Diwali House

As evening arrived, a glow spread over her face. Bright ornaments decked her from head to feet like the jewellery of a new bride. Tonight was her time to shine and no one could take that away from her.

The lights turned on; the house smiled. Tonight was Diwali.

Spring Love

The air is moist, it's been raining
The sun wears a soft glow.
Summer is blooming into spring
Even the birds know,
You are here.

Running Rat

Eventually, the rat got tired of running. Panting, he sat down and began wiping his face with a moist cloth.

'So, you got something for me yet, lady?' The poor rodent squeaked at me.

Looking up from the Book of Idioms, I replied quietly, 'Rug rat, rat race...rats abandoning a sinking ship....nah..nothing, sorry'. 

'Your fault. Why is it that 'rats running in a stomach' sounds perfectly fine in the vernaculars but so odd in English?'

'Why indeed?' I thought to myself.

'And you...you agreed to write it in English..why couldn't you put up the status in some vernacular language, where it is perfectly fine to have innocent rats run up and down the length of your stomach?'

'Umm... My readers are from an extensive language base...' I said importantly.

'Why should us rats suffer for the limitations of English'? He squealed.

'You are right....' I was hungry and Mr. Rat was tired of running in my stomach. We shared nibbles of my last cream biscuits and quietly wondered on the dilemma of transcreating idioms in a foreign language.

5:30 am

5:30 am- That unearthly hour that marks the short interval between the dying echoes of night and the first whispers of dawn.

5:30 am- That whimsical muse who whistles away at the last few hours of a person's sleep; him desperate to finish the dream before reality faces him, once again.

On such a 5:30 am today morning, I decided to go for a walk.

Yes, me. The nightcrawler, the sun-hater.

I can't remember waking up so early except while catching trains.

And that one time, I climbed a mountain (or was it a hill?) in Rajasthan. I was very small, so even a hill seemed Mt. Everest to me. And how proud I was when I climbed it before the elders, right at the speck of dawn. I got a pack of Uncle Chips as reward. Something about the chips tasted even finer, I tell you. 

And now this. 

Another of my attempts at something new and different in the last 4 months.

Being healthy? Nah. The early bird? You're preaching to the owl.

And as the last shadows of night kissed the earth goodbye, we began walking. Talking, laughing, discussing everything and more, this bunch of crazies walked playfully. Shivering in the cold, I followed them first. Then, irritated at the slow walking, I began pacing fast. And faster. The way I usually walk. Like I was in a walk-a-thon. Walking under the sky, amidst the shrubbery, looking at the 18 to 40-year olds who had also gathered. To play, to walk. Who wakes up so early?

The early bird. The milkman. The driver. The working man and woman. The sun, for God's sake.

Certainly not me.

I liked walking with you today, Dawn. I hope to do more. But I am bad with promises. And as long as nothing's defined, it's still full of potential, innit? Pregnant with hope. So let's just keep it that way.

May be we will meet again. May be not.

Charm

It should be a crime to be so genial
And touch mountains high
It should be a crime to be so gentle
To shine as the bright blue sky.

You are a ray of warm sunshine
Gloomy days shy away from you
Burning so brightly,
You enchant all around you.

You smile and the world goes round
Your talk makes the rain sounds sweet
Your voice is like a string of pearls
Playfully creating their own harmony.

Now look what your charm did
Playfully nibbling away my thoughts
Been thinking of you all this while
And wrote a silly poem.

Don't lose your optimism ever
Don't ever lose your shine
You see, your light inspires millions
And you, my friend are pretty fine.

For You

Your face is a shining beacon of light Your smile, pure dewdrops of night Your cuteness makes my day Just for you, I wanna stay.

Storm, fire, or lightning I'd come to office everyday Oh I wish I could stay! You see, your face brightens my day.

Your smirk, your pranks Encouraging people to take a chance Brave you are, mischievous too. Inspiring minds, with just a glance.

And though you & I could never be No, not even if you were single. You make my days happy. And continue to positively enliven me.

So thank you, once and for all, For all that you are, and more.

Much Ado..

He's worn black today.

"Black makes him look hot."

"Compliment him".

"No, we fought. How dare he?"


"He's so hot".

"Tell him, tell him".

"His voice is lovely, isn't it? And when he wears his sunglasses and trots off strutting his stuff...."

"Tell him, tell him".

He comes, takes one look at her, and proceeds to his friends who are sitting next to her.

"Look at his physique."

"That body...."

"Tell him..."

"Tell him what?" She frustratingly asks.

"Tell him he's hot."

She proceeds towards him. He stares at her with his piercing eyes.

"You are hot tempered", she loudly opines.

"I'm sorry, what?" He comes close to her.

"Ye...ess.. you fight all the time!" She mumbles...a little loudly.

"Well you know what", he stammers, "that's my style". And walks off like the hero of a Tamil film. Background scores play inside his head but she can hear them. 

"Idiot.."

"Yes, he's such a..."

"Not him, you!"

"What? What did I do?"

"We are off. Hasta luego."

"Wait.. don't go. What if I have to talk to him again?"

But they did not reply. The voices in her head retreated. She would too if she could.

The Beauty & The Beast

23 December 2009

Tomorrow would be the best day of my life. It was going to be my Graduation Convocation. I was so happy. I also had to look my best. What with all the cameras clicking around, I could not afford to look dull. I had to be at my shining best! The thing about convocation is, even after 40 years of your life, people will still look at these photographs. 

Accordingly I went to the best parlor in town. Got a bunch of their most expensive facials, manicure and pedicure. Advised some other customers on the precariousness of using beauty parlor products and how they should stick to herbal products only. The assistants in the parlor gave me a look. 

“But I’m not doing business, I thought. I’m just advising lost souls about skincare- which is as elementary as hygiene.” 

With this in mind, I went on and on about skin care and how the customer should buy herbal products and not that chemical trash they feed your skin at the parlor. ‘I know, it works. And it will work for you too’. Followed by that perfect white smile that you see on fairness cream ads. Or Colgate. Whatever.

And finally my beauty sleep ended. The assistants were still looking at me as if they would roast me alive if possible. But they were relieved to let me go. So was I. As I proceeded to the counter with my tower high nose, I looked carelessly for the 500 rupee note lying at the corner of my purse. It eluded me. “Naughty girl,” I smiled to myself. “Now don’t play hide and seek with me, Mummy needs you”. I searched and searched but there was no 500 rupee note! Only a worn out 50 rupee note.

A cold drop of sweat passed down my forehead. Panic. Blackout. My immediate reaction was aggression.  What! Those cranky assistants stole my money to get back at me! There I went to the parlor manager (who had already heard about my illustrious expertise as the next Shahnaz Hussein) complaining to her that I could not find my money. I had kept it there, yes in her parlor, and now it was gone! She was calm as she told me that none of her employees were thieves and I could go check anywhere I wanted to. 

Ears burning hot, I went and searched inside but could not find anything. As if they would keep MY money here after stealing it!

I was intent on foul play. However my paranoia was not going to get me out of there. Think think. I went back up to the counter again.

“Here ma’am I’d also like to trim my hair. It should be perfect. I have a function tomorrow.”

The lady nonchalantly pointed me to the hair stylist who spent the next half an hour styling my hair. After I saw it, I raised a fuss. “Nah, I didn’t want it that way. What have you done? It’s ruined!”

The stylist took a look and said, “But it’s perfect!”

“This is perfect? From what angle is this perfect? I look like a rabbit with a lion’s mane. How am I going to show my face tomorrow?”

I looked intently at the mirror and then picked up a spot in my cheek, “Oh no… It’s red. What did you put in my skin?”

The assistant looked at my skin intently and said, “Where? I can’t see anything?”

“Of course you can’t. I can feel it. I am having skin irritation.”

At this, the counter lady (who was also the owner) hurriedly came up to me. She looked at my face intently and said, “Look ma’am, I can’t see anything, everything is perfectly alright.”

I glared at her. Other customers were coming in and to add an element of authenticity, I started shrieking loudly. “This, this is what you call world class parlor? My skin irritation is getting the better of me. I will never come here again! Never.”

The other customers were equally surprised and looked at each other. The counter lady went to tackle them. I looked at them and said, “See what they did to my face. I’d run if I were you.”

The lady then came up to me and said, “Ma’am what is the problem?”

“Problem, problem you ask me? Tomorrow’s the biggest day of my life and you spoilt it all! Why will I pay thousands of rupees if I don’t get value for money? On top of that, you people have harmed my skin!”

“Ma’am, listen to us..”

“No you listen to me. I am never coming back again. I am horrified. God knows what your assistants will do to my face if I stay here any longer. Thank you so much for your time. And thanks for wasting my time. Have a good night.” 

With this I stormed out of the parlor, heaved a sigh of relief and promised myself to triple check my purse from now on. Even now when I go to a parlor, I pay the money in advance. That was an embarrassing moment that I’ll never forget. But as it is, good sense can rescue you from any situation!

Another Boring Post..Gee so Gay!

I don't love you
I don't like you
I don't care about you

I don't already miss you

I don't write about you

I don't secretly cry for you

I don't....I don't.

You think too much. People tell me all the time. Paranoia coupled with insecurity. Mistrust. A friend is leaving. She is self-obsessed and stupid. She thinks she has a bad temper. I think she can be stupidly passionate and is nothing like the way she projects herself to be. She believes in this projection. I also think she is a darling. I think she is a good tempered kid. That's because I have a bad temper. I want my close ones to stay with me when I am having a bad time (which is literally most of the time now) and when they don't (because I am a loner), I blame, cry, screech, shriek, throw my limbs up and down and point out how bad they are. 


Anyway, this can be the subject of research among psychology professionals. But enough of me. This 'friend', this girl I am talking about, I don't think she considers me as her friend. She is like a Barbie with her own set of flying angels covering all around her; she can go on and on for hours talking about how nice her friends are. I am not jealous.


No seriously, I'm not. I have considered at least thrice in my life to severe all ties with her. And I did. But every time, she comes around with a sunny face and starts anew. I have told her that every time you cannot have a new beginning. Yet she refuses to give up. Her optimism, her willingness to try, compels me to look past the negative experiences. It's like she calls me back every time I leave. No one has ever done that before for me.


'Sugar and spice and everything nice', I am suddenly reminded of this rhyme.


I experience emotions in extreme. Either I love someone or despise someone. If I am indifferent to someone, then I don't care about that person at all. This, despite of my peaceful demeanor. May be, expecting her to always comply is wrong. But I am incredibly possessive of my friends. I once told a friend that I did not care how many girlfriends he has, I wanted my share of time to be given to me! He understood. She does too. But somewhere I feel, I don't have any right to even feel that way about her.

She herself has told me about her priorities in friendship, with other people scoring top level positions. Huh. I was always the top scorer in school and college. Therefore, it becomes a competition. And I don't like losing. Scoring in studies is easier. Scoring in life is more difficult. Therefore I retract, carefully, steadily, pretending I have better things to do. Inside however I am dying. Because when I like someone, I want that person to myself. And I want that person to like me as well. 


And also because I don't like losing. Losing, as if it were, is a sin. Ironic, coz I lecture this friend all the time, how everything in life is not about winning or losing. Other things are pretty important too. 


Where was I? Oh yes, so she's leaving. For higher studies. And one evening, she harmlessly changed her FB profile pic, I looked at her face and wrote a poem. Another time, I read a post on her blog, out of which one line she had spared to saying that she would probably never see her home again. Byas, I began to cry. Faced with emotional anguish at times like these, I did what I do best- ran away. 


From her, from the pain. So I had forgotten everything. Found out a thousand faults with her (and trust me, I did not have to work very hard for it). And became busy with my life, as if I don't have anything better to do! As if she is the busiest person in the world! Miss Popular. With her entourage of fans. Bloody Show Off. As if I care!


Miss Happy-Go-Lucky called me on my birthday and began crying about something regarding her boyfriend. Like the generous and kind-giving listener, I tried to hear her patiently. As the Knight in Shining Armour for the Damsel in Distress! Gee, that's so gay! She hates being called the damsel in distress, so I might as well call her that. Damsel in Distress, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Barbie Doll! Hmph. Latest: Paris Hilton! Serves her right. 


Six months again, we hardly talked, mostly did on chat and sometimes on SMS, but now that she's leaving for higher studies, she had this brilliant idea of meeting all her friends before she left, from kindergarten to barely known acquaintances (all are her 'friends' according to her).Queen Elizabeth is signing her name on people's hearts! Hmph. So me, who was cursing her all this while and told her that she wouldn't meet her, had to meet her. 


Well, of course she didn't gag me, but I had to meet her. How could I say no to her? I never could. Plus I kinda like it when she tolerates my temper tantrums and even after that repeatedly keeps on coaxing me. Woah, some patience that kid has!


Which brings me back to my first point. She is an extremely talented kid. And a good tempered one. She has the ability to look past errors with a new optimism. I don't believe in hero worship as some of her friends do! I can't go on and on about how exceedingly charming her boyfriends are/were. Goodness, if anything I hate them. And I hate anyone and everyone who has ever mattered more to her than me. And I hate that place and institution where she's going because it is taking her away from me. 


In a desperate attempt, I told her, "Don't go...". She thought I was asking her not to leave for home. But I replied, "No..don't go..to Noida.." She just rounded up her already big round eyes and looked at me. True, that's like the stupidest thing  I have ever said to anybody. ( And I have done some pretty stupid things, specially regarding guys I have liked. To one guy I gave him several reasons not to like me, and to another, I recommended other girls he would look good with!) 


As if I wouldn't have gone! As if I would think for a second time when it came to ambition versus emotion. As a matter of fact, I have always urged her to come out of her comfort zone, and see the world, struggle, get a taste of real life. And now when she's going, somewhere, I find even tears futile. I try to cry because that way the pent up anguish would come out. But something chokes my throat. The water in my eyes dry up. 


Nobody is indispensable in my life, I proudly say. And it is true. This too shall pass, I shall be alone once more. And this post is just so gay. Eeks! I have better taste. But if I can spend post after post hallucinating about guys who don't even deserve to be anywhere near my blog, then hers is a place well deserved. 


She has been a kind and gentle loving soul, a caring 'friend'; she has been there in times when I needed her most. Yes, she has her moments of indifference and she can also be cruel, but she can also be extremely giving, understanding. What I like most about her? Her 'mothering' me. Her ability to look past my ego, my seriousness, see the softness and treat me like a kid. And her putting away all ego when she's dealing with an egoistic me. Goodness, now this is just all too twisted. I better stop.

Good Night and Good Luck. 

The Andalusian Dog

I wait for the teacher in the empty class. It is air-conditioned. Oh, no. Cut. Scene change. There is one more character in the room. A guy with his laptop who eyes me now and then. I see him, sigh and sit down next to him. He has a laptop. He starts to play cheesy Bangla "romantic" songs or something to that effect. Something in my head screams, "MORON". I don't let his laptop finish the first line of the song, barely wait to hear which language it is in. I drop my bag abruptly and leave the room. Outside it is hotter. 


I move towards the open window at the end of the corridor. It has a neat bench and lots of fresh air. Cool breeze comes rushing in every three seconds. I look towards the staffroom. Another sigh, this time a deeper one. Wish he was here. So gentlemanly. He looks at me, I look at him. He even switched on the AC for me last time. He is so brilliant, so...what do you call it, "avant-garde"! I ask ma'am whether she is going to take class. She says, "Yes, Definitely. But let others come." Tough luck. 


I message one of my classmates saying it is times like these when I miss her the most. Critical times. Meanwhile the laptop guy (I have a terrible desire to call him "MORON" for the rest of the story but I will control myself), comes out with his phone pretending to speak as if on the phone with someone, just so he could come and look if I am still there. 


For the second (or third?) time, my brain screams, MORON! Try something new. So then thankfully, our teacher arrives and she saves me from further torture. Or so I thought. He and I are the only ones attending the class today. So he asks me how many classes have gone by, and I am quick to answer, "I don't know." Small Talk. 


" Have there been more than 15 classes?" He continues. 
"Yes, I think so". 
"This is her first class?" He points to the teacher. 
"No, second." I say quietly. Pointless question because she was just talking about what she taught in the first class the day before.


And then my teacher looks for help to me as she goes on teaching new things about video, film and digital media. I put in an occasional helpful nod but hardly say anything, coz let's face it, I was sleeping in the first class. And how was I to know that nobody from last class would be here? Where is he? Mr. Chatterjee? He always knew the right things to say. He is such an amazing teacher. He's so quirky, so eccentric. Sighing I sadly update my FB status, but even that's difficult when there's only two of you and the teacher is looking right at you. And yes, someone else too. 


And then comes the icing on the cake. We are shown a surrealist film. Now those of you who are remotely acquainted with surrealism know that it is a magnificent and inexplicable thing. So I won't even try to explain it. The magnificence of this inexplicable "ism" is surplussed in Surrealist movies. I had seen one such movie earlier and the class was then taken by the man who I now miss so ardently. The movie gave me a shock, and I remember feeling dizzy for the next twelve hours. This time we were shown a less sexually explicit movie. 


For those of you who want to know, an important part of surrealism was to deal with sexual repression as enshrined in Catholicism. The interpretation of dreams excited them. So what you basically have in these 1930s silent films is the release of sexual desires by means of dreams. Since the whole movie is a dream sequence, so anything can happen, anywhere. No logic of time or continuity is followed. So here we are shown this movie by artist Salvador Dalí and filmmaker Luis Buñuel called Un Chien Andalou or The Andalusian Dog. 


This was a famous sixteen minute movie which is till date considered a testament of Surrealism in Europe. The artist paints his pictures through moving images. So anyway, I never got Surrealist films. And this one had an elaborate scene where the man who is dreaming continuously holds on to the woman's bosom. She refuses, then closes her eyes, then threatens to hit him with a stick. Quite frankly, the characters moved like cartoons and I found it so funny, I wanted to laugh out loud. But all I could manage was a little smirk. And it was killing me.


The pain of not being able to laugh because some stupid guy is sitting next to me eyeing me. I don't like anybody staring at me. It is embarrassing. If I like that person, I would look away even if he was staring at me. And if I don't like that person, I'd do the same. So yeah, there's no way of knowing.So anyway, the torture ended for the class ended soon enough. And as soon as it did, I bumped my notebook and pen in my bag and ran off from the class. Halfway out of the department, I realized I had forgotten my handkerchief in class. It was a judgment call.


Hanky important or Guy, I wondered. You will leave your faithful comrade Hanky in some unclaimed classroom because you want to run away from a stupid guy? Be brave.All decided under 30 seconds. It's not much to think about, but then I think about almost everything under the sun. Even the sun. Sometimes I feel I am a big thinktank, a tank full of thought. So I take a long jump back to class, snatch my hanky and make a run for the door again. The guy is still there. He catches up with me just as I am about to put on my shoes. 


He is running so fast he almost bumps into me. "Sorry". He says looking down, searching for his shoes. I don't care to mutter a reply or even look at him. Hardly putting my feet in the sandals, I make a run for the stairs. 3 floors of stairs. I sprint down the stairs, two at a time, like Jet Lee in some Kung Fu movie. He catches up with me as if Michael Johnson.


"Hey you study in this college, na?" 


Small Talk. I hate small talk.


"Yeah", I reply continuing my flexible stair sprinting skills. Jet Lee, how I admire thee!


"Which Department?" He tries to keep up with me. My feet hurt. He's smiling.

"Comparative Literature", I mutter. I don't like being rude. I also don't like being chased down a building. Yet here I am.

And then it comes. "Will you give me your number?" Think think. He's your classmate. Quite natural for him to ask for your number. What to do.

"Why?" The word comes out of my mouth surprising both me and him. 


"Well, I would get to know when classes will happen. I don't know na, that's why." Moron. The course is about to end and you don't know timings! What an excuse!


Quietly I say, "Course will end next week. Next class is last class."


"How do you know? They said they could extend the course till May."

"We were told."


"How do you know? Did you ask them?"

Now when confronted with individuals with less IQ, I stop and explain them things with minute detailing. "Gifted" people need to be explained things. And I would have even in this case, if not....


"Sir came. He talked to us. He said this month we will have the last class. No extension."

"Actually, I am here only for this month. After that, I will leave. In May."

Wtf! Am I supposed to shed tears for you now, MORON? 


Obviously he was very hurt by my "coldness" or "indifference" or I don't know what, but he went away. I stopped for a while. Checked my mobile. Pretended to read an important message. And then resumed walking. Ouch, my feet hurt.

And I thought, "Was I rude to him? Was it bad manners? Poor guy. Did I hurt him?"


And then my devilish side kicked the angel inside me to an unconscious state and I happily went for my bus. :) 

Appreciation

Standing over six feet tall

Your eyes two specks

Your childish manner

Your sweet gaze

The way you always helped people

Your soothing voice

When you ran around teasing people

And brightened their days.

I steered clear of you

Your height was scary

I had never appreciated taller guys

But I appreciated you.

The time when you talked to me

When others were busy making fun

The time when you took the fall

For a mischief of another one

A courageous interior

Hid behind a soft smiling exterior

A will to help

A passion to flirt

Girls and affairs

Those critics

All that has changed now, huh?

I hear you have become serious

And smart. And studious

And aloof from "friends".

I wonder what that means

Was it the school?

The teachers, the "friends"?

But I don't know, I never knew

I'm just a silent observer

Standing at a distance

Appreciating you.

Puchka

The name is Puchka, just Puchka.... Those of you who have had the pleasure of knowing me, know the extent of my popularity. And those who don't, well get to know me. ;)

I'm the hottie your Mom warned you about but we both know you never listened to her anyway. ;)

I am greater than the God- Rajnikanth himself! Now what does that say about me?

Bite into my deliciously warm soft crust. Hear the light crisp sound. Let it stay in your mouth. Now chew it. A tasty site. Now bite again. This time a little bit into my spicy potato filling along with the top crust. The first taste of spicy potato tingles your tongue. A bit of apprehension, a bit of anticipation. But as it melts into your mouth, you feel the lemony sourness, the hot chilliness and the spicy mixture also containing coriander and chick peas. Close your eyes. Allow the taste to linger. You become comfortable in the ecstasy of the multi-layered tastes that explore your taste buds. If this is your first time, don't fight it. Don't be afraid. Let it explore you. And you in turn savor the delicious soft thickness of the potato mixing with the crispy crust. Let the pleasure hold, for as long as you can...

With me, every time is a first time. Don't be shy. ;)

The third time you bite into me, take the remaining morsel in your mouth. There's something about gulping me down at one go. This goes specially well if you take me with tamarind water. The tangy tamarind water mixes with the cheerful potato filling and the austere crispy crust to provide a taste unparalleled in the world. Together we will be too much for you.Even if you are the most daring person in the world, you won't be able to hold me down much longer. 

Dare to?

Try me. ;)

She Be The One (I)

They met. They talked. He was witty and smart. She was simple, lovable. They chatted for hours.

And they fell in love?

Naah...They hated each other.

What?

Enrique: Hey Trish, how r u?

Trisha: I'm fine, Enrique. How are u?

Enrique: am grt! so have u spoiled any1 else's brand new shirt yet? :D

Trisha: What? I told you Enrique, that was JUST ONE TIME. 

Enrique: sure.. sure. so have u sneezed on any1 else 2day?

Trisha: That's it. I'm going.

Nightcrawler: Hey Trisha, 'ssup?

Trisha: Everything was fine NC until I came here!

Nightcrawler: Eh..

                     Lemme read. 

                     Oh..Haha. Hey Enrique stop bothering this nice girl here.

Enrique: not my fault, nc..she cracks me up! :D

Nightcrawler: *controls laugh* Nah..apologize.

Enrique: okay..sowyy trisha *makes puppy eyes*

Trisha: Oh..Okay.

Enrique: Sure? *persistent puppy eyes*

Trisha: Yeah..It's fine. :)

Enrique: good..coz I was beginning to think that you would unleash your phlegmatic powers on me! :D :D
Trisha: !!!!! ?????
          x(
Enrique: :D 
Trisha: :X
           Ok that's it. I'm out of here.
Enrique: *persistent puppy eyes*
Trisha: @$$^&*!


Trisha has logged off.


Enrique: :( 
Nightcrawler: :P u are lucky she was not in front of u. Or else u'd be in trble!
Enrique: Haha.. she's a sweet kid.
Nightcralwer: So she sneezed on somebody?
Enrique: On her Boss. During a Presentation. :D
Nightcrawler: :O omg!
Enrique: She was nervous.


A few days later.


Enrique: Hey nc.
Nightcrawler: Hey Enrique, 'ssup?
Enrique: nuthn' much..bored.
Nightcrawler: aww..I know why. :P
Enrique: huh..why
Nightcrawler: She's not here. :P
Enrique: who?
Nightcrawler: u know, your girl...
Enrique: Which one? :P
Nightcrawler: You know, the one from India...
Enrique: :/
Nightcrawler: So you attending the international chat forum meet next month?
Enrique: eh...dunno. 
Nightcrawler: u know, she might be there... ;)
Enrique: who again?
Nightcrawler: oh..c'mon..you know who.....
Enrique: well, am a bit busy. have to do a lot of work. let's c

Nightcrawler has logged off.


Enrique: oh shoot... at least tell me where the meeting is taking place.!


Next month. Spain. Madrid.


The Hotel Villa de Vincci was one of the most renowned hotels of the city. The registered members of the International Chat Forum were to meet at a special event tonight. The ICF had thought this would be a great idea for the members to interact one on one; some of them had known each other for over a year. The members were supposed to wear a tag of their nick so that the others could identify them.


Trisha aka Akangsha had come to Madrid for the first time, exclusively to attend the seminar. Just the seminar? Well we don't know yet. At least that's what she said to her conservative parents before flying off solo to Madrid. Her uncle stayed there so her parents had to agree reluctantly. Akangsha knew however that without her uncle, her parents would have never agreed.


"So exactly where is this meet?" Her uncle had asked her when she arrived.


"It's just near Puerta Del Sol... you know there is a monument and a statue....it's walking distance to the old Post Office..." she mumbled.


"Honey..no use throwing these names to me, I have been here for ten years. I'm not leaving you alone in an unknown city. After all, you are my responsibility now. What will didi- jijaji think? I will ask the driver to drop you. And he will be present to pick you up when you are done." He was firm.


Trisha sighed. And here she thought she would get the chance to roam an unknown city alone. What an adventure it would have been! :(


Elsewhere in the city.


A dark small one bedroomed flat. An alarm clock rang heavily.


A long hand lazily came out of the blanket and thumped the clock shut. It picked up the clock and pulled it under the blanket.


"Oh shit I'm late!" A cry of disbelief came as the blanket was thrown away. A half naked figure crept up. He was tall, fair, had hazel eyes and dark curly hair. "I don't wanna be late..may be she'll be there.." 


Enrique aka Aaron was a late riser, an even late sleeper but brilliant in making computer games. He composed himself. What? No no. He was going for the thrill. Right?


He looked at the mirror opposite his bed. Sleepy eyes stared back at him.


He got up and proceeded to be ready. Tonight he had to look his best.

                                                                                                           (to be continued)

Valentine's Day

Like a gift from the heavens, it was easy to tell

It was love from above that could save me from hell

She had fire in her soul it was easy to see

How the devil himself could be pulled out of me

There were drums in the air as she started to dance

Every soul in the room keeping time with their hands

And we sang...

She pulled him closer. 

"You are mad, it's late, we should get going," he said.

She laughed. Her smile, the ever beautiful smile that made him wonder with amazement.

"It's Valentine's Day, silly. Let's dance." She spoke with a childlike feverish excitement. The twinkle in her eyes was contagious.

He was pulled out of his amazement when she pulled his hand towards the middle of the road. He resisted. "I know you are crazy but seriously, now? In the middle of the road? At this time of night?"

"YES....Now means NOW!" She pulled him to the middle of the road. 

"But..But I don't know how to dance..." He protested meekly.

"I will teach you", she winked. Again that naughty smile, the kind that made his heart stop.

It was late in the evening. The road was deserted. It was dark. The dimness of the streetlights, the soft breeze, the rustling leaves steered his passion. She looked at him, her eyes laughing. And suddenly, there was music, as if by magic...

She took his hand and put it on her waist. Their other hands joined in unison. Her eyes sparked fire. His were full of longing. They looked at each other, as they had never before. She turned. Her hair lightly brushed over his face. Their fragrance made his passion more intense. With a firm grasp, he pulled her back. She smiled, that same innocent smile. His eyes were fierce now. With a hand behind her waist, he let her go. She fell back lightly, rose again and looked into his eyes. They radiated heat. Her smile vanished. She stared at those deep hazel eyes welled with passion. And suddenly she felt vulnerable. Overcome with the intensity of his eyes, his firm touch, she felt weak. As if something deep, something dormant was stirring inside her and she did not know what to do. He smiled. She tried to pull away from him but he wouldn't let go. With a strong grasp of the hand, he pulled up her leg. As she stared deep into those eyes, his fingers ran smoothly lightly kissing her soft down. With a terrified jerk, she pulled her leg back and turned back. She was walking away but he softly touched her delicate shoulders, but even his palms were radiating heat. She felt powerless. Her eyes closed. He went right behind her and planted a kiss on her neck. Holding her waist, he quietly took in her warmth. She stood, feeling his aura. Their eyes closed..

In the night sky above, the stars danced with wild flickering lights.

Like a piece to the puzzle that falls into place

You could tell how we felt from the look on our faces

We were spinning in circles with the moon in our eyes

The room left them moving between you and I

We forgot where we were and we lost track of time

And we sang to the wind as we danced through the night

The Last Kiss

     

It was the onset of my last semester exam. I had just returned from a trip to the mountains. A friend studying in film school messaged me saying that she wanted me to play the lead in her next film. Ami Toh Sunei Attohara ('Listening to this I was overjoyed'). I held my breath steadily for the rest of the exam. What fun! Me acting in a movie! Wow..That had been a dream, since like a decade! I have always wanted to direct movies. The creative potential of the director always intrigued me. It also occurred to me that if I could not be the director, then at least I could be an actor, as then I would be able to actually act it out...So I waited. With patience. 

I asked my friend twice about the script and she said she would work on it as soon as she was finished with the heavier stuff. So I waited. With Bated Breath. After that, the time came. My friend met me one day to narrate to me the script of the movie. I listened quietly. The role was so intense that I could not say anything immediately. Just my kind of role; the kind I would love to do. And thus began our work.

We sat with the script one day. Another evening, I spent around 2 hours in the university acting out my role and discussing with her. One Saturday several still shots were taken. Further discussion was made with my co star. And shooting began from Monday. It was scheduled to happen for only two days, that is, Monday and Tuesday (Jan 10 and 11, 2011). Call Time was 6 am. :D Big Laugh. For any of the ones who know me, this is a big joke! I CANNOT ever get up early in the morning. 


As a matter of fact I am always late for my morning classes! My friend, the director knew this very well. So she chose to call me at 5:20 am! I opened my eyes, saw the phone ringing and strove to pick it up. But the ringing had stopped. And I chose to concentrate on the next best thing- trying to wake my mother up with whatever little sense I had so that she would in turn wake me up properly! (Yes I can be a very spoilt child st times. :|)

My Director called me up 20 times after that. I did not pick up the phone. Mostly coz of the fact that I was busy getting ready for the shoot and partly because I was scared she would shout at me. I said I would be at the shooting spot by 7:30 am. I was only 15 minutes late, which is acceptable by me. My Director knowing me inside out told me very directly, "Call Time is at 6 am. When will you be able to come?" I almost burst out laughing. So anyways I went on the shooting spot and soon I discovered that I was being treated like a star...It was amazing. 

Here I was sitting in the sun giving some expressions and there were bright young people with camera, sound and a bunch of other technical stuff who were doing a whole lot of physical and mental labor and I was the Star! I also discovered that even if there are two scenes in a movie, all those scenes have at least 50 shots which makes it all the more painstaking. I might be doing the same action over and over again but they take it from at least 5 different camera angles. Combine this with the sound systems and the technical snags that happen and film making is one hell of a project! I vowed that I will not act in movies ever after this project! Needless to say though, it was tremendous fun. Got to know a lot, see a lot.


The first day came to a halt. Ah finally. Sweet Bliss. I asked my Director friend when will it GET OVER? She smiled. She knew that one day of shooting was enough for me. 


The Second Day.


We prepared for a tough shoot. The final shots of the climactic scene had to be shot today. This was shot in the highest point of the college building. The Roof. It might sound very simple but it was not. We had to climb the stairs to a terrace of the main building. From their we took spiral steps only to come to a roof on an even elevated level. To reach that roof, one had to traverse through a couple of narrow cemented steps that did not have any railing. getting up was fine; it was coming down that made my heart skip a beat. Literally. So from that roof we had to go round till we came to a ladder- well not really ladder as it had a strong iron railing to go get up to the roof where the finale was shot. 

The roof was similar to the one in 3 Idiots, though the shots and frame are different in this movie. The director lost her cool and so did I during this part of the shooting. The only two people keeping their cool were my co-star and our cinematographer. My esteemed director became frustrated and threw away her notes and shot synopsis. The crew was scared to death of her. The rest of the shots progressed as they should, lots of edgy interactions between me and my friend. By the end of the shoot, I was extremely irritated and she was completely exhausted. And thus ended our extremely eventful shoot. :P 


Waiting to see the Final Print Out. 

Touch- The Second Coming

All was forgiven and forgotten. Now as he stood near her with loving gaze, she realized how much she had loved him, missed him. The room was dark. Scattered rays of sun came through the only window in the room. She was standing next to it. He was standing behind her. Suddenly he touched her hand. She shivered. His contact with her. The first time. She closed her eyes. He was with her. She could feel his smile on her face. His sweet smile. The one that had made her heart go awry. She could feel him closer. His breath fell heavily on her neck. The soft neck. Slowly she felt a kiss on the neck. A soft kiss. She trembled. She couldn't believe he was kissing her. All that time, the first time, when he had hurt her, rejected her love, all was gone. He was with her now. Forever. She smiled.

She took his hand and kissed. She didn't want him to leave. Ever. She opened her eyes, looked at his hand, kissed it again. He slowly turned her towards him. She looked up at him. He was smiling."I..I can't believe you are back."

"Back..When did I leave?" He spoke in his honey sweet voice.

"I mean..you..you hated me. I can't believe that you are with me..now." She mumbled. Expressing herself had always been difficult.

"Shhh.." He pulled her closer to him. "I never hated you. But yes, I do think you are stubborn, crazy and basically..just plain weird." He gave her a naughty wink.

"Oh really?" Now the twinkle was in her eyes. "So what are you doing with me, Mr. Smartass? "

"Actually I did not want you to go any crazier than you already are.." There was that smile again, spreading to his dreamy eyes. The eyes that made her heart jump. The eyes that she couldn't take her gaze off.

Once she had kept on looking at them even though she was aware that he had noticed. It was a gathering, they were playing a game. And in the midst of all the crowd, she had simply kept on staring at his eyes. Those kind eyes. It had taken a harmless question on his part to make her stare away. They were playing Antakshari, a game where the opposite team had to sing with the last vowel of the song by the team.

They were in opposite teams. And throughout a particular song, she had kept on staring at him. All were singing. He had noticed her, but she kept on gazing at him. So when the song ended, he asked her what vowel should they sing with, just to check whether she was intently playing the game or lost somewhere. She being ever vigilant, quickly replied.

All that time he had defended her against a minor taunting question by a classmate echoed through her. She couldn't believe he really was with her. She had forgotten about him. Especially after she had seen him with that friend. She had run out of the college crying. That girl had taunted her so many times. But now...he was with her? Enough. She didn't want to remember the past. It was too hurting, too scary. What mattered was the present. And he.

He pulled her closer to himself. He was warm. She grasped him tightly. Her nails pierced his shirt. He winced.

"Goodness you are wild", he said naughtily.

"Oh sorry." She pulled away embarrassed.

"And yes..stop apologizing all the time." He said with a twinkle in his eye and pulled her closer to himself again.

She looked at him with big brown eyes. He was optimistic. He always helped people even if they were not his close friends. His kindness, his sensitivity had attracted her and she had respected him. Till that day. That day which had sent her running and crying off. Since that incident she had tried hard to forget him. And she had. Until now. Until this day when he held her in his warm comforting embrace.

He looked at her longingly. Then he slowly bent his face down, his lips coming closer to hers...

And then all was dark.

"Wake up!!" The sound of her mother's shrill voice broke her dream. "Don't you have class today?"

"Huh?" Her vision was still clouded by his eyes, his whole being, his check shirt, his warm embrace. "Uh...no...No. I won't go to class today." Have to write something, she thought; a smile spread across her lips. And she went back to her dreams.

The First Part: http://sojournoflife.blogspot.com/2010/09/touch.html