The art of living- Part I

Prologue:

                         I don't have the slightest idea on how a story should be. Every time I sit down to write one, I have only one word in my mind. Entertain !!! Often when we read a story, we try to connect ourselves with the characters; we laugh, we weep and smile when they crack an old joke. In these lines, I have a story. For the first time, I have tried something. A story of two men in contrasting shades. This can be a modern version of good and evil. A honest story on the lives of two men, who have a regular share of karma. The tale unfolds between their past and present, with the fate deciding their destiny. Fate has been given a identity to do the entire narration. Hope you enjoy Mr.Fate's tale. Thanks for reading my stories.

Mr. Fate’s call:

It was that time of the year, when the heat was unbearable during days and the nights were laden with humidity. In the midst of the concrete jungle, thanks to the innumerous trees that were felled, there lay a city, whose boundaries grew every day. Just like an ink on the blotting paper, the city engulfed every district or town under its belly. The capital of Tamil Nadu, Chennai was vibrant with life dribbling out of every street and its recess. The emotion of ‘Madras’ seemed to be long forgotten in the wake of multinational morons. When one emotion gets subdued, we have several uprising on the front. As a mute spectator to these sociopathic activities, I narrate a story about two men, Mathew and Kumar, who are about to face other in a dire situation.

            I’m no good in crafting a story, but I do have a control over things that unfold before me. I’m neither a magician nor a prophet to do the invincible, but I’m someone who sees the reality and acts accordingly. They fear me more than God and blame me for all the debacles and catastrophes. Ironically, they believe me more than they believed in themselves and they call me ’fate’. Mr.Fate like a king in an amphitheatre, has the joy of watching these men fight for their breath. It sounds sadistic, but still, I would take that. The story will unfold from my vision, to be taken over by these gentlemen’s version. So this story will have three different shades. Shades of blood,brutality and bliss.

            The stinking smell from the overflowing garbage and the sound of crickets were filling the street. The lonely lamppost with a halogen lamp flickered every now and then, to produce the luminescence. A dog limped towards the garbage trash, to look for the leftovers in the scattered plantain leaves. Not far from the trash, Kumar squatted in the corner, with a bicycle resting on the road. He had a dark skin and lean physique. With a half smoken beedi held between his fingers, he gazed down to plan his modus operandi. The lungi cloaked a rusty metal close to his waist. The knife had patches of rust covering its surface, cloaking its shine. His fingers ran over the tip of the blade marveling its shape, meanwhile his eyes darted around the corner of the street.

            Kumar sprang up and made a small walk across the road. His foot kicked the crushed coke can, sending it right across the doorstep of a shop. The shutter was down, but still one could see the numerous wall clocks mounted inside the shop. The shop belonged to 'Mr.Khader', who ran this business for more than 25 years. Kumar could hear the slight click sound of the numerous clocks inside. The roaring sound of the matador milk van alerted him. In few moments time, his man would arrive and there will be no turning back for him. Despite the early morning breeze, Kumar was sweating. Anxiously, he started to walk towards his original spot, that was when he noticed a bulky figure at the far end of the street. He jumped on to the cycle and began riding towards the lonely figure.

             The bicycle squeaked through the early hours and passed the figure. The figure was middle aged man, with a pot belly sticking in front of him. A black muffler was woven around his neck with wrinkles of flesh sagging at the sides. His feet made tiny movements to compensate for his bulkiness, heaving a sigh every now and then. Kumar eyed him like a hawk and made a U turn to follow the bulky figure. The bicycle went past him and stopped a few meters in front of him. With no haste, the bulky figure moved noiselessly, except for his heavy breath. He stopped for a moment and sat down at the raised platform. His knees arched like a bow and raised his head to watch the crescent of the moon. Meanwhile, Kumar dropped the cycle down to make a small jog towards his target, Viswanathan, the ex-councilor who seemed to be enjoying the silvery moon.

Mathew, the motherfucker:

           Sub Inspector Mathew parked his two wheeler close to a tea stall. He looked tired and he know that he was in the final leg of his long night shift. All he wanted was a cup of black tea, to keep his wariness away. He does all the pending paper work in station; sorting out the pending case files based on the severity of the crime. Murders, man missing, rapists etc. Most nights he failed to dream and lived his life with a bunch of criminals and mobsters.  When fatigue hits him hard, he finds solace in the empty lockups. He would lie on the concrete bed made for the accused and in a moment’s time, his snoring will reverberate within the walls.

           Tonight, he didn’t have much paper work and he decided to grab a tea. But his thoughts seemed to be swirling around his daughter, Blesse, who was not well. She is not a regular child, she needs special attention. She was mentally challenged, with very little expression to communicate her needs. This evening, Blesse was experiencing stomach infection with her bowels going watery. Last night, Mathew realized that she had relieved herself in the bed. He saw Blesse crying with her hands trying to hug his dad. He was torn between his love for her and the never ending chores that lay for him.Despite all these, he still wanted this job to support his daughter, the lonely companion. After a failed marriage, solace was something that was deprived of him.

The tea stall was brightly lit, with a melody escaping from the FM radio, that hung on the ceiling. A large portrait of God Ganesha, Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswathi welcomed him, with the smell of incense sticks hitting his nostrils. Narasimhan looked small on the stool directly below the portrait. He mustered a smile, to reveal the gutka stained teeth.

“Black tea, thambi!!!”

“Sir! You are early tonight. Did you change your shift?” asked Narasimhan.

“If I don’t have the tea now, I can’t keep my eyelids open for the next two hours. My health is deteriorating, I’m not sure how long I can take night shifts” snorted Mathew

A boy not more than 14yrs, brought the tea for Mathew. The hot tea felt soothing and refreshing.

“Sir, Can’t you find another shift??” smiled Narasimhan.

“I can, but the Inspector is not happy with me and he is chewing my balls. Son of a bitch !!! At times, I envy you guys. You don’t have to worry about rapists and spend time in mortuaries”, chuckled Mathew.

“Haha!!! We have other shits to take care, Sir!” Narasimhan said with an alarm.

Mathew nodded his head in agreement and pushed himself up. He left the shop, waving his hand and doing a cheeky smile to Narasimhan for the freebies.

"Motherfucker!!! Wish I could place a gun at this guy's mouth and push my trigger. Can't he pay for his tea??" growled Narasimhan and he began to count the cash.

        Few minutes later, Mathew's pulsar cruised along Vincent road and made a right turn to enter Crescent colony. The area was dotted with housing units like a deck of cards, with patches of paint and mold gloving it. Mathew was not far from a nightmare that he had been dreading so far. He is about to witness the murder of ex Councillor-Viswanath. I'll be there to watch these two battling out, exchanging blows on each other to see the light of the day. Soon, I will be rolling the dice to decide on their lives and that's why they call me Mr.Fate.    

Kumar's Swarna

           Some say that I run like hell, but it's my strides that are long and I can cover meters in few seconds. Every morning when I wake up, I know that I'm alive for one more kill. It's not that I have got a craving for murder or blood, but it's something that I don't falter much. I was 17, when I  first slit the throat of a woman. That was my first kill. Rivulets of blood came trickling down her heavy bosom. The next minute, I had my guts out, puking on the floor close to her. Only then, I realized not to have a meal before my kill. All my subsequent murders were a walk in a park, just like the tiny feather that can float effortlessly in a breeze. Now you see me jogging towards my target, with a knife in my hand. I'm here for my next kill.

           I'm yet to see the day, perhaps, I may not see it too. This could be my last kill, and I could feel the chill down my spine. Fear is something, that shadowed me all my life. Now, I fear because, I might not get a chance to meet Swarna. The voluptuous body that can make any man go begging. Before I tend to reach my target, I would like to revive my memories, from the very first day in Chennai, working in Madras cafe.

People always called me 'the tea master', but my boss used to yell at me, "Kumar!! you fucker, son of thousand fathers!!!".

            My day starts with preparing dough for the samosas. With 2 kilograms of flour, preparing dough is not an easy task. Every time, I tend to roll the dough, a sharp pain jolts in my elbows and joints. Dough preparation was always the toughest battle and it hurts like hell. Frying the samosas, especially during summer, can be demanding. With the temperatures soaring in 40's, I need to spend hours frying samosas and making tea for the crowd. We are located close to Murugan theatre and I need to make 150 samosas for them, on top of my regular share of customers. My days were brimming with the nauseating smell of burning oil, tea dust and my boss's regular call,

"Kumar !! Kumar, you fucker!! get up you asshole, prepare the dough"

              I never knew that my life will be taking a roller coaster ride, until that moment. The moment, I looked into Swarna's eyes. It was a Sunday, the only day I get to leave early. I was swinging myself out in an electric train bound towards Arakonam. the afternoon was overcast, with clouds threatening to relieve themselves. With very few passengers in the train, I was able to see her in a corner. She tried to conceal her face in her sari but I had a glance of her swollen lip. The thundering sound of the clouds broke my stare. Drops of rain from the window frames were falling on her and she was unperturbed by it. She knew that, I was watching her and she began to walk towards me. With the train jiggling around, she made her way, swinging herself sideways to sneak between the passengers to stand beside me.

              Her face was caked with talcum powder and a red bindi bridging her brows.

"I'm getting down at Avadi"' whispered Swarna, with her head stooped down. 

I wasn't sure if she was talking to me.

"What??? Are you talking to me??? She gave me a look that had a million words that were telling me, "yes!! I'm talking to you, asshole"

Meanwhile, the commuter came to a halt at Avadi and she got down. With my mind still battling, I followed her. She took me down the main street, adjacent to the station's over-bridge. Like a dog following his master, I was trailing her, down the alley. It was marked with shops like a fallen dominoes, with hardly enough room between them. Globules of yellow light were hanging in front, to make light in the dark dungeon. Swarna pushed herself forward towards a narrow corridor, where the walls were stacked with packets of tiny pooris. It was a pani poori stall. With the space growing darker, I found myself walking in a no man's land. I was shoved into a room with a small cot and a dirty white bed on top of it. Swarna was staring at a mirror, with her back close to the broken earthen pot. An increasing sense of apprehension made me to sit on the edge of the bed.

The art of living-part II - http://catchmehere-balaji.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/the-art-of-living-part-ii.html (copy and paste it)

             

Harbingers of spring

Chapter 1

      Chennai railway station stood majestic with its reddish brown paint rendering the nuance. People were thronging in with insolent boredom. The Gothic clock with its wooden frame covered in a patch of newly spun spider web, tried to tick away the seconds as noiselessly as possible. The steel chairs occupied the vast hall that housed the restaurants and a deserted Higginbotham's book store. A huge LED panel looked monstrous, secured high enough to give a glimpse of the trains that ran late.

         An old man with his back stooped down, weak arms holding the chair began to stare at the LED in front of him. It was an advertisement for a silk sari, where a voluptuous woman with all smiles made a catwalk. People call this as an age of technical wizardry, with men shouting over the phones. While their kids were spending anxious moments with 'Super Mario'. Meanwhile, the women were wrestling each other, to find a spot to charge their dead phones. 

An announcement spat from the speakers that hung from the pillars across the hall. 

"Attention all passengers !!! attention !!! We have an enemy infiltration in our state. The enemy has been blacklisted for notorious crime activities. The last know location of our enemy was at Nungambakkam station. Passengers are advised to look for any suspicious persons roaming inside or outside the railway station. Stay away from strangers and any clues or leads towards the arrest of the enemy will be rewarded. Any form of social contact or protection of this enemy will be detained under stringent laws. Tamil Nadu Tourism Board wishes you all a happy and safe journey" 

          A small group of passengers perambulated towards the security check point. A row of metallic frames marked the small room that was brightly lit. The baggage scanner swallowed the trolleys through its mechanized conveyors, with a middle aged woman sitting beside that. She was dressed in khaki and a cup of tea was sitting on her table to beat her languor. Behind her, was a black cubicle that harbored a small man in a similar uniform. All he had to look for was the click sound, when he scanned the tickets and he did that happily.
         
             The serpent queue stood anxiously outside the security check point, waiting for their turn. Everyone seemed to be smitten by the security delays, but Vishnu had all the time on this earth waiting for him. With a  backpack hanging from one of his elbows, he had his palms safely tucked in the pockets. Rigorous workout was visible through the linen shirt that cloaked his chiseled physique. He loves what he does; sometimes he is passionate about guitars;the next day he sketches faces of random people. Like the ever flowing stream, he has a capricious mood. He can't get his head in one thing, but he never regrets for that.

               World was a Rubik's cube for him, he itched to explore the colors. Different colors meant different people. His colors were always bright for women, especially the pretty ones. The flair for striking a conversation with any girl was inbuilt in him, just like the dark clouds on a rainy day. He can't miss it; neither the flair nor his mischievous smile. With so much happening in his life, he felt that someone has robbed his joy. There was always a pain that lingers deep inside him. A thud brought back his pensive mind back to senses. The ticket inspector was staring at him,

" Tickets??"

    He didn't realize that he had passed through the baggage scanner. His mind was engrossed about the accident which snatched away his happiness and he failed to get the tickets from the backpack. The ticket inspector was furious, when Vishnu was fiddling in his bag. His hands were fumbling inside to drop out a deodorant and a half eaten snicker bar.

" Do you have a ticket?? If you can't produce the ticket, I'll have to call the security now.. I don't have time for your show here" shouted the inspector, with beads of perspiration dotting his head.

"Anna !!! Nothing seems to be working for me, since this morning. I just missed the metro train from Nugambakkam. Then.. it was her.. Priyanka!! said Vishnu.

" So you don't have a ticket.. I'm calling the security now." said the inspector and he turned back to shout at the closed door. "No tickets.. take him away"

"Anna !! Wait !! wait !!" and Vishnu began to dump his bag on the floor. Few coins rolled by, to touch the feet of the fellow passengers and a bunch of crumbled papers. "Bingo !! Bingo"

    The white hand kerchief moved effortlessly over the bald head of the inspector. He arched his brows when he saw the guy picking up a paper, that looked like an archaeological evidence. Edges of the paper were stained in brown and the bar code was barely visible. Meanwhile, a security guy with a pot belly walked out of the cubicle towards Vishnu. After a few agonizing seconds, the scanner gave a click sound,

" Move out !! Next time, I won't be taking such toilet papers for tickets" shouted the inspector.

       Vishnu collected his belongings, not bothering about the remarks from the inspector. " Anna! if Priyanka hadn't planned the shopping... ". The inspector was fuming and he yelled, "get this rascal out!!," people behind him, were screaming now. "Shit.. its 9:50 already" and the inspector began mumbling words that very few bothered to hear.


Chapter 2

       The train approached the station with a slight pummel and a platoon of soldiers were engaged in the platform. The metallic sub machine guns were held at an angle close to their chest which had a CRPF emblem. They were like a pack of wolves waiting for the sniff of their prey. The train came to an halt, with its brakes releasing the pressure and the soldiers marched into the train. Vishnu stood among the hundreds of passengers that were eagerly waiting to board the train. The passengers were held behind a yellow line that belonged to the CRPF personnel.

          With a wavering mind, Vishnu began scanning faces across him. Each face had been tainted with numerous expression. Signs of anxiety and eagerness were evident. The air around him was infectious with the adventurous travel that lay ahead. He cocked his head towards the monitor on the rust spit ten rails.

    " Tamil Nadu Tourism Board wishes, A happy new year, 2020" The fireworks broke and screen erupted in streaks of colors. Vishnu chuckled inside and eyed his watch. The sound of the marching footsteps brought a sense of uneasiness among the passengers. The yellow line was removed and everyone began to board the train. Vishnu was jogging towards this coach F3. He moved forward, pushing the vendors and kiosks behind him.

           F3 coach had frost tinted windows, with an electronically operated doors that operated on sensors. The doors hissed open to reveal the interiors that were sodden in blue. The curtains, frames and even the cushions had different versions of blue entrusted on it. The coach had a long narrow corridor with coupes on to its right. Each coupe was encompassed with two berths and air con units. He walked across the corridor towards his coupe no 8. When he was about to punch his ticket code, the doors of his cubicle slid open.

"Welcome aboard" said a voice.

Vishnu peeped in, to a find a girl with the latest edition of 'THE WEEK' magazine covering her face. The voice was so powerful that he felt the urge to snatch the magazine that was covering her face. The magazine dropped down to unveil her round face. She was dressed in a white shirt and a denim. The pendant around her neck had a small crescent, that moved rhythmically to her slow breath. A strong sense of guilt struck him, when he realized that his vision were out of bounds.

" Thanks !! Happy New year!! " said Vishnu with words blurting out.

She giggled to display her pinkish gums and a beautiful smile.

" I'm Subhashini. You can call me Subha.".

   Her palm was warm and smooth. "Vishnu" He smiled sheepishly.

" Wassup Vishnu !!" said Subha and she crossed her legs.

"Heading towards Coimbatore to meet my friend. Nothing much. You??".

"I have an interview at Payada Technological Services" said Subha with a frowning look.

" You don't look happy about that. Aren't you??"

"That's true buddy! I don't want to move away from Chennai." and she pouted. Her cute expression and the word 'buddy' skipped a beat in his heart. His pulse was soaring high in excitement, but he managed to keep them down.

"Hey man !!You seem to be occupied with something else. Are you waiting for a call or something?? Enna girlfriend ah ??" said Subha.

" Cha cha !!! Nothing of that sort. I'm single" the words came in quick succession.

"Hmmm.. I don't like guys who are single" she gave him a disapproved look.

"what the hell??" jumped Vishnu.

"They are losers, man. Not a single girl dared to look at them." smiled Subha and she flipped the pages of the magazine aimlessly.

" Holy crap !! I don't take that. I wasn't a loser" scowled Vishnu.

"I never meant that.. but still, ... I'm sorry" she mumbled.

             The conversation came to an halt by the sudden knock on their door. They stared each other like the kids caught while trying to steal candies. Subha sprang from her seat and moved towards the door. Her fingers moved effortlessly over the keypad to open the door. A bald guy stood at the doorstep, coughing and he tried to squeeze himself into the coupe. His eyes looked bloodshot due to the weariness and it was evident in his wrinkled shirt. An electronic gadget appeared small in his bulky arms.

"ID's ??" grunted the bald guy.

Vishnu gave an anxious look and he realized that he didn't have an ID.

Chapter 3

Vishnu gave an anxious look and he realized that he didn't have an ID, " Do we need to have our ID"s while travelling in a train?? I've my ticket for this coupe"

The guy gave a snort of disgust, "This is just a security measure. There has been reports on enemy infiltration, so we are doing this. You know something, I hate this job. I hate it".

"Sorry officer, I don't have my ID with me. I was in a hurry this evening and I forgot to bring mine" said Vishnu. In the meantime, the officer was tapping Subha's ID on the gadget.

"Do you have your college ID??" barked the guy.

Vishnu was silent and his head arched down.

" Madam, now you know why I hate this job. Knocking the doors of every coupe, to find guys like him. I'll inform the CRPF guys and they...." before he could complete his carnage of words, Subha cut him off, " Officer, I appreciate your duties, but you need to understand the customers. We had our exams this afternoon and we were in a hurry to catch the train. We never expected to carry our ID's in trains, officer"

The officer looked sullen, " That's not my problem. I've got more shit waiting for me for the rest of the night. So, I don't mind your cooked up stories. I'll do what I've to." with a perfunctory nod, the officer left leaving a silence in the room.

     The room felt thick with an air of apprehension surmounting the two. Vishnu broke the silence, " Thanks for vouching me, but.."

"Yeah.. That's alright. I guess, it never made any difference."

"but.. still.. I wouldn't do that for a stranger. CRPF is going to kick me out. Damn!!"

"naah.. you would be fine. We can sort this thing. It's no big deal" smiled Subha with her brows arching up.

Her words brought no solace on his face, despite the smile, he looked anxious. The fingers were intertwined, making weird shapes. 

"do you mind if I ask you something?" asked Subha 

"Go on" 

"you told me that you weren't a loser. So.. do you  ?? 

" I know what you mean. yup.. that's right."

"that's interesting!! Now I know why you are excited." beamed Subha. 

         Vishnu had a blatant look, which made her uneasy. " I'm not sure how to respond to that. As a matter of fact, you are partially right. I had a girlfriend and tomorrow is her first year anniversary"

"Awww.. I'm so sorry. I made a terrible mistake of mocking you. I'm just .. sorry" 

"That's alright. I still can't believe how things change in a year's time. Last year we were on a trip to Mumbai. She was holding my hands and we were walking down the lanes of Marine Drive. If she hadn't planned her shopping on that day, I wouldn't have lost her in an accident" murmured Vishnu.

"Sometimes, I wonder, if she was the best gift I ever had. You know something, I watched her die in my arms. I still feel her sitting beside me, her laughter.. " 

   The coupe seemed to echo his grief. Tears began to ebb and made their way down his cheeks, to render a silent cry. 

"She is here, waiting for you" said Subha

" ah.. I'm alright.. at times, I get bit hysteric.. Sorry about that" snubbed Vishnu and he wiped down the tears.

"Priyanka wants to hold your hands, Vishnu" mumbled Subha.

"Priyanka?? how you do know her?? I never mentioned her name, who are you??" Vishnu's vice was roaring. Subha was calm, "You won't believe, until you see your cutie pie Priyanka. Was the nickname correct?? cutie pie !!"

"Stop that. One more .. " before Vishnu could complete, he felt someone behind holding his hands, stopping him from pouching forward. When he saw the hands, his eyes bulged in disbelief. The coziness that he felt lost was now back again, behind him. Priyanka stood there gazing at his eyes.

Vishnu was shell shocked, with gazillion thoughts pondering his mind. It was this very moment he was dying for. When he turned back, Subha wasn't there. Wondering if this could be a gimmick, he sat down with his palms on his head. 

"Yeah, baby !! Did you miss me??" a voice so reverberating sent him a shudder. Priyanka stood in front of him. The cool blue eyes matched her tunic and her palms covered his cheeks. 

"Don't tell me you aren't real, please Priyanka, please !!" he began to sob in her shoulders. "I'm sorry for all that I've done. I shouldn't have left you like that. Sorry, cutie.." 

"sshhhhh !! that's fine, baby. No one can take away you from me" and she kissed him hard on his lips. Vishnu found himself lost in her wet lips and her fingers that brushed his brow. His feet felt so light and all his pains were massacred by her touch. All the euphoria came crashing down at the knock of the door. 

     The knock brought them apart and Vishnu opened his eyes to find Subha's lips close to him. He pushed himself away from her. The whole act felt like a dream to trick his eyes. Subha was staring at him with an astonished look. They broke the stare when they heard the bang for the second time. Vishnu punched in the codes with trembling fingers and to reveal a CRPF guy standing at his doorstep.

Chapter 4

         He looked young with a SMG around his shoulders. With a trimmed hair cut, his face had no charm, but mirrored like an assassin. He moved inside the coupe with authority and arrogance. His glance swept across them, beads of perspiration dotted Vishnu's head. He began to move around her and came close to sniff her silky hair. 'Officer! can I ask you stay away from me?"

"Where are you from?" the CRPF guy shrieked.

"Chennai. I'm heading to Coimbatore for an interview. I've my documents, if you wish to see" replied Subha

"Show me!!!"

   The guy looked into her documents, meanwhile his walkie talkie crackled in a cacophonous tone.

" officer 902.. can your hear us.. officer 902.. do you copy... We have information regarding the intruder. The intruder is highly likely to be a girl not more than 25. The enemy is highly ...."

     Subha's reaction was nothing less than that of a lightning. Her kick was so powerful that it sent him down on his knees. Before he could regain his composure, another blow landed on his stomach. Like a lioness, she watched him moving to his weapon. She moved across swiftly to kick away the weapon, but he managed to shove her. Her head banged on the metallic walls of the coupe and she was down.

      CRPF guy managed to crawl towards his SMG and the bruised fingers clawed it. The safety latch was released and he came close to Subha who was lying down unconscious. Vishnu stood there panting for his breath watching the events unfold before him. He couldn't believe that the girl who felt so calm can actually make a 6 foot guy taste his own blood. Several thoughts sprang in his mind about her, was she really an intruder?? enemy of the state?? If so, why did she have to trick him by bringing in Priyanka?? but still, he felt a soft corner for Subha, who was lying down helplessly. He could see that her end was not far away. The CRPF guy pointed the SMG at her and began to laugh,

  "It's not your day, bitch !! Let me teach what it means to kick a guy" and before he could push the trigger, he saw something glittering in her legs. One of her legs sparkled like a multifaceted stone, with reflections all over the place. Numerous transparent cubes appeared on her legs and began to spread all over her body. The reflection of the cubes was so bright and they had to shield their eyes. The luminous effect was for a brief period, before they rearranged themselves inti a single block of cube.

      Both men stared at each other, after witnessing the transcendence. Vishnu's muscles barely moved, but the CRPF guy walked towards it. The cube transformed itself into a womanly figure, with millions of tiny cubes reflecting on its body. He pushed the trigger to rain bullets at the cube. The cubes in the body swallowed the bullets like a mass of jelly. She walked towards the him, with every cube losing its luminescence to bring back the tone of flesh. He dropped the weapon and pounced on her. Her long arm made a rapid movement to slit his throat and blood gushed down like a leaking pipe. The sharp edges of the cube made its way to his jugular vein and blood was dripping down from the cube. Slowly the cubes in her arm transfigured into a human skin.

          "Now you know what it means to call a girl 'bitch'" hissed Subha.

Fear struck Vishnu like a hammer, he was awed by her prowess which was unparalleled. Subha came to him, humming a tune which was a melancholy. She looked or at least appeared to be human.

"By now you would have understood who I'm. If not, let me tell you. The government has been hiding our invasion and they are trying to hunt down me down, thinking that they could stop us. So, they labelled me as an intruder" said Subha.

"ah.. your invasion ?? in the first place, who are you?? Do you have any idea what you have done here??"

"Don't panic. We will soon take over them and the whole system would come in place. A world where there is order and harmony."

"we??? what the hell are you talking about?? My life is screwed.. damn.." shouted Vishnu and sat down with his hands resting on his palms.

"Sshhh.. I know your pain. Join us, we can heal you. Our world is free of envy and hatred. A blissful place for the naive ones like you. Come join us. Hold my hands ... " whispered Subha.

"Stop that!! I'm done with your gibberish talks. You are fighting against a mighty government, soon we'll have soldiers engulfing us. We are gone.. we are fucking gone.. Fuck.. what the hell have I done!!! "

Subha made a sarcastic laugh "Gibberish!!! You always fail to confront what lies ahead of you. You aren't talking to a girl from your next door. It's an intelligence that is far beyond your realm, which can surpass the longevity of humankind. If you think you are the superior race of this universe, then I should say you have been basked in ignorance. What you are witnessing here is a prelude to the grand events that is going to be staged in future. Join us, we will show what it is meant to be a superior creature" and there was a slight shake in her body. The skin began to transform once again into a series of cubes. They modeled themselves into Priyanka.

"NO... no... no.. it can't be.. you are not my Priyanka.. it's just a trick.. what I'm witnessing is just an illusion" cried Vishnu

"Babe.. it's alright.. Come to me, let's go away from here" Priyanka hugged him, with his tears running down her shoulders. He felt her fragrance so captivating and compelling. he wanted to bury himself deep into her and never lose again. The sound of hurried footsteps brought him the reality. A platoon of soldiers came marching inside the coupe, with machine guns pointing at the two.

"Stay away from me.. Take her away!! she is the one you have been looking for." said Vishnu and slid himself behind the soldiers.

She flashed her smile to reveal her perfect teeth and the pinkish gums. "If that's what you want, you are here for more surprises. Let's begin then."

           All the soldiers were aiming at her, when one of them turned at a shrill sound. Vishnu was down shouting in agony. He was lunged into spasm with his arms and legs moving at weird angles. The soldiers watched him in fear and surprise, but Subha seemed to know what was happening. In few moments time, tiny transparent cubes appeared on his body. The whole body transfigured into a jelly cube. Out of nowhere, the jelly mass mutated itself into a girl. A double of Subha. Both of them winked at each other, to say hi.

                What followed after was a series of gunshots and thundering noises. Passengers in the adjacent coupe had no idea of what's happening in there. They restrained themselves to their coupes, fearing penalization. Eventually, no one witnessed  the brutal assault that happened in there. The soldiers were torn into pieces, with blood sprayed all over the ceiling and the walls of the coupe. With a pile of dead soldiers lying on the floor, there was no sign of life in there except for the two women.

"What next ??"

"We have more coupes and more men"...

                                                  ----------------------------------

Bella

Prologue:

    This poem is about a father, who lost his daughter. It's an account of his sufferings and his final memories. Each work is a treasure hunt for me and in this, I found the dad in me. Thanks for reading this poem, hope you seek something in it.

There's a bite in the air
penetrating into my white bones;
The dull night dotted with
a million stars for me to count;
Standing on a cliff in the midst
of my past flames, I whisper
Bella, Bella, Bella !!!!

A memory so dark and haunting;
A memory to make my tears go dry.
Every pebble and rock
seems to reflect your smile.
With your name stained
on every grain of sand, I whisper
Bella, Bella, Bella !!!

Why would the Gods take
you away from me?
Could there be a greater
curse for a father?
Tracing every step of
yours in my lonely dreams, I whisper
Bella, Bella, Bella !!!

The sky was never blue,
but it looked pink on your paintings.
Every petal in our garden is
longing for your fingers.
Fingers that had remnants
of your sweet purple candy, I whisper
Bella, Bella, Bella !!!

I close my eyes dreaming
ourselves on a rocky cliff.
With our elbows tucked in
and shoulders drooping in,
In the midst of your memories,
all my sorrows ceased. I whisper
Bella, Bella, Bella !!!

With my dream withering off,
all that's left is a stricken soul.
A soul that's on its knees,
looking for the lost sunshine.
A sunshine which can blush
forcing her cheeks to glow. I whisper
Bella, Bella, Bella !!!

With your sweet voice echoing,
the grave is moist with my tears.
I sit beside you, waiting for
your embrace and giggle.
A lost treasure, a stolen possession
and my beautiful daughter. I cry
Bella, Bella, Bella !!!

Stars in my backyard - 2

Friday

6:42 p.m.

           If you think this world is the most ideal place to live in, then I might have something different to tell. This guy Krish, who is lying down there, is a victim of this society bathed in heinous crime and vicious people. Selfish people who loves to complain the government about bad roads and at the same time never cares about littering their neighborhood. He never believed me when I warned him about the darker side of this world. He used to mock me saying, "Stop it Phantom !! don't be so pessimistic !!"   

            For them, we are a group of maniacs living on our own agenda. They categorize people with logical values, as eccentric guys. They brand them as 'depressed souls' and they fail to understand that, one way or another, they had been responsible for our unprecedented melancholy. Krish was never like this, until he saw the true color of his fellow men. 

               "it was a Monday morning and you can pretty much understand how we would have felt. We were too reluctant to start our day, but still we pushed ourselves to move on. Our mornings are usually spent in Aachi mess with the aroma of idlies making our mouths to water. Soon we realized that aroma and taste were two different entities that never goes hand in hand. Idlies were so awful that we had to swallow in chunks, with a sugary sambar to dip in. 

                    it wasn't the idlies or the samber that kept us so loyal to the mess, but it was her. Mrs. Geetha, the mess owner, who was so kind enough to give us credit that ran deep. She was a plump woman in her early fifties and often carried her best smile, with giant kumkum on her forehead. Every morning she never forgets to advice us, "nalla padikanum kannu" (study well!!) On that day, I was itching to comment on her idlies, but Krish pinched me to shut my mouth.

                     The sky was cloudy with humidity levels soaring up and sweat trickling down Krish's face. An elderly lady with a straw bucket full of jasmine garlands was at our mess doorstep.She was all geared up for her day's business. with a small box filled with bundles of green twine and a rusty blade. Every morning she used to offer a garland at the small Ganesha statue that sits under the banyan tree across the road. 

                         Today was no exception, with the jasmine garland in her hand, she was halfway across the road, before which the hands dropped the flowers and went on to grab her head. Only then we realized that she was about to pass out. Before our reflexes could sense the gravity of the situation, a speeding van stuck her. The impact was loud that she was thrown away a good 20 feet. There was a deafening silence which seemed to engulf everyone on the road.

                         We ran towards the slowly mushrooming crowd and we had to wriggle to move past them. The old lady lay motionless with her arms twisted at an awkward angle. Slowly, a pool of blood was masking the tar road. Krish went near the lady and turned her head. Her temples were wet with blood and she gave a deep sigh with her eyes rolling upwards. That's when someone from the crowd,

" Thambi !! Don't touch her !! It's an accident and we've to wait for the police to come by" (1st guy)

"We don't 've time for that, the longer we wait, we're likely to lose her" said Krish.

"Can anyone call the ambulance?? " (2nd guy)

"It's 108!!" (mumbled the 3rd guy) 

     No one seemed to be responding, except being spectators. I could see that Krish was losing his head now and the sight of blood gave me a dizzy feeling. With the old lady resting in his lap, he flicked his mobile phone, but to his horror, the phone had no charge in it.  

"aayyyy !!! you are getting into unnecessary trouble. If she dies, you will spend the rest of your life shuttling between the courts and the police station!!" (4 th guy)

"She isn't dead !! we can't leave her like this!! Can someone call the ambulance or at least help me to carry her to my college hospital ??" pleaded Krish.

     No one gave a damn to Krish. There was a steady murmur in the crowd and the old lady was losing her blood rapidly. I could see that in Krish's blue shirt, it was turning dark now. Krish could feel her blood close to his heart, begging him to do something, that's when an autorickshaw came near to us. The driver helped us to carry her to his auto,

"Anna, please go fast, her pulse is feeble. VSB medical college, anna !! Take the first left from the bridge and then on to your second left.... "  trembled Krish.

       The auto driver signaled to tell us, that he knows the place. The auto shrieked, jolting us with the vibrations and it began its ride with the three of us into the busy traffic. 

        "Just when we thought we had hope, things took a dramatic turn in our college hospital. We had the lady in the stretcher and rushed her in the corridor. A male nurse came from no where to stop us. He had a hand on the stretcher to prevent us from going further.

"Accident?? is the police here??" asked the male nurse.

"We're losing her. can you alert the nus station about the trauma case??" shouted Krish.

"Nothing doing. We can't take her in.. you are a student! don't you know that we can't handle such cases without the proper consent from the police?? take her away"  said the guy, still holding the stretcher.

"Fuck your shitty procedures, Don't you see she is dying here?? I'll be fucking responsible if something happens" yelled Krish.

            The whole hospital was watching the acrimonious duel between Krish and the staff. The lady at the reception rapidly punched the nos. at her phone. Every now and then, Krish was feeling for the pulse in her, and he was losing hope. Soon, a middle aged doctor with a pot belly came towards this commotion.

"What the hell is happening here? Don't you people understand this is a hospital?? we've patients here !! " said the doctor.

"Professor, this lady met with a accident and she has a head injury. We need to treat her but no one seemed to understand the gravity of this. Please professor admit her, please !!" pleaded Krish.

       Meanwhile, the male nurse whispered to the doctor and the doctor nodded his head in approval of that.

"I see your concern but we can't treat her here. She needs to be taken to a government hospital. Your a second year student and you have to get through a lot. So I'm advising you to stay away from this." said the doctor.

"what?? why do you need a government hospital?? what are we then?? " shrieked Krish. 

"Are you nuts?? are you going to ruin your career for a stranger, who is going to die?? shouted the doctor.

               I could sense that the situation was way beyond my control and Krish was going crazy. He chuckled,

"Screw your fucking degree" yelled Krish and we moved out of the hospital towards our auto driver.

                    The auto driver promised that he would take us to the nearby government hospital. Krish sensed something wasn't right and I could see that in the old lady's face. She was turning pale and there was no warmth in her body. Her eyes opened wide enough to look at us. We felt something for the first time in our lives, a soul leaving the body. She was calm with her eyes half open and dried blood near her temples. 

                   The auto came to a halt by Krish's shrill cry. He was sobbing and tears were rolling down. We have lost a soul in our hands, something which could have been avoided. We killed her by our fellow men's fucking attitude. The whole auto seemed to be filled with Krish's cry and the fragrance of jasmine. The driver turned towards us and said,

"This is an ugly world and its definitely not for her " 

7:22 p.m.

                     Krish was never the same after that accident. Even though she was a total stranger, the sorrow left him with a void. Before he could recover from it, he had to pick up a brawl with Mahesh in the cafeteria. When I had things under control for him, his dad had other plans. I know how it feels, when someone like your dad, whom we have been idolizing all our years does something shit like this. This is world is sick. Hang on.. I guess, Krish is waking up,

"Krish!! Krish!! are you alright bro??"

                      His eyes looked bloodshot and the eyelids were half closed, he was trying to look at me. He was constantly swallowing and his Adam's apple moved rhythmically.

"I'm all good man, but my mind is fucked up" said Krish.

"I can see that bro. The driver was fucking true, this world isn't for us!!" and I hugged him.

"Let's go somewhere where we can meet some real people. What do you reckon?? Shall we ?? asked Krish.

                      I nodded my head and we both moved towards our balcony. The city looked electrifying with million lights and a buzz of traffic. We stood there watching the horizon in front of us. A world where people were doomed by hatred and spreading the sickness. They consider us as psychic and if we don't leave this place, in few years time we would be filled hatred. Krish smiled at me and I stepped on to the steel grill of our balcony. The cool air blew across our faces to welcome our new journey and we jumped into the new world that was waiting for us.

Epilogue:

          The auditorium was quiet except for the group of press reporters occupying the first row of the hall. In few minutes time, there was a buzz in the hall. The Principal of VSB college and the Inspector of Police entered the hall and without the slightest hesitation, they jumped onto the diaz. The Principal was not happy to see his college to be flooded with media and press. That was the last thing he needed at this stage with his retirement in few months time. With a stern face, he gave the sheet of paper to the inspector. The inspector then began his address,

         "It's a moment of grief and agony for all of us. Last night, one of the med students from VSB Medical College, Mr.Krish committed suicide by jumping from the seventh floor of men's hostel in the campus. The hostel guard had seen him standing on the balcony grill a few minutes before he made his jump. It is said that Krish had shown signs of mental disorderliness in the last couple of days.

           He had been found talking to himself on most occasions and his friends have ascertained this. As per the Dean's statement, it is highly likely that he could have created an imaginary friend to fight his solitude and anguish. There has been no suicide note left in his room, but the walls of his room had been scribbled with a name called 'Phantom'. We are assuming that he named his altar ego or his so called friend to be 'Phantom'.

            The body has been sent for postmortem and we've informed his dad about his suicide. Once the report comes, we will have a clear evidence on his death." said the Inspector and he began to move outside with the reporters stalking him like a fox for some more blood and gore. In the mean time, the sky outside grew dark for a shooting star to began its journey into a horizon.

                                         ----------------------------------------------------
 
                 
               

                


   

                    

                       

Stars in my backyard - 1

Friday

3:36 p.m

        The room appears to be silent, which is quite unusual for its occupants. Martin Scorsese was smiling at us from the huge wall poster that was stuck in the faded beige wall. A small cot occupied most of the space available in the tiny room and Krish was lying on the mattress. He is a second year med student in VSB medical college. He is just another typical guy whom you are likely to find among the millions in our country.
     
          He was staring at the ceiling with his arms and legs positioned like Leonardo da vinci's-Vitruvian Man. He has been waging a battle in his mind with a high tide of emotions. He talks to me every now and then, to discuss his issues, but often he tends to go inside a shell. Today, he has promised me that he would vent out and so I'm here to listen to him. I'm Phantom, his room mate and I've another name too (which isn't really important now).

'Still staring at the ceilings, Krish ??"

'Sorry man. I didn't realize that you were here. I feel like talking to you, man' said Krish.

'I'm all ears,bro. Hope you have got something to say'

'Yaa.. yaa man. No games and I'm dead serious this time'. said Krish and he was staring at his knuckles to begin his story.

        'I'm pretty much sure that you are the right person to share... nope.. confess my last two days. There has been a series of events occurring during the last two days and it has left a void in me. Before bringing the events into light, I would like to tell you something interesting. Most of my friends in the college call me a nerd, because of my ideas and visions. You know about me, I'm not the stereotypical guy and my rationale is put to shame when I find people wrapped up in themselves. They call me a jerk, geek and all terminologies found in the vocabulary to degrade me'. 

          'Do you think, I look like an eccentric guy?? To be honest, I don't 've a charming or a pleasing look either. I'm a typical guy, who thinks that every girl that passes him is beautiful. What's your go about that, Phantom??' asked Krish.

'You mean the girl or your eccentricity. I was just kidding, I don't think you look like a nerd but....'

'I know what you mean Phantom, the other day I came home with a broken cheek bone. Is that what you are saying??" said Krish.

I nodded my head in agreement and Krish chuckled. He sighed heavily as if preparing for a lengthy speech and he narrated the event behind that bruise

            'All the conventional or the so called symptoms of a normal guy have been slowly wading away from me in the last couple of days.They (supposed to be my friends) told me that I'm behaving in a weird manner. Let me tell you something that happened at my cafeteria on Wednesday (day before yesterday), which will give you a rough idea.

It was just another day at my college cafeteria with students buzzing all over. Couple of my friends and myself were occupying the table at the corner of the dinning hall. It has become an unwritten rule and we were squatting that place. The chit chat began with our assignments, anatomy lectures and our mockery about the guy, who passed out at the sight of a cadaver ('cadaver' means dead bodies).

              Everything was so good and seemed so hilarious until one of my friends, Mahesh passed a remark about a girl.

"Did you see that girl in yellow salwar ?" said Mahesh.

"Are you talking about the voluptuous one or the gal over the phone?" said Sebastian.

"hahaha.. You have a craving for buxom clad ladies,!!! My man, you are right, it's her" said Mahesh

"What's interesting about her, bro? did you screw her?? said Mahesh 

"you mean fuck her?? no way!!! I saw her hanging out with our bio chemistry lab technician" and Mahesh chuckled. 

" aaahhhhhh!! now I know how she made  20 in her pracs (practicals).. Holy shit, man !!! What do you think she would 've done to him" said Sebastian.

         All my rage came pouring in when Mahesh made a vulgar reply to Sebastian and the whole crowd erupted in laughter. I could tell from the stares across our tables, that the comment would 've reached many ears. All I could manage was a single comment that was implosive in nature.

"Do you want to hear about your sister Rekha's dirty secret??" 

            Everyone fell silent, before Mahesh in an anxious tone,

"what the fuck are you talking about?? shouted Mahesh.

"About Rekha, your cute little sister. If you guys are interested I'll show something kinky about her? 

             That's when I realized a blow has landed right across my cheek bone. Mahesh was all over me, swearing and trying to wrestle with me. Soon, everyone came around to watch us bleed. Sebastian pulled me out of the brawl and he had to literally drag me out of the hall. With the sick taste of blood in my mouth, I was trying to stroke my swollen cheek and Sebastian came near me,

"Are you nuts? asshole !! why the hell did you talk to him like that??" asked Sebastian.

"why not??"  

"Because it's her sister. Don't we all know about her?"

 I laughed, "Don't you people realize that even the girl you were mocking is someone's sister???"

I could see the reaction in Sebastian's face, full of fury and defeat.

"you are a fucking freak, Krish !!"

                 'Now you know why I have a swollen cheek and a cut lip' said Krish and he began to search his anatomy textbook. I knew what he was after, something that I've been hiding away from him.

                                                            ------------------------------

5:52 p.m.

               Krish was humming a song with all smiles and I could sense what's happening in him. The amphetamine is doing all tricks in his brain. If you are a med student, its not difficult to find such drugs. Krish has told me a lot about it, how students take drugs to suppress anxiety, but I've seen the worse side of that drug. Last time, he couldn't find it, but on this time he was clever enough to find it out my hiding place. Damn !!

"Phantommm !! what's bothering you man ??" asked Krish.

"It's you man, you, asshole !!. I've been warning you, not to use that bloody drug, but you never listened to me. You fucking asshole !!"

"Yeah! Yeah!! stop it man. I'm not listening to you" shouted Krish.

"Do you know something, tomorrow is your birthday! your dad has sent a gift for you, Krish. You are on to fucking drugs" and I gave him the gift wrapped bundle to him. Krish hesitated to get the gift from me and his palms slowly began clapping,

"Birthday gift from dad!! great !! great !!" chuckled Krish.. "I wouldn't touch it man. Its full of sin and its sickening to see that. Throw that  away, Phantom!!" shrieked Krish.

"What's now?? you can't be complaining about everything. I'm seriously annoyed with you man".

"Yeah, Phantom !! Do you know when a son hates his dad??" asked Krish.

           "Do you remember the last time I went to my home, that's when I found out, why he wanted me in a hostel. It was his birthday and I thought I would throw him a surprise without realizing the nightmare waiting for me" whispered Krish.

            "Our house was never the same, after my mom's demise. No matter how elegant or expensive the furniture were, it always bore a deserted look. I was across the hall and I saw a school bag lying on the couch. It was half open with few textbooks scattered aimlessly. I picked one of the books and it was labelled as 'Sheila X- A'. That's when I heard a loud laughter from upstairs and I could definitely tell that it was my dad's.

              I climbed the stairs all the way towards his room. His door was half open and I could hear a woman's voice. I pushed it open to witness the sickness staring at me. I saw a girl with a bare back on top of my dad in his bed."

"Fuck! fuck ! fuck!" yelled Krish.

"Can you believe it, Phantom?? My dad is a pervert, who fucks 16 year old girls. Shit man!! shit!! shit !! said Krish with silent tears rolling down".

 I felt like giving him a hug, but I couldn't do it. I never had the courage to go near him and all I did was watch him sobbing. A little later he passed out, with a trickle of drool leaking from the corner of his mouth.

                                                      ---------------------------------------    
           

Friday

6:42 p.m.

           If you think this world is the most ideal place to live in, then I might have something different to tell. This guy Krish, who is lying down there, is a victim of this society bathed in heinous crime and vicious people. Selfish people who loves to complain the government about bad roads and at the same time never cares about littering their neighborhood. He never believed me when I warned him about the darker side of this world. He used to mock me saying, "Stop it Phantom !! don't be so pessimistic !!"   

            For them, we are a group of maniacs living on our own agenda. They categorize people with logical values, as eccentric guys. They brand them as 'depressed souls' and they fail to understand that, one way or another, they had been responsible for our unprecedented melancholy. Krish was never like this, until he saw the true color of his fellow men. 

               "it was a Monday morning and you can pretty much understand how we would have felt. 

          (more in  the sequel of stars in my backyard - 2)

Her wedding :) :)

             Do you want to hear a story?? A story with no blood sheds; full of vibe and color; a happy ending, then this is it, it’s your day. This story is about me and my better half. A vivid account of our marriage, for those who missed the fun and love. Sit back and enjoy it.

 The chapel stood tall in a majestic tone among st the tall canopies of trees. It housed the European architecture with arched doorways and windows that rose from the floors. The large stone piers with flying buttresses enabled large spaces despite the huge pillars that were erected to support this mighty structure. Everything about this place looks so good today. I have been passing through this Chapel every day, but not once I felt like this.

 The blue waters, the dusky brown ducklings and the lone bench that was full of birds’ droppings were all a part of my festive mood. People with happy faces dotted the Chapel, making animated conversations to showcase joy. Perhaps, I had a bigger reason to celebrate this day. Finally, it was time for us to take our relationship to next level. After a series of clamor from our folks, I whispered in her ears,

“Will you marry me, Renu???”

            Wonderful moments etched in my memory lane, I walk towards the mud cloaked Chapel. People were gathered outside, waiting for my arrival. The tinge of green along with the weeds looked poised to join our wedding function. The gravel beneath my toes gave way to our era. Like I said, everything is so good today. Nothing can be more blissful than Renu. I could see her dressed up in an elegant line one shoulder lace up white gown and holding a bouquet of white roses

.

            “That would be the most beautiful thing in my life”

            I still remember the single tear that stood in her left eye, when she said that. She is the type of a girl, who can steal every minute of yours. At times, I wonder if she could be a portrait with her sculpted looks. Not often, you find someone designed with such artistic beauty. With her gloved hands on top of mine, we enter the chapel, to be welcomed by the rose petals. Two little girls clad in rosy pink frock marched in front of us.

            We stood close to each other, with our shoulders brushing and occasional tiny glances to catch each one’s smile. Her elbows safely tugged in mine, we looked at the priest awaiting for the wedding vows. The priest looked small in his brown cassock and smiled at us with shyness. In a swift motion, he opened his leather book to recite the verses for us.

           (We have come together in the presence of God and these witnesses to see this lovely couple, Renu and Re…….)

            When my name was read out, I felt as if this was a fairy tale. I don’t want someone to pull my covers and say this was a dream. This isn't a dream and I can feel her sweet smell. I don’t believe in miracles but sometimes when things happen, your intellectuals are being put to test. Often, I tend to have a feeling of two different souls within me. One who accepts everything and anything, while the other wants to rebel for every damn shit.

            (….loving marriage. If these solemn vows which you are about to make are kept faithfully, your marriage will surely prosper ……)  

Being a tough nut, I don’t show emotions, but still it was one such day, when my other side was exposed. Alone in my room, clung to my lone pillow, waiting for the tears to burst out, but found the first miracle in my life. It was Renu’s comforting hand around my waist and a whisper close to my ears.

“Cry on my shoulders, and I’ll keep it safe for no one to see”

I knew it was the moment, we’ve been waiting for, the trust and faith in each other. While I was sobbing, her hug cozied me to discover each other’s secrets. It took me a while to regain my senses and bring my mind back to the priest’s words.

            (Please place your ring on Regina’s third finger of her left hand and repeat these words:

I (Renu) give to Regina, this ring as a symbol commitment to love, honor, and respect you with all that I’m always.

Having heard the vows you have made to each other, and by the power vested in me by the Parish; I solemnly endorse the wonderful women, Renu and Regina as couples.)

            She gave the final endorsement to our marriage by her sweet kiss, ‘love you, Regina!!!’

Author's note:

         After this blog, I'm pretty much sure that I'm going to get weird glances or faces from my friends (especially guys). I never had a deliberation to write on LGBT (precisely, gay marriage) but, so much went on my mind, to approach a guy or girl who wasn't straight in their sexual behavior. Surprisingly, I found the girl to be more of an extrovert and ready to discuss about this. The whole narration happened over a cup of coffee, in fact, I even felt, she should be the one writing this. After her consent, I decided to capture her emotions and her portrayal. 

             Perhaps, that's why you might find most things girly in this. Eventually, I realized they had a different world and never cared being a gay (of course, gay has another meaning being happy)

Superman

 “Appa!! Superman is wonderful!!! He can fly across oceans!!!”

“Hmmm.. what else can he do??”asked my dad.

“He is big and strong. He thrashes the enemies and tears them apart… boom! Boom! Bang! Bang!”

“Hahaha..” he smiles and folds the newspaper in crisp folds. 

“You know something, appa!!! He is very brave and can save people from danger. I wonder how he could do that. He flies across the sky without wings.. and.. “ began my animated conversation, with my fists pumping and small eyes bulging in my sockets.

My dad was listening to me calmly as if hearing this story for the first time, but we both knew that we have been doing this every evening after my school.  Every time I said this story, he travelled with me with unabated enthusiasm.

“Appa! Just imaging flying like Superman!!! We can move like birds singing through the canopies!!! How fascinating would that be???”

He was staring at me, but he was in a pensive mood. I saw that in his face with his tightly pressed lips. “Well! Do you want to fly?” smiled my dad.

“ Are you serious, appa???  Can you do that???”

            The next moment I was sitting on my dad’s lap holding the bars of his Kinetic Honda. The bars of the rear view mirrors pointing in both directions felt strong in my little palms. I felt like soldier holding the turret in a canyon. The small vehicle struggled initially but soon gave its thunderous sigh and coughed up smoke from its grease stained exhaust. He adjusted his traditional ‘veshti’ and looked at me,”Polamma???” (Shall we go???)

My palms were sweaty and excitement ran in every cell of mine. My eye lashes came down signaling my dad, I was all set to experience this new ride.

            The throttle in my dad’s arms pushed the vehicle forward, to herald a new experience in my life. The road was dotted with few vehicles and our Honda moved steadily gaining speed. The wind grew heavier on my face while I tried to look at the odometer. The red needle moved slowly across the 50km mark and my fingers went numb.

            When I looked above, the trees were moving at breakneck speed in opposite direction. The birds tried their best to stay in race with us. Their wings fluttered to keep themselves floating in air. The chill air carried the scent of bougainvilleas to hallucinate my brain. For the first time in my life I was experiencing this thrill. With my eyelids coming down at frequent intervals, the tears travelled in a zigzag pathway down my cheeks.

            Is this how it feels when you fly?? Oh my God!! It was exhilarating, sending a fusillade of emotions in me. The swelling night and the phenomenal ride finally came to a halt, with our Honda stopping at our door step.

“How was it???” asked my dad.

Perhaps the reminiscence of the ride was still in me, making me immune to the reality. The word ‘goose bumps’ got redefined after this, sending arrows and slings of joy in me. I didn’t know how to respond to him, so my arms went to hug him. I buried my head in his belly with my cheek enjoying the warmth.

He brushed my hair in his palms and looked at me, “You were close to flying, isn’t it? The only thing missing was the Superman suit”.

            The world was never big when I was on your shoulders. Superheroes can be a beautiful myth often epitomizing fantasy and zeal. Sometimes realities are draped in this myth and we keep searching for it. Ironically we never appreciate the hero who showed us the world. Heroes are neither born nor created from an alien planet; they never preach, but they live like a hero and make us watch them.

            You don’t need a superman suit to pull out gimmicks and stunts, all you need is special gift called ‘Dad’. He will dare to do bend the skies for a tiny smile on our face. I looked at him with my arms around his legs; all I saw was a humble human being with a mighty heart.

“Shall we fly again, appa ??" 

              Once again I started my flight journey with my Superman :) :)