Into the dawn..

Unwavering. 
Like leaves, on a lifeless night. 
Leaves should rustle to the wind. 
They should sway to the breeze.
But tonight, they are ominously still
Strangely steadfast. 

Unforgiving.
Like the dark, on a lifeless night.
The gloomy fireflies rise
Only to find an inky black cape
Engulfing them, expunging them. 
Light can't go as far as darkness does. 

Unfathomable.
Like the silence, on a lifeless night.
Swallowing the wails of pain, 
The moans of pleasure,
The sighs, hushes and sobs.
Sounds need a witness, quiet is the norm. 

Intangible.
Like the dreams, on a lifeless night. 
Surreal signatures of the soul,
Unwinding the hidden wilderness.
Nothing white tonight, nothing pink or blue. 
All the unchained red meets with the grey.
Fantasies fly free, it's the things that need a form.

Undeniable.
Like the morning after. 
The first breeze gently pushing the leaves,
Light winning another day of its eternal fight. 
Chirps of the dawn clearing the eerie, 
And open eyes,looking at bright golden yellow. 
There flies the bird, 
There walks the girl with the shining smile,
Elated with all the air of life, 
Smiling at the pure serene sky! 

Translucent solitude

The quiet. It soothed her and comforted her. It made her ruminate. It made her feel alive. It made her forget all the trivial noises of the humdrum- the kids, the sounds of the metropolitan traffic, the radio, the hiss of the cooker, the blaring calls of the street vendors and innumerable ringtones.

The gloomy night sky hazily diffused the milky white translucence.  She could feel the night sinking, the dark intensifying, one minute after another, making the stars shine brighter. Gazing into the atmospheric infinity, sipping the cool of the night breeze and cuddling into her own blanket, she closed her eyes for a while and sighed in tranquility.

He faced the sky with her, holding her in a light embrace. They were lying down on the terrace on the same bed, under the same blanket, but didn’t face each other. It was what she wanted- for them both to gaze at the sky. Together. Quietly. 

                                               

He enjoyed the subtle warmth of the places where her skin touched his. He felt it bizarre how the sensation of her breath on his arm made him so calmly erotic. His mind started to cherry-pick the moments of their courtship that eventually deepened into their moments of marriage. Dizzy smiles came and went.

He had sensed that she felt inexplicably lost lately. The routine had dulled her. She’d started to feel fatigued even after sleeping a good ten hours. She’d lose her way into an abyss, in the middle of a conversation. She’d burn the rice. She’d forget to put things in the refrigerator. She’d sometimes sit up in the middle of the night, just to check on the lights and locks. And the week before, she made him coffee, twice in ten minutes. He didn’t say a word but sipped it down. She cleared the cups and took them to the sink and she knew. She closed her eyes in disbelief. He notified at work about his absence.

“I need a break”, she said.

“I know.”

They were almost at sunrise now, without a word uttered. The bluish hue of the dawn and the hovering songs of early birds. He remembered the time when he’d asked her out of curiosity, why she’d chosen him.

“You’re good company. And you’re a quiet guy”, she’d said.

Back then, he thought it was just an explanation, but it wasn’t long before he’d realized she was a quiet one too. There were times when they were up talking all night. And there were times that they drove together in the car with hardly any words throughout. Except a brief period in courtship, he had never felt the urgency to talk to her. She inherently beamed an easy sense of reassurance. He smiled at the queer difference in who she was from every other woman he ever knew, and dozed into sleep.

She’d slept briefly. It felt good to wake up to the mild rays of the sun. She stretched heartily and turned to look at him, finding him in a deep sleep. She freshened up, grabbed a piece of paper, wrote a note and tiptoed out.

He woke up to the emptiness beside him, only to find a note tucked beside the bed.

Hey,

I made coffee.

It feels amazing to realize that I don’t have to get away from you to be alone.

Thank you.

PS: The sun was good, and I sneaked out for a quick run. Can’t wait to see you!

He blushed and sat up to the shining sun, liberally gulping the aromatic coffee happiness.   

ONE MORE CHANCE - Chapter 2

He was an artist, he painted. And she was a dramatist. The National Cultural Workshop was where they first saw each other. After spending twenty-five fruitful days together, they had met with a beautiful accident called love. She always pestered him to make her portrait, but he always refused. She didn’t know why, and he wouldn’t tell. He was a caring and gentle man with less excitement and more generosity.  She was enchanted by his innocence, and hadn’t seen a more considerate and patient man all her life. They truly loved each other until the day she felt like she had known another person altogether all these days. It was not at all him!!

 She could not forget that night.

She had planned to give him a surprise, and she stealthily walked to the side of his window. There he was, with his painting wrapped safely in paper. There were two other men with him, and that was why she had decided to wait for some time so that she could have him all for herself. There were roses and orchids in her hand, smile on her lips. She had picked a gift for him from the stores he liked the most in the city.

The two men were harsh-looking and spoke loud enough for her to overhear. 

“How do we believe you?” one man spoke.

“That’s left to you, but this is it. I’ve done it for you. Now take it and leave before I am noticed. Please.”

“That’s quite odd isn’t it?” the other man spoke, taking out a gun from his back pocket.  “I want some proof Mr.Da Vinci. There are lots of pennies involved here.”

“Proof?  You’ve gotta trust me. There are really no goof-ups here.” his voice was shaky.

“There better not be! Because you wouldn’t earn this much money if you worked all your life. Mind you!! And if something is fishy, start running right now!”

“That’s a duplicate for god’s sake! Now will you leave? I have friends here.” His voice sounded louder and more nervous this time.

“Fine!! But careful man! Save your butt.”

The other man replaced the gun into his pocket, placed a piece of paper, which looked like a check, on the table, and both men walked out.

She had seen it with her own eyes.  She dropped everything from her hands.  The scene kept replaying….

Duplicate….. Money…. Gun…. Threatening…..!!

She wasn’t a fool, and there was no other feasible explanation to what she had seen just now.

He was smuggling!! He was making duplicates of masterpieces and was smuggling them for money!!

You wouldn’t earn this much money if you worked all your life!!

It’s a duplicate for god’s sake…. Leave before I’m noticed here…!!

If something is fishy, start running right now!!

Everything kept echoing in her mind. It was unbelievable!!

“Hey….!! Honey, I didn’t see you. Why aren’t you at the door? What are you doing here?” he knew she had seen whatever just happened. He tried hard to look normal, as though nothing unusual had happened, but in vain.

“I saw everything. And I know everything. How long has this been going on? How long? Tell me how long?” she could not hide her tears, and her hysteria.

“Sweetheart, you are getting it all wrong. Please let me explain, please.”

“What’s left? What will you explain? I just saw it with my own eyes. And I am not a fool. Actions speak louder than words.”   She tried hard to fight back her tears, took a deep breath and composed herself to avoid listening to herself shout.

“Not always.” He came closer and touched her by her shoulder, “ Please give me a chance. I love you.  You trust me, don’t you?”

“I did!” she yanked herself from his hands and walked away, leaving him still calling out for her.

The night seemed too fresh to forget. It echoed over and over again, torturing her.

She stood up, walked towards the window. She knelt down, looking at the sky, and the moon, blankly. None of it made any sense to her now. All that came to her mind was his memories. Their memories. Who was he? He seemed like a complete stranger to her now. She didn’t know if his mistake was a big one. But she knew what he was doing was illegal. He was using his divine talent as bait to become rich. He was selling it! She sobbed. But it didn’t seem to help her much.

Idle musings...

                                   It feels so good, so right, so comfortable and so satisfied as I write. This very moment convinces me that I love it so much, to just be myself; know myself.
                                   As I sit on a chair, in my balcony with a soothing dim light and cool, fresh air, I enjoy my mind's independence. Independence from thoughts, worries, troubles, responsibilities and people. At fifteen minutes past nine in the night, I still find a strange silence even with the prime time soaps running in the houses and the monotonous sound of motors and indicators of Bangalore traffic.
                                  The silence in me, the loneliness and the carefree feelings make me smile. It seems like the time is letting me talk to myself. Among monotonous college and photocopy routines, my mind craves for some space, some time- only and only for myself.
                                  And here I am, talking to myself. Contented. For a few minutes, I push away all the thoughts running through my mind- my parents, my family, friends,studies, career, health.... everything..!! I hit a  pause button to my life, letting it be the way it is! At least for now- for tonight!
                                  Tonight, I won't let anything trouble me, disturb me or take over me. This night is mine! It's for me!  This night, unlike the others, I give some time for myself, rather than for things and people around me. Tonight, I'm not worried about my untidy room, my unreturned books or my unfinished studies. I don't let them bother me, I smile at them!
                                    I let my eyes wander about, seeing the buildings, the light and the people. I stare at the sky, searching for stars, wondering if they really carry mysterious connections to our lives. I try to connect myself to them, something I have never done in my life. I look at everything in detail- the terraces, the cars, the doors and windows, the wet roads, the gates, the steps, the railings, the trees, the plant pots and the main road ahead. The empty porches, blinking generator lights and the eyes occasionally peeping out of the windows in anticipation. The parking lot, street dogs, electric poles, tangled wires and a smart guy on his bike...!!  I free my mind of all its thoughts and just look around, liberally accepting the sights I see, and the sounds I hear.
                                    I let the cool breeze blow over my face, easing my skin. I close my eyes to feel it more deeply. I let my hair free, a few strands falling on my cheeks. It makes me feel like being what I always wanted to be. I say to myself, that I have to take breaks like this now and then. My mind needs it on its way of emotional roller-coasters. I sit with a loneliness, enjoying it. Rejoicing it. As I understand its importance, I get a sense of satisfaction and newness. I am discovering myself...!!
                                     Small drops of rain fall on my sheets of paper, drizzling...! The winds grow cooler and soothing. I rest my chin on my hands and not wanting to get up, I gaze at the sky.
Giving ourselves some time is so refreshing! It relieves us of stress, worries and hopelessness, convincing us that we've got the strength to face what life is taking us through. On that thought, I close my eyes and pray to my inner self, to keep the strength. To hold it forever.
But time flies!
My mom shouts at me, "Dinner is ready.... You always complain that I cook late. When I'm early, you don't eat. Eating late, sleeping late and waking up late..... You have all the bad habits a student is not supposed to have. Do you realise that? Come on now....."
                         I then stop taking my mom's words into my head, but I still hear her talking. I face the sky once more, promise myself that I will take a few lonely sittings whenever I need them. I lend my ears back to my mom, laugh under my breath and take steps towards the kitchen.