Last day of Year !!

It was last day of the year 2010. This time it was different, different a lot. Clock was showing 10:14 of the night, still two hours left of this year. Whole world was ready to welcome the New Year, everyone having plans of their own. But for me it was just a call which made all the difference. I was not even able to tell my father that he has just lost his mother. Just twelve days passed when my mother lost her father now it was for my father to face the situation.

What an irony. They were 1600 kilometers away from him when my nana died and now again they are 1600 kilometers away when dadi left us. I saw him. He was not crying. He is a strong man. But I was able to see his stoned eyes. I never saw him being weak, but I guess this was day. Dadi was the only one who has made him what he is today. A widow lady alone had faced the world just for her two children, one of them, my father. She was gone and at her last moment we were not with her, my father was not with her. I saw my mother cursing herself for not talking to her on phone last night, she was helpless now. Only thing she can do was cry, just cry.

It has been a year now. One more New Year eve has made all the past fresh. I don’t know if I will be able to celebrate the New Year in future but I am sure that whenever the world will enter a new year, the entire last night of 2010 will be in the back of my mind.

The last day of New Year is the last memory of my Dadi, for whom I was the favorite grandchild and she wanted me to be with her at her last moment. I failed.

Last day of the year will always remind me of my failure…

date was...20th in December of 2010 !!

It was 2:37 of night. I was standing in front of him. Only sound coming was continuous beep. Slow as death.  He said I know it is difficult but the truth is that his kidneys are not responding. Only hope was to keep him on dialysis but his blood pressure is not increasing. Blood pressure is not at all recordable. He paused.  I looked at the machine; there were two lines instead of numbers. After few minutes he continued, he is breathing just because of ventilator. If Blood pressure does not comes up in next few minutes he is dead.  A vibration ran through my body.  I left the ICU and dialed to my mother.  She picked up the phone and started crying. She knew if I call at this point of time, then her father is dead. “Catch the first flight and come” I said in cold voice.

‘I wanted to see him…’ she started crying, it was a sob for death, I can never forget the voice of hers. Next moment there was a voice on phone, it was my father’s. I said he is still there but there is hardly a chance that he will be able to make it to the morning...he just said ok and the phone was cut. I came near nani, she was almost unconscious, but knew what was going on. I just sat beside her.

It was 2:52 in the clock. There was a pin drop silence in waiting room of the hospital, silence of death, silence of presence of death. i saw it coming towards me in form of her. Same white dress, no sound coming from her walking, she came close and close and said, ‘doctor is calling’ I knew the nurse was messenger, its messenger. He was gone. I put my hand on my nani’s shoulder, she understood, not able to speak, she just screamed, it was no sound scream. Few people who were present there just looked blankly on us. May be they were helplessly waiting for their turn to come.

Doctor was ready to cover the face of him. I heard nani saying, ‘he is breathing…’ I knew it was ventilator, but waited for the doctor to remove it, he did and the ray of hope in her eye faded. Next moment my nana just became a dead body, to which people just wanted to get rid of…

It has been months, but the silence of that beeps are still fresh…

Santa..want my small stone back !!

Hi Dear Santa,

I am fed up. Oops…this is not a way to start a letter. I will start again. Here it goes…

Dear Santa,

Hope you are fine. I always pray to God for your good health. I am also fine here, not exactly but just to complete the format of the letter. As I got this wonderful opportunity to write a letter to you, I don’t want to miss this chance of asking you for a gift of my choice.

I want my perception back.

When I was five, everyone around me was happy; everything in this world looked beautiful and amazing. Even a small rounded stone made me so surprised that I saved it for as long as I forgot that it was with me. I smiled at each and everything which I saw, a bird, a frog, a fish, a sweet, a chili, a cake, a cow,  grass, tree, cycle, car, chair, table and what not, everything.

Then time passes and I was ten. Now I saw most of the people around me were happy but I found few exceptions, I thought there are always exceptions. Now a small rounded stone was a different stone than others, but I never picked it again, there was no surprise element it was just a shape. I smiled, but not on everyone and everything, some birds, chili, chair, tables were not worth my smile.

At the age of fifteen, half of the people around me were unhappy, I don’t know what made them unhappy, but they were, maybe the syllabus was too lengthy and we had exams in the school. A small rounded stone was used to hit the dogs and cats, sometimes on other people too, mind was becoming more destructive. Now I smiled on jokes, exam results, teachers, someone falling and many more but the birds, frogs, trees grass were out of the list.

Time passes, twenty is too much. Everyone seems struggling, but still I managed to find few who were happy, may be nice job or good grades or a girlfriend, but at least few were happy. A small rounded stone either I saw in a fish tank or in a cactus pot, who cares. I smiled when I get funny message, when a girl talks to me, but the teachers, jokes, someone falling were out of the list now, and list was far too small now.

Now I am 25, and believe me nobody is happy. And stones are something which is unacceptable either on the road or the jogging track but acceptable in kidney. I smile only when I am helpless, either because of a bug in the code or because I am not getting work. Only one thing to smile, helplessness…I want my perception back.

Hopefully I will get this gift from you, on the eve of Christmas. Waiting for Christmas and your arrival and will keep an empty sock near my bed.

With hell lot of smiles (I got one more reason to smile)

Admirer of your laugh…

I don’t know on what address this has to be posted, hopefully you will check the blogs…

When time comes, you dont show up!!

‘You don’t have any right to complain about it. No one else, but It’s you who is responsible for all this because when time comes, you don’t show up’ I heard a news reporter shouting on a very fast news channel. I changed the channel to the one which keeps you ahead. A famous Marathi politician saying, ‘These so called educated people will be the first to hold a candle and walk on the street, but when it comes to vote, they are busy sleeping and enjoying the holiday’

Every north east west south channel was telecasting the same issue, ‘Educated India not voting’. I switched off the tv. No, I was not bored of the news but I switched it off because I was also one of the culprits. Well, I can say I am far away from the place where I am authorized to vote, but who cares of that?

So now the topic diverts to how people vote in India? There you go…

I read somewhere that literacy rate in India is 74.04%. So we got two categories of voters, Literate and illiterate. But literacy means just ability to read and write. So this again divides in two categories, literate and properly educated. We can add an extra column which says celebrity Voter (I believe every voting area has some celebrities)

Mr. Illiterate

Mindset: They will make lord Rama’s temple, Lord Rama will hail us all. Dr. Ambedekar is God and this party is his messenger, no one else cares for us. They destroyed our holy mosque, we will never ever vote them, just check any of other party is having contestant from our caste? I am Marathi, I am Gujarati, I am Bengali. My father loved Gandhi, somebody said, ‘but they are not from his family’, so what? They are Gandhi.

Result: All of them cast their Vote.

Mr. Literate

Mindset: Hopefully this time again they will distribute money when my daughter clears HSC. The other party will bring a stay on all policies of the current party, so maybe my shop will be saved from demolition. He is my friend’s uncle; he can help my son for getting admission in so and so college. All politicians are corrupt; there is no one whom we can vote.

Result: 80% Mr. Literates Vote in favor of their greed.

Mr. Educated

Mindset: We need a local public school, which can provide poor children some education. There is a huge problem with the electricity and water supply. Roads are getting worst day by day. Corruption all over, over system is worse, what is government doing for us? We have to find someone who is well educated, can understand these issues and also can work on these lines.

Result: 90% people just think, and enjoy the sleep, Vote? What’s that? We have more important work to do.

Mr. Celebrity

Mindset: Am I groomed properly? Is this shirt will look good on me? Hopefully media will be present when I get there.

Result: They vote, come out and show their middle finger in front of the camera so that all should know Oh! Mr. Celebrity had casted his Vote.

The most important group, which knows the real issue and which is above all the castes and above all personal greed and can think about the society and its welfare, does not vote.

Moral of the story?

Well, it is the first line of this article, ‘You don’t have any right to complain about it. No one else, but It’s you who is responsible for all this because when time comes, you don’t show up’

but the point is..!!

She was my long time crush, long as tongue of lizard. I don’t know if its tongue is too long to be given as a compliment, but the point is she was my long time crush. As soon as I came to know she was in the city I wanted to meet her, alone, alone as in like a ghost in a cremation ground. I don’t know if the ghost lives alone over there. But the point is I wanted to meet her alone. Before I can think of my next step I figured that there was a small problem, small like a tadpole in the gutter which is flowing next to her house. I don’t know if that tadpole is still that small or it got converted to a frog which is big enough to carry dissections on it, but the point is that there was a small problem.

I had heard that her brother was bit aggressive and possessive, aggressive to others like a monkey as if they will snatch the banana from him and possessive for her like the same monkey for that banana. I don’t know if any such monkey exists to resemble her brother, but the point is her brother was like a monkey, I mean aggressive and possessive.  I didn’t want him to be present at home when I meet her, so I took an off, saying I got a serious headache, maybe I got a tumor in my brain. I don’t know if that tumor will be cured in a single day but the point is I took an off to meet her.

She was in front of me, smiling, smiling as if it will start raining, lightning, snowing and what not. I don’t know if these entire natural phenomenons happen by just a smile of someone’s but the point is that her smiling makes me feel like thunder. Her eyes were having so much depth that if you keep them on the ground you can travel 9 miles down to the hell. I don’t know if there is really hell 9 miles down below the earth but the point is her eyes where deep like the deep blue sea.  Her face so fresh and so pure it felt like due in the first day of winter. I doubt if those droplets are still so pure, thanks to the increasing pollution in the city, but the point is her face was so pure that it felt like besleri, at least they say it’s the purest form.  

I was sitting on the table, she was preparing breakfast for me, I don’t know why I felt nervous, nervous as if I am sitting for interview and my stomach is preparing some mixture of gases to blow it out from the wrong direction. I don’t know if the nervousness of farting in a small closed cabin in front of an interview panel is comparable with this nervousness, but the point is I was nervous.  She came holding the plate and kept in front of me, still smiling, she took a small bit from the plate and put it in my mouth, before I can see what it was, before I can run the plate away or run towards the bathroom, all my yesterdays dinner was on the plate, I converted the omelet into a pizza, with all the toppings having rice, potatoes and lot of other liquid stuffs, all which I had in dinner came out from my stomach. I don’t know if at all the thing which I made to that omelet was comparable to a pizza or not but the point is I just vomited on the omelet.  I can eat its mother, its father, a goat, a sheep, a buffalo, a wolf, a lion, an elephant, a dinosaur, the whole pack of animals but the point is I just hate egg…

Now, I don’t know if I will meet her again, I don’t know if she will still smile seeing me, I don’t know if she will ever offer an omelet to the guests but the point is however beautiful the girl is don’t just eat without knowing what she is putting in your mouth it might be something you are allergic…

i was alone...laughing!!

Recently I have been transferred to a new city, I won’t name it. I have travelled many places and parts of the country but this was a unique experience. People here are so serious that it makes me feel they are not humans but humanoids. I know it will be too early to make this kind of comment but this one incidence made me think of it.

We were getting back to the odc after lunch. Here ‘we’ means my new team. I was told that these people are working together since more than 3 years, some greater than that. Anyway, we got into the lift and were waiting for the door to be close, now days each lift has automated door closing mechanism or microprocessor or whatever you want to call it, except some government offices where they want one person to be employed and paid as a liftman. Unfortunately one of the teammate, who was left behind, appeared only when the door started closing. Common situation in all the offices, isn’t it? What do you do if you are inside the lift? One, if he is very close friend, you start shouting and not letting him in and push the close button continuously so that he had to climb staircases or had to take the next lift. Everyone enjoys and laughs including the one who was left behind.

Second, one person will run towards the open button and others will put their leg, hand, book, Tiffin or whatever they have to stop the door from closing. Once the person is in, they will say, ‘see, today I saved your 13 calories, now it’s your turn to pay back, treat us in the evening’.

There can be many similar cases where you just laugh at the situation. But here it was different.  Nobody attempts anything. Somehow the person managed to get in and just stood beside me smiling. There was no single smiling face in the lift although the count was more than 7, mind it the lift has the capacity of 18 here. People busy in staring at the digital numbers in the lift or their watches or their shoes. Nobody utters a single grin but as I am new here I didn’t know the rules. I just said, ‘man that was cool, you made it’. He smiled and I was alone…laughing!

May be in few days I too will learn how not to react or how to become a humanoid.

Flirting with HR...might not help !!

‘Where do you see yourself 5 years from now down the line?’ HR asked me while I was busy preparing myself from asking him for an onsite. This was a routine which is followed with all the employees whom they think is a critical resource. I meant not human but resource that too in critical situation and might need an immediate hospitalization.  She was still staring at my face, waiting for an answer; I have seen her many times in campus, I must say she was pretty, might have just joined. ‘What is your plan for future?’ she repeated the same question with different words. I started,

‘Future…what are doing after office? Can I ask you for a coffee in the nearest cafe of your choice?’

‘What? Are you sure you want to take me out, I am your HR…’ she said with surprise which was more like shock.

‘Quite sure…if you don’t mind’ I said smiling sheepishly.

I almost jumped from my chair as if she had agreed to marry me. Now I knew my future, coffee, dinner, breakfast and lunch, all with her. Wooing an HR can work wonders, each salary hike I will get a gift for her, diamond ring, gold bangles and what not.

‘Ok…now I want you to concentrate here. So can you share your past experience with us’ she said trying to avoid eye contact.

‘I have seen you many time in our cafeteria in the past’ I said as soon as I thought about the past.

‘We are talking in terms of career growth and job satisfaction’ she unsuccessfully tried to stop smiling.

‘I am coming on that point, see once I saw you with my manager and was unable to work the whole day, if this continues the same way it will affect my career.’

She started laughing. I knew I was effective; after all I was an admirer of her.

‘It seems you are in no mood to talk about anything else. So instead of going in a formal and defined way I will directly come to the point’ she took a pause to look at my u shaped lips and continued, ‘See as you are well aware of the market situations, we are in no position to give any hike at your level. So we decided to have a one to one meeting with you and discuss about this personally to know other areas in which we can proceed to compensate’.

Every U in the universe went upside down. I am not getting even a hike forget about onsite. I stood up slowly and turned towards the glass door, I saw few more poor people standing outside waiting for their turn. I wanted to shout loud, ‘I am not getting a hike’ but controlled myself.

‘Are you still on for the coffee?’ she asked from back.

I will have one in the pantry…Thank You!!

I will make you my sister...but...!!

‘Friday, then a long weekend’ I said in relax tone. ‘Are you going home for rakhi?’ one of them asked. I said, ‘no, I don’t have any sister’. Such a stupid statement, to be made in front of three girls, especially if one of them is your all time crush. I was hoping that I will be ignored but all in vain. Conversation had already taken a bend, diverted towards finding a sister for me. One of them said, ‘hey don’t worry, am already your sister no? Will tie up the rakhi to you’

Other two started laughing.  Only word came to my mind was ‘Hell’

Second one, ‘you have more choices here’

‘Holy hell’, ‘please god not she’ I thought of her, the third.

Slowly her rose like eyelids opened, she looked like an angle, her eye bolls started moving towards my direction like a moon moves in the sky, lips holding a cunning smile like a vampire smiles when had find blood, hairs floating on her face like leafs floating on milk and all her attention was finally towards me, mine already on her. Before she can move her lips I shouted,

‘I have some criteria for making someone sister’

All started staring at me giving interrogative expression.  And here I was,

She should not have any other brother. (Two of them, still smiling)

She should be healthy and fat. (Smile faded)

Last but not the least she should not be beautiful.

(After this there was a pin drop and pleasant silence…)

13th July...Mumbai !!

It was around 7:15 in the eve. I was leaving from the office and my cellphone started ringing, it was from one of my old friends. “Hey are you fine?” he said I soon as I picked up the phone. “What is this, no hi, no hello, direct question, what happened?” I threw a counter question. “You don’t know? Are not you in Mumbai? “He said avoiding my question. “No, I am in pune but will you tell me what happened?” I was feeling anxious. “Just now I saw in news that there were serial blasts in dadar, jhaveri bazar and opera house” he said. There was nothing else to say for me and for him. This is not the first time I am getting this type of call. Now people don’t even get shocked by this kind of incidents. It is like a part of daily routine, daily news and daily life. News channels will make high TRP, with breaking news for at least a week or so. Police officials will put barricades across the roads for at least a month or so. Hospitals will treat victims for at least a quarter or so. And then everything will be like before for them. Who suffers the most are families of victims, common man.
Later, there were many reasons given for the blast.
Kasab’s birthday, to whom we are protecting as if he is son in law of country.
Mr. Chidambaram’s speech in which he said, “There are no more terror attacks”.
Mr. Rane’s statement, which said, “Mumbai police is in better position to counter terror attacks.”
Removal of barricades from Gateway of India.
And many more reasons are given to debate on…
May be there is no reason behind it. It’s just they know that they enjoy and are free to hurt the soul of this country. But whatever is the reason it is not acceptable. I don’t know what needs to be done to stop this. Gathering in fear and Lighting candles is not working any more. Catching, keeping them in safe, spending millions on them is also not working any more. Giving a new list of wanted and begging them to handover, again, is not at all working.
We need to think of something effective. We have to do something so that they live in fear, not we.

Language…its just a medium !!

Lately I was reading few blogs and felt very strange about how can person educated like us can involve in such arguments, if not fight. Debate topic was, which languages should be preferred, all comments in English… interesting… why? Why not in Tamil or Hindi or Marathi? Is it because channel W has forced us to use English? No, it is because it is the common language between us. Person knows if he writes in Tamil or in Marathi, very less people will be there to read it. So what is the conclusion?
Language is just a medium of expression.
If we start dividing ourselves on basis of languages, as already done by our great politicians, then sooner or later it affects our progress and will make us conservative. This can be understood by some examples.
Suppose we had refused to learn English (of course it was forced on us). Was it possible that we be the leading country to outsource from west? What happens if leader from south meets a leader from north without English? I am not supporting English but this is what the truth is. It will be very difficult for Mr. Prime Minister to talk to Mr. President of US in Panjabi.
I remember once I was in Chennai station and a girl came to me and said something in Tamil. I have learnt few words in Tamil but only few words didn’t help me understand what she was trying to say. Now if I would have showed love for my mother tongue Hindi, she would have for Tamil, then there was no way we could communicate. Fortunately she knew English and wanted me to help her to pull out her luggage which was stuck in the wagon. It’s easy to understand that we are now friends.
People in Maharashtra live in fear if they don’t know Marathi (I don’t think I need to explain why?). Even I have learnt it. People think that their language will lose identity, but if you stop communicating, you will lose your own identity.  Suppose two people meet each other, one Marathi, one Tamil. Tamil refuses to learn Marathi and vice versa. What happened? No harm to Marathi, No harm to Tamil, Bonding is at lost.   
Nobody is forcing anything, no one can, and it is our right to freedom. But, if one protests for Hindi, then why not for English? Both are our official languages. Here if I say our, it means our country not state. People killed each other because they were going it to declare Hindi as a National language. Thank God they didn’t fight for tiger is being our national animal, peacock being national bird and Jan-gan-man being national anthem (it’s in Bengali, if one is unaware). 
How we make friends? How we make community? How states are bound? How counties are bound? It all starts with communication. Language solves the issue, it itself should not be any issue. There should always be a common way of expression for bonding and this, in anyway will not harm your own language, cause when I pray, I pray in my language…and God listens…

she keeps calling...!!

I was taking bath....and this was 3rd time...some 1 was giving a call on my mobile...half-done i ran towards the living room and picked the call....and after listening the voice...

"you......"

“How many time I have told not to call on this number” I shouted without even listening to her..

“But I just want only few minutes of your time” the voice came from the other side. She was not ready to leave me so easily.

“It’s been more than a month, every day you call me, I feel so guilty of telling you the same thing, last time also I told you that I am not at all interested…why don’t you understand? I don’t have anything to give you…please try to understand” I said in frustration.

There was no voice for few minutes. I thought the phone was cut, ‘hello? Are you there?’

A slow voice came from the other side,

“At least just listen what I have to say”

“Ok” I finally agreed to listen to her, this time again.

“Sir, you will never get this chance again. This is a very good investment offer from our company; you will get you money doubled in just 5 years.”

I kept the phone quietly…and went back to the bathroom…. i knew she will call again…she keeps calling…!!

drink...and go to hell...

‘What happened last night?’ she shouted when I opened my eyes.

‘What?’ was my sudden response. ‘I don’t remember’ I added.

‘Try to recall’ she said. ‘Tell me what happened last night? Then we will decide what needs to be done further’ she added.

‘What further? I want to go home’ I said.

 ‘No more argument, we don’t have much time, many people are waiting for their turn. Now tell me what happened last night?’

I tried and tried, last thing I remember was the lounge where we are partying and drinking. So I told her that I don’t remember much because I was heavily drunk and still I can feel the hangover. She gave a wicked smile and slowly came near to me and said,

‘Don’t worry I will tell you what happened last night’

           ‘After your so called party was over, you were headed to your palace. You thought you were a king of the city and wore a crown, which was one of your shoes. Then while walking you saw one of your so called kingdom’s servants lying down presenting chocolates and you started eating it, but in actual it was cow dung beside a sleeping beggar. Later when you saw a beautiful river of your state and went near to drink its pure water. People saw you leaning in the gutter. You ordered one of your solders to bring the chariot for you, when you were done with the river oops gutter. Later you were standing in middle of the road for you chariot, and hoping that all others will stop seeing their king in middle of the way, which resulted in a brutal accident and because of you three people in chariot I mean that speedy car, got seriously injured and two of them died. The other one who died is standing behind you’ she completed in one go.

‘The first one is you’ she added.

I turned and found the man behind me looking at me angrily and others in line smiling on my death.

‘No, it can’t be, I can’t be dead’ I cried.

‘Now don’t create a scene here, you have already done it last night. Decision had been made on our further destination.’ She said and handed me something in a glass.

‘What destination? And what is this?’ I asked wiping my tears.

‘This is the same thing which made you king last night and also your last thought while dying. So for us it was your last wish to fulfill’ she said and laughed like a devil.

‘But I have many other wishes, more things to do and to fulfill…please let me go…please’

The only reply I got was a huge laugh by all, followed by her, saying…

‘Drink…and go to hell’…

better gulp it !!

This was third time, I was going to yawn. We have again missed the deadline and everyone in the meeting was dead silent. The only person who was speaking was her, the boss.

‘This is not acceptable at all’ she shouted. Where are we going wrong? Estimations? Productivity? Or laziness?’ she stared in my direction while speaking the last word. I was damn sure that she caught me yawning last two times. I was trying hard not to make it third time. Taking long breath, hardening my jaws, stretching my throat, everything possible to stop it, I was doing.

All this was effective, but only for few seconds and at last the next moment of time, my mouth again got opened. Despite of all efforts to stopping it, I was yawning, again. She started walking towards me, and before I can close my gateway, she was just in front of me. I stood up. Pin drop silence in the conference room.

Only thing I can hear was something buzzing in my ears, or may be in my mouth. My eyes went wider thinking of it. What is it? A mosquito? A fly? A bug? That too in my mouth.

‘Do you understand the importance and severity of this meet?’  She grunted on my face, with few tiny drops of saliva on my nose. I just shook my head avoiding my mouth to get open.

‘Do you want me to sing for you so you can sleep?’ she added.

‘No…’ came out of my mouth making a small gap between my lips and next sound which came out of my mouth was ‘hell..’

The poor tiny wet little creepy eight legged four fins single trunk fellow came out of my mouth and flew and sat straight to her nose. Her both the eye lenses took a walk from my mouth to the tip of her nose.

I can never ever forget the sound she made, ‘eeeewwwww…eeeeaaaa…eeewwww…’

Now except me and her all other people present in the room were trying their best to stop laughing.

Better I should have gulped it…I thought!!

Action-Reaction...ooops !!

She was just in front of me, across the road. She is the most beautiful girl I have seen, my friends don’t agree, they say the one who stays in hostel is better, but I don’t think so. It has been more than 2 years; we are just looking at each other, or I can say I am looking at her. “Why need language, if you can talk with your eyes? “I thought. “You don’t even know her name” someone shouted, I don’t know from where. “Go ahead, she is alone, at least say hello” the voice repeated. “Yes, at least I can say hello”, I decided to go ahead,

Action: I was unable to put off my eyes from her. Showing a great determination kept my first step towards her.

Effect: suddenly the earth became smooth, like cream. As if I will fall down. A strange smell filled my senses.

Reaction: “Oh yuck, I hate cows, I will sue people who left their cows on street” I shouted. “Hell, my shoe itself smells like cow dung”

Next few minutes were wasted in cleaning the shoe. I looked up; she was still there thanks to the person, for whom she was waiting. Finally I was ready, started walking,

Action: I looked at her. Hairs floating in air, as if crackles in the sky.

Effect: I was feeling like walking on a beach on new year eve, in fact was able to hear a bang too.

Reaction: some people started running towards a biker, who was sitting on the road, his bike inside one of the shop. Someone shouted “catch that $#@&...” showing finger towards me.

But before anyone can notice me I had crossed the road and just was in front of her. She saw me. I knew she knows me; after all I have spent more than 2 years looking at her. I decided to go ahead,

Action: i gave a smile, she didn’t. I said ‘hi’, she didn’t.

Effect: I felt like she was a bit shy or she is afraid if I will directly propose.

Reaction: she started walking away. I tried to stop her by saying; I just wanted to say ‘hi’.

She stopped; she turned, this time with a bit smile and comfort. I felt happy that she understood my feelings.

Action: I walked towards her and stood just a foot away from her.

Effect: she gave a smile and also a strange hint that I was not able to understand.

Reaction: Something hit me. My left eye send a message to my brain, which got translated into pain. My ears also send a message to brain, which got translated as “stay away from her”.

I was left alone on the street. With my single open eye, I saw her moving away with someone on a bike.

Action: I took out my phone and called a friend, narrated the story and asked to take me home.

Effect: a huge laugh on the other side of the phone.

Reaction: “Didn’t I tell you, she is having a boyfriend? Ooops…”

A new world found !!

As soon as listened about it, I made a promise to myself that whatever happens, it is only me in this world who will reach there and taste it. It was huge, very huge. It seemed juicy, very juicy. It was sweet as hell, having color of an orange. My forefathers had described it very well. I have grown listening to this description. So what if current generation has not even seen that thing. I will, my decision became stronger and I started preparing for the journey.

Finally the day arrived, all my family members were worried, they were scared of trying, they were scared of achieving, I was not. I was born to reach those heights and to make the dream of everyone come true. I left.  

In starting everything was familiar, slowly as the time passed, things started becoming strange. No more familiar soil, no more familiar grass, ground became soilless, plant less and so rough that it made difficult to walk. Earth almost became vertical as if I am walking straight towards the sky. Fear slowly started flowing in my mind. Every rough edge of the ground was giving a shiver to my body. I was scared as hell but the image of that thing was making me going.

After continuous struggle of 3 days and 4 nights I finally saw the glimpse.  It was shining like sun. The green curtains of leaves were unsuccessfully trying to hide it. My heart started beating rapidly, my speed was increased, I wanted to show the world that I was here, near to the dream of everyone. I was unable to control the width of my eyes, they were expanding. I came nearer, touched it, and took the first bite.  In fraction of seconds the world became juicy, filled with its sweetness, colored yellow all over. I came to know why the color of joy is yellow.

But ‘what was that?’ suddenly the yellow world started shaking and moving. I was scared. “Are they the same devils my father called ‘human’? Who protect this treasure of mango?” I thought.  They threw the yellow world in bigger universe, filled with yellow water, similar worlds all over. They started destroying it. I will not let them destroy my world, I will fight, I came on the surface and shouted, ‘dare you touch my mango, my world’. I looked at them they were huge, scary but having only two hands, I have 16, I thought, I cannot lose.

One of them started screaming looking at me. I knew no need to be afraid of them, they are afraid of us… I knew.  Suddenly something hit me from the back. Only thing I remembered was that before hitting the ground I was in air and some devil said, ‘how come this soil bug came into this mango…strange’  

‘I know I am an achiever’ I closed my eyes.

That winter night!!

It was dark and stormy night. Winter had taken its worst form. The chilling air seemed like it will rip the skin apart. I was sitting at the corner table, waiting for a friend. It was our routine to have tea every Friday night at this small restaurant called dhaba. I saw this boy busy in his work, one table to other, without looking up. His left hand was shivering of cold. He was trying to hold his collar buttons together with that shaking hand. His bare foot has become pale by continuously running on that freezing floor. His eyes so still as if the water in it had frozen. I thought what past he was carrying with him and what his destination will be?

A lady wearing a blue bordered sari in the small color TV said, ‘this is the coldest day recorded in the last 8 years in the city and the chances are that temperature will dip further’.

I looked at him. He was unaware of this because a person knowingly will not dare to survive wearing just a half sleeves shirt.  He was doing it.

My friend came and I was not able to hide what bothered me at the moment. ‘Don’t worry! They have a habit’ he said and signaled for two teas with his gloves covered hand. He came with two cups of tea hardly able to hold them steady. First time I noticed him so closely, a fresh wound on left side of forehead, burning scars on both the hands, lips so dry it seems he had not eaten for whole day.  He was struggling with the tea cup in his left hand. I stood up to hold the cup so that it doesn’t fall, but I was late, instead the whole cup of tea scattered around the chair also some on my trouser too. Pieces of the cup were all over the floor. May be by standing up I scared him.

Before I can tell him that it was not his fault, the manager came shouting and slapped without even knowing what has happened. I cannot even imagine the pain it might have caused to the poor soul. He was thrown out of the door. He said nothing, just kept shivering. The ice in his eyes was now melted. He walked slowly, away in the dark.

Whole night I was not able to sleep. It was not his fault, it was mine. I wanted to help him. I wanted to save his childhood. I wanted to sleep, I had all the comforts bed, blanket, and room heater but every time I closed my eyes his face and his shaking hand would not let me.

7:30 in the morning, I wore my overcoat and started walking towards the dhaba. I took few woolen cloths and a blanket with me for him. I wanted to repent.

There were few people gathered near the wall. A boy laying down holding his collar buttons together. He was so close to the wall as if he wanted to get inside. His knees almost touching chin. His body has become pale like his foot. Now his hands were not shaking. Wound on the forehead was now dry. Like yesterday, his eyes were frozen.

I was able to hear the voice coming from the TV, same lady was saying, ‘coldest day ever recorded in the city, many died of dipped temperature. It was dark and stormy night’