A Magical Reality!

       She sat in the corner, cursing her son. All she wanted was him to spend time with her. But he was busy typing away something fervently on that 'thing' he loved. She never really understood what the big deal was about it. Everyone these days were becoming its devotee. Even her grandson, who was five, loved playing with it. She sighed remembering her good old days where playing meant going out and mingling with friends. "It feels like a different life time altogether" she thought. Whatever it was, she would never go near that, what was it, ah 'laptop' she said suddenly remembering the name of that 'thing'!

       "Ma, Spoorthi says it is a baby girl" she hears her son Aditya calling out and her anger melts away instantly at the mention of the good news. She had been waiting for this day ever since her daughter had informed her that she was expecting. She had been restless that whole day as she still hadn't heard from Spoorthi and had been to talk with Aditya about the same. When she had found him busy, her temper had flared. But now, the sweet news of a granddaughter had made her forget everything. Her face broke into a toothless smile. "Shall I start packing? I so want to see her" she said, already getting up and rushing towards her room, as fast as old age allowed her. There was no reply. She turned to see Aditya standing in the hallway with his head hanging. It was a look she recognized well. She knew from experience what he would say next and without missing a beat he said "Sorry ma. I have an important meeting tomorrow. We can't go for another two days" Her face fell. The smile adorning her face slowly vanished and she left without a word.

       That night she sat alone, wishing that she could go see her daughter and her little one. But without Aditya, she couldn't make the journey alone. Her health was uncertain and the doctor had forbidden her to travel alone. She knew Aditya was busy but still her heart refused to come in terms with that. "Ma?" Aditya came and sat near her holding his laptop. "Take that away from me. That is what keeps you busy all the time" she said, pain evident in her voice. "I will Ma. Before that, look at this just once" he said and placed the laptop in front of her. She was about to scold him when the most beautiful sight caught her eyes.

       There on the screen, she saw Spoorthi holding her little one, who was fast asleep. Her tiny fingers were closed tightly in a tiny fist and her face was angelic. The child’s little frame moved steadily with each breath it took. She didn't understand how it was that she was seeing all this but she cherished it. Her eyes welled up with tears of joy. "Bless you my child" she said extending her hand, which were slightly trembling, as if to touch the child and saw her daughter smile in response. And as for Aditya, he knew he would be forgiven. He said a silent thanks to Skype for making it possible!

PS: I had written this story as a part of my internship where I had to write a story based on the positive impact of technology. 

Linking this post to the Ultimate Blog Challenge July 2014 and NaBloPoMo.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

An Incomplete Love Story!

       I still remember the day I first saw her. It was a beautiful rainy day and the weather was so romantic. The rain had just subsided into a quite drizzle and I was playing with the dew drops that had accumulated over night. The sun was rising slowly over the horizon and the dew drops turned a brilliant golden color as the sun rays penetrated through them. I had thought the morning couldn't get any more beautiful but I was proved wrong. It was on such a lovely morning I saw her. She was fragile and small; yet her beauty was breath taking! I was charmed just by looking at her. That day I had swore I would take care of her and protect her from everyone.

       She was everything I was not – beautiful, charming. Her beauty attracted everyone. There wasn't a single person who hated her. They were just waiting for her to grow up, so that they could covet her. But I had sworn I would make sure that no one caused her any harm. I stood by her day and night as her guardian angel whom she trusted blindly. I guess she understood my love for her. We spent every minute together; enjoying the rain or the sun light or sometimes the cool breeze that tingled our senses.  

      And soon came the day when she grew up into a beautiful maiden. If she was beautiful before, now she looked enchanting. Everyone would stop by to appreciate her charm and some even tried to take her away with them. But I taught them all a lesson. After all I was her knight. Our love story was flourishing beautifully until he came by. I recognized him in an instant. He was my enemy; he had taken away the ones I loved even before and now he had come yet again. I wouldn't let him take her this time!

       I fought and I fought with all my might. I cut through his fingers and saw little beads of blood ooze out. He cursed me and took out his weapon; the one he used to kill my kind. In a swift motion of his weapon, we were separated from each other and I lay on the ground taking my last breath. I saw his victorious smile as he took her with him, leaving me behind to die. I had known all along that this would happen someday. After all, everyone wanted her, the beautiful Rose. Who wanted me, the Thorn, which would prick their fingers! I could just hope that the Rose will remain safe, for I could no longer protect her now!

PS: Linking this post to the Ultimate Blog Challenge July 2014 and NaBloPoMo.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

A Love Story, Beyond Forever!

       She jumped the gate cautiously and landed with a slight thud. She moved slowly, her steps guarded. 

       The eerie silence rang in her ears. But she couldn't stop, now that she had come this far! She had to see Max.

       With experienced ease, she found her way, even in dark. 

       Her heart was beating wildly as she saw a light, shining faintly in the distance. "Max" she whispered stretching her hand, trying to reach him. 

       A faint smile crossed his translucent face, before his form faded into night. Her tears dropped on the tombstone where he was sitting seconds ago.

PS: Linking this post to Three Word Wednesday, the Ultimate Blog Challenge July 2014 and NaBloPoMo.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,
Swathi :)

Untold Story of a Fighter!

        I was nervous. It was the first time I would be addressing such a huge gathering. "It will be fine, don't worry" said my mom, who appeared even more tensed than I was. I knew she was re-assuring herself more than me! "Yes mom, it will be fine" I said faking a confidence that I didn't feel within. "I will rock it" I smile and she tries too. "Ma'am everything is ready. They are all waiting for you" says the event organizer and I nod as I take in a deep breath. "This is it" I say myself. This was the day I was waiting for all my life and now finally my dream was coming true. It was the day my first novel would be launched and as a part of this event, I was supposed to read an excerpt of it to the audience. There will be so many people, reporters, cameras! The thought scared me. But the voice in me whispered that if I had come this far, then I can definitely handle this. And that's how, 15 minutes later, I ended up reading the prologue of the novel, which was based on my life story.

       She knew it was the end. She had tried her best but all her efforts were going vain! How long can anyone hold on? Her career, her respect, her love life, everything was at stake. She remembered good old days. Life was so good. Friends, family, love and success, everything seemed to be within reach; just name it and she had it. Caring parents, loving brother, best of the friends and a boy who would do anything for her. Then why was she standing at this place now, alone and away from everything and everyone she loved?

     She knew the answer even before the question ended. It all happened because of a stupid mistake. Because of her stupid desire to take on the world on her own. She had over looked everyone and everything! She had chosen her own path and decided to walk alone. And in the quest, she had lost things that were dear to her. But hadn't she done everything she could to make it right? How much more she had to try? How many times should I try! she thought frustrated.

       'Just once more' came the voice from inside. It was this very voice that had ushered her to walk on this path, that had made her believe in her dreams and chase them. Now it was asking her to go on once again? Would it be worth listening to it? she thought. 'Yes' came the answer. 'I have lost everything already, what more can I lose? I would try just once more, every single time, until I finally succeed' she thought. She stood up and wiped her tears. She smiled tentatively which slowly became genuine and walked out with an air of confidence. This time, she had to do it and show the world what she as capable of!

       I looked up from the book to my audience who were now enthralled by the introduction. I smiled at them. "That was the snippet of a story from my life. A journey of a girl who faced choices that changed her life forever. She could have given up and broken down like many of us do but she chose to fight. And you see the result today. Read more about it in my book" I say and hear the thunderous applause which makes me feel that all the effort I had put in, was worth it! I thank my lucky stars, though I believed more in hard work than in luck! After all hard work was what made me stand here today.

PS: This is a fiction post written in response for BlogAdda's prompt "Your life is going to be made into a novel! Write an introduction for this novel. How will you creatively reflect on your life spent?"

PS: This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda, the Ultimate Blog Challenge July 2014 and NaBloPoMo.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)
   

Wishes - Five Sentence Fiction #9

       "Look mother! The Wishing Flower!" cried the little girl as she ran through the field where hundreds of dandelions stood proudly under the sun, waiting to be wished upon.

       She picked one among them, taking extreme care as if she was afraid to hurt them if she was too harsh and closed her eyes earnestly making a wish.

       Alice stood there witnessing her daughter blow the petals after making the wish, curious as what the kid could have probably wished for.

       "What did you wish for?" she asked once she opened her eyes, unable to contain her curiosity anymore, expecting to hear about wanting toys or chocolate.

     "I wished to be a good girl so you don't send me to school as punishment while playing with my younger sister" answered the kid with an innocence that brought a smile on her face.

       

PS: Linking this post to the Five Sentence Fiction - Wishes prompt.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Loneliness!

        I sit on my bed watching photographs of me and Sameer. I had been doing it from the past few days, re-living every moment captured in those pictures once more - a photograph taken in the park where he was swinging me, our birthday parties, a snap from my cousin’s marriage where I was looking somewhere and he was sneaking a peek at me when my friend had clicked the picture, the walk on the beach where he had proposed to me… That brought a fresh wave of tears. I knew without as much as a glance in the mirror that I looked horrible, eyes swollen and kohl stained cheeks from non-stop crying.

       It was 2 am and I longed to drift into sleep’s oblivion where I could escape from all this pain but sleep wasn't an option. It had been days since I last slept peacefully. My days were filled with a constant internal turmoil. I was on the verge of breaking down but I still smiled on the surface, acting like I was fine in front of others; and no one noticed! I wonder if I was that good of an actress or people just didn't give a damn to observe closely and to figure out how lonely I was. I would break down as soon as I reached the familiarity of my room, the pent up emotions flowing out at once, all pretense vanishing in thin air.

       I look at my cell hoping to see messages from Sameer saying he missed me and scolding me for being so irresponsible. I almost smiled imagining how he would scold me if he saw the state I was in. I was sure he would frown more if I laughed when he was scolding. Ah, I was so desperate to hear his voice once. But I knew I couldn’t. I close my eyes wishing to escape from this all but the images from that night started to flash before my eyes.

       Images of him smiling as he said a bye to me as we returned from the beach. I was beaming with happiness after the proposal. I was smiling as I saw Sameer's name flash on my cell. I had received it thinking how it was just minutes before he had left and he already was calling me; only to be greeted with a news that shook the ground beneath my feet. "Madam the person has died due to an accident. The car driver was drunk and it was a hit and run case. We are calling you as your number was last dialled from this cell. Do you know this person?" I hadn't been able to respond to his questions; I was numb from shock! I couldn't believe how the day had turned out. My Sameer had paid an irrevocable price for someone else's fault; and I still was paying for the same! Memories from that fateful night haunted me as loneliness gripped me hard, enveloping me inside the black void. I cried for my loss, for the twisted joke destiny was playing on me. These days Music is my refuge. I can crawl into the space between the notes and curl back to my loneliness. The only escape I have found from this misery. I knew this memory would haunt me for a life time but for now, I tried to find solace in the music for I knew Sameer hated it when I cried.

PS: This story is fiction and is written in response to Write Tribe's Wednesday Prompt 2014 #18.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Magic! - WOW #11

        "But mumma just one more story please and I promise I will sleep like a good girl" chirped Rose, pleading her mom, eyes filled with enthusiasm. "Fine! Just one" sighed Jane who had been reading stories to her ten year old from past one hour, one after the other for Rose never got tired of listening to it. It had been difficult to cope up with Dave's death but Jane had been working hard keeping Rose oblivious to all the grim happenings.

       Rose was used to hearing fairy tales every night. She was fascinated by them. Snow white, Rapunzel, Fairies and Pixies, she wished they all existed. "Do they exist in real mumma?" she asked her eyes full of hope as her mom tucked her in bed. "They do, as long as you believe in them" said Jane kissing her good night and switching off the lights. Rose lay awake for a long time imagining life with friends. Children of her age didn't like to play with her. They laughed at her when she talked about prince and horses with horns. They thought she was mad. She sighed. Somewhere in between thoughts she fell asleep, wishing fairy tales were real!

       She was woken up in the middle of the night by some noise outside the window. She could see a light shining faintly in the distance. She was curious and tiptoed silently to the window. There she saw a brilliant silver, coming from behind the tree. She didn't know what it was coming from, for the source was hidden behind the tree near the lake but it was so beautiful that she couldn't stop herself. She tried climbing down the window and fell with a low thud. She had little scratches on her hand but she didn't care. She moved towards the tree with lithe steps. The light got brighter and brighter as she moved nearer. Her heart beat fast as she reached the lake. She held her breath as she turned to see the source and almost screamed in excitement and shock! It was a unicorn!!

image source: fromthedeskofmardrag.wordpress.com

     She couldn't believe her eyes. Standing there beside the lake was a beautiful unicorn. She had thought unicorns would be beautiful but how wrong she was! They weren't just beautiful, they were beyond beautiful! The sight was pure magic. She didn't know how long she stood there admiring the beauty of the creature. Suddenly she had an urge to touch it and she slowly started moving towards it. She held out her hand tentatively afraid of scaring away the creature but her fears were vain; the creature bent forward placing its muzzle in her palms. It was so soft that Rose wanted to keep caressing it. "I can take you for a ride if you want. Hop on my back" said the unicorn to a very startled Rose! She knew Unicorns were magical creatures but she hadn't expected them to talk! The night was filled with surprises!

       She climbed on the unicorn quickly, afraid it will vanish in thin air! She didn't want to miss this opportunity. She had dreamt of this all her life when she sat alone watching other kids play. She was excited to see where the magical creature would take her. She held on tight but it wasn't necessary. The creature glided smoothly on the river. If not for the changes in her surroundings, Rose couldn't have made out that she was moving. All the images she had picturized about the magical world started flashing before her eyes but the imaginations of a ten year old were far from reality. She had never made justice to the beautiful fairy world.

image source: ivany86.deviantart.com

       The land was sheer brilliance. Everything there screamed 'Magic'. Mountains stood high majestically as if kissing the sky. The valleys were deep, beyond her vision could see. It appeared as if the land was floating in the middle of no where! The lake was crystal clear, smooth like ice and as it flowed down the valley, it appeared as if milk. Trees stood like dancers welcoming to the land. Grass spread out covering the entire place and beautiful flowers bloomed everywhere. The castle stood amidst this magical land, from where Rose could envision prince charming walking out. She lost track of time. She didn't know how long she was there exploring the 'Magical Kingdom'. She had never been so happy in her entire life!

       Like all things come to an end, it was finally her time to leave. She wished she could live there forever. But she knew she had to leave, for her mom would be worried if she finds her missing. She looked around one last time trying to etch these in her mind, remembering every single thing and held on to those memories tightly on her way back. She reluctantly climbed down the unicorn in front of the lake where all this magic had begun. She caressed its muzzle again and planted a soft kiss on it as she thanked it. Everything around her went blank and Rose felt sleepy all of a sudden.

       "Rose wake up! It's late" She heard her mom say waking her up. She was confused as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. She wasn't sure how she came back; maybe she had dreamt about it all. "Mom I had a beautiful dream last night" said she in all her excitement. "A Unicorn came by and granted me a wish" she went on and on as her mom bathed her. "Oh dear! What happened to my princess's hand?" asked Jane seeing the scratches on her hand! Rose stopped her blabber, shocked for once! It wasn't a dream after all! She truly had seen the Unicorn and the 'Magical Kingdom' last night. Had she? Had the unicorn really granted her a wish? She couldn't believe it! "Mom do you think magic exists in real" asked she again. "It does darling. As long as you believe in it" came the reply. She said it not wanting to break her daughter's dream but little did she know what had happened!

PS: This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)