The Blood Rain

The rain drops splatter on my face hard as I run like a blind girl. 

"Emily…Emilyyyy. Stop! It’s not what you think." I hear Richard scream after me. 

‘No, you do not stop if you want to live.’ My mind screams at me. I am drenched completely. 

I run with the last ounce of my strength – flailing around looking for a place to hide. There! I see a barn towards my left, but if I enter, it would be a dead end and I would be caught. And then, he will kill me. But I have to take this one last chance for my survival.

I run till I reach the barn and push the huge wooden doors and enter quickly, closing the heavy doors behind me. I am still strong. Good. I do not stop and crouch behind a large mound of hay stack. I can hear Richard shout my name over and over again. I am scared. I have never been so afraid in my life. I have been a strong girl always – my father’s hunting skills in the forests everyday had ensured that I was a tough woman. And at that – no one, man or animal could beat me. But here I was, hiding in a musty smelling barn. Why was I scared?

Because Richard, my husband, can seriously hurt me. He is a strong man too. Stronger than anyone I have ever known. Can I fight him back? Yes. Do I have the courage? No. What should I do? I can feel the dusk starting to wrap around the barn. It’s getting dark in here. Very dark. My heart is beating fast. Rain is pouring down in steady torrents. Richard hasn’t come here yet. Is it safe to go out? I get up from my crouching position and wobble – feeling very weak and disoriented. There’s nothing around, so I decide to get out of the barn. Possibly Richard has already gotten tired of waiting for me and left. 

I get out quietly. My off-white corset dress is clinging to my body like second skin. Danger! My mind screams. I turn around, sensing eyes on me. Is Richard still out there? My breath comes out in uneven gasps. I feel defenseless. Was that a fire flickering at the edge of the forest? What was that orange light? He is coming here to burn me. My heart suddenly realizes.

I try to move away from the place. Night has already fallen and I can hear the skittering of insects. I wipe my face and push away my brown straight hair obstructing my vision. I am a fighter. There is no point in being afraid. I go around the barn towards the edge of the forests to see if Richard is there. I will confront him. 

“Richard! Come out you stinking jerk!” I shout in the general direction of the flickering fire at the distance. My voice makes an owl fly away, scared. Yes, they know me, the animals. I had been a good hunter. 

“Richard! Richard!” I scream for good again, as the rain carries away my voice. Crunch! There he is. Arising from behind a sodden oak tree. 

“Emily…” He whispers holding a flame burning dangerously. The rain is now a drizzle surprisingly, as if it wants me to die too. 

“You are here to kill me.” I say, surprisingly calm. 

“No, Em... I love you. Why will I kill you? Even if you are a monster.” He says the last word through gritted teeth – mocking me. I realize I love him too but I do not want him to live either. 

I look up at the clouded moon and feel a joyous burning in my veins. I am dangerous. I need to hunt. And I cannot let anyone harm me. I may not die ever, but Richard is an open threat to me. I give him a warning growl. I cannot believe I can still growl. I learnt it from my father, to warn the more dangerous animals like jaguars and panthers. Richard takes a step back. Triumph! My mind cheers me. 

“Go away Richard before I kill you.” 

Idiot. He sways the fire towards me. I crouch and give a howl…he throws away the flame and turns around to run. I feel my incisors lengthen as I leap and dig them into his throat. His life blood pours into my mouth, energizing me and healing my wounds. The warmth thaws the ice in my heart as I drink from him, heartily. 

I smile giving out a happy bark, realizing that being a werewolf wasn’t so bad after all. 

Pearl in the Ocean

 

‘Daddy, Can I ask you something ?,’ Little Tarun asked his father Muthu.

‘Sure dear, whats that you want to ask?’ , Muthu said

He got a mirror and compared their faces . ‘Why do we look different Daddy?’ A shade of innocence twinkled through Taruns eyes as he asked this to his Father.

‘I am so fair and you are  dark ,’ He said.

Neha was  listening to all this what Tarun spoke. 

‘Come dear, you need to get dressed for school,’ Neha interrupted and  took her son with him. She looked at  her husband Muthu who smiled  back at her.

‘Nature has its way of telling certain things. Everyone looks  like their parents dear,’ Muthu said to Tarun as he carried him over his shoulder for  school  .

‘But Appa, then I should look like you ,no ?’ Innocent Tarun said to his father.

‘Common Son, I don’t know how to say.I will tell you some day’  He refused to answer his son’s question

At school ,kids would tease Tarun by calling him ‘Dark Knight’s  Fair Son ’ He was an adorable 6 year old  kid .He was wheatish in complexion unlike Muthu.  Days passed by , but Muthu could not answer Tarun when he was confronted with the same question again and again. 

Tarun was  growing and his hatred towards his father  increased.

‘Daddy , I think mom  should attend the  PTA meeting at school  and I don’t want to get embarrassed ,’  15 yr old Tarun said to his Father Muthu .

Muthu found himself deviating from his son. Neha ,at times would explain Tarun about his father’s sorrow and how much it hurts  Muthu when he asked him such question. Tarun often  gave a deaf ear to her.

‘If you wish so Son.Neha will attend the PTA,’  Muthu said.

‘Daddy ,you never answer my question .Why are you dark  and how come I am fair? ’ Tarun asked as he got dressed up.

‘Time will tell...,’ Muthu smiled.

Tarun was growing up into a strong handsome man.All girls in his college would wish to be his girlfriend.Such was his beauty and the spell he cast  upon all the girls. He was 23 year old by then . Since childhood he hated his  father just because he was dark. He never realized how much  it hurt his dad.   He was never attached to his father.

Two years later Tarun won the ‘Young Enterpreneur Award’  and his family was invited to attend the  Award Ceremony . Muthu was excited  to  see his son getting the award from  the President of India. But little did he knew that Tarun had forbidden  him from  attending  the ceremony.He took his mother with him . It hurt Muthu a lot. Neha tried hard to explain Tarun but he didn’t budge.

The Award ceremony started at 7 pm. One could see  guests in form of business magnets and filmstars seated on the first row . Tarun was  given the ‘Young Enterpreneur Award’ by the President of  India. The President called  his mother to talk few words about her son. Neha was too hurt as her husband Muthu didn't accompany her.
 

‘Good evening  friends..’ Neha started

‘As you all might know my son Tarun has won the prestigious award from the President.It makes me proud and I am very happy at this moment,’ She continued and Tarun’s face beamed with pride.

‘Let me tell you about  him. No one here would hate your father just because he looked  different than you. After all a dad is a dad. This  young man standing here hates his father just because his father Mr Muthu Swami was dark . I am going to answer his question which he asked his father when he was 6. We are Tarun’s foster parent.We found him in a trash bin near our locality. We  found him cute and Muthu decided to take him home,’ Her eyes turned moist as she said.

‘But today he refused to accept that person as his daddy. He is a pearl in the ocean which every kid would ask for. He is the best father in this world ,’ She continued.

A tear drop rolled down  Taruns cheeks as he heard his mother saying all this.

Later that evening when they reached home, he found a letter on his computer table.

Dear Son,

Today I am going to answer your question.You asked me why we both look different? Why I  am dark  and you are fair? I want you to know that me and Neha are not your real parents. I don’t want to listen all this. You don’t know how much you hurt me all these years. I’m going..

Love ,

Muthu

‘Appa.....I’m sorry.. I love you ..you are the best ’ Tarun wept

Word count - 797

The Antique

The phone rings...
It was the fifth time today. When answered, all Tarun could hear was a girl screaming loud, after which a ghostly female voice says "Give it back. Give back what you took from me".

Accompanied with Tarun was Richard. They both shared their flat for the time being as Tarun was searching for a job.
All they could remember is where they had seen the number making this crank call.
It was written in an old abandoned house, an advertisement for a job opening in web design.
They found this house when Richard, Neha, Auraya and Tarun had gone to an hill station for vacation.
Since Tarun was unemployed and a techy, he noted down the number.
Even though everyone was against it, conveying the fact that a web designing job offer in an abandoned house inside a forest in a remote hill station was awkward, Tarun was assertive that he did make a note of it.
He tried calling it, but all he could get was 'not reachable' message.
After that, the girls wanted to take a tour of the house, since they had the entire day with them.
Whilst touring, Auraya found an antique vase. She is an antique collector and wanted it so badly. Richard and Neha, being superstitious, were against it.
But Auraya, adamant in nature, took it with her.
Then having toured and explored the entire house, they left.

After a great vacation, they all returned home.
A few weeks later, Tarun started getting missed calls from the same advertisement number.

Today, Tarun lost his patience. When called back it only said 'not reachable'.
So instead, Tarun messaged the number asking who she was and what was taken from her.
After some 10 messages came a reply.
Sender being "Unknown Number" it said,
"Give back what you took. Give it back or thy shall pay".

Tarun could not believe what he just saw, so he called the rest and showed them the message.
Richard and Neha were convinced that it was a spirit and it needed the vase, that Auraya took from that house. But Auraya said she did not have the vase with her as she gave it to the caretaker who worked in the cottage they had stayed, as he was in deep financial trouble, living alone and having no relatives or friends to help him, he said the money he could get selling that vase, could settle his loans.

So Auraya was sure that, it may not be the case.

This freaked out Richard and Neha more.
But Tarun, sitting at the corner of the room thinking deep, being practical and a non believer, was against the perception of Richard and Neha.
He wanted to investigate further about the sender.
Being quite familiar with technology and programming, he was able to crack his phone and reveal the number that sent the message.
He found out that it was the same number.
Having a few friends in the mobile company, he was able to trace to the owner of the number.
He then came to know that the number was registered to a guy called Muthu Kumar. Tarun then realized that it was the caretaker of the cottage they had stayed during their vacation.
Tarun then called the cottage landline and reached the caretaker. He found out that he had borrowed Muthu Kumar's scarf during the vacation and had forgot to give it back. He said he tried calling Tarun, but every time he heard a girl saying something. Believing it to be a cross talk he messaged Tarun saying he wanted his scarf back as he could not afford a new one. So he requested Tarun to courier it.
Tarun still had it with him in his room, so he said he will send it.

Time passed. An year later, everyone planned another vacation and they decided to go to the same place as they still had a few places to visit.
When they reached there, Tarun enquired about the caretaker and was shocked.
It seemed the caretaker was found hanging in his room with his cell phone in his hand. The manager also said, Muthu Kumar kept telling about a girl who called to his number everyday, screams and says something that he could not understand.
On further enquiry, Tarun found that the caretaker had used the same scarf that Tarun had sent, and hung himself 2 days after Tarun had sent it.
And he also came to know that, the police had found a message in his cell phone which read -
"Return what you took from me, or thy shall pay" from the same number that Tarun had got a call from.

Word Count - 786 or 787 (lazy to count from first again :P)

A Broken Heart

Richard was found to be seated near the window, gazing outside infinitely.
In his hand was his cell phone which read a message from Auraya.
It read - "When any relation is new, people find excuses to meet you. But as it ages, they find excuses, not to meet you".

Richard is a bit emotional when it comes to relationship as he lives alone. Parents died in a car crash when he was 12, and his relatives abandoned him.
His education was sponsored by a family friend. He now works in an mnc and earns a decent income.

This message got back the memories of his old friend who happened to be a girl; Atleast thats how he defines it - "There is a difference between a girl who is a
friend and a friend who is a girl".
This girl, Emily, was a bit special to him. As she was the one who encouraged him, patted him in the back when he succeeded, and offered her shoulder to cry on when he was hurt, psychologically.
After she came into his life, everything turned out to be as milk and water for him.
But now things have changed.

The only message in his inbox was "Good night. Sweet Dreams" from her.
It was one of a kind to him, as Emily always say "Good night. Richard Dreams"  for which she explained that she replaced the word 'sweet' with Richard.

All these thoughts were going through Richard, at the moment. It was very painful for him. Emily had left him forever.
All he has now are his friends Auraya and Armaan who were with him from his childhood. And they knew everything what happened between the two cutie pies.

It was around 7 at dusk, last year. Emily had called Richard and said she wanted to talk to him. And he left, only to return after 3 hrs.
Armaan was a bit suspicious when he returned as he and Richard shared their flat.
Even though Richard was showing a happy face, deep inside his eye Armaan saw, there was deep trouble.

The night went as usual.
The next 2 days too, went as usual.
But on the third day, trouble started. Richard was acting weird and Armaan knew that something deep was going on, but Richard was not prepared to open up.
After a few insists, came the storm.
He said - "Emily was in deep trouble, and she wanted to talk to me. On that day, I consoled her but then I couldn't control my emotions and did something. That
something took my entire reputation with Emily but at the same time, relieved her of her problems."

Armaan then came to know that his doings damaged his respect so bad that both, didn't dare meet again. And she took off to another country without telling
anybody 'to carry on with her life', thanks to facebook. No matter how much did Armaan do to console Richard, all he got was "I'm fine mate" in a husky
non convincing tone.

Armaan lost every step he took to console him. Auraya, meanwhile, who came to know about this, wanted to do her part. Since she couldn't do it in person, for
she stayed in the other corner of the city, she used the phone as her means. But she failed to understand that she was making things worse.
No matter how much they tried, Richard could not come out of his misery. He just couldn't accept the fact that she was different than everyone else. He said - "A
special someone teaches you to live without anybody else, but she thought you how to live without her too". Again, all in vain.
Regardless of how well Richard excelled in his work, there was still a second life, behind his glistening eyes, where lurked the memories of their happy moments
and the D-Day, which were powerful enough to make him dependent on it.

Word Count- 659

Two Windows Apart.

Dear Armaan,

That was the only time I saw it rain in the Wadi Araba. And this day, I saw it again. I am sixty seven years old, and mother to one still born. I never gave birth again. It had been a turbulent journey trying to accommodate everything in this little place you left me. But I have no complaints. I still wait for the day you shall be back from the States. It’s home here. Come soon.

Waiting,

Emily.

She stood up and looked outside the window. The expanse of the Jordan Valley lay right in front of her eyes. She never posted the letter.

Dear Emily,

I think I’ve found home, at last. This is where I shall stay for the rest of the few years of my life. I am seventy three and a father to three sons. Thank you for showing me your side of home, honey. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been here. Ever! My wife is an American and we’re happy. I can’t thank you enough for taking me from Jordan and showing me the real world. I don’t miss Wadi Araba anymore. Though I remember that rain we saw together. The day you kept quiet and how your American eyes hid so much. You American girls are so unpredictable. Only you must not be a girl anymore. I hope you’re good in L.A. I haven’t received any replies from you. Are you alright?

Grateful,

Armaan.

He went outside to play with his grandchild and asked his son to mail the letter to Emily in L.A.

***

Word Count: 266

***

~ Shruti. 

The Beginning of a Beginning

July 25th, 2026

Dear Diary,

How time flies.....

As she walked down the stairs, her hair muddled and as she supressed a yawn, the innocent twitching of her nose and till the moment she ran into my arms, i felt a sense of deja vu. 15 years back into the past, the same scenario was replayed at a differnt place, in a different era.

'Nau...sheeen'I softly breathed in the sylabbles that was her name. My wife looked at me with raised eyes, subduing a smile.

My name is Richard. And this is my beginning of an end.

She was 26 then. I was an old fool in need of love. I was in love with her. My awkward, bumbling ways worked an odd charm on her and suddenly the world's most beautiful girl was in the arms of the world's most geekiest boy. Slowly yet surely she was replacing my Death Star with her own planet. I welcomed the new change. I dropped my light saber for her hand. She gave words to my feelings and emotions to my needs. Gazing the stars alone at nights had a new meaning when she joined me and created harmony with the universe. In between muffled moans under the starry night and shooting stars, our hearts beat in unison. She became my guiding light as she transformed me from a geek to an almost stud.Little did i know what the Gods had planned for me all along. But at that moment, it was only me and that angel that mattered. The emotions that i thought i never had in myself shocked me when they opened up. 

As, i look back at those days, i realise Muthu was right. She would be the end of me. She definitely was the end of our friendship. Before i was smitten, we were the Starsky and Hutch, the this and that. Now, as days passed to months, i can only hope that he has forgiven me for at that time my perfect planet skewered out of orbit and revolved around hers. My costant companions, my glasses were traded for the new lens she made me wear. She changed me, physically and socially, i was more acceptable. My friends got shuffled and i found new ones. My interests didn't match hers, so she found new ones for me. All for love, i accepted blindly. She was the prize, the rest didn't matter. I paid no heed to the wind and what started as a whirlwind romance that threatened to challenge the world ended up in series of nightmares that threatened to engulf me in towers of smoke. Crash and burn, i went through it all in the blink of an eye.

Then, in the summer of 2011, she married my neighbor's son.

In the spring of 2012, she and her husband died in a car accident.

In late 2011, Muthu admitted me to the nearest hospital after i was found lying drunk in some alley behind a bar. Binge drinking does that to people. Weed and Whiskey were my only allies when life decided to stop using me as its pawn. Long story short, Muthu and Dr. Emily nursed me back to health. The relationships that i thought vanished with her absence started to start anew. My friendship with Muthu suffered but he was gracious enough to let the past remain in the past. And Dr. Emily started creeping into my life as the walls i built around myself cracked over time. Nausheen's death was a wake-up call and i knew i had to be strong. And Dr. Emily was that rock on which i leaned. She made the climb back to sanity easier.

My name is Richard. And that was the end of my beginning.

15 years later, in a different time, i watched the girl in my arms, kiss me good morning. Tarun was still asleep. Emily made her way towards me and hugged the both of us. "She has her chin, you know" she told me softly. I smiled at her. "But she has your eyes and your charm", Emily continued.

I took out the gift i carefully wrapped last night and handed it to my daughter. "Happy Birthday, Nausheen"

Total Word Count - 615

CONSEQUENCES

       They entered the hotel room, Her heart pounded. Tarun was taking care of everything, like always, from getting the room under alias name to protecting her from vulture eyes of the staff. This wasn't the way either of them had imagined it to be, but the motion of being one, subdued all the fears.
       Holding her from behind, he whispered ,"I don't know what am doing",and he turned her ,"But I can't bear this sulky distance anymore" 

       His fingers scrolled down, from forehead to lips, from shoulders to arms, making peculiar notes about her beauty.Tiny rain droplets were still visible on her face as the dew droplets on a flowers petals on a foggy morning. Water dropping, drop by drop, from her long black hair. With Wet clothes clinged to her perfect body, eyes down with excited fear, lips sealed with terror and a numb body, she gave herself up to him, thinking it as the only way to make him love her, more than he loved Nausheen.

       She had to succumb and present herself to gain his love. A relationship with such an inception,she knew, will surely have consequences. 

                                                        ***************************

 "God ! Stop crying,am working", Muthu shouted.
"You never have time for me. I am just a maid, to take care of your home &  kids.",she said.
"Yes damn, now that you know this, leave me alone",he shouted , not even once looking at the lady crying her eyes out.
"You love ruining people's life with your empty egoistic attitude towards everybody, especially me and my daughter.", she grumbled.
"You love fighting and creating scenes in-front of everyone." Auraya continued crying."You are a devil in a humans' skin"
This made him furious. He rushed to hit her! Slapped her,tried choking her to death but eventually, her time to leave the world, hadn't yet come.

Pulling them apart, Neha shouted,"Stopped, will you"
Auraya cried,"You got to leave this house Neha,if you want a life for yourself. This man will only kill you"
Neha didn't know what to do.She turned towards him and said, "Maybe you are out of your mind and senses but surely you will have to face the consequences"

                                                           ****************************

 "Why are you doing this to me?",She kept asking but he felt no obligation to reply.
"Are you even listening?", she started crying.
"I love you. Talk to me, Tell me what wrong I have done. Tell me how can I fix this? Please talk to me.Don't put an end to everything like this"
She tried her best to make him talk, but he was just lost in his own world.She continued grumbling her love for him when finally he spoke.
"I met my ex-girlfriend yesterday",he said,with a blank expression on his face.
Stunned and Shocked to death, she sat there, watching his lips move.
"I still have feelings for her , my heart craves to be with her and restricts me from loving you",he said.
"I don't want to be with you like this", he got up from the bench, to leave. She started crying.
"This can't be true. You have nothing in you for her. It's a lie. You can't leave me like this".
He turned and said,"It is, but the truth and if you can accept me like this, then... you must know, me being torn between two of you, might have consequences"         

                                                             ***************************

    

"Hello"
"Mr Muthu Kumar we need you to come with your wife quickly at your daughter's place",said inspector Samuel, coming out of the building.A large crowd had gathered outside the building.
"That girl is dead",said a voice.
"Oh, that loner", joined in another voice.
"Yeah, she hanged herself last night".
"Poor soul. She never had much visitors. Nor did she had a social circle to mix up with.",said a concerned voice.
"Kindly Clear up the premises",an announcement was made.
"You are barring the police investigation".
"Did you see somebody leave flat A-12 last night?",the inspector inquired the gatekeeper. Hearing the flat number, a guy rushed towards the building.
"I am her boyfriend.I need to see her",he said barging into the room where her body was lying.
"I am sorry. But she is dead now.She left a note but".
The note read : "I had enough failures at the hands of life accompanied with the agony to see my parents splitting and my love failing me, this new life in me, won't bear their consequences!"
Putting his spinning head on the table, he cried,"My girl was pregnant"

                                                               ******************************

Words spilled :767
Smita

Crashed Dreams!

(Disclaimer-All the characters in this story are imaginary.)

“The first time I met Anubhuti was when she attended the UNIX training session by Prof.Bala,” I started.

I was surrounded by my project team mates. I always had a special knack for storytelling. I have shared most of my memorable moments with my team comprising of Armaan, Muthu  and Nausheen. It is more stimulating when those young guys and girls listen to you with full attention. For a change it was not an audit or a team review meeting. We were charged up for the induction ceremony where a new joinee was supposed to join our team.

“She occupied the 4th seat on the last row,” I continued.

“I was sitting beside her, but sometimes I fail to understand my reluctance in opening a conversation with people especially girls” I added.

“Tarun Sir, I bet Anubhuti must be beautiful,” Nausheen said.

“Indeed pretty,” I smiled back at her. I always admired  her agility and her insatiable thirst for solving problems.

“Anubhuti  Singh,” I sighed.

“O TL pleaseeeee describe Anubhuti,” the boys sang in unison.

“A meeting is going on and Mr. Richard may pop out any time,” I warned them to remain silent.
“Well, I am not quite sure. All I know was that she was pretty queer. Such was her magic. She induced some interest in you. Her large eyes had infinite depth. The way she talked, the way she walked everything was different. Probably this difference attracted me to her.
Her long hair reflected bright shades of ebony. Her beautiful eyes never failed to mesmerize me. Her eyes, framed by long lashes, were bright, as dark as ink and seemed to brighten the world. Had she smiled, the world would have smiled with her. Had she laughed, the world would laugh with her. And had she wept, the whole world would want to comfort and soothe her.” I paused.

There was a deafening silence as I spoke. For a moment it seemed as if all eyes were glued on me.
"She knew I had a crush on her,” I smiled.

“Then..” the team said in unison.

“Then…slowly and steadily we got to know each other. We interacted and we became good friends,” I continued.

“We worked for the same project. Days passed and she seemed to turn more beautiful. I soon developed a thing for her. The world seemed to have been a better place to live in. I  liked her and wanted to  live with  her forever, “I continued.

“Didn’t you propose her,Sir?” Nausheen asked this time with a shade of innocence.

“Trust me, its the most difficult thing in life to confess your love for someone. It was very much true in my case. It was Friday, 14th of July and the same day she came out crying from the SPM’s office, “I smiled.

“She said that she was offered an onsite opportunity and she had to leave for Paris the other day and started weeping, “ I said to my team who by then were fully attentive.

“I asked the reason why she didn’t want to go? I was dumbfounded by her reply. She said that she loved me very much and wanted to live with me. It made me smile. She sealed our love by kissing me inside the pantry shop, “I said.

“Wow!” Nausheen exclaimed to which Muthu giggled.

“She didn’t want to leave me. It took me 3 hours to convince her and finally she agreed to leave for Paris as per her 6 months contract, “I said.
“The butterflies in my stomach would never stop fluttering till she was with me. I would miss her badly. We used to chat every day on the Office Communicator and she would call me once every day, “I continued.

“No wonder she had a debonair personality,” Armaan from my team said.
“Finally the eternal wait came to an end and it was time for her return. She was excited and so was I. My happiness grew more as I was going to see my girl after 6 months, “I sighed.

“I wish I didn’t insist her to go. Why did I ask her to go?,” A tear drop trickled  down my cheeks and my voice started trembling for once.

“Tarun Sir what happened?,” my team mates asked me.
“The aircraft in which she was travelling plunged into the Atlantic Ocean and my dreams collapsed,” My eyes turned moist
There was complete silence for a minute.

“We are sorry sir..,” my team mates tried to comfort me.

“Tarun meet our new joinee Miss Anubhuti Sehgal,” Mr.Richard Fernandes, my Project Manager said to me.

“Anubhuti” reminded me of the girl who mesmerized me with her smile.
I wished she was my Anu, the girl who cast her spell upon me.

Total Words - 795

The Solitary Writer

Magical Drops

Moist breeze glides  through the dimness of a mid-July monsoon day. Couples walk, holding hands, talking about the beauty of the weather, and of their togetherness. But Tarun and Auraya don't seem to have noticed any of it.

"Do you have any idea about how I felt while I waited for you, sitting alone like an idiot for hours, ordering beverage after beverage? "

" I thought  I would make it Auraya...I tried hard but a new assignment came in and I had to cancel..."

" Cancel? After I had already waited for two hours? "

" I tried not to cancel it...till the moment it became inevitable. I tried real hard...trust me "

" Well...you think I should?...'cause where there is a will, there is a way...Haven't you heard?"

"Oh God Auraya...It's impossible to make you understand. I can't take it anymore. Now, stop overreacting!",Tarun screams.

The argument gets too ugly for Auraya to handle and she turns away. Tarun holds her by her shoulders and turns her around so that she faces him. A tear rolls down Auraya's cheek and falls upon the Earth.  A drop from the sky falls and rests over Tarun's cheek. Another tear from her eyes touches the soil, and another drop from the sky wets his lashes.

" Please baby, don't cry....I am sorry. I really am....I can't believe I screamed at you...."

The rain has drowned her tears, melted his heart and drenched the two in love.

" I love you Auraya. I won't do it ever again, I promise."

 Auraya hugs him tight.

" I love you Tarun."

And as they hug and kiss each other, Nausheen watches. The rain wets every leaf on every tree and fills every grain of soil with water. But Nausheen burns and twists in pain. "Why is it", she thinks, " that for some, even a lifetime is too short to get the love they desire?  Why is it that it hurts so much to watch the one you love kiss someone else....Why is it that you have no courage to keep looking, but you have no power to turn away... Why is it that I have never been loved?"

She feels the pain of stings by a thousand scorpions. She feels severely wounded.

But suddenly, she feels the fire of jealousy and pain being put out. She notices herself getting wet by drops that ease the pain wherever they touch. She is being healed by magical drops that make her feel loved. All wounds evaporate. All jealousy fades away. She is liberated.

Armaan is on his knees, crying his heart out... his tears blending into the rain drops, falling onto the soil, seeping into the Earth and wetting Nausheen's grave with his untold love.

Word Count: 456

Girl with a Silver Pen

Monsoon Madness @ Lounge

"WE GIVE YOU CHARACTERS, YOU GIVE US A STORY"

Its Contest time Folks. We bring to you Monsoon Madness @ Lounge. And it starts as soon as the clock strikes midnight. A one month long roller coaster of emotions and imaginations will clash when you people bring the characters alive with the power of words.

MonMad starts from 15th July to 15th Aug

Also, this contest is open for all our beloved followers and others following us via Networked Blogs and anyone who wishes to join (for details, keep reading)

Rules ---->
1] As we said, we give you the characters, you give us a story. So we are giving you 10 characters (5 males, 5 females), along with their names. You can only CHOOSE A MAXIMUM OF 7 among them. i.e., out of the 10 characters available to you, you can choose 7 or less in your post, depending on your mood. NOTE - must not exceed 7 characters

2] Poetry is NOT allowed. Anything other than poetry (and its types) are allowed.

3] Word Limit is of 800. You can obviously finish before that, but make sure it does not cross 800 or your post will not be considered.

4] You can post as many stories as you want. BUT remember that only ONE can be submitted. i.e You write 1-99 posts, but you have to mail us the name and link of only one post that is to be reviewed. If anyone submits just one post, it will automatically be considered for review. You DO NOT have to mail us then.
My advice - write as many as you can. Before the contest ends, send us an email with your best work.

5] Any theme permitted. Horror, fantasy, romance, crime, thriller. People, its your mind, its your imagination. Use it.

6] Label every entry with your name, "MonsoonMadness-Lounge" and "WL-Contest". No other labels are to be added

7] Any post not related to the contest is barred from being posted till the contest ends. That means, TWL will be closed to every other post once the clock strikes midnight.

8] Badges will be given for the first three positions. There will be a separate ranking for "the followers and NetworkedBlog friends". A reader's choice rank is also to be won.

9] One of you will win a surprise prize from the Admin. And it involves Home Delivery. So make me proud!!

10] A picture is a must. Remember only ONE pic.

11] Read the rules again if you still do not get it!! Duh!!!

CHARACTER LIST
Male - Richard, Tarun, Armaan, Muthu Kumar, Samuel
Female - Anubhuti, Auraya, Emily, Nausheen, Neha

NOTE TO FOLLOWERS, NETWORKEDBLOG FRIENDS and ANYONE who wishes to participate.

The rules 1-11 apply to you as well. Rule number 9 also applies to you. But there is no separate winner. Only one, either from the authors of TWL or the non-authors of TWL will win it.
Also follow the following rules (NOT FOR TWL AUTHORS)
> All your entries are to be mailed to writers.in.lounge@gmail.com and you have to specifically mention which entry you want to be reviewed if you are sending more than one post.
> If you are in Facebook, search for 'The Writers Lounge', like it. Also write your post in your notes in Facebook and tag it with 'The Writers lounge'

FINAL ENTRIES should be mailed to writers.in.lounge@gmail.com on or before 10th Aug.

That's it folks. Let the imaginations soar. And lets make it huge.

P.S| Use the comments section for views and your thoughts and querries
P.P.S| If you have a querry, read the post again. If you still have it, ask the question.

- The Adorable Admins

Writers Lounge Website! Kudos Aditya!

For once, I am short of words. Our baby finally has a website and it's simply outstanding!! Great work Aditya. This is one of the many things we had visualized when the 3 of us had laid the foundation stone of TWL and a million thanks for helping us realize it. And a website on the 3rd birthday of our lounge makes it the best return gift we can ever give to a place where we have laughed and cried together, as a big family. The lounge is slowly getting back to its old self and let's make 'Monsoon Madness' a big hit! :-)

Everything's fine at my end. Working on a short film, 'The Moment', these days in my free time. It is a blog story that I posted originally on TWL that I am converting into a short film. It's what I am giving back in return to the lounge on its 3rd birthday! Here are teasers that I made for the film. Let me know your views

Teaser-1



Teaser-2

Announcement

TWL is currently undergoing template upgrades. You might notice things out of place. Please bear with us as we try to make the Lounge more relaxing. :)

Edit - How do you guys like the look till now? Inputs are welcome!

Happy 3rd birthday Writers lounge

Greetings Amigo,

So today we complete  3 years . There has been lots of ups and downs in this beautiful place but still its going strong and good. Happy birthday to the writers lounge and wishing many successful years for this space. Remember its our blog. Happy blogging and have fun

Regards,
Ste

Happy Bday TWL

Happy bday TWL. The place I call my home turns a year older. We love you loads!

Is Life Always Worth Living?

     Neither am I sadist nor a depressed soul to come up with such a weird topic to write on!
 I too want to be happy, wish to narrate about the happy times I have always imagine to have and to come up with the the Hollywood movies ending titles -live happily ever after but I don't know why I always end up in everlasting tears, unbearable pain and unforgettable dreading memories.I have tried a lot investigate the reason behind such a miserable condition of my life but have been a sore loser all the times but I won't sit still until and unless I find the reason for the flaws,my smile possess,misery,my life and destiny is into and the unlucky allure ,attracting me into precarious situations,I fall into,knowingly or unknowingly !

   Life is like a road ,sometimes smooth sometimes rough.To assume it will always run according to our wishes, is simply foolishness but to lose all hopes for it to at-least mold according to our desires is being more foolish.Life ain't rocket's science either.Every coin has two faces,both being so indifferent yet constituting up the identity of the coin and so is with life.If it's showing you its bare fangs today then one should wait for the cosy hug that is sure to follow.you just got to be patient for the right moment to come.Life without a purpose is a journey without a destination.With no aim in life,no boundaries to mention your needs,no limitations on your desires and no parameter for your gratification, one can never be happy.

       Sometimes in life the degree of hardships extend to the effect that everything seems to be coming to an end.Hopes,wishes,faith and even desire to live decays.The pitiful and only condition of living this life is, no matter what you face,you got to face it all.Troubles don't knock seeking your society status or your mental status,they just strike.Welcome them with a smile or depression ,is your choice.At times the whole concept of living,doing things even smiling seems to be futile but the truth doesn't goes like that my friend.Life may seem to be the painful experience but with pain comes relief and hope.Hope to live life in a much better way,be happy by doing good to others,peace by appreciating others qualities.It's just a matter of interpreting things from a optimistic perspective.pessism - optism, negativity - positivity, darkness - brightness etc are some antonym pairs which start with negative words but end with positive words.

         Life has been the greatest virtue ever known to human race, the greatest gift by God which comes in so many colorful packages, yet all that we see,are the gray shades, it holds! But the question is WHY? 

Why we humans leave no stone unturned to corrupt God's Angelic plans, and ourselves fall, knowingly all the time, into the pit of self pity, yet blame God, destiny, circumstances for all the frightful happenings in our lives.A student fails a test, blame goes on God, boy breaks up with a girl, God is questioned, failure in business or job, God is held responsible, why?Until when are we going to simply escape the truth, the truth that we, ourselves are solely responsible for whatsoever happens with us.Destiny do plays a role, in certain way but the major part is only and always because of our own past deeds or future planned actions.Putting blame on others won't do anything but simply introduce agony, depression and emptiness in life.Who is it that we are fooling by doing so? Who? None but us, our self! God helps those who help themselves, old but very true.So why not help our own-selves? Why be shy or ignorant of it? Help is always available to those who ask , but have to be careful what you ask for.Asking for things which you are yet not mature enough to receive or capable of attaining is something which only lead you to the grey shades of life.

    Ever thought how human race came into existence? How God came upon with an idea to create man and woman and initiate the whole life cycle? Well yes, it's too complicated to search every basic detail because Google still has certain questions yet to be answered but ever thought how we get a new day everyday and as to who has the control of all the living and non living matter known to us.Sometimes the existence of some superpower is too prominent to neglect but do we science geeks believe all that that fails to make an inverted image on our retina? Do we? Then why not believe in the Supreme Power's existence? I am not touting any religion or God but to taste the real ultimate peace of mind, one should learn to move on from the hollow materialistic things of the world.

     We all wish to be happy but one cannot be happy all the time! Even the thought of being happy every moment induces a sense of unhappiness in our mind.But what actually is the element for happiness? Money ? Love? Power? Fame? Beauty? What..? What is it that takes someone to smile.A real smile, excluding any sadness involved in any deep dark corner of the palpating heart! Many spend their whole life searching for the real thing but many acclaim to achieve it, surprisingly, at a very timid stage of life.Many cases of suicide are reported daily.Talking on moral basis, if you can't give anything, don't even expect to get anything and if you can't help out with the way you have made your life then you have no right to take it either! Because your life isn't only yours..it belongs to the people who gave you your life,your parents, it belongs to the people who make your life, your siblings, friends, strangers etc.So don't ever think of snatching the beautiful life given by others to you from them or God will never forgive you !

           Some people have all the world's comforts yet they complain to be unhappy and claim to be depressed! Is it because till now no one has been able to invent a machine that measures the degree for your pain, anguish and happiness? People allow themselves the luxury of being mad when they are in a position to do so !When one can be happy then why not be it?

    God loves us.Yes he does.We say he gives us troubles but why don't we see the solutions he provides with them?Why only the darker side of the story is most strikingly noticed and the subtle part passes away like an impasse.Spirituality may be sought as one solution for seeking inner minds peace.Having an ideal or idol, to worship infuses divine love in life.God created us and hence he helps us in our very own existence too.All we need is to trust him.Trust in his divine powers, thank him for all the kindness shown and gratitude pondered upon.Why human becomes so adamant that he refuses to believe in someone above him, above the world,above all.Why? Why can't we peacefully follow some orders which we know are for own benefit.God loves us and we should reciprocate his love too.

        To sum up, happiness requires worlds most basic and very easily available ingredients.Find someone with whom you can share your thoughts, your troubles, your happiness and your own self.Find someone whom you can count upon, irrespective of the period going in your life, happy or sad.Try making someone happy,helping someone, calming one's worries, being besides someone at hard times and happiness will come to you.Laughter is the best medicine.Live, Laugh,  make your surroundings and world a better place to live in.Troubles won't leave but at-least facing them with a smile would lessen their pain .Life is definitely a thing to rejoice, a thing to live with dignity and make the people realize this too.Hence I have found the answer,

                               "Life is certainly worth living"

Alexander's Squirrel.

The place where the road begins
To the spot where earth ends,
There lay little feet of the squirrel
Who traveled with Alexander
And never once did it fell short
Of the intense courage.

Who lived where! Who died where!
Who knows?
The little feet of the squirrel
Still lay buried inside
Tons of soil and cracked earth,
In the land of the sun.
Who went where? Who succeeded?
Who failed? Who was remembered?
Just a freckle on the memory
Of over a billion and seven
Men, women, and children;
My squirrel got lost-
Buried inside tons of layers
And the crust cracked
By bombs and seas!
Who knows who went where?
Who knows where I will be?


***
11th July: World Population Day. What have we contributed, really? Honestly, I have not!

P.S: This was a fictional piece, and has nothing to do with the real conqueror, Alexander-the Great. 

I Can't Speak .

 I still miss you

your adorable pearl like eyes

Staring at me.

I still miss you,

your serene smile,

Making up my every violet day.

I wish you were here with me today

But I can’t make my parents understand this

Not because that they won't listen to

But because

I Can’t Speak.

           

I still miss you,

You lying on the bed besides me

I still miss you,

Your actions completing my day

I miss you more and more everyday

But I can't make my friends understand this

Not because they won't understand

but because

I Can't Speak.

I still miss
the velvety touch of your hands
Me kissing you,
And you relishing it .
The cozy warmth
of taking you in my arms.
Immense  joy in feeding ,                    
 All that you want.
Dressing you up                                
Like a precious jewel of my life.
I am now simply

Thinking about you all the time.  

But I can’t make
anyone in this world see my agony
not because
that they cant
feel,see,                                          
sense or understand it
but because
I Can’t Speak..

http://smitasdesk.blogspot.com/

Long distance love..

     "Long distance relations just don't work." They tried knocking some reason into me.
     "You won't be able to hold on for long." 
     "Out of sight, out of mind." They bombarded us with innumerable examples.. 

We were watching Love Aaj Kal.. Me and my friends.. The early sequence where Deepika and Saif discuss the problems of long distance relation is running on the screen..


They say its all over the phone.. Then there is insecurity.. There comes a stage when all one does is fight and on and on and on.. 


I feel three pairs of eyes on me in the dark theatre.. I know what's going on their mind..
"Exactly.. Look look.. It always goes down the same line.." their eyes say it all..


I stir uncomfortably in my chair and shrug it off..  I marvel at the boldness of Deepika's character and frown at the immaturity of Saif.. In the end when both of them unite I give my friends the-evil-victorious grin!  


Ok, its just a movie but its the reality of many relations. Long distance relation thrives on communication, trust and the most important PATIENCE..


It's been 4 years and still I haven't had enough of the last requirement. We frown, we argue and fight.. But we also smile, trust, support, tease, laugh and love...





I never understand why people would want to break up just because they are moving for further studies or work.. In today's times holding on to each other isn't so difficult thanks to the wonderful things called THE MOBILE PHONES, SKYPE, COURIER SERVICES etc etc..


The golden word is PATIENCE! 
Unless you have enough of it don't venture into a long distance relationship.. If you love someone then don't underestimate the power of it.. The thought of losing love will give you the patience.. 


DISTANCE IS NOT FREEDOM TO FLING..
If you feel long distance is a good option as it gives you security of a stable relation as also the freedom to fling then think back.. If you can't hold yourself from getting attracted to someone else then simply accept that YOU ARE NOT REALLY IN LOVE WITH THE PERSON AWAY FROM YOU.. The day you realise it then it is only fair that you move out of the relation than cheat..


Ofcourse, long distance relation is not all rosy.. 
There are times when you wish you too had your special someone sharing the umbrella with you on a rainy day..
Times when you will envy your friends being pampered by their lovers on Valentine's day..
Times when you will be depressed you cannot celebrate your birthday with your love..
Times you will have to head back home not wishing to be kabaab me haddi when your friends plan to go out in pairs..
Times when you won't be able to fit in with your single friends nor the committed ones!
Times you will curse your luck...
Times you will feel your love is jinxed..


If you plan to stick to your partner and have a long term vision of your future then think about the endless mornings you will wake up next to your partner..
The countless nights you will cuddle up with your partner..
The many birthdays, valentine's and rainy days you will see together..
Doesn't a few years of Patience look too less a price for that??


I certainly won't be the one encouraging people to get into long distance relationship for the greater gains..its easier said than done I know.. You may be drawn to the ends of your wits.. :)


The whole point of writing this post and jotting down the good and bad side is that long distance is a feasible option and worth considering before throwing out the love that could endure and still be strong.. 
Physical closeness matters I agree.. But who ever said that having your love close to you would ensure a smooth love life?? 


By the way its been 3 years since Love Aaj Kal and as I was about to write this last line I get a call and that voice on the other end which makes me blush without reason asks me
"Do you still have fever ? Have your eyes stopped hurting ( I woke up with a boil on lower side of the eye  ) ?


No distance is ever too long for two hearts that want to be together... 

Crappy Birthday To Me

It’s my birthday today. Big deal. I feel just like I do any other day. I am doing the same things I do everyday. I feel nothing special about today or about myself. I am not one of those people who likes to celebrate birthdays, probably for the same reasons I prefer to lie on my bed on new year’s eve while all my friends are out partying. Maybe it has something to do with the years passing, time slipping away, opportunities bungled or lost completely. What worries me especially on this day is that I may never be able to fulfill my promises, that my dreams would remain just that, and that I may never be successful at the things that matter most to me. My paranoia is fueled by the fact that I actually have had to abandon some of my dreams as the years passed by. And no matter how much I accomplish or where I am in life, when my birthday approaches, I feel the same way. I feel like I didn't do enough, or loved enough, or wrote enough. I am clearly a the-glass-is-half-empty type of person. Sad, I know.

I don’t usually let people know when my birthday is. Only my immediate family knows and a few close friends. I just don’t like people making a big fuss out of it. Nevertheless, I have deliberately kept it public on my Facebook. I am doing a little experiment on human hypocritical behaviour. I love to see some of my Facebook “friends” leave a message on my wall on my birthday asking for a ‘treat’ or where the party is. Yeah sure! You haven’t been in touch with me the whole year but since you left a message, I would gladly give you a treat and invite you to the party. Pathetic. It makes me feel good about myself that I am not like that. I will not wish someone on their birthday if I haven’t kept in touch the rest of the year. That’s that. I don’t care if they feel offended.

I cringe every year as my birthday looms around the corner, knowing that it will be just like every other birthday, filled with disappointment. I realise that expectations have a huge part to play in my hatred for birthdays, and maybe a tad bit of loneliness. However, I genuinely enjoyed my birthday in 2009 because I had some very close friends and loved ones who made it special. But as I look back now, I can't help but regret having had a good time because it wasn't long after that that we drifted apart. I am not even in touch with some of them now. And so, I really hate birthdays. 

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t hate YOUR birthday, just mine. Neither do I detest celebrating someone else's birthday. In fact, even though I don’t exactly enjoy it, I do make it a point to remember and wish people close to me on their birthday or buy them presents if I am not broke, partly because I value my relationships and I know how much they look forward to it.  However, I just don’t like celebrating mine because I don’t feel like it is worth celebrating. I hate getting presents now, and I hate people wishing me a happy birthday. There is nothing happy about it. It kills me when someone buys me a present on my birthday. I hate it that they feel obligated to buy me something. Of course, I would love it if someone told me how glad they were that I am alive on a random day, or if someone bought me something randomly that they thought I would like. But that hardly happens now. Of course, it wasn't always this way. In my younger days, I actually looked forward to my birthday and the presents and celebration that followed. I thoroughly enjoyed my sixteenth birthday, reveled in my freedom at eighteen, got drunk at twenty-one, but now I am almost appalled at the thought of it all. It feels so suffocating now. In fact, other people seem to be far more happier about my birthday than I am. My flatmates and a few of my friends are throwing me a small party tonight. I don't blame them. They probably think I am going to love it. I really want to, but I probably wouldn't. Yet, like every year someone throws a party for me, I will pretend or at least try to love what they did for me. I really hope none of them reads this.

Crappy Birthday to me.