19 April 2015

S(m)ell me the truth

Hello readers,
It’s been a while, I know. For this one, I’ll not state what genre it belongs to. Read it to find out J
And this message is especially for my vampire friend….Don’t knock it till you read it please ;)

Oh! And BTW my dear readers, I would love to see some genuine feedbacks and for the shy types, am allowing anonymous comments too…so write away J
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She is a bit of a loner. By choice. She seldom talks to anyone unless absolutely necessary, and even when it is, she’ll probably make do with monosyllables. She hates talking. She thinks it’s really over rated. She’d rather listen.
She was born with a gift…an ESP. She could categorically classify whether whatever the person is spewing through his pie hole is the truth or otherwise!
Weird isn’t it? When one knows she’s being lied to but has no way to prove it! What happens when people talk to her? Well..she doesn’t see it or hear it…she smells it! I swear by all the Gods Its true! Yes! Strange as it is, that’s the truth.
During conversations, not only would her ears be attentive, her nose would go on an overdrive! Here’s what she’d actually smell!

  • Bored chatter – oats
  • Salacious gossip – chilly
  • Utter lie – burnt food
  • Resentment – lemony
  • Lust – chocolate
  • Gratitude – coffee
  • Curiosity- roasted bread
  • Malice – rotten food
  • Happy thoughts – bouquet of roses 
  • ETC..ETC..
She could not understand all the smells she’d smell as a child and was told off for fibbing several times by elders! But as she grew older, she began to understand it’s something only she can perceive and also started to understand what the smells signify. That took a lot of homework.
When she was a teen, she really got the hang of it! And of course she would smell a combination of smells in one go as the conversation would be a mix of many things! She’d usually smell chocolate whenever she was with men (and very rarely..around a few women!). Not surprising as many thought she was good looking.
She really hated talking, she’d rather smell…err.. I mean listen. She was nicknamed the human lie detector in college as she would always win a game of bluff. She was an Urban Legend of sorts. She didn’t have friends. It really became tedious to be around people when you get to know what they say is never what they mean. That’s the reason she avoided getting close to anybody because sooner or later, they will let you down.
She was sitting on a bench in the park doing nothing in particular when she became aware of someone sitting nearby who was giving out a wonderful smell as he talked on his phone…he strongly smelled of roses! Too strong!  It was pure, so pure, she almost had a gag reflex! She had never smelled one emotion in such concentration! It was usually a mix of many and even if concentrated, it would be there for a very short period of time. It would feel like a shot and then it would dilute..but Not like this! Never like this! Her curiosity got the better of her and she let her nose lead the way. There he was…talking animatedly over the phone….she didn't get too near as the essence was overpowering….she waits till he hangs up, and thinks ‘Good….the smell is bearable now’. She walks up to him and is about to say ‘Hi’ when she’s sized by a sudden feeling of extreme shyness…’whoa! What’s the thinking??Go up to him and say..hey! Your essence is overpowering! Can we talk??’ She immediately turns 180 degrees and is about to flee when she feels a hand on hers…holding her back!
She is so stunned, she has not even reacted to the touch! No..it isn’t a touch…the grip is pretty strong! She has not even checked who’s the owner of the hand, which is right now constricting her movement and the blood flow to her right hand
She swallows and turns slowly. Grey eyes meet brown ones….no, not brown..his eyes are a pair of butterscotch crystals!....... and time stands still.
She is stunned as she is not getting any readings from this man! Absolutely nil…this is a first!
She is brought back to reality as he gives her a disarming smile along with the smell of oven fresh bread. She realizes her mouth is still a surprised ‘O’ and immediately shuts it up. ‘Oh! Thank god! He’s not immune to my power!’
She manages a ‘Hello’ and a ‘Err….can I have my hand back?’ to which he says ‘if you really must’ and lets go of her hand. She is rubbing her hand as she studies him…and senses an odour she has never experienced before..not only did it smell amazing, She had absolutely no idea what it stood for. She feels vulnerable without her sixth sense. ‘Good god! My power has been rendered completely useless by this gorgeous hun…focus!’ She gives herself a mental shake and rephrases the sentence in her head ’….by this stranger’.
‘Shall we take a walk?’ What the ****? Did her mouth just speak on its own without her brain knowing about it?? Before she feels embarrassed that she’s been a tad bold, he nods his approval and holds out his hand.
That’s how they met. It’s been several weeks since the first meeting in the park. She is totally into him because for the first time ever in her life she’s met someone who means what he says. She was extra attentive around him to catch him lying or something that’ll discredit him, but unbelievably this man is sincere all the time!  But that awesome smell would invariable be there when he was around her and she still hadn’t figured what it signified.
Though she liked him a lot and spent a lot of time with him, she still didn't talk much and certainly didn’t relive her ability. The main reason was the odour which had no emotion attached to it. The one which did not fit in any folders in her head.
Things changed drastically after she had visited a far off relative; more out of obligation than anything. Her mom had bullied her into agreeing for this due to various reasons which we will not dwell at the moment. She was there just for a few hours.  Her ailing aunt was bedridden and taken care by her loving husband. When her Aunt smiled at him, she smelt that fragrance from him! Something clicked in her mind…True Love?! ‘Man! That sounds cheesy even in my head!’
She kept wondering how she could have missed this emotion her entire life?? Well..nothing much at the home front since her parents’ marriage ended in a bitter divorce. At college? C’mon! That’s rarer than hen’s teeth!  She thought about it during the journey back and by next day and she was a changed person. She had finally let her guard down and was talking to him rather than listening! He was a very attentive listener. She knew because she could smell him being attentive! She finally talked to him about her ability and was pleased with his reaction… disbelief, awe, respect and love! She was in love! Irrevocable so…
The poor girl…if only she knew. She was being played! By a pro….He was no ordinary guy. If our girl’s gift was that of an interpreter, he was a projector. He could project whatever emotions he wanted someone to perceive.
Her ability was the precise reason he was sent here. He worked for the other side and they had kept tabs on babies born under very rare astronomical events. Only 1 percent of those babies would develop the special ability. They would spend years locating such Interpreters and elaborate plans were made before finishing them off in what appeared to be a seemingly unfortunate accident. She had no idea how valuable an asset she could be for her country. She would be their ultimate weapon in negotiations and treaty agreements with other world leaders. This country would never get that advantage. Now he had her trust completely. He would make use of it and end her life much before her time. 

13 September 2014

The Faceless Martyr

Hello Readers!
You wouldn't believe the genre this one belongs to...Horror! Yup! My very first shot @ a genre I had thought I'd never try..Hope you enjoy it :)
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Now…
He is having an OBE. He could see himself on the floor! It was a third person’s view of oneself! He can’t think straight. The things that are in his head now…it’s revolting …but he can’t help it. He keeps thinking about the same nauseating things..The sane part of him..the human part is trying to get him under control before he can do further damage..but its failing miserably.  The other part…the supernatural one is taking over…and in a matter of minutes..he would be completely different yet exactly the same.  Different being, same in appearance. Can anyone be scared of his own self?! He’s feeling this utterly strange emotion right now! At least he’ll feel it till he’s transformed completely… then, the part that fears, the part that’s human, the weak link will be subdued and locked away for all eternity…not life! But eternity. That’s because this being is immortal.


17 Years Ago

He is a teenager unlike any other. His hearing is extremely sensitive, more like a canine’s…. He can lift amazingly heavy objects like say…a car! His vision is like an eagle’s! and above all…his regeneration capacity is limitless ..his endurance for pain is profoundly high. So, with this paranormal  abilities, the abandoned one survived. He also did some unthinkable things to others. He used his powers carelessly.
Knowing that he was abandoned by choice left him with a deep scar. Imagine a Very hot headed and dangerous teenager with a lot of power…Nightmare


2 Hrs Ago….

He was walking down a deserted road humming to himself oblivious to the imminent danger he would be in.  He thought no one would be out in this unearthly hour, so he was being..well..himself. He was picking a random pebble off the road and hurling it away…sounds pretty normal. But if anyone would see the trajectory of the pebble, they would be astonished! He was no ordinary guy. He was a ‘jump’ in the evolution process. He had extraordinary abilities. These ‘gifts’ were the main …no..the only reason he was in danger right now.


28 years ago

He was a Five year old abandoned boy. Abandoned, because his family did not know how to cope with him and his abilities. So, they just decided to move without him..  Don’t judge his family. Nobody would have had the strength to go through what they did..day after day.  How do explain to your boy it’s wrong to break his mother’s arms just because she screamed at you for breaking the glass vase? How do you tell him not to crush the dog’s head just because he chewed your shoes? The injuries started getting serious  and one tragic day, their first born daughter who was 16 at that time, met her untimely death at the hands of her kid brother whom she was babysitting. She had insisted he finish his greens on his plate before he’d be given dessert. When they came back and found her the way they did, that was enough for them to leave him.


10 Years Ago

He is stronger than ever. His body looks like he seriously works out and is on a very rigid diet to keep it that way but the truth is, he has never hit a gym in his life and he eats like a ….well…lets just say more than a couple ‘all you can eat for $XX’ closed their shop thanks to him! He has a better sense of right and wrong comparatively when he was a teen. He is playing the faceless superhero for the time being. Stopping a thief, rescuing a damsel in distress, preventing a murder from happening and stuff like that…He had foiled a couple of suicide attempts as well. He thought he had figured out his purpose, to be the unsung hero of  the people. But he had a greater calling …a far greater calling..but it would be quite a few years before he realizes it.

2 Years Ago

It’s during this time he realizes his life means more than playing God to the woes of mankind. He decides to dedicate himself to another being. Not a species but a singular being. The Earth. He feels this wonderful planet is reeling under the acts of man. We are killing this planet without realizing when she dies, we die. So He decides he is the lone crusader of his home planet. What brought about this change? It all started a DVD he had rented out. It was a documentary that gave a very stark picture on how the earth’s natural resources were being overused and abused. It really stuck a cord with him. He had a moment of glorious self realization. He considered himself the messiah of mother earth. That’s what he’d call himself from now on.
       He would target anyone who he deemed was harmful to the planet. He took on timber companies by messing with their tree felling equipment. He would also scare the laborers witless. soon, the news of the haunted forests spread like wild fire. 

But this Turing point will lead him to an unbelievable horror in the future. This path he chose will end with him being tortured with a pain that was alien to him


Now…

He cannot take it any longer… He is unable to tolerate the pain. He is on fire….yet there is no fire. He is choking…on what he has no idea, His lungs are burning like he has inhaled a gulp of water, but he is no where near water. But a above all this virtually physical pain, is the one he cannot tolerate! His mind! What it’s projecting is of the most ghastly stuff.  It is this mental torture he is not able to tolerate. His mind is not his own. He is not the master anymore.
He is withering on the floor. He is trying to shake the pain away. It is now that he experiences an OBE. He had read that OBE’s usually  grant the observer a clarity which was elusive till that moment. Once he sees himself on the floor and his tormentor, things suddenly fall into place!

He is just seconds away from death and his last thoughts are pure panic. He thinks the humans are just pawns in a much bigger universe . the eminent death of his planet is being eagerly awaited by an impatient extraterrestrial race who thrive on dead heavenly bodies! Why don’t they just attack and take over? No! They cannot! The interplanetary federation forbids it. So they wait! They would ensure that no one comes in the way of the self destructive phase of the planet and if any one does, they would transfigure any being into one among them …including me.

24 April 2014

The L Word

Hello,
Trying a different genre this time : Romance! A desi one @ that, so gimme some margin on this one  :)
Also, this is the first time I'm putting up a post without a work of art accompanying it! The reason being that I'm experiencing a painter's block right now :P

 ********** Enjoy***********


DAY 1

She

She was day dreaming again. About what…no one has a clue but she….and as the auto slows down in the usual spot of her usual path because of the usual traffic nightmare in her city, she immediately snaps back to reality as if she had an in built alarm clock! That’s because it’s her fav window shopping shop that’s in view. She loves the displays on the 4-5 mannequins they have and starts checking them out one by one…and she mouths…”ugh!…..no!….not bad!….kinda nice….and …decent! “  and after she checks out the last one,  her eyes automatically hovers to the spot next to it expecting another mannequin but is surprised to see a guy there and that too watching her intently!

He

He was standing on the footpath waiting for his ‘always-late-never-sorry’ friend to pick him up. He is irritated and hungry, so is not the least bit interested in the good looking chicks that are passing by him chatting non-stop.  Some clumsy woman bumps into him and gives him a withering look as if it’s his fault!
He ignores her and turns towards the road and notices the traffic slowing down and thinks ‘Dear Lord! My late friend is sure gonna be later!’ It’s then that he notices a girl in one of the autos that has slowed down. She is checking out something with a lot of concentration. He turns to see what that is which has captured her attention and finds the mannequins beside him. He cannot peel his eyes off her as she mouths something looking at them. He doesn’t try to lip read … he just stares at her moving lips, thinking…so cute!
Before he can process anything else, her eyes are on him and they widen in surprise. His first impulse is to look away but somehow…he just can’t do that. And ends up giving her a goofy lopsided grin.


She

She was surprised to find a guy staring at her but as soon as he grinned, she snapped out of it and immediately turned her head so that she was directly looking ahead. She pretended she found the auto driver’s head very interesting. But at that very moment, the snail like pace of the traffic also stopped and the auto dint move an inch forward and she was still in his line of sight. This pissed her off more than anything. She tried to peek at him through the corner of her eye and saw that he was still looking at her and she heard a chuckle from him. Mortified, she turns to the other side and pretends she is extremely interested in the cheesy slogan written behind another auto.


He

He saw that the moment he grinned, she quickly turned away.  As luck could have it, the traffic came to a halt just then and he could continue to look at her as long as he pleased (or as long as the jam let him). He could see she was a bit annoyed that the auto wasn’t moving ahead.  She then had a look at him sneakily through the corner of her eye. He just couldn’t resist a chuckle and felt rewarded when she blushed a deep pink and turned her head the other way.

She

She was wondering how long she should stare at the backside of an auto that declared “Paa nahi sakthe tho kya hua? Chah tho sakthe hai” under a photo of the current bollywood numero uno Starlet! Then she realized that the traffic started moving. Before she knew what she was doing, her head snapped to the other side and she had a look at the guy before the auto zoomed away. She was wondering why she did that for a few seconds before resuming her day dreaming pass time. But this time, the guy crept into her day dreaming episode!
She smiled to herself as she was getting down from the auto thinking the guy was pretty cute even with a stubble that was a couple of days old.


He

He was unusually silent on the ride to office. He still couldn’t think of anything else but the parting glance she had given him. His friend was getting a bit edgy thinking  he was annoyed and that a time bomb was ticking at his backseat that would blast any second now! He couldn’t take it anymore and turned around and opening his helmet’s visor said he was sorry for being late and could he please talk! This made our lover boy laugh out so loudly, a couple of girls who were waiting for the signal to turn green beside them jumped off their skins and gave him a reproachful look thorough their helmets! He gave the girls a ‘I’m-sorry-dint-mean-to-scare’ look and to his friend said ‘Chill dude! It’s not your usual tardiness that has rendered me silent but…err…well…’


DAY 2
She

She was in the auto the next day and was totally excited for reasons she couldn’t understand and was not interested in her usual pastime of daydreaming. Instead, she was eagerly waiting to glance at her favourite shop but not to look at the merchandise at all. When the auto neared the shop, she felt her heart go haywire with anticipation but he was nowhere to be seen. She was leaning out of the auto, desperately checking but he was not in the vicinity of the shop.  Disappointed, she sat back and with a grumpy expression.

He

He wanted to know if she was interested in him at all before he wished to proceed with his plan. So, he decided to test her the next day. He deliberately stood on the other side of the road just opposite to the shop and was inconspicuous with his hood over his head. He was not even sure if she would come in the same route. Just when he was thinking that the entire thing was kinda stupid and he may never see her again, fate contradicted him and voila! She was right there! And the icing on the cake was she was desperately searching for something…no somebody…no…him! He felt his heart swell in his chest! The look of disappointment on her face at not finding him…Priceless! He decided it was time to proceed with the plan!

Day 3

She

She was confused. She had wasted a better part of yesterday thinking about him. She had lectured herself not to waste time thinking about a total stranger she had happened to glance one day! But her mind just wouldn’t listen and she was again thinking about him. Intricate details she was surprised her mind had registered from the fleeting glance she had given him. Apart from how tall he was and  broad shouldered, she could remember details like the huge watch he wore that complimented him and his eyes! Deep brown and smiling eyes and the hint of dimples on his cheeks as he had given her a grin! Sigh! She was not that hopeful when she was in the auto that day and  when she was nearing the shop was experiencing both elation and disappointment mixed together with a heavy dose of craziness! He’s there! Right there! Next to the 4th mannequin! She sees him waving at her and gestures her to stop, which without thinking she does! She tells the auto driver to wait for 5 mins and gets down and shyly looks up at him! Wow! He’s taller than she had thought!

He

He was waiting for her near the shop. He had dressed with care today. He had worn the white shirt that everyone said looks good on him. He was clean shaven and presentable. He had even got a couple of admiring glances from a few girls passing by him and he was sure one of them had winked at him! Well..It did boost his confidence a bit and though he was not that into praying, he offered a quick prayer to God asking him to help in whatever way necessary for this to succeed. That’s when he saw her. He hesitates for a moment but when he sees her face light up on seeing him, he immediately waves at her and gestures her to stop. To his unbelievable eyes, she does!! He cant believe that she’s getting down from the auto..for him! He cant believe she’s standing in front of him! He cant believe she’s giving him a shy smile! He thinks she is the most beautiful thing he has ever seen and hopes he doesn’t goof up!

And thus begins a love story. How does it end? Well, the changer of seasons will let you know.

10 January 2014

An Eye for an Eye… A world for a world




There she goes….a woman with a purpose. She had been preparing for this moment from eons…preparing, wondering, dreaming, fearing about it through millennia after millennia …but strangely when the time arrived, she was unexpectedly calm…maybe the calm before the storm? She was walking…no, gliding across the huge ocean with a single minded determination. Her mission was about to begin. She felt no emotion attached with what was entrusted to her by the highest authority of all.
She had watched the earth change…only she could see it among all the creatures inhibiting the one of a kind heavenly body-the humans christened Earth. She could because you need to be there for a very long time to see the change as the rate of change is immeasurably small for the pitiful life span of any living creature on the planet.
    She had observed the earth change for the worse and knew that the time was near. She had wondered all along about the unjust the entire system of life had to undergo because of a single selfish species– the Homo sapiens.
    This event was mentioned in the ancient and the first language of civilization. There was already a record of the coming events in this ancient literature though it was yet to happen! This surprised her more than anything…Perhaps the human race was more perspective than she gave them credit for.. maybe they would fare better in the next phase of time? Time will tell.
    She had hoped that the prophecy be wrong. She had hoped that mankind would slow down, stop and eventually return from the doom towards which they were heading. But it was not to be. The events unfolding were so precise, a non believer would have said that the events had happened first and the “prophecy” written later ..
    Mankind…what a strange word ..they should have been called ManUnkind. Observing them through time immemorial, she had watched with horror as they degenerated to the current state. The world in its current stage held no new borns, no infants, no toddlers, no adolescents, no teens and no elderly.

The average life span of a human was 30 years. Natural Procreation was absent. The only way of creating offsprings was to clone oneself, which only the rich could afford and many of them were not the least bit interested in creating a new life. So this was a rarity, hence population was alarming dwindling. As for the clones, they were created with their physical state equivalent to a 20 year old and had all the knowledge, mannerisms, fetish, etc…of their creators. So, life in a nutshell was: born as a 20 year old and have a life for 10 years. 
    When things reached this state, she knew that what needed to be done was to be done. And done be her alone. Her resolve hardened.
    She had reached the destined location. Now she had to summon the elements to her will, which was what she was born to do. This would be the final phase of time. Everything would go back as it was before time was time and she played the pivotal role in this. It was as written that this phase would be the worst of all and when evil reached it’s peak…then would be the time for her to act…it would be the End-of –the-world. Or she preferred to think of it as a “cleansing” rather than the end of something.
    She closes her mind on all trivial things she was thinking until this moment and loses herself completely to focus on the point she stands and starts to manipulate environmental factors so that they disobey the laws of physics…and so..it begins…
    A lighting flash so dazzling, it should have blinded her but doesn’t,  lights up the entire sky…and as if guided by her…concentrates into a line of brilliance and lands directly at her feet.
    An colossal wave raises from the point and splits into four …each travelling towards a different direction.. each second growing larger…the sky turns a frightening black..it’s as if the sun has disappeared!…She knows once the waves hit the shores, they will not stop there…they will continue their journey till the four mighty waves meet again and reunite… engulfing all in there path. They could do that because they weren’t just monstrous waves..they had the power of antimatter infused in them… ….thus giving them the power to annihilate everything… marine life, airborne creatures and land dwellers… It was a matter a few minutes and it was all over. She levitates to a much higher position and watches the new world sans any form of life.. she watches it with awe…the world she helped create….It all seemed so fast…her purpose is served. The moment she realizes this, another brilliant flash of light hits her directly and she vaporizes…becoming a single celled organism…  the only life form on the planet..the foundation of evolution to come.

21 January 2011

Magical reality



It all began on that fateful day when I had come home feeling so damn depressed. I was depressed with almost everything in my life.. am not exaggerating. Tell me the most important aspect of an individual’s life in a very broad sense.. Family, Financial Security, Friends, Spiritual well being to name a few right? Well…let me bemoan about the state of my life at that point of time:

I was estranged from my mom/single parent as a result of a very nasty verbal spat which (I am ashamed to say) happened three years ago, so there’s family…

I was fired from my job as a result of the recession and was booted out with 3 months pay and some (lip) sympathies, there’s financial security…

I never had a real friend as long as I could remember. … so there go Friends….

I was, from as long back as I remember, a Person with very poor self esteem. I also used to end up feeling guilty for every small and silly thing. Yeah, I had a season’s pass for life to the Guilt Trip special!
That’s spiritual well being?!

So Family, Money, Friends, Spiritual well being? Hey, not for me! Throw them straight outside the window! Sigh! So…now do u agree with my statement? “Am Mega Depressed”.

So what? Why am I narrating a story about it? There are lot of people who get depressed…and what would happen next? Its easier to guess than the ending of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai! So, what is the bloody point of this story when the ending is everybody’s guess!
Ending 1: They would become some sort of addicts!
Ending 2: They would turn into Psychopaths!
Ending 3: The lucky ones would get support and encouragement from family/friends and snap out of it!

Well.. the bloody point is…the ending is NOT, I repeat NOT any of the above…hell forget the above, its not even in your wildest imagination!

Now that I have your attention (with a little skepticism no doubt), lets proceed with the story.

I was lying on my bed in my dimly lit room, staring at the ceiling, I could hear the song “all by myself ” floating from my neighbour’s home (The irony of it!).….I was feeling very disturbed, felt like a hundred different things were going on in my head and none of them pleasant. My feeling of melancholy was increasing by the second and my face was screwed up with the effort of not wanting to …..I don’t know what..maybe cry? Kill myself? Or Kill some one else more like? I thought I was about to reach the limit of my sanity and was getting a bit alarmed that once I do, my brain would cave in and collapse…..still, I couldn’t control my emotions and I felt myself nearing that limit…and finally reach it…….

AND……….?

I started to calm down…..(I know, sort of a letdown!) and after a few minutes I tried to interpret the feeling ..and crazily, I felt that she was soothing me….but she??? Why did I think it was a girl? Why did I think some one was even there?!! Or maybe I hadn’t calmed down at all! Maybe I was insane! So.. this is how it felt to be insane!

I was confused and scared out of my wits, so I did the best thing that any person would do when they are scared (but no one ever admits this)…. switched on all the lights in my room…The bright lights gave me a bit of courage but then I heard a voice… “OK Drama Queen! Settle down!” My poor heart almost stopped. My first logical reaction was…maybe it’s the TV..but then I realized mine had conked the day before! Then where did the voice….?! I stammered “H..H..Hello?”

“I am right here! Turn to your right!” she said …I turned so swiftly, I craned my neck in the process. I was rubbing my neck and staring at the wall in my bedroom. I dint see anything there ..just a painting I had done long ago and some smudges of coffee I has spilled yesterday…Then I heard her again..”Are you blind? Cant you see how nicely my complexion contrasts your boring white wall??” It took a few seconds for me to realize….

My goddamn shadow????

I immediately had a mental image of some TV show crew setting this up and catching the reaction of the Bakra through hidden cameras…I snorted “this is obviously a gag!”. She replied “ Oh! Yeah? I can prove it!” and then I witnessed something that made me piss in my pajamas!

I was standing in front of the wall frozen like a statue while my shadow waves at me! And did a small sing-and-dance routine! I fainted.

I woke up to find myself on the floor, reeking of piss and my shadow asking me was I ok… I ran to the bathroom screaming like a maniac….I fumbled through my medicine cabinet searching frantically for something…anything.. that would rid me of this…insanity? hallucination? I was just about to pop some pills into my mouth when she warns “uh..huh…I don’t think that’s a good idea!”

I closed my eyes and started chanting to myself, sotto voice “None of this is real”.. but then, my self brain washing was being interrupted by a voice “Of Course it is! The sooner you start believing it, the better for you.”

I just couldn’t decide what to do….and ended up crying. She was silent the whole time I was sobbing into my towel. By the time my tears had stopped and my eyes had swollen to twice their normal size and turned blood red, I lifted my head out of the tear socked towel and had a peek at…her…. But my shadow seemed just that…..a shadow…..she was in the exact same position I was, holding the shadow of the towel in my hand. I was about to conclude the whole thing as a dream…when my attention was drawn towards my bathroom mirror…. She had left me a note! My mirror announced in bright red letters “Will talk to you tomorrow…Please don’t be such a baby about this!”

After an answer to an untimely nature’s call (will explain about this later….kinda embarrassing!), a quick shower and a change of pajamas, I was in bed…I was so freaked out that I couldn’t sleep so ended up in my balcony. I was gazing at the stars above with the background music “Mad world”, courtesy My Neighbour. That seemed so..so.. appropriate for the moment!

I got up quite late in the morning…Its usually after a mug of steaming hot coffee that my system would be up and running, but today I was suddenly jolted to full consciousness when my brain started playing yesterday’s unusual…er…phenomena… I was wide awake and as alert as can be without my first life giving cup of the day!

I ran to the bathroom, not because nature called, but due to the fact that nature was screaming! Regarding the nature’s call I had said I’d be explaining later…well, here goes…It’s a weird thing! Every time I’m s**t scared, I literally S**t! Yeah! That’s true! It happens to some people! After I’d done my thing, had a cup of steaming hot coffee, took a long shower and was about to step out when I noticed the message on the mirror. I didn’t let that upset me. I just took a deep breath and started distracting myself by thinking on what to do the whole day, as I was job-less at the moment. I gobbled down some breakfast and was off to the library near my home. I selected a few books on paranormal activities and settled myself in one of the corner desk.

I came home late in the evening a bit disappointed. I couldn’t find a single mention on shadows in the books. After dinner I decided to watch a movie.

I Was just about to put on a CD (” The Mask”, I never get tired of watching this!), when suddenly, I heard her! “OK Now! We’re gonna talk! So you can put that CD away!” My hands, which were in the process of pushing the “eject” button on the player, froze. I dunno for how long I maintained that pose but thought it was long enough when she started giggling. I retrieved my hand back, prayed for strength and turned towards my shadow…

But my shadow was…Normal! I was a bit confused.. Then I heard her again:

Spooky Shadow: “ No. I’m not your shadow. I’m actually a witch. I thought you might get scared to see a real witch, so had enchanted your shadow yesterday.”

Me: “Yeah, Right! A taking shadow wouldn’t scare me at all!!”

Witch(?) : “Oh! Sarcasm! That’s much better than…let me see…pajamas socked in piss?”

Me(blushing): “I feel stupid talking to thin air! Why can’t I see you, witch? ”

Witch: “ Witch?? I have a name..and It’d be appropriate if you address me by it! It’s Maleficent”

Me(laughing): “What?! Maleficent?? You are named after a famous Disney villain?? That’s real scary!! ”

Maleficent: “Ha Ha… I’ll make myself visible to you now….try not to scream”

Me: Gulp!

(Maleficent pops out of thin air and I gasp! She’s a bit scary. No..she isn’t ugly..far from it, she is a beauty but there is a sense of power about her that just took my breath away. With a superhuman effort, I control the urge to run away)

Maleficent: “Hmm…not bad. Some have even fainted ”

Me: “Your lot…they get acquainted with the likes of us??”

Maleficent: “Yes. We do when the need arises”

Me: “But why don’t we hear anything about this?”

Maleficent: “My! And here I had almost thought of you as girl with a bit of common sense! Would you go around telling people you’ve just met a witch…hmmm? ”

Me: “Oh! Go the point….stay mum or join the asylum..”

Maleficent: “OK Then! Lets get to the point… I, Maleficent the wise, am a member of the high council. It’s our job to reach out to humans in need. But we do so only to the pure of heart. I am here to guide you through this tough time in your life. Do you accept?”

Me: “?????? ”

Maleficent: “Well …? Aren’t you gonna say something? You’ll have to answer in affirmative for me to proceed….protocol you see.. ”

Me: “err…..yippee??”

Maleficent(smiling): “that’ll work.”

I was still in a state of stunned disbelief when she walked gracefully across the hall and sat on my sofa. As she arched one of her eyebrows questioningly, I realized I was still gaping at her, with a huge effort I recomposed my face and sat on the chair next to hers ..err, to be honest, it was the one opposite to hers…alright! Diagonally opposite!! Yes! Was still a bit scared of her! But as she started taking, I felt myself getting calmer by the second and also began to like this formidable female! Once I had gotten over the initial shock and the situation sunk in to my head, she suggested that we would commence the sessions by tomorrow.

That night I was curiously going through the probable way in which she’d help me. A magical incarnation? A potion? Some hocus pocus these witches do? Some spell that goes “boil and bubble toil and trouble”?? I sprinted to my desk and started to make a list when I heard the song “There’s magic in the air” and no prizes for guessing from where! Yes! My neighbour!

Well, I was totally off the mark. She offered me none of the above. She offered me Advice.
I was a bit disappointed because I thought it would need something extraordinary to set my life right. But my disappointment turned to delight as I started to seriously consider her advice and work on it. Things really started to fall into place!

I swallowed my fear/ego and rang up my mom. She was a bit stiff in the beginning but this conversation gradually swelled to more calls and finally we started meeting. I am happy to say we have reconciled and are really thrilled to be in each other’s lives. The other day we were at my place talking and gorging on some great P&B sandwiches when we heard the song “Mama, I love you” form next door. Right on!

Self-confidence. She explained that too less would make me a wuss and too much, a contemptuous ass. “Self confidence should boarder at arrogance to be just right.” she’d declared! It was really difficult at first but slowly I started being more confident about myself. I, who used to sweat at the thought of attending interviews, breezed through them with a finesse I’d never thought possible. Needless to say, within a few weeks, I landed with a great job! I got myself to a new outfit and had invited my mom over for a wonderful dinner. We were treated to the song “Strength of a woman” from my next-door-jukebox as we celebrated.

She taught me how to choose friends. An art most of us lack but are woefully unaware of the sad fact! I have two friends now. One, a colleague and the other a childhood friend long forgotten. I have a feeling this budding friendship will get stronger with time and go a long way. I had them over at my place one night for a pajama party. We were in the middle of a pillow fight and I thought I heard the faint notes of “I’ll be there for you” from somewhere.

She told me never to let go of my hobby…painting. She said each one of us have a special something, an extra gift that would make us unique. The trouble is many would never realize what it is but there are a few lucky ones who do realize it and build on the same. She said It'd be really tragic if they let go of it.I started painting again and the joy! I cannot describe it!

She bid me goodbye yesterday stating that her mission was accomplished. I was a bit sad to see her go but I was really thankful for the way things had turned out for me. I had no specific plans for the day and ended up painting.

I heard the song “It’s a wonderful wold” as I painted and couldn’t help but feel so at peace. It was then that I realized that my neighbour had been like a background music to the different scenes of my life’s play! Though it seemed preposterous at first, the more I thought about it, the surer I was. This was an astonishing coincidence! I was pretty sure this was a sign and literally ran to the balcony to have a look.

I was peering shamelessly into my next-door’s window when I was taken aback to find a curious pair of eyes staring back at me! I lost my nerve and was about to rush back inside when he came rushing out to his balcony. Suddenly, I couldn’t move or think. I was rooted to the spot. I don’t know if I can describe it right or do justice for the feeling with words. I felt that I had found my soul mate in this curly haired chocolate boy and by the awestruck look he was giving me, I’d say, the emotion was mutual!

28 November 2009

Two peas in a pod



Good god! She’s at it again! My sis…twin sis to be specific….identical twin sis to be accurate! Identical…in looks. That’s where it begins and ends….the identicalness I mean. She’s crying right now (Not to worry, she does that at the drop of a hat!) because I let her down! I have been patting her arm from the past God-Knows-How-Long! Please! Make this female stop sniveling! I had been getting a feeble urge to pee from the past 20 mins and the urge’s shifted gears from being feeble to extremely persistent…. Right then God heard my plea for help and her phone rang! As she picked up her phone, her whole disposition changed faster than you can say Duh?! It was one of her friends who had called up to share her expedition to the latest mall.


I grabbed the god sent opportunity and was rushing to the Loo as I heard the “Ohhh”s and “Ahhh”s and “Really”s and “You’re Kiddin”s! Huh! Typical sis! Crying her heart out this minute and yakking off animatedly the very next! A few minutes of a biological activity and a flush later, I was back to patting her arm. Sigh! The things I am forced to do as a Twin sis!

You know, am not much of a shopper... Hey! Stop giving me that knowing smile! Am not kidding! I seriously don’t like shopping! I said stop it! OK that does it! I REALLY DO NOT LIKE #@$@#%@#%@ SHOPPING! Good! That shut you up.
Where was I? Oh! Yeah…The things I end up doing for my sweet sis! I have to tag along every shopping trip because a) She might want me to pool in my pocket money if need be B) She needs somebody to hold her ten ton shopping bags C) I am her Twin sis. Period.

What’s with this conception of twins! We are individuals. Not “Two halves of the same whole” God! I hate that phrase! What I’m trying to say is, me and my sister are as different as can be. Unfortunately for me, my sis belongs to the Group that thinks “Twins! Two beings and almost 1 soul! “

Just the other day she was yapping on and on about this supercalifragilistic Bag of what’s-the-name…? yeah! Louis Vuitton! She had gushed, “what wouldn’t you give to own a bag like that!!?” I was already in a foul mood coz she had dragged me to this mall when I’d rather be catching the latest play at RS! So I just couldn’t resist replying “eh…not even a rat’s fart???” Madam was extremely miffed! She didn’t speak to me for 2 days flat!

What I’m trying to say is we are poles apart! I do not believe in this “Special bond” between twins shit! No sir! But sis…..Is someone who thinks there is some unseen, unexplainable bond between twins! Something that can only be felt and not explained! Oh! Come on!

Now that I’ve been pointing, underlying and literally screaming out my opinions, you would feel that I have very definite ideas that I truly believe in and vehemently defend them if anybody would dare contradict …Sigh! just when I thought I had the whole world figured out, The world comes back to me and says “U have so not figured me out yet honey” and knocks me flat!
What I’m about to recall now, this incident (catastrophe?) changed me as a person (and also made me a pauper for a month!). Confused? Let me enlighten you…
Let’s rewind back 2 weeks…..
Time: 8:30:27 PM
Date: 1.03.2009
Location: Earth…Er….to be a bit more specific… Bangalore (at a Friends place)
Me n Sweet sis are at a get-together (that’s what we told mum!) /party(which is the truth) We are having a great time catching up with some friends and gorging on good food , when the conversation steers towards a certain fellow and before you can say “here-goes” , he’s the butt of all jokes and the poor guy is down to the “Grin-and-bear-it” routine. Lemme tell you, If the victim is pushed till the limit, then this routine would usually lead to a “Siphon–The–Filth” routine. For those of you who dint get it: Shift the focus on a less fortunate soul so that all filth is now redirected towards the innocent by stander.
And in this case it was none other than my sweet sis. All sis had done was laugh @ the jokes aimed towards him and this guy so unfairly calls her an A**hole! She Froze …I was really annoyed and had a peek at sis and was horrified to see her nose was turning red… (Always a danger sign coz with sis its like: Step 1: Nose turns tomato red, Step 2: start shedding tears). Suddenly my eyes and her’s meet and still can’t say what exactly happened. . I just thought of a wonderful retaliation I would have given him back, and I could hear the same words coming out of my sis’s mouth as I was thinking them! It was as if I was dictating it to her! Her mouth had stopped moving… She had finished the sentence but I could still hear it ringing in my ears “Oh yeah? So what does that make you? An unwashed A**hole??” I was flabbergasted!! Everybody was laughing coz they found it extremely funny that my timid Sis was capable of cussing like this! .The only people not joining in the laughter were ourselves and the fellow at whom she had cussed. We were stunned! What HAD just happened here?! It was as if we could read each others thought for a minute there!

We dint talk to each other till we were back home and in our room. When we did talk about it, I had to admit to her stupid theory of The Special connection between twins! And yes…had to forgo an entire month’s worth pocket money to her since I had bet that there IS no Special Connection between Twins and she could never prove it otherwise! Sigh….The only other option I had to get my money back was this nightmare: We had to wear identical outfits for an entire month! Needless to say, I gladly gave up my money. And when I said this, she was aghast and cried “Why can’t you just agree this one time! It’s a twin thing!” ….am still patting her arm!

The water we breathe

Hello readers! This story is based on a thought I had during my daily commute to office. I had jolted down the idea least I forget! Thi...