? 

Should she expose the Hyde side of this Dr. Jekyll? 

Will Nisha believe her? How would Nisha take the shock of having trusted a man, she believed she truly loved, after having been bereaved of one, in the past? 

What if Jeevan is a changed man? 

What if he is playing a game?

The questions kept popping up. And, Veena knew for a fact, nothing would ever be the same again.

Of peanuts, missed calls and those ten minutes! ~ Entry post for Blogadda's WOW contest (Fiction Series)

(The below post is a part of Write over the weekend an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.)

She was getting ready for her office. As she struggled with her blackberry in one hand, and her handbag in the other that slid off her lithe shoulders each time she held it back from falling off, she pushed her feet into the brand new black stilettos she had purchased from an online store just a couple of weeks back. It was Samantha's first job as a technical writer with MediaFireWorks, an MNC. The first day, the first job, the first whiff of independence! And with an ecstatic feeling, she left for office at 8:30 sharp by the regular local.

Samantha boarded the train from Malad, where she settled down in the ladies compartment with a book in her hand. The train started moving sharp at 8:45. After some time, at Jogeshwari, a huge crowd barged in. And within a few minutes, it was even difficult to catch a breath of fresh air. A thirty something female came and sat next to her. The female was busy checking her phone every now and then and then clutched it tightly in her hand, as the train strolled forward. The cacophony increased as a string of vendors came by, selling roasted peanuts. The woman sitting next to her, bought one. Samantha too felt like having one, but the excitement of her first job suppressed her hunger. And after ten minutes, the train came to a halt at Vile Parle. A huge chunk of the crowd got down here, including the female sitting next to her. It would be only ten more minutes, before she reached her destination, Santa Cruz. And then the phone buzzed......

Samantha checked her phone. It was not ringing. The buzzing sound continued. The source was not from her handbag but was the phone lying next to her. There was no one around to claim it was theirs. Samantha was first reluctant to pick it up. But then, she followed her instincts and picked the phone. It had 38 missed calls...... 38 missed calls in the............... past 10 minutes!

And then she remembered, this phone belonged to the girl sitting next to her. She wondered what was going on! Perhaps, in all the noise and the crowd, the buzzing sound of the mobile had not been heard. And then, the poor girl had forgotten to put it back in her purse after she bought her snack of peanuts!

The phone rang again! Samantha picked it up. “Hello.”

Came an anxious voice from the other end: “Hello Reema beta! Your father has suffered a heart attack. The doctor has asked us to get him admitted in City Hospital. Can you come to the hospital directly?”

Samantha was confused. She took a deep breath and responded, “Hello! Who is this? There has been a mistake.....I......This....”

 And the voice came over the phone again....."Reema beta! You are coming na? Rishi is in college.....Raj uncle is in Delhi and all the neighbors here have gone for a sat sang program! I am taking your father to the City hospital in a rickshaw. You too reach there directly. As soon as possible!”

And then the caller hung up. Samantha got down at Santa Cruz with the phone in her hand. As she proceeded towards the exit, she stopped. About ten minutes later, she was in a local moving towards Jogeshwari, from where she took a taxi to City hospital. And then she realized, she only knew the girl’s name. 

She went over the reception and addressed the person sitting on the other side,"Mam, I wanted to know about a patient, who happens to be my friend Reema’s father. May I know which ward he has been admitted in?”

“Name of the patient please?”, asked the receptionist without looking up.

“Well....hmmm....just check......if there is a heart patient who has been admitted here within the last 10 minutes!” (She only knew the first name of the girl, after all!)

The lady on the other side gave Samatha a quizzical look for a second and then proceeded,“Let me check, mam. hmmm..........well, there happens to a sixty year old man admitted in the general ward, who just came in a while ago, complaining of severe chest pain. Mr. Alok shinde, Bed number 12, General ward.” The lady continued, “Well they need to pay the entire admission amount to shift him to the special ward as his condition is serious......The doctor will be here any moment.............Please pass on the message to them.....”

Samantha was not listening any more, as she rushed to bed number 12, general ward. There was a frail man taking deep breaths, and clutching his chest tight as he writhed in pain. The lady next to him, was in tears and desperately trying to call someone on the phone again. Samantha approached them and asked, “Are you Reema’s parents?”. 

The lady nodded, thinking that Samantha is a doctor. And then, Samantha further asked, “Did you call your daughter Reema on this phone, some ten minutes back?”. 

The lady now stopped sobbing and asked, “Who are you, beta?" 

Samantha then narrated as to how their daughter’s mobile landed in her hands, by chance. The lady sensing the good Samaritan in Samantha broke down, as she continued, “We are from a lower middle class family, beta. Reema is the sole bread winner. She is a sales girl. We have a son who goes to college. And my husband who has been a heart patient for a long time, has about 90% blockage in his heart. Now, operation seems to be the only way out. The hospital has asked us to pay about 7000 rupees for getting him admitted here, in the special ward, where the heart specialist can treat him soon. We have already paid 5000 rupees that I have been saving for the past few months. We are still 2000 rupees short of the admission amount. And so, I had called Reema....And now, she is not aware of what has happened. How will I contact her? How will I manage the remaining amount?” And the lady started crying again.....

Samantha took the lady along with her and went to the reception. She took out her debit card and made the extra payment that was needed. Then, she asked the old lady to accompany her ailing husband as he was wheeled into the special ward. One of the nurses explained to the now composed wife that, the heart specialist has come and he would take a look at the patient anytime now. About fifteen minutes later, the lady's eyes searched for Samantha but, Samantha had already left. She was on her way to her office. She was late. About two hours late now. But she was happy. Happy that her timely intervention helped in saving a man's life whose fate was unknown till the moment she stepped in. She also knew, her boss, whoever he may be, may or may not understand her reason for being late. But that did not bother her. Because, those crucial ten minutes taught her the importance of life. And, nothing can be larger than life. 

Destiny designs routes for each one of us. Only we need to follow our instincts.

Disclaimer: The above post is a piece of fiction and is an entry post in WOW contest of Blogadda. 

The day she smiled again (Part 3) ~ Fiction series

And since then, the chirpy twenty two year old Jennifer remains an unseen face, a faceless apparition stuck in a world where she can never again feel the warmth of her mother's kiss, or the bear hug of her brother, or the 'partner-in-mischief' winks she shared with her father or, the first blush that often came after the first kiss, a kiss that was meant to be but, never happened. She continues to stay in her room, waiting to come in terms with the fact that her death had taken away a lot from her. Her love, Peter had moved on. She was glad that he did so. What pained her most and the reason for her not having been able to go in peace, was that her own family had refused to move on and were still stuck in the memories that only gave pain, more pain and more pain.

Somehow, her presence is still felt in her home. Because, even today when the dinner bell rings, the first call is addressed to her. There is always a plate for her during lunch and dinners. And that ritual always brings a smile on her face. Her chair is unoccupied, the food remains untouched but the routine helps the family carry themselves through the incurably formidable void of having lost the daughter of the home, the star of their lives. Though Jennifer knows, her time as a living was up long back, she stoically chooses to stay with her family, waiting for normalcy to come back soon. She would give anything to want her family to smile again! She prayed hard. She prayed a lot. She prayed till she felt she could not ask anything more.

And that is when her niece, Samara quipped all of a sudden, at dinner, “Dad! Are there angels in reality?”

Aeron smiled at her and said, “Yes honey!”

The four year old chirped further, “Where do they live?”

And this time, Delia answered, “They live with the stars, up above and high in the sky, so that they can watch over us”

A thin smile came on Jennifer’s face at the innocent questions of her niece.....

However what no one was prepared for, was the next question that came from the child’s mouth, “Is Jennifer aunt an angel now?”

There is a sudden silence. The same silence that brought with it, a sheath of gloom and heart ache. There was pain etched on each face, each not knowing how to respond to that supposedly simple question. No one had even taken her name since the fateful year. Such had been the rage of pain that it almost seemed impossible for happiness to enter its forte. And Jennifer dreaded the impact. But what happened, was a pleasant surprise. The fifty year old grey haired man with a trimmed mustache  who sat next to Aeron, who had sworn a stone cold silence since his only daughter died, now smiled. Yes, the retired army officer, Col Benjamin Jacob took a deep breath. His eyes seemed to water a little bit. But the stern officer in him held the tears back. And he looked at his adorable grand daughter who was visiting him for the first of many times ever since Aeron settled abroad, replied, "Yes my munchkin, Jennifer is is now our guardian angel. She now watches over us."

Those words, those very words finally brought a closure to the mourning of six long years! Her prayers had finally been answered. They brought back everything to normal once again. Her father had spoken again.  And there, her mother who had been in a trance like state ever since, suddenly responded with moistened eyes. Her brother almost choked on his own tears. The child had finally broken the ice. And the key to it, was acceptance! Jennifer felt peace now. She now knew, she did not have to go through the pain of listening to her father’s stone cold silence or gazing at her mother’s unfathomably sad and glazed eyes that had not cried or laughed ever since! Because now, her spiritual presence surpassed her physical absence. Jennifer finally found peace with herself. 

Yes, she would be her family’s guardian angel henceforth! It was time to join the angels. It was time for her to go. It was time to move on to the next world.

Amen.

Disclaimer: The story is a pure work of fiction developed from a figment of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to the characters in the plot is a mere coincidence. Nothing more, nothing less. 

The day she smiled again (Part 2) ~ Fiction series

And it has been six years now. The routine of getting up each morning and staring blankly into the sky ever since, has been the thread that connected Jennifer with her world. As she descended the stairs of her home, she stared hard at her own portrait that hung on the wall  of the living room of their home. Her parents and her brother Aeron were lighting a candle, as it was prayer time. Her four year old niece Samara put a handful of fresh tulips and arranged them in a circle in front of Jennifer's photo. Tulips were Jennifer's favorite flowers after all. Aeron’s wife, Delia helped her daughter in arranging them. It had been a routine for Jennifer, watching this sight for the past six years, on this day of each year. Because, everything changed on this fateful day. Everything. For her. For her family. This day would always carry heartache and pain. This day had lifted her hopes by leaps and bounds only to bring her world crashing down the next instant. Because, it was Jennifer Jacob's death anniversary, the day she died.

11^th July’ 2006: The most memorable day of her life. She had graduated on this day. She was proposed by the love of her life on this day. She got her first job on this day too. She had a scholarship in hand for higher studies abroad, which she had not given much thought about until then. The children she taught in the slums had made her a card, as an acknowledgement of their love, for her kindness. In short, Jennifer Jacob had everything going good, just the way, she wanted. Just the way, things should have been going. She couldn't have asked for more. Life was perfect! Picture perfect!

That day, when her friend had offered her to drop her home, Jennifer had preferred to go by train. Despite the peak hours, she always loved traveling in the local trains. A book in hand and a Walkman that her father had gifted her when she was in fifth grade, gave her enough company. But that day, her mind was elsewhere. She had a lot to be happy about. She had said 'Yes' to the love of her life. And, she looked forward to good times that she believed, awaited her. She waited to share the good news with her parents and her brother. And then she had thought at that instant, "Oh Lord! I couldn't have asked you for more! Thanks for everything!" And that instant when she was dreaming about the good times that lay ahead, that precise moment when her eyes fell on an unattended Tiffin box under the seat across her, that instant when the Tiffin box exploded, that fraction of time became her nemesis. When death came, it came in a jiffy. There was no time for pain. There was no time to comprehend what happened. There was no time for tears. The explosion ripped her soul from her body as it did to three hundred odd people travelling in that train on that fateful day. And then, there was silence, a pin drop silence. The sinister silence that followed could not have been more deafening than the bomb explosion that shook the worlds of many..... 

Jennifer stood there, standing on her lifeless body refusing to accept, refusing to leave! The lines that reverberated in her head were, "No! this cannot be! This is some kind of bad dream. This is not real. This cannot be real". 

(to be continued.....)

The day she smiled again (Part 1) ~ Fiction series

It was 4 AM. It was still pitch dark outside. It had rained the previous day, The clouds had not ceased roaring. But, there was no lightning. There were no stars; there was no sign of the moon either. Perhaps, they were hiding behind the dark clouds. She sat by the side of the window of her room. The wind was cold. And as the coldness crept into the room, so came along a few drops of rain too. Or were those drops from those deep seated long lashed eyes of hers? Her lips were tight and her skin was pale. She blew out the mist on the window pane and a small smile came on her lips. It was something she did, when she had nothing much to do. But then, she had not been doing much for a long time. She then looked at the raging sky as if nothing threatened her anymore. Even the darkness was no more intimidating as it was, when she was small and when she had to keep the lights on to sleep. She cupped her hands on her study table and rested her chin on it. The dark brown hue of her eyes that once brimmed with verve, now was listless. There were no tears. Yet, there was no happiness. She just felt nothing. And, there was no longing for anything. No more.

As she glanced inside her room, her flashy wardrobe caught her attention. It had been unattended for a long time. It still had those photo clippings, a lot of cards and ribbons of various occasions stuck on them. And then suddenly, the wind gushed. The wardrobe opened slightly with a creaking sound. She got up. She looked inside. Dresses were neatly stacked. Her suits were hung on hangers just the way, they come from dry clean. And then, there was her dressing table next to the wardrobe. It always had the typical ‘girl’s best companion’ look. The mirror studded with radium on its corners, stared back at her in silence. The cosmetic box was still there on the dressing table, at the same place, half opened, with the kajal, lip gloss, mascara and some earrings, all scattered in a clumsy fashion. And then the small peg table she used, for sitting in front of the mirror brought back some fond memories of getting dressed each day for college. Her eyes further scoured around as the shoe cabinet that housed more than ten pairs of exquisite looking footwear that she often purchased from the various parts of the country she had traveled, caught her eye. Her father had served in the Army and so she had a collection of all kinds of apparels from almost every corner of the country and she looked at them fondly.

As she turned around and took a deep breath, there still was some of her regular ‘Gucci’ perfume wafting in the air inside the closed room. Her favorite one! And it seemed to arouse the olfactory senses in her, which had been dormant for a while. But, what overwhelmed her with ineffable emotions, was that family portrait that hung on the wall. It was her most treasured possession of all. This possession reminded her of how secure she felt in the bear hug of her elder brother, how soothing she felt when her mother kissed her forehead, how calm and confident she felt when her father gave her his shoulder to lean on whenever she needed it.

And then, there were other albums stacked in the drawers of her dressing table that contained dainty flashbacks of her nomadic childhood, vibrant college days and the exciting part time job she had been pursuing. She was a part time teacher who chose to impart free education in slums. And, she had taken up the job purely out of choice. As those memories came flooding back, a bout of nausea swept over her. And then, the reality jolted her out of the trance that came on her each time, she sat at her study table. The stark reality that things will never change for her, the grim reality that nothing can undo what happened in her life six years back and the forbidding certainty that there is no power in the world that could redo the sequence of events that were destined to happen in her life of 22 years, hit her like a thunderbolt. The naked truth that unmasked itself on 11^th July 2006.....that one dreaded moment that changed the course of many lives......the dark fact of history that life would never be the same for many.....

(to be continued.....)

The woman on the beach.....

The long lithe legs strode serenely making light imprints of a pair of shapely foot on the loose porous sand. The slender hands clasped together forming a fist like earth; The burgundy coloured curls danced over her shoulders with each pace she put forth and the dark brown eyes meandered towards the beautiful horizon as the milky white waves splashed the brackish sea water athwart her. Then all of a sudden, the figure just halted. The Sun was hitting the bed with a deep ginger colour settling on the mammoth sky. With the time, the fluffy cumulus, now fully painted with a galore of orange and yellow, tinged with an azure on its lining, seemed to grow thicker with the onset of dusk. They seemed to cast their dazzling image on the deep blue waters which made the sea look even more majestic. The sharp nose twitched as another wave hit the form harder than before. The lips moved slightly as if to mouthe something but stopped for some reason. It appeared to her as if the God of Light were bidding a good day. Abruptly, she walked towards the sea with her arms outstretched as if embracing the horizon. As she treaded, images of every phase of her fifty year old life flooded back to her: Her childhood, her adolescence, her adulthood, her professional life, her marriage, her motherhood, her personal life which centred around her family and friends and now this moment which she was currently living. Her life had come in full circle with its shares of happiness and miseries. Now as she reckoned the most unforgettable moments of her life, a drop of tear trickled down her cheek and fell into the waters below. It was as if the whirlwind of emotions in her was being patiently perceived by the giant force of the nature on which she stood.

The sea had always been an enigma to her. The dark waters captivated her as much as they terrified her. To her, the sea was a yet to be unearthed mystery, an inexplicable element, a ray of hope when all the doors of goodwill closed, a guide who addressed solutions to the inevitable Pandora boxes that were the speed breakers in a journey called LIFE. It had many a times given clues to her unanswered queries during the roller coaster moments that had at a time defied her very existence. Yet, she could not reach out to the unseen unfathomable force that had been guiding her so far, despite having felt it for a little time when she had craved for it, needed it desperately. And now she wanted to meet it, embrace it forever, hold it close and never let it go. There was an impulsive surge in her to reunite with the force from where she was born. Then suddenly a huge wave lashed out at her shoving her on the shore. There she was, lying on the sand as one defeated mortal, who had no other choice but to march back on her verve to live. But she knew she would meet the omnipresence some day. Only that it was just not her time.

To be continued.....