SOCIAL STORY

                                                    "THE LAST CRY"

The long shrieking sound of whistle pierced the cold, lull atmosphere. The police-men were on patrol. Their booming heavy boots were petrifying. Few moments before a police van rolled onto the silent street cautioning people not to venture out, as the curfew had been imposed in the area…

“Two days have passed…” his ailing wife said in feeble voice, groaning with pain, “…what will we do now?”

Ramu said nothing. His face distorted with the thought of his helplessness. He could do nothing but to wait for curfew to be lifted. He affectionately asked his pretty frail wife Sita if she required anything, but she kept quiet.

“How can I help it,” he murmured in a low whisper as if someone would grapple him if heard him. Without waiting further, he got up and slowly reached to a tin wherein some floor was kept. He opened the lid and peeped inside. “Only few fistful of flour…” he said aloud, “…sufficient for this evening. What will we eat if the curfew is not lifted soon.” his wretch was writ large on his face.

A daily-wage labour, Ramu was a middle-aged man with frail body. He worked with a local trader who was in a business of handicrafts. Hard labour combined with low calorie diet had made him arch-spine. The couple had no children. To meet their ends Sita also worked as house-maid, but since last few days she could not go to her work; now this curfew.

All was well in the morning except few gossiping and rumours. Rumours had it that some people stabbed a youth who succumbed. The news was casual but soon became viral leading to wide-spread violence and loot.

“Did you hear? They have killed our man just to show their supremacy,” a fellow worker said in a voice socked with anger. “It ought not to be tolerated,” said the other.

“Who told you?” asked one among all who seemed a bit prudent. “I’ve seen it while coming to factory,” said the previous one with a sense of confidence, inflating his chest as if was going to receive a medal.

Few people hurriedly entered the premise and cried in panic, “Public-order has become disrupted. Main market is burning. Shops, offices and vehicles have been torched.” The premise was closed hastily and people were urged not to go out until the things were normal. Ostensibly, things had taken an devilish shape.

Sitting capitulated in a corner Ramu was closely observing the events. “Sita is alone and ailing…” he said to his colleague in frightening voice. “What might be happening there?” he finished and became silent. After a brief but heavy calm, the fellow said, “You should go home immediately.” Suddenly a group of hooligans appeared from no-where and started raising slogans. The atmosphere became tense and before occurrence of any untoward incident, a siren of police van was heard. The hooligans dispersed.

“Curfew has been imposed…” a gruff voice from the van on public-address system was informing people, “…people are advised to be in their houses soon. Rumour mongering will not be tolerated.”

Ramu hurriedly came out of the premise and headed towards his home where his wife was anxiously waiting for him. She had come out and was desperately walking up and down onto the silent road.

“Where had you been?” she cried and hugged him. She was becoming breathless, eyes brimmed with tears. “I was about to die with fret,” she said holding him tenderly. Sita had become pale more with emotion than her ailment. Her face started distorting with pain. Ramu helped her bringing her back in the house. She was copiously perspiring and gasping. He helped her lying on the cot and gave a glass of water. After sometime though she was emotionally contained, but was caught with high fever. With whatever they had, he managed to prepare tea and offered her with utmost care and affection.

The flame of the kerosene lamp – the only source of light in the house flickered. The shadows of the objects shivered and then everything became normal. Sita was in sound sleep which was a great thing for Ramu. The booming sound of police boots reverberated followed by a long whistle blow. Ramu was at the site when the problem started…

“Was it a thing to reckon with?” He whispered with a deep breath. “We do not want such sectarian frenzy, but who does it,” he was talking to himself looking impassively towards the wall onto which elongated shadow of the pot was flickering with each stroke of the flame. The lone window sill was moving with blowing wind and making sound with rhythmical note. “Why this happened?” he thought. He was worried about the ailing condition of his wife who was in dire need of medical care, but due to curfew he was unable to take her to hospital. Her pain was exaggerating but he could do nothing. He patted her forehead and as if relieved from her pain, she gradually went in slumber.

The flame of the kerosene lamp started dimming. “The oil might be finishing,” he said and got up to reach the lamp. “Puff…” he blew the flame to put it off. Birds started chirping outside. The night was giving place to dawn. “How free and innocent are they!” he said to Sita who had also woken and was looking outside.

“I’ve brought some tea for you,” a middle aged lady said entering their room.

“Thanks Rani, but dear me why did you take pain?” he said to her affectionately. Rani, who was living in a room adjacent to theirs, was a kind hearted lady who always showed concern for them. “Don’t worry, it doesn’t matter. How is Sita?” she asked Raju.

“She is not well, though she has had a sound sleep,” Raju replied offering her a place to sit.

Rani looked at Sita a bit more deeply. “She indeed has become very frail…” pushing forward the conversation she said, “…medical care is needed but the situations does not support the idea…” while she was mid-way of her conversation, she cried in a terrified voice, “O God! Look at her! How pale she is becoming!”

Petrified by the horror, Raju became dumb and perplexed. Hurriedly he came out of his room to seek help. There was a complete silence. The roads were deserted and no one was there except few armed police-men, who shouted at him. “Why have you come out? Don’t you know that curfew has been imposed?” One of them asked in a gruff voice.

“Sita is seriously ill…” he pleaded, “…and needs urgent medical care.” The callous police-man did not heed and said in rough voice, “So what? Nothing can be done.” The words penetrated deep in his heart. His eyes brimmed with tears. Once again he begged.

“Sir, please let me take her to the hospital soon lest she die…” he kept on pleading, “She is the only person in my life.”

“What’s going on?” asked another one in a rude voice. He was a middle aged police sergeant with high cheek bones and jutting eyebrows. “My ailing wife is groaning with pain and needs immediate medical care,” Raju repeated in trembling voice. As if not ready to believe, the sergeant looked at him with penetrating eyes. “How did you come here in the midst of curfew?” He asked in heavy voice. Dishevelled Raju had nothing more to say. “I’m quite helpless and know nothing as to how I came here. The only thing I know is that you, my lord, can help me saving the life of my wife.” The sergeant mellowed down and accompanied with Raju towards his hutment. Sita was moaning and wriggling. Sitting beside her, Rani was trying to soothe her.

“Alfa calling delta…” he called on the walky-talky. “Here is a serious patient who needs urgent medical care. Please send an ambulance soon.”

They boarded the government ambulance and hurried towards the hospital. The hospital was full of wounded people and there was a chaotic atmosphere. The small team of doctors were trying to cater the needs of several people. There was no time for them to look upon the ailing people. They were running heather and thither.

“There are causalities. At least five people have been reported killed and thirteen injured in the frenzy.” The news-reader was reporting on the TV set installed in the hall of the hospital. “The opposition parties are blaming the government for their laidback approach,” reporting about the untoward incidences she further said. The blame-game had started and political parties had started blaming each other and trying to take advantage of the situation.

“The things are under control. Situation is though tense,” an official was making statement on the TV. “Soon the normalcy will be restored. We appeal public to remain cool.”

Oblivious of this all, Raju was deeply engrossed in his thoughts. Sitting beside his wife, he was waiting for his chance. “Come,” the doctor called him.

He looked at her wife. Her face had become pale and distorted with pain. Strangely, she was not making voices nor was showing signs of movement. Horrified Raju almost cried, “Doctor, look at her!”

The doctor took hold of her wrist and sensed the pulse. He was making gestures. After few mock examinations said, “It has become too late. She has left us for her heavenly abode.”

The words flowed like molten lead in his ears. He fell down and became unconscious. His senses became blunt and stopped responding.

“You cannot be rude to me dear Sita. How shall I be able to survive in such world without you?” Raju cried and became unconscious again…

__END__

                                                                     SOURCE BY-KAMAL KISHORE SRIVASTAVA

PUBLISHED BY-OURHELLO.COM

STORY FROM OFFICE

                                                     "FULFILMENT"

It was a cloudy night. The sky was dark barring the far lights from the distant factory. Ramu put out his unfinished cigarette and turned to look at the beautiful sight. “This is the rising sun of India”, he thought smilingly. He dusted off his hands and jumped down from the high cement pedestal. A whistle blew.

“Pathetic watchmen. What a waste!”, he blurted out almost loud enough to be heard. Walking fast, he reached his apartment door and started snoring as soon as he fell into his bed.

Early next morning as he got up, Ramu sat down to have a final look at his powerpoint presentation. The boss would reach at 8:30; another couple of hours. He skimmed through the slides. “Theory behind proposition… Application to market… GOD! Where is the graph?”

Ajay and his retriever came running into the room.

“Ramu, is everything alright?”

“The graph!! It’s not there anymore. I’m sure I put it at number seventeen.”

Ajay looked at his watch and then at his dog. He looked at a distressed Ramu scrolling up and down. “Calm down, dude. Check your hard drive. Here, Boxer will give you company.”

“Ajay, I’m not kidd…” Before he could finish his sentence, the dog jumped into his lap. Ramu pushed it back angrily and screamed at Ajay, asking him to leave him alone.

“Älright dude. Just take care.”

Ajay called his dog, and after one last look at Ramu, left the apartment for his morning jog.

Ramu got up and went to take a shower, all the time thinking about what his boss would say. “I’m sorry Ramu. The clients said no”. He punched the bathroom tile hard.

The boss looked at Ramu. He phoned his secretary and ordered two cups of tea. “So Ramu, are you ready. The clients will be here any moment now. Ths is an mportnat deal for our company and I have entrusted you with this assignment. You are one of my best managers”.

“Of course, Sir. This deal is ours”. Ramu attempted a forceful smile while trying his best to avoid showing any sign of weakness. The secretary brought in the tea. She looked at Ramu, who was constantly looking at the Boss. She placed the two cups on the table.

“Amrita, be ready with the letter draft to Bearings this afternoon. I will have to update that. And yes, also remind me to talk to Rastogi about the golf thing for this weekend”.

“Yes Sir”. She left the room.

As Ramu too started to get up from his seat, the Boss suggested that Ramu remain in his chamber till the clients arrived. Reluctantly Ramu sat down again. He could feel his feet trembling now. A drop of sweat fell on the table.

The phone rang. The Boss picked it up instantly.

“What? They cancelled? How could this be? Write a mail to them asking why this utter nonsense behavior!! … Yes yes, do it your way”. He slammed down the phone, threw away his tea and held his head. Ramu was too perplexed to make anything of the situation. He waited.

After two minutes which seemed like two hours to Ramu, the Boss finally said, “Take the day off. See you on Monday.”

Ramu couldn’t believe his ears. Slowly it dawned on him. The clients were not coming. The presentation was cancelled. Ramu was saved. He tried to contain his joy, made his best grim face and left the room. The secretary seeing him leaving, got up to say something but he was already on his way out of the office. Just before he turned at the corridor end, she caught a glimpse of his smile. She smiled to herself and sat back at her desk.

Back at his home, Ramu rang his bell. He was too excited to contain himself. After five rings, Ajay with the dog at his feet opened the door.

“Ramu? you’re back! Are you okay?”

“Yeah dude! Want to go for golf tomorrow?”

“Golf? Sure, but what happened? I was worried for you this morning. Look how happy Boxer is to see you are fine.”

“I was thinking let’s take Boxer along for golf tomorrow. What do you say?”

“Hey, that’s great idea!”.

“And also remind me to talk to the building watchman later today. The roof needs some cleaning. These guys know stuff around here.”

“Huh? ok, alright.”

Ramu lit another cigarette and looked at the sunny day outside. The lush green park in front of their apartment building looked grand in the golden sunlight.

It was a beautiful sight.

                                                                                        SOURCE BY-WANDERING CLOAK

PUBLISHED BY-OURHELLO.COM

STORY WITH MORAL LESSON

                                  "THE WOLVES BECOME DOG"

“A tea and a cigarette” said Amit in a low voice. The vendor looked at him and understood everything. Its hard to accept sometimes but its true that your ‘chaiwala’ knows you better.

“Go, sit alone for a while and think what you need to do to perform better”

Those were the words of his manager which once more came to his mind and he went further down into his lane of sadness and misery.

“Here” said the vendor while handing the tea glass, cigarette, match box and a pack of fruit cakes to Amit. It was his usual. The break is at noon every day. The vendor looks at his watch and starts making tea before hand. He expects Amit and other ten to fifteen colleagues to visit his shop at the same time everyday.

He took a sip of the tea and a bite of the cake. Suddenly he noticed the brown stray dog coming towards him. He was about to finish the cake when the dog appeared. He threw the last bite to the dog. The dog caught it in mid way and went to sit at the side of the road to enjoy his meal.

“How does the dog know that I have my break at noon?” a strange question pondered over his mind. He looked at his watch and it was fifteen past twelve.

“Right on time every day!” he exclaimed to himself in the marvel of the puncuality of the dog.

“They don’t even have a watch.” Amit said to himself.

Suddenly Amit was shocked a bit. He realized something and said to himself,” Do they even know the concept of time? Past, present, future?”

He was continuously observing the dog and found that he was trying to chew the cake . The efforts looked strange to him. He saw its pointed teeth .

“Canines”

“They are not meant to eat the cakes, are they? They should be hunters, predators, killers!”

“Does nature knew that this dog would eat a cake anytime in his life? Nature should provide them a set of teeth like humans. So that they can chew and savor the cake.” Amit was talking to himself.

“Bloody buggers! They cheated the nature!” It looked as if he understood something deep and exclaimed to himself once again.

“Yes you are right!’ Amit heard a strange voice in his head. He looked here and there but no one was talking to him. He was sitting alone there today. The break was over but still he wanted to sit there. It was a pretty bad day at office.

“We cheated the nature” the voice came again.

Amit’s eyes met the dog’s eyes and he was horrified to realise the possiblity.

“A dog is talking? A dog is talking to me?” Amit was going nuts and was about to run when the dog spoke again.

“What do you mean a dog? It is not a derogatory term my dear. We are the smartest of the species on the whole of the earth. Look at the tigers, poor souls they are about to extinct like dodo. Although they were hundred times smarter, faster and powerful than dodo. ”

Amit couldn’t get up and run. He kept seated and didn’t break the eye contact. He was sort of hypnotized.

“There was a time Amit when there was no dog. There were only wolves, fearsome, big bad wolves. They were marvelous hunters. They ran in packs. They had a society. There were winners and looses and an actual social system almost like humans.”

“Then” asked Amit.

“Then there were some smart wolves. They were old but they were pretty smart. They were like the precursor of democracy. They had a strong command on the leader wolf and whole of the pack.

The smart wolves had a meeting and the smartest wolves from all over the world were invited. They were concerned about the hazards of their occupation. They wanted to ban hunting all together. They said hunting is too dangerous. All the time wolves get killed in hunting.

They had a theory of communism in their mind. They talked of social welfare where everybody should be treated equal. The resolution was passed. There would be food for every body. There would be wives for every wolf. Their lineage would continue.

They sorted a medium for that. It was a very clever thought out plan. They have identified a species who was the most stupid. They identified humans. They were brave, they were strong but they were stupid enough to be egoistic.

They became the friends of humans. They tamed humans or humans tamed them ,I could never understand. And the practice continues till now. We have remains of our wolf-ness like our teeth but the spirits have subdued a long ago. Humans kick us, spit on us or even use dog as a bad word, but we survived.

Humans keep on inventing. They invented different foods, religion, concepts like time,wheel,fire,internet,insurance but we survive. Now we survive to the extent Amit that the dog at your manager’s house live lavishly than you. Your total salary is less than the amount spend on his food and care.”

“Hmm, I think you are right.” Amit was absorbed in the dog’s revelation.

“No, this is not it Amit. There is another side of story too.”

“What is that?” asked Amit.

“There were wolves and there are wolves Amit. They never left their identity. They lived for their respect. They believed in their identity. They still hunt. The world is still afraid of them.They revolted the smart ones. They fought for themselves. They were tried to be stopped by the elders. The society condemned them. Then there was developed an education system to kill the hunting spirit so that no dog could become a wolf.

But the wolves have survived too! They listened to their souls and they are proud hunters. They don’t live for security in life. They make it large Amit! They don’t want air conditioning, they don’t care if they travel in a car. They are proud to be what they are. Nobody dares kick them! We venerate them. It was never easy for them and it will never be but you know what Amit… it is not worth being a dog!”

“One more tea sir?” asked the vendor.

“Yes, of course and a cigarette too!”Amit was smiling now.

“Won’t you get late? I heard the manager sir is very harsh these days?” its strange they always know so much about your life, wondered Amit.

“There is difference between dogs and wolves Raju bhai! One more cigarette and tea please.”

The vendor was a bit amazed by the confidence in Amit’s tone.

The next day ten or fifteen colleagues of Amit came to the tea stall but Amit didn’t show up.

“You know he even said to the manager… It is not worth being a dog!” They were discussing among themselves.

__END__

                                                                                                             SOURCE BY-PALLAV

PUBLISHED BY-OURHELLO.COM

SHORT STORY

                                  "WE ARE NO LONGER AFRAID"

He was there.

Again, that gloomy December evening, in the hugging shadows, outside the dim-lit hovel, stood the young neighbor that had, strangely, got transformed into a stalker for the tall and dark 15-year-old Laxmi.

Wolves run in the jungle…and in the human settlements, too!

Beware, my child, of such wolves, in your life!

They will eat you up—live, raw, uncooked,

Tearing into your gentle female flesh,

 Plunging their fangs into your gentle hide,

And,

Leave scars of their conquests,

On your soul and mind,

O, my poor child,

Never leave your home in night,

Never go alone,

O, my poor child,

Cause,

In cities,

They,

The wolves,

Masquerading as humans,

Move in large packs,

Out to kill

For their own thrill! 

That was how old one-toothed woman sang this scary song in a nasal tone, on lonely nights, when real wolves could be heard in the far-off jungle, their howl menacing the thick wintry air and sending shivers down her spine. She could see the glowing eyes, orbs of orange light burning bright in the surrounding darkness, their wailing curdling her blood, hissing sound, creeping in like cold wind from the gap between mud floor and the closed doors.

It was a song that was sung by my old granny, said the old woman. It was told to her by her granny.

The wolves never changed; so did the fate of the women in their clan, said the feeble woman softly, showing some indented marks on her withered hide, marks indelibly left by a branding iron by a conqueror.

That was old granny, years ago, talking of hungry wolves, to little Laxmi, visiting their ancestral village after a long gap, along with her thin small mother. They lived outside the village periphery. They were not allowed to move inside because, granny said, they were the children of a lesser god. Young, her survival skills honed up in a Mumbai slum, Laxmi could feel the eyes of some strapping village lads sliding off her budding body like monsoon drops falling off the asbestos sheet of her 10X10 room made up of plastic, mackintosh and few boards. She could sense something in those wild eyes that made her alert and avoid them at the corner of the market where they stood and stared.

They mean no good!

Same probing eyes followed her here. More than a month now, Laxmi felt a pair of red eyes x-raying her, peeling off the protective clothing publicly and she felt very scared.

Should tell Maa?

Her father was tough and often thrashed elder brother. Laxmi was terrified of his angry outbursts. But she did not have to inform either. Maa noticed the lean and tall man standing and staring in the shimmering gloom, whenever Laxmi cooked meals on the open stove outside the hovel. She told her husband. He went to police. They laughed at the mason and turned him out of the station.

“Ask your daughter to remain inside the room. She must have done something to get his attention. There are so many other girls in the slum. Why she is getting his attention?” asked the inspector insolently.

“Get her married to him,” suggested his junior.

Their hyena laugh echoed in the congested police station. Others, too, joined the fun—to please the burly inspector.

Then, the angry mason went to a journalist and told her of their plight.

The khol-eyed lady tapped some numbers and made few calls to higher police officers. In three hours, cops came in a jeep and took the thug—a quivering mass of unstable bones and loose muscles before the raiding team of muscle-packed cops with hard unblinking eyes and steely hands—to the police station and threw him down in the damp cellar along with other criminals. They kept him there for long. Afterwards, he limped out of the lock-up and went out to some other place.

The grateful mason said thanks to the crime reporter for her help. She smiled.

“Where is that loafer now?” She asked.

“Vanished.” Said the mason.

“If he comes back and troubles you further?” She asked.

The mason said nothing.

“What will you do then?” She persisted, journo-style, hunting for sound bytes, every tragedy/ problem, a potential story. After all, TV reporting needed and thrived on sensational stories. Human suffering was the all season best news of all, a cynical news editor had told her once.

He looked up, straight this time, into those smoky, hard eyes. “Madam, we have stopped worrying now. We are no longer afraid of the goons. Earlier, it was my elder daughter. We came down to this slum. Thought the problem was the earlier slum only. Here also, it re-surfaced. Fact is nobody, the poor and middle class, are safe in this country—or, outside. Where should we go? To the Mars? I have decided. Wife, too. We will remain here and face the goons. Won’t quit, this time. We are ready to die here only. Even otherwise, what is the value of a poor life?”

The smoky-eyed beauty smiled, thinking of her big story for her channel, of the various camera- angles. It was going to be her big story, after very long, for a competitive TV channel, asking her to create sensational stories, if there were not enough…Nothing sells like crime and sex, after all. A molesting goon; poor girl; poor family; reluctant cops; possibility of revenge by the young criminal, a sensational coverage…she did not hear the mason babbling on in her plush apartment like a crazy father.

__END__

                                                                                          SOURCE BY-DRSHARMA SUNIL

PUBLISHED BY-OURHELLO.COM

LOVE STORY FROM COLLEGE

                                          "CHANGING SEASONS"

1. LIGHT

“What would you have done, given we never crossed paths?” Krishna enquired.

“I would’ve lost reason.” came a docile reply.

“Then it’s high time you lose it now. Good Bye.” He walked away.

Krishna felt wretchedly miserable watching her face fall. It was like fighting with a lifelong best friend. He had never felt anything more painful. The remorse worsened with every step he took. But whatever happens, life has to go on. He hoped with all his heart she would come to realise it. She better realise that sooner or later.

Veena felt unbelievably stationary. She could not move. Her spirit shattered as she looked at her reason walk away. She felt very stupid though. Deep down, she knew she had been expecting. It was all like a dream. A dream that could be bundled into four years of enchanting memories.

“Veena?” she heard an oddly familiar voice. It was at that moment that a strong breeze of February air swept past her, sending chills through her bones. Ayesha walked to wards her.

“Veena!!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing, standing in here at this time of the night? Don’t tell me you’ve been studying again. We’ve completed our course, you know that right? No more studying for a good three months from now! Can you believe it? We’re all Bachelors of Engineering now!”

Ayesha looked at her face and knew something was wrong. Ayesha also knew what was wrong. She knew it was something that everyone had been painfully expecting.

“I’m so sorry Veena. But admit it, you knew this was coming. He knew this was coming. We all knew this was coming. That is the peculiarity of your story. Everyone on campus knew it was going to end. Everyone, except you two. ”

They were back in their room. Veena still hadn’t spoken a word. Ayesha decided not to push her and give her some time. She was in a fine mess. But at least she had a way out.

Three hours later, around three forty in the morning, Veena spoke.

“Ayesha, what do you think is better? Job as a Systems Engineer in Delhi or an M.Tech in Astronomical Instrumentation?”

Ayesha got out of her bed and took Veena in a warm hug. Her best friend was back.

“I think you’ll do great as a scientist. Go for that M.Tech degree. Who knows, given your brains, you might become a scientist of national importance! ”

The two of them smiled and looked around the room they had shared for four years.

“Its all going to change now, isn’t it?” Veena asked.

“Our lives? Yes. But the fact that you are not going to stop quoting Hermoine Granger? Nope.”  Ayesha retorted.

The two girls broke into a laugh. Veena felt oddly better, and the way ahead seemed brighter, illuminated by a new source of light that she had failed to notice a very long time ago.

2. RAIN

Yet, the oddly comforting assurance of the new source of radiance was not good enough to make Veena sleep. She lay wide awake on the upper bunk of the bed, starring  into the ceiling that was exceedingly close.  The ceiling had the glow in the dark stars that she and Ayesha had painted when they were in the second semester. Don’t think back. She told herself. But the loud noise of the rain spattering on the windows of her room would not allow it. It felt rhythmic, calm and nostalgic. Veena could not help but laugh at the irony. She remembered one particular rainy day three Septembers ago that completely changed her life and added up to everything that she was today.

********

It was the second day of college. She had moved in and she knew her roommate Ayesha was definitely her type. They got along incredibly well. It was an early evening and the two were on their way back to their rooms. It was very dark and the clouds looked like it could break into a pour anytime. The University was built on the high terrain of the Western Ghats and it looked absolutely scenic.

“Veena, what a shame it would be, to walk back to our rooms and lock ourselves in the annoying and dusty company of those boring walls.” Ayesha complained.

“Let’s not go back then! Have you heard that they serve really scrumptious Punjabi cuisine in the food court that’s in the left wing of the university? ” Veena asked excitedly.

They started to hike. In fifteen minutes, they arrived at a small and uninhabited shack that was located far away from campus and on the top of a hillock. It had a sign board that had the words “Closed” in bright red paint.

“Oh wow.” Ayesha was panting as she spoke. “We climbed this high trek for fifteen minutes, covered out brand new three point five inches stilettos in mud, missed our evening tea, and came to this. Could this GET any worse?”

Then, it started raining. Not just any kind of scarce monsoon drizzle Veena had witnessed in Madurai, but a very sturdy and thick rain storm of the Western Ghats. In four seconds the two girls were drenched from head to toe. In nine seconds, they could not walk. In fifteen seconds, the land in the tiny hill was starting to slide.

“Never start walking downhill on a raining day, dressed in long flowing skirts. They should put up signs for that” Veena heard Ayesha say. A few footsteps later , she knew what Ayesha meant.

Her heel stepped on her skirt, she tripped and fell down. But she did not roll down the hill. In fact she was rising. He had caught her.

Veena still had no idea how Krishna got there.

“Uh…You can put me down now.” Veena alleged.

“Uh…Sure.” He said meekly.

They were both equally embarrassed.

“Krishna, what are you doing here?” Ayesha asked in surprise, breaking the awkward silence.

“I was just taking some pictures. The Western Ghats look magnificent when it rains, right?” He asked Ayesha, all his gaze fixed on Veena. It was still raining.

“Veena, you know Krishna right? He’s from the Mechanical Department?”

“Oh.” Veena replied. She was starting to feel cold. The tall boy with wheatish complexion was still looking at her. She could see that even through his glasses.

“I think we need to get back, Ash” Veena spoke after a very long time. She started walking down the hill.

“Yeah, we should. We’d end up with a bad flu.” Ayesha said as she walked to catch up with her.

Krishna stationed himself in that spot though. He did not want to move. He watched them, walk back. A warm smile spread across his face and his heart.

“You know, this is about the time, when someone would say ‘’Thanks’.” He called out to the two girls who were now halfway down the hill. The two of them stopped walking.

“Thanks” Veena turned around, and smiled.

Krishna‘s camera clicked.

Veena. Pretty name. He thought as he watched them disappear out of sight. He knew for sure that she was not the one who had actually fallen.

The two girls were back in their room.

“What a Day.” Ayesha crashed on the bed.

“You know what that reminded me of?” Veena asked.

“What?”

“Sense and Sensibility. The part when Marianne Dashwood meets John Willoughby.”

Ayesha looked up, puzzled.  And then it hit her.

******

It had dawned. Veena still hadn’t had slept. The rain was over and she could hear the hum of the tiny birds chirping. The room was filled with a very sweet scent of the roses that drifted in from the gardens. It was another day, another chance to soak in as much of the campus as she could.

“Ash? You up?” Veena asked.

“Yea.” She heard Ayesha’s sleepy voice.

“You know, I was just wondering if, uh, you know, maybe we could like take a walk up the hill in the left wing? You know, just to have some alone time? Away from the buzzing activities of the campus?” Veena asked.

Ayesha looked at her friend. She knew what she was thinking of. Veena was deliberately trying to sound casual about it, but she knew she was hurting on the inside.

“Veena?” Ayesha paused before she asked any further.

“Have you been dreaming of the rain again?”

3. LEGILIMENS

Krishna woke up to a beautiful dawn. He felt new, clear and pure. There was a long lost feeling of freshness to his life. Everything made sense again. He walked straight up to the bookshelf and too out his hardbound copy of HP 5. He laid the book on the table and sat down. Five pages into Dudley Demented, he couldn’t read any further. He was lost in thought when he noticed how the beautiful golden rays of sunshine filled the room through the open window and fell on the book. Light always fascinated him. It reminded him of the possibility of things to remain pure and unadulterated. Light fascinated him in a way the Western Ghats failed to.

The most impulsive thought struck him. He wanted to leave the painfully lonely confines of the mountains. He longed the comforting hustle bustle of the city. He had the urge not to feel captivated, lost and lonely. His phone buzzed.

“Krish! You ungratefully forgetful Idiot!” It was his sister.  “It’s mom’s birthday. You forgot, you dumbo. Again!! She’s upset. When are you going to learn to keep reminders in that expensively useless mobile of yours?” She was screaming and speaking very fast. He hated it when she did that.

“Damn.” he said in a low voice.

“Call her in thirty seconds, or I’ll send a howler, burn all your Nicholas Sparks books, tamper your diary, Shift Delete your summer photographs, Ink your Record books and Oblivate you !!” She cut the call.

Her sister never joked about stuff like this. He very well knew she was capable of doing all that she had just said. He dialed home.

“Hello? Krishna?” He heard a sweet and comforting voice.

“Happy Birthday Maa!” He said in an emotionally flooded voice. How selfish he had been. He been so much caught up in his personal mess that he had forgotten her birthday. He felt ungrateful. His mother sounded very excited. Fifteen minutes, they had said all that they had to, and the call was over. Three minutes later, his phone buzzed again. It was his sister.

“That was more like it.” she sounded tamer now.”Why is it such a big deal for you every year?”

“I forgot, okay! That’s just it. I FORGOT. Now stop being so annoyingly pushy!” He burst out.

“Don’t you dare raise your voice on me like that. I was just trying to HELP you.”  Her voice was rising.

She did not have to mention that. He knew it. She had always been there for him, helping. But she did it in an extremely annoying way. He was now silent.

“Keerthi, I’m sorry. ” He said.

“It’s Veena, isn’t it?” She asked.

“You know EVERYTHING now, don’t you? You’re kinda scary that way.” He replied.

“Want to talk about it?” She asked in a cool tone.

“No.” He gave a cold reply.

“Whatever, little boy” she smirked.

Krishna was lost in a traffic of racing thoughts after the call ended. That was why he hated the hills. It was so quiet, that his thoughts became louder and more irrational. He missed the noisy streets of Chennai. The busy roads and its loud people. It was always packed and amusing that he never had to deal with all the confusing thoughts of his mind. He was always occupied. His phone buzzed again. It was a text message from his sister.

Just so you now, I forgot Mom’s birthday too. Veena called her. That’s how I remembered. We talked. I know.

A wave of shock spread over. He waited. Five minutes later, he got another text.

You’re still bright to me. You’ll be fine. Its actually better for both of you this way. Love you.

P.S: Should the memories haunt you, try legilimency. It might work.

He smiled at the last note. He had the craziest sister in the world. As long as she was around, he knew he would always find his way back home.

4. NOT TO REGRET

“How do you feel?” Ayesha asked with very deep concern.

It was very chill for an afternoon and the two girls had climbed up the hillock. She was meddling through the playlist in her music player. Veena was sitting on the stone bench, and the air was very moist. She looked up as Ayesha continued.

“I mean, I thought maybe you’d feel better if you talked about it.”

“For God’s sake, Ash. Stop treating me like I’ve recovered from a life killing disease. I’m fine. It was just a bloody break up.” came a very sharp reply.

A very cool breeze swept past them, and Ayesha knew that Veena was in one of those crappy moods where she would get mad at even the most normal conversations. What was even more annoying was that she never accepted that she was having a temper issue.

“When you say you are fine in THAT tone, I know very well that you are not” Ayesha replied.

“Ok, You want me to talk? Let’s talk.” Veena took off the earphones and placed the music player away. She looked up at her best friend.

“I saw him, we liked each other, we did lots of dramatic stuff,. He made me feel special. There was reason to everything. It was  infact, very deep. So deep, that I could start writing about it, and it would make a national bestseller.”

Veena’s voice was starting to break. A sudden flash of memories flooded her mind. She could see everything again. A huge wave of mixed feelings took over.

“But that was just it. All of it makes an interesting story, a very intriguing plot, or even a block buster movie. But it gets easily washed away in the wave of REALITY. ” She choked on the last words.

“Krishna realised that pretty fast. I do now.” Veena paused.  “I’ll never regret it though. I’m not going to go down the dark lane of depression.”

“You don’t regret it?” Ayesha was in fact, surprised at that note.

“No. Why should I?” Veena stood up. She smiled at Ayesha.

“Reality is such a messed up concept that continuously changes with time. Start believing you are in it, or be pleased with the way things are going in your reality, it has a very cruelly funny of showing us how it was all nothing but a joke and reveals its actual facade later.”

“Veena, have you considered inspirational talk as a career option?” Ayesha mocked.

5. TUSKER

“I’ll miss the class room, the lectures and the occasional rebel acts we do in campus.” Ayesha complained as the two girls got ready for class the next morning.

“I doubt I’ll miss anything at all. I’m actually glad its all over and we get to chuck out of this place.” Veena said as she walked to the mirror.

A tall girl with dusky complexion was looking back at her through the mirror. Her hair was long and wavy; her large eyes were deep with the thick stroke of Kaajal. She was dressed in a deep blue salwar. Veena looked into the mirror for a full ten minutes.

“Yeah, yeah. You look absolutely stunning. Now let’s get going. We’re late already.” Ayesha dragged her out of the room, restlessly.

“You now, Ash. For a moment there, I couldn’t identify myself.” Veena said. “I felt different.”

Ayesha pretended like she did not hear that. She was honestly growing tired of Veena’s philosophical questions that made no sense at all.  They were walking past the corridor, to the Control Systems block, and there out of the balcony at the end of the corridor, they saw him.  A long lost friend, a loyal cohort, an intelligent companion.

“Kartik!!!” Veena yelped in exhilaration and dashed to the open ground.

Ayesha jerked at that shriek. She knew Veena would be delighted to see him again, but she did not expect her to crash her books down and run to him like that. She turned around and saw that everyone had dropped what they were doing and were giving a weird look their way. Ayesha picked up the books, and walked fast, mortified.

She is definitely loosing it. She thought to herself. But deep down, Ayesha was pretty much excited to see Kartik too. He was exactly what Veena needed to brighten up her day. It might take one emotional male to break her heart, but another magnificent one to mend it. Ayesha walked to the ground. She was just in time to witness the most touching and dramatic reunion ever.

Veena ran towards Kartik, and fell into him in a huge hug. But he was simply way too huge to fit into her comparatively miniature arms. She was literally pouring her feelings over him.

“20 months, Kartik. It has taken 20 months for you to come back to me.” She complained to him. “You seem to have forgotten that I exist.”

“Elephants don’t forget, Veena.” Ayesha said, as she walked to them. “They have an incredible memory.”

Kartik now gave out a mild grunt on seeing Ayesha. He stroked her cheeks with his huge trunk. The two girls took him in a cuddle again. It had been more than a year since he had seen his two most favourite girls. The two always made him feel loved and special, like he was one of a kind. Veena felt deeply emotional and painfully nostalgic on seeing Kartik. She buried her face onto his trunk and let a few tears fall.

“So much has changed in our lives since the last time we met.” She whispered to him. “I’ve missed you.”

She wanted to stay close his warmth forever. He was, according to the recent records, the only male who did not hurt her and made her feel secure and content. She had always loved elephants, since her childhood. But Kartik was the first Tusker she had ever seen and touched in reality. She felt like she had a special bond with him. It was like she had known him in another life. He redefined the meaning of one particular word in her life. Trust.

“Did you come here all by yourself?” Ayesha enquired. Kartik was the campus elephant; he belonged to the Zoological Research department of the university. The girls had met him first during a weekend in their first semester. Krishna was with them, infact he was the one who took them there. Veena still remembered how she had developed a deep connection for Kartik since the first time she saw him.

“I think he did. There’s no one around. He must’ve wandered off  the zoo.” Veena assumed.

Just when the last words came out of her mouth, she saw a tall, fair stature at a distant. It was a very oddly familiar figure and it was walking towards them.

“Figured he would make you smile. Turns out I was right.”

Krishna was smiling.
__END__

                                                                                          SOURCE BY-BALAKARTHIGA.M

PUBLISHED BY-OURHELLO.COM

LOVE STORY

                                        "20 MINUTES AND A LIFETIME"

She went on and took her white dress from the cupboard, her hair a little wet. Her face looked fresh as morning dew and eyes had the charm like a newborn. She was beautiful but she never looked this way until today. Her face today was like a rose bud…..pink and a lot to unveil.

For the umpteenth time, she checked herself in the mirror. Perfect. She thought and left for a place that awaited her presence. With every step ahead, she felt her heart gasping. She walked first, then paced and then finally ran. It wasn’t a long way, so within five minutes, she was there. She reached.

The panorama of what she saw made her awestruck. But isn’t she been here before? Yes. She was very much familiar with the mountains, the river, the sand and the boats. The only thing she never felt here was that strange charm in the breeze. And then she sooner realized it wasn’t the breeze, it was HIM. She could now see him coming towards her. She pinched herself twice. No, this definitely is not a dream.

And there they were. Standing amidst the mountains and river, facing each other. She can see herself in his eyes. In his perfectly looking brown eyes that held many hidden desires. She was nervous. He noticed the nervousness and in response, smiled. A miraculous smile on his beautifully carved lips. Charming and mysterious. He held her hand. She felt a rush. He clutched her fingers into hers and walked to the riverside. No words uttered yet.

She had her hair open and they were as reckless and careless as her thoughts. And this time the peculiar smell of her hair made him nervous. He stared her. Strands of untamed hair on her face, sticking to her lips. Involuntarily his hands reached for her face. He very carefully removed those strands. She can hear her heartbeat. He might have heard it too. His fingers were still on her face. Swiftly moving to her lips. Like trying to read them. He felt her trembling. He grabbed her and now he can hear both the hearts beating together. They were close. So close. Eye to eye, nose to nose. Lips to lips.

Everything seized to exist. The valley, mountains, river, boats. Nothing existed and nothing mattered. They were together and inseparable. She was wrapped in him and yet felt free and complete. They didn’t stop. Kissed. Again and again and again. No words uttered yet.

Her phone rang. She opened her eyes. Woke up from the bed. Instead of picking up the call, she went straight to her dressing table, looked herself and smiled. Then looked at the watch, she was late. She was in deep sleep from past 20 minutes. The phone rang again, she picked it up.

She needed to get ready. And she had to make it quick. HE was waiting for her at the riverside.

She went on and took her white dress from the cupboard.

Her dream was as real as life and her life as imaginary as a dream.

__END__

                                                                                                       SOURCE BY-SHAHI

PUBLISHED BY-OURHELLO.COM