E - Elated #AtoZChallenge

"Three more days to go, right mummy?"

"Yes dear. Now close your eyes. When you wake up tomorrow, it will only be two days."

"Yay! I cant wait!"

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"They are going to stay for how many days mummy?"

"Seven days dear."

"Seven days!!! That is more, right mummy!!??"

"Yes, that is a lot. Now off you go and drink your milk."

"Just one day left, right ?!! They are coming tomorrow, right mummy??!!"

"Yes."

"Are they coming at night??"

"Hmmm. Yes."

"Can I wait up? I don't want to be asleep when they come. Please mummy?"

"Okay. Now zip your mouth, and finish your milk. No more questions. Mummy is busy."

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"Sashiiii, mummy said the flight landed!! Lets go down!!"

"Harshaaaa, it will be an hour before they arrive here. Don't be silly!! "

"Okay. I will keep a watch at the window. "

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A car pulled into their drive-way.

There was a squeal followed by thundering footsteps.

"Hiiiii my pumpkin!!!"

"Chinna mamaaaa!! Athaaa!! "

"You smell the same, athaaaaa", Harsha declared, as we melted into each others' embrace.



PS: Athaa is aunt and mama is uncle in Indian language

Longing

HOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot

 

 

I stare at the far-away window, hot vapors of coffee fogging my glasses. But I don’t care since I am not really looking at anything.

I just wonder. I wonder if you are in office yet. If you ever stare out of a window like I do every morning. I wonder if I will ever find someone like you. The coffee is bitter, but its warmth is comforting. Just like your memories. It kills me that all I have is memories now.

I think about how cruel life is.

And for the billionth time, I regret what happened that day.

 

 

PS : Written for Friday fictioneers. I would love some honest feedback on how well I expressed the character's longing.

Eyes

 

 

PHOTO PROMPT © Björn Rudberg

 

 

 

The crowd was rooting for him. Women were throwing kisses in the air and one was even begging him to marry her. He is so lucky.

As he scanned the sea of faces earnestly, his eyes gleamed as they locked on hers. I live for you woman.

She smiled at him awkwardly, mouthing the words “I Love you, too’”.  He saw it again. The distance. The guilt. Guilt of not loving him back the way he did.

Eyes. How they give it all away.

His heart shattered into a million pieces. And nobody heard a thing.

 

~~~~~~

Here is another version of the same scene:

The crowd was rooting for him. Women were throwing kisses in the air and one was even begging him to marry her. He is so lucky.

As he scanned the sea of faces earnestly, his eyes gleamed as they locked on hers. I live for you woman.

She smiled at him awkwardly, mouthing the words “I Love you, too’”.  He saw it again. The distance. The guilt. Guilt of not loving him back the way he did.

Eyes. How they give it all away.

He brushed it aside. Just like last time. I would rather live a lie.

 

PS : I am already way past the due date for Friday Fictioneers. But I wanted to take my time and do justice to this scene. Did you feel the pain of the character? I would appreciate any feed back that you can provide. 

Which version did you like better?

 

 

 

 

Lost love

Note : This post is a 100 word flash fiction written for the following photo prompt by Friday Fictioneers

Copyright of Friday Fictioneers

She clutched her notebook nervously, tucking the imaginary stray strands behind her ear. How helpless she felt, in his mere presence.

He passed her in a blink, the thundering noise from his Royal Enfield ripping through the shy air, sending warm currents down her spine.

 “Did he look at me?” she asked her friend earnestly.

“No. When will you get over him? He is not interested in you.”

“How are you so sure? Why does he take this route every single day, at the same time that we leave college? There must be something”.


“Mm..well....because he..Sorry. He loves me”.

 

S - Selflessness

She had woken up excited today. It was Sunday, her happiest day of the week. She hurriedly freshened herself up, had some nice tea, put on her glasses and settled down with her Ipad. But something seemed to be wrong that day.

'Page cannot be found'. 

She restarted the iPad and tried again. Nothing changed. She hustled to the bedroom where the wifi router was, turned off the switch and turned it on again. She waiting patiently for sometime to let the lights flicker back to life before retrying.

Nothing changed .

                                                                               ~~~

I overheard Sush giving someone directions on the phone. He had been on it for more than 30 minutes now.

"Turn over the router Maa. Do you see any numbers there? Like 142.191...  Its called the IP address."

"Okay, now open Google Chrome. Its on the desktop Maa. What? How to get to desktop ? Okay, let me tell you..."

"Now open the browser and type in the address. Google Chrome is nothing but the browser. Yaa, Chrome. Did you open it?"

"Enter userid and password now. Password is coming as all stars? Yes, that's how it will appear, so nobody can see it. Yeah, its for security, don't worry about it. Go on and type it."

"Do you see WiFi on any of the tabs? You see many? Okay, is there like a horizontal bar..with WiFi on it, that you can click ? You should see SSID when you click on it? Search Maa. Look around a bit please."

"Oh you must have pressed the wrong one. Go back now. Back maa, err..how do you go back..oh yeah! do you see any arrow turned backwards ? Or is it a pop up? Well, pop-up is a..never mind. Do you see a cross mark anywhere? A small 'x'. It is used to close whatever opened..."

                                                                            ~~~

She was having a hard time understanding the terminologies. She never had to use a phone or a gadget before, until the kids moved. On top of being technically challenged, the touch screen of the ipad was playing games with her and made it even harder to fix the problem. But she wanted to get to the bottom of it. She adjusted the glasses that were sliding off her nose, and went about following the instructions her son was giving her on the phone.

                                                                            ~~~

It was almost one and a half hours before the internet was restored. She immediately opened hangout, and dialed her daughter's id.  After a couple of rings, she could see two faces smiling at her. Her grand kids. Her face brightened up. She ran her fingers over the screen, as if trying to touch them but realized it wasn't the same. Her earnestness gave way to a tinge of sadness that they were so far away, but she didn't let it ruin her moment with them. She broke into a cheerful smile and was soon engrossed in an animated conversation.

                                                                            ~~~

Will we be ever capable of such love? How much will we be willing to take when it is our turn to let go?

J - Juggernaut

She was chirpy. She was exuberant. She was intelligent. She was talkative. And she seemed to get along really well with everybody there, whether she knew them or not. She gave her ideas with extreme confidence, something that came easily to her, not because she was the senior there, but because it was in her genes. She carried a smile always, that was somewhere in between a blush and a naughty grin. She always spoke her mind and didn't seem to possess any kind of inhibition when doing so. She was hyper active, never the one to sit quietly at one place. Indefatigable was the right word for her. For some, she was too aggressive for a woman, for some, she was an inspiration. And for one guy in that crowd, she was beginning to be more than what he had expected.

He was the shy kind. Not too outspoken. He spoke only when he needed to. He was smart and confident himself, but you wouldn't know until you talked to him. He was the normal kind of guy, calm and subdued, not the one who would turn heads, but a simple person with definite and clear mind. On first glance, it  would seem like an unusual choice for him to make. But his heart seemed to think otherwise.


                                                                 ~~~~~~~


It has been 8 years since this happened. When we visited them last September in California, I asked for their WiFi password. She said with a smile, "Juggernaut". That was the college event they had first known about each other's existence.


PS1 : She is my best friend from college. And they are one of the strongest and adorable couples I have ever known. We (Sush and I) are still mystified as to how it all worked !:P On a serious note, whenever I meet them, I get a warm feeling about what love is all about. They make it all appear so simple.

 PS2: I know there is so much more to your story than I told here, but more of it some other time. Call this an introduction ! :P


.


 

D - Dreams

 

Her dreams were what defined her. She wanted to study abroad and become a doctor. She breathed passion into her work and inched closer and closer to her goal. Her aims, ambitions and desire to achieve them were the most important to her and she was doing all that she could to realize them. She built an imaginary fort around herself so she didn't lose focus. Nobody could enter her mind or heart without her permission. Nothing could distract her. Not even love.

He was very persistent. He tried various ways to express his love. He also said he would wait for her to come to him, even if it had to be an eternity. He believed in the power of his love, so he set her free. If she was meant for him, destiny would bring her back.

Nothing could change her mind. She didn't open up her heart to him, fearing her very definition would change. She felt that love created boundaries. How can someone who barely knew her, know how much she valued what she wanted to become? How could she trust someone, she wasn't even sure she loved, to believe in her dreams?

The storyline was inspiring until this point. Rarely do we see movies(Indian) where the protagonists have goals other than seeking vengeance, winning somebody's love, or ousting criminal gangs. This was one of those very few movies where there was a dream. An ambition. A passion to do something.

And like all other movies, the girl gave up her ambition to find love. She was unhappy. She was living her dream, but some kind of emptiness surrounded her, that only he could fill. So she gave up the very things that defined her.

Why did it have to be like that ? Couldn't she have found happiness and completeness while living her dream with somebody else along the way ? Couldn't she have found someone who shared her passion or at least understood her and supported her? Wouldn't it have been more encouraging if the movie showed her as a successful and also a happy doctor? Wouldn't it have been more relevant with the times?

It concerns me because, having grown up watching such movies, it has been engrained in our minds that success and happiness do not go with each other. You cannot find love if you are after dreams. You will be unhappy and you will repent.

Coming to think of it. its not just the movies. The very foundation of our growing up is based upon our parents telling us to be happy with what we have. That wishing for more or better is greed. But isn't it true that things can always be better ?



PS : The movies I was referencing here are Kerintha (Telugu), Yeh Jawani Hai deewani (Hindi), Love Aaj Kal (Hindi) where the protagonists had dreams but all of them eventually gave them up for love.

B - Bitch

It all started getting clear to her. She was being such a fool.How did she even think that Akash was falling for her.
She felt nothing but rage as she recalled how smitten she was, completely blind to what was happening.


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"This is my best friend Meera.And Meera, this is Akash, my best friend" ,Shikha introduced her two friends to each other, winking at Meera.
Meera gave a slight smile.Shikha had been raving about Akash and though she never acknowledged it, Meera knew she had a huge crush on him.
"Hello Meera !Nice to meet you". Akash held out his hand for a shake..and as a reluctant Meera shook hands, their eyes met.A slightly longer hand shake and eyes that instantly connected, both knew something was brewing.Meera noticed it too, but brushed it off as her imagination.

That was the beginning.

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Her eyes were swollen and red with crying all night.The vodka helped her get through the night but it doubled the pain as she woke up to face her biggest fear.Akash was everything to her.It broke her to think that he never understood the "A" she had tattooed on her neck.How he dismissed her confession of love to him with that boyish laughter that day.How she had fallen more in love with him then.They were drunk ,yes, but that was the only time she mustered enough courage to express what she felt.

She felt more pain now.More hurt.And now it was giving way to seething anger. She felt worthless.She saw Meera's and her photo on the desk.They looked so happy.They were BFFs.Soul sisters,people used to say.She never imagined Meera would do this to her.She felt betrayed.

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The door was open.She barged inside, armed with a knife.She felt weak, but she had a job to finish and time was running out. She saw a blurred figure running towards her,she wasnt too sure who it was.

"Shikha, Shikha ! Help !"

She saw Meera stumble out of the room, all bruised.Akash dashed after her.Something didnt look right.For a split second, Shikha saw fear in Meera's eyes and instantly realized what was happening.
She suddenly felt dizzy.. and everything around her was whirring in fast motion.Before she knew it, everything went dark.Blood was oozing out of her nose.

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Life is such a bitch.

Destroyed in love

I sleep with fears crowding my head

Fears that I cannot tell

My head keeps throbbing all the time

as if living in hell.

Multiple emotions bottled up inside

Anger,sadness,frustration and hatred

Showing any of these would only mean

tearing you into shreds

Smiling is painful these days

But Smile I should

With feelings playing havoc in my mind

I was doing all I could

My wings have been clipped

I have fallen with a thud

Our life had just started together

But it was nipped in the bud

I cannot handle this anymore

I want to give up and run away

All I have to ask you is to let me go

I can pick up my pieces and walk away

Thats easier said than done

Without you I cannot be sane

My heart yearns to be with you

despite all the pain

I know its not your fault

Even to you, it was a rude shock

You held us together in these trying times

And stood as strong as a rock

My place is beside you

When it shines and when it rains

How much ever I hate it

I will learn to love again

I cannot bear to leave you alone

everything seems so unfair

Sometimes,it just takes a second 

for hope to change to despair

I promise I will be there with you

together we will deal with this blow

Thats the right thing to do

even if it means being destroyed in love.

Framily

Did it ever occur to you that you are not what you used to think you are ? Did you ever come face-to-face with a trait that you thought didn't exist in you ?

I guess you really know who you are when you are away from home. Sometimes, when you look in the mirror, you see a different you.All this while, the kind of image of you had built of yourself in your mind no longer seems valid and the worst thing is, you are not quite happy with the revelation.

One harsh thing that I learnt about myself is that I dont miss people much.Even my loved ones.And things.Its not that I dont love them.I love them with all my heart..and they are the most important people to me . But when I am away from them, I kind of get used to being that.Wherever I am.

Is it because I take them for granted ? Does it mean I have become so self-absorbed that I have started to care less ? Is it because I have convinced myself that it is how it is meant to be? Not sure..but I start to feel guilty about it and dislike this side of me.

This hit me first when I got married.The kind of marriage jitters I had before the wedding almost made me think about calling it off and I thought I would miss my home of 25 years, mom n dad, sister, grandma like never before... But there I was, happy like a child , who went on a summer vacation to a new place( yes, my wedding was in summer)! I was surprised and my parents were too.I was always greeted with tears when I went to "mica" and the goodbyes scenes were always a moist-y. My mom cried and cried and she was finally fed up because I wouldn't reciprocate.


I may not be missing them badly.. but I definitely miss their being around..

I miss them most when we all are walking together.. but suddenly have to part ways at the car.They go in theirs and I go with my husband.It suddenly hits me that I dont belong to them anymore.And this emotion never fails to moist my eyes.

I miss the friendly cheerful chats I have with my mom. We crib , gossip and share gyaan together..
I miss comforting ma that its okay to be frustrated.. I miss being the good listener..and pacifier and a good friend to mom.

I miss my father's loving looks he gives after coming home tired..how he makes me sit on his lap ( yeah even now ! ) gives that look..and instantly moists his tears. A tear-jerker he is ! I miss his antics, his unique ways of losing and forgetting things and how shamelessly similar we are in this aspect :D

I miss taking mom's side when mom and dad have a fight.I miss the hushed whispers and frantic signals and heart pounding moments when dad is angry and we are trying to hide something from him.Yeah, the entire family conspires against my dad.


I miss my sister..her non-stop chattering..stories of friends.. of friend's friends.. she is my best critic...I miss our silly fights..I miss dominating her..I miss going to movies with her..sharing dresses.. fighting over the cute top that she picked..fighting over losing the favourite ear rings.. fighting over who loves whom the most.. teasing her about the checklist she has for men.
I still recall how I used to hit her when she didnt understand simple math during our school days .She didnt have even an ounce of respect for me ! How she hit me back after I smacked her twice ! The nerve she has! But now, I am glad we can laugh over it.
She always had been a kid to me.She was almost four years younger to me and I never treated her like a grown up. But there were moments where she displayed utmost maturity in dealing with a situation in college and I am absolutely proud of her!

And then comes Ajji, my grandmom..she was always around when no one was at home..when we came back from school, then college and then office.Always waiting to hear the day's stories.Her particular interest was in food.A question that she never misses- what did you eat today ?!
She is a great foodie and I miss teasing her about never being able to say NO to sweets and rice despite being a diabetic :)
And she is an amazing reader.She reads every single word of the Milap that is ordered just for her.She reads the entire "Fursat ka panna" and is up-to-date on all the movies and filmy gossips.

Yes, we were one crazy family.And I am absolutely proud of us.

PS : Framily is family + friends :P

My little sis and me

With mom and dad and a grown-up sister

That lady in white in the middle- thats Ajji.

eVeryThing outta nOthing !!

It was scorching summer and the sun was very generous in spreading his heat that day.Priya and Rakesh had decided to meet up that day at a friend's house.She was dressed in a light green kurti and skin fitting jeans and he was wearing a striped T, looking fresh and handsome.
"Hi!" Priya waved as he came towards her on his bike.She was on her bike too,Scooty pep+,her constant companion.She was always the first to reach the meeting point and today, she had to wait a good ten minutes for him to show up.She would'nt have minded if not the for the sun hitting hard on her.She hid her irritation and smiled at him.. She loved his company and was longingly looking forward to spend the entire day with him..
She picked her best that day..brand new kurti and jeans.. had dabbed a little eyeliner .. and was wearing the watch he gifted her.None caught his attention as he failed to compliment her..minimum decency u knw !!A girlfriend always expects to be admired ..or atleast teased for the efforts she puts in to impress the boyfrnd...A simple ,sweet lie, told as a truth will only increase your chances of a beautiful day... hai na??
Now having been pissed off for the second time.. she was beginning to worry..wots wrong with this boy.. Its not that he was indifferent.. he was the most caring..most romantic.. and fairly knew how to win a girlfrnd over.. but all these qualities sat on the backburner today as priya burned from inside...
They had started off.. to their frnd's house..on separate bikes(Now, this was his next blunder...The backseat is the legal right that automatically a girlfrnd inherits with her status..and now she was being deprived of that !!! )
She was still fuming... when Rakesh did the missing act. He was nowhere to be seen..she reduced her speed...and looked around for him..expecting him to catch up."What could have happened..? Did he run out of fuel?or a flat tyre?? He could have phoned me..He always makes me do what I hate most..WAITING !!!"
After what seemed an eternity,Rakesh appeared..smiling..as if nothing happened.. One look at priya and he knew she was cross.And one sweet smile and eyes that said sorry..everything melted...that was the magic between them.. they cannot be cross for long.. 2 yrs of courtship had made them expert face-readers..and each ensured the smile never faded from their faces..

They went along.. Rakesh leading the way..and stealing glances at Priya occasionally from the rear-view mirror...She knew this and let a smile appear on her face...There was some ruffling sound..and priya diverted her attention to where it came from.. She saw a cover with "Archies" written on it fly by..There was something dangling from Rakesh's handle..on closer look she found it was a small,cute purse..

Tears welled up Priya's eyes...How thoughtful of him.. and how thoughtless of her...

She wondered how he could make small moments feel special.. he had that innate quality of presenting things in a cute way,she realised.The day was turning out to be nothing of remembrance..now ,it was everything for her.. This was one of those beautiful memories she would cherish forever...

It all sums up to how you fill the moments of your life...a little effort can bring wide smiles..it speaks volumes of how much you care and how much you want him/her to feel special...

PS: Hope you liked it..Will come up with more...I just realised the "writing" thing is still alive in me :-P