New Blog

Thought I will make a new blog for my short stories :o)
Coz have plans of writing a few. A few of them now. A few of them later. A few from the past. A few from the present. And definitely a few in the future :o)

The new blog is : http://mittikerang.blogspot.com/

The name is Mitti ke rang. Do u remember the serial mitti ke rang? I loved it. And why i named my blog this?
Because this serial was also of short stories, it was one of my favs, n somehow like this serial, my stories also come out pretty sad :D

Right now, only 2 of my old stories are there. Will be writing a couple more over the next couple of days.
How do i know? Coz my stories are reflections of what I see, feel, observe in my life. So have observed, felt 2 stories during my vacation (will write bout it soon), n so will jot it down :o)

As of now, this post is an invitation to all to visit my new blog site :D

3 days of Life

He lay down on the bed. He wasnt feeling sleepy, inspite of the fact that it had been a tiresome day. But he just wasnt feeling sleepy.
"You know sometimes when you are really tired but then u still dont fall asleep...."
He twisted and turned on his bed. He didnt like not being able to fall asleep.
"Promise me..."
He closed his eyes shut tightly, remembered what a yoga teacher had told him once...empty your mind, and look at yourself as if you are another person, and then feel the person looking at you that is you urself, is rising high, to the ceiling of your room, to the roof of your house, to the top of the building, to up into the sky, to next to the stars...RELAX...n feel yourself falling asleep".
"I wont lose interest..."
He turned again. The relax method wasnt working. Then he tried flooding his mind with other thoughts. Plans, rather, of what he would do tomorrow. Read frontline, call on friends, try n reduce smoking...
"I am falling..."
He opened his eyes. It had been half and hour since he lay down on bed. 3 hours back, he was feeling like sleeping like a log, but now, sleep just wouldnt oblige.
"I dont want to let you go..."

He got up. Walked up to this laptop. Orkut was something he was always logged into. So he started browsing profiles, all the while avoiding the "Search" tab. Willingly and unwillingly, he used that tab everyday, going to the same profile, and then coming back without entering it.
He held himself back this time. After some directionless profile browsing, he cursed himself for not stocking cigarettes.
"I will miss you..."
He shook his head. Trying to force out these images, these voices. He said out loud "aaaaaaaaa...come on...think something else". It seemed to work. He was thinking of the work lying ahead in the coming week. There was a lot to do. He was trying to get all the work he could get his hands on. Try n keep myself busy, was what he said to anyone who would ask.
"Can I hold your hand?"

He smiled. Went back to bed. He knew he wont fall asleep. But then insomnia was now something he had started to live with.

The 3 days of life, the 3 happiest days, would keep coming back. And deep down inside, he didnt want to let them go...those 3 days...

P.S: This is a short story, and has not resemblance to anyone dead or alive :o)

jhoom barabar jhoom

second yr has started with a bang. but then to describe the finer aspects of tuchadom, i would post a different post. today i would devote my undivided attention n praise to Jhoom Barabar Jhoom.

Wat a movie yaar, wat a movie. At the end of the movie, we (the gang ie me, titto, randolf, bhaskar and nisha) we begging for more. i could not beleive that the movie was over. just before the end, there is a scene where amitabh is thinking and fixing up the loose ends of the movie, and he starts laughing. its so amazing (not his laughing) because u feel like he is right there with u, sitting beside u and laughing......at u.....no no....why would he laugh at the audience?

we will come to the laughing part again in the end. now before i begin, i strongly recommend all of u to go and watch the movie. and if for some unholy reason, u r planning not to do so, then read on, or else, some of the fun of the movie wll be lost. but then jbj (jhoom barabar jhoom) is one of those movies where u wont loose the fun and the masti even if u have read a book on the storyline beforehand.

the film starts in a england railway station. abhishek bachan is a punjab ka munda who makes his living in UK doing dunno wat, maybe getting sardars to london. he bumps into preity zinta (oh she is so hot, especially with her new (un)dressing sense :o)) so after some initial hiccups they begin to chat, wahi par kisi food corner mein. then they tell each other their love stories. abhishek loves anaida (lara dutta) who is french pakistani and from paris. lara dutta is hot man, seriously. when she is one screen, at least we four guys are generally silent (giving her our undivided attention). in one scene, she is wearing a nice low cut dress (dunno wat it is caled). titto ne mast bola, ek side assets hai ek side liabilities, dono side balanced n healthy, in fact very healthy :o) neway, so he falls in love after trying to run away from the ritz without paying where she is a manager. they fall in love finally.

preity's love story ka karta dharta hai superman she is visiting madam tussad's where a superman ka putla is about to fall on her, and bobby deol, who is richer than prince charles, saves her. he is a lawyer, and they together sue madam tussad's and win n fall in love (this happens with him carrying her in his arms home, he giving her a ride in his stretch hummer , yes hummer n not limo home, and he massaging her leg on the way, and she making "those" noises on the way...those bole to "oh yeah....give it to me baby...oh yeah...deeper....oh yeah" kind of noises. they were of course grunts of pleasure...er....got from the releif of the sprain pain..u dirty minds...think straight...pretiy zinta hai yaar....thwadi bhabi hai woh )

anyway, so the train arrives, but no it doesnt, and they its late by another hour, so they (abhishek n preity) run around teh station lookin for each other (like in kumbh ka mela). they find each other. then they play a couple of games. preity shows abhishek her butterfly tatto on the upper part of her bosom (oh yeah baby) and gets one done for abhishek also.

then finally the train arrives. they go their ways. exchange numbers. and then receive the people they were waiting for. who are not their fiance`s. so it turns out they both are not engaged, but fall in love with each other.

now preity calls her gay friend for help, and abhishek seeks help from his godfather habib bhai (habib bhai keeps giving some great dialogues....like "god made man, tailor made gentleman" and also "paris se mere liye perfume la, mai khusbu maarta hoon") anyway, after some reels, preity and abhishek decide to turn up in jharokha nights with their fiance`s. jharokha night is a punjabi dance competition with sardars all around. now preity gets bobby deol, who works in her gay friend's optical store to come as her boyfriend (she convinces him by jumpin on his lap and shouting rape rape and recording that one security camera) abhishek brings lara dutta, who is a prostitute named layla.

now the first prize in the dance competition is a trip for two to hollywood. both the couples dance for 15 minutes on the same songs in different musics (see, this is a romantic musical of types...but very different from the hollywood types, much more sleeker). finally abhishek wins, then next day bobby and lara, after "doing it" fall in love, and abhishek goes n proposes to preity, and they kiss on the road.

now the movie is over, but it cant be over without me describing amit ji's role. he has an epic role, never before performed by anyone in the history of indian film industry. his costume, i cant describe. and he is like the sootradhar of the movie, without a single dialogue, but keeps coming from time to time singing the jhoom barabar jhoom. and in the end, as i mentioned he laughs when fixing up the loose ends.














after 3 odd hours of jhoom barabar jhoom, u actually do realize the amitabh is laughing at u, for spending 150 bucks on a friday night to come n see the movie (beech mein mai smokin room jaane ke liye utha tha, lekin saalo ne woh bhi band kar diya)

lekin its the same funda. jab continuously koi peeche se bamboo karega, tab pehle to dard hoga, phir dard hi khatam nahi hoga, par halka halka maja bhi aayega. hence i strongly recommend u go n watch this movie in a hall. its like my college (engg) ka 1st yr mess. it had a deadly combination. mallu food in coconut (read cecenut) oil, and with the occasional worms to add to the delight. uske baad i could eat anywhere in india (china is an expection). sae for this movie. yeh movie hall mein dekh lo, kabhi crib nahi maroge phir kisi movie ke baare mein :o)

Let it go

She stood there, listening to him. He was shouting at the top of his voice, right in the middle of the road. People were turning around and watching them, no one stopping, but many of them with a smirk on their faces, getting satisfaction of the fact that here is a more screwed up couple than we are.

She had known John for 5 years now. They used to study together in college. Soon they became more than just friends. They used to enjoy each other’s company. He was very intelligent and usually topped the class. She was an average student, but always on the forefront of co-curricular activities. They made a sweet couple.

After college, they joined a small firm. It was campus recruitment and they had celebrated on getting into the same firm. It would help them stay close and gradually, she thought, decide on when they want to settle down. They used to meet for lunch, discuss their bosses, their work, the compliments they received, everything. She didn’t really enjoy the work, but then his company kinda compensated for boring hours in office.

In a couple of months, her performance at work began to fall. If you donot like the work, how can u excel in it. So she decided to join another firm working in the field of her interest. She quit her job. During those few days, where she didn’t have a job, John supported her. But his attitude became a bit patronizing. She tried not to notice it, but it always kept pinching her at the back of her mind.

After running in and out of interviews for a month or so, she got 3 final offers with great pay packages. Of the 3, she chose the one with the most interesting job profile. The pay wasn’t the best of the 3, but then after her experience in the last job, she knew wat she wanted.

Her new job was amazing. It involved long hours, but then the work was so interesting that she never thought bout the continuous hours of intense work. But while, she worked so hard, she always found time to spend with John.

Soon, powered by her motivation to work, great performance, and good people skills, she rose up the corporate ladder fast. She represented her firm in a few television interviews too. It became more and more difficult to find time to spend with John, but she didn’t want to lose something so beautiful. She still found time.

John, in the meanwhile, had stagnated in his job. He hadn’t moved, nor had he tried to advance in his job. Apart from the one single promotion, which the firm had to give him due to the number of years he spent there, he had no achievement to his credit. When he went out on dinner with her, he always insisted that he pay. He could not take it that she pay for him. After all, he thought, he had been the one who saw her through her tough times. Had it not been for him, she would not have survived. So he could not stand the fact that in their circle, in office, he began to be known as the guy who hangs around with Mary Le Anne. What? Mary Le Anne, the pretty high-powered executive of Power Enterprises! Boy, is he lucky.

Every couple fights, but their fights began to get nastier now. He would accuse her of adultery, picking up incidents when someone dropped her home from an official party. She tried her best to not lose her calm, but occasionally her composure too gave way. But she believed that things would work out fine. After all, she thought, love would see them through these hard times. And she loved John.

Time passed, and John grew bitter. He always used to come back home early from office, since there no on really gave him any work. He sat in front of the tv, till she was back, and then picked up a quarrel with her. She started spending more and more time in office, even on weekends, just to avoid another quarrel with John.

That day, they decided to go out for a movie. She had thought, ok, lets start all over again, let me try my best. After all, its John. I love him. After some initial grumping, John agreed. They went out. After the movie, when they were walking out, she met a few colleagues. She introduced them to John. He didn’t want to talk to them. So he went aside for a smoke. While he smoked, she and her colleagues were laughing. He heard his name being mentioned somewhere. He could take it no more. He walked up to her, grabbed her arm, pulled her away, and started shouting at her. He accused her of making fun of him in front of her colleagues. He called her names and accused her of adultery, right there, in the middle of the road, in front of everyone.

She stood there, listening to him, as he shouted. His words just bounced back from her ears. After sometime, when he stopped shouting, somewhat pacified by her silence, she walked up to him, looked him in the eye, and walked away. That same day, she moved out to her friend’s place.

John called many times, but she never picked up the phone. She didn’t want to listen to him. She knew it was her mistake. Her mistake that she was the one who always tried to make up after the quarrel; that she was the one who juggled between office and work to find time for her and John; that she was the one who didn’t know when it was enough and to let go.

She wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. She had decided to let go.

Cup-o-Noodles

Ok. My first shot at short stories. Here it goes :o)

He sat back in his small boat and sipped on his beer. It was a beautiful night. The sky was filled with stars and the breeze was gently blowing across his face.

Today was the anniversary. 7 years back, he had started his small shop in Stanley market, selling paintings. Paintings, imitations, all kinds of stuff, from all Chinese artists and painters, contemporary and medieval. His shop wasnt one of those which rustled with customers all the time, but he sold enough to make a good living. He had married 4 yrs back and had a beautiful loving wife. He planned to buy a small house far away from the city, but that would have to wait.

But today, sitting alone on his boat, he wasnt thinking of his shop.

12 years earlier:
The boy completed his art school with flying colours. He stood first in almost every painting competition. But it wasnt about winning or money that made him paint. When he stood in front of the canvas, felt the texture with his fingers, he could visualize wat was going to be in his mind. He lost count of time, hunger, everything.
Painting was his first love.

He set up a small studio in his rented room. From his savings from working part time in Mc Donald's, he bought canvases and colours. He had decided. He will paint for himself, and sell only to people who admired his art. He got himself a small roadside stall in Stanley market. The idea of selling his art on the roadside stall wasnt appealing, but he was sure in a few years, he would be able to afford a nice shop. He didnt use water colours. He despised it. He used oil colours on a canvas of different kind. It was much more difficult and more expensive than water painting. But it was his passion he was investing in. His love. And soon, he wouldnt have to think about money since his paitings would fetch the right price.

He sold his first painting. It was was small piece of art, showing a chinese girl, lonely in her garden. It was richly coloured and the expression in the eyes of the girl was what showed her loneliness. It was beautiful, and he felt it was one of his better creations. The buyers were an English couple. They bargained with him for almost half and hour. And finally bought the painting for half the price he had quoted. He would have never sold it. But they were the 4th set of customers and the others were not even willing to pay half the price. The landlady had asked for rent almost 3 times and the look on her face told him that there wont be a 4th time.
When he got the money, there was a mixed feeling. One of happiness and sorrow. Happiness, because this was his first income from living his passion. Sorrow, because he didnt appreciate people bargaining for his paintings. Didnt he put in hours of sleepless nights and hungry days to create these beautiful creations? But he knew times would change.

After paying the rent, he had just enough money to buy his regular food for weeks now. Cup-o-noodles. He didnt even recognize the taste anymore. But then, all this would change. He knew it.

Days went by. Weeks. Years. Everytime he sold his paintings for a price lesser than they deserved, he felt he had betrayed himself. He felt these people are not here to appreciate the art. They just wanted something to hang up on the walls of their living rooms. He felt deceived. But times would change.

It had been 5 yrs. He still lived in the same room. After paying for the rent, and for the canvas and colours, he had just enough to survive. No patron had ever come his way who really appreciated his art. This wasnt something they taught in art school. All those prizes he had won. All the applause, the appreciation...was that a lie? He sat in his small stall thinking.
That night he closed his stall, and walked back to his room. It was a very silent night. He had heard the shopkeeper of the next stall saying there is going to be a storm. It was a long walk back to his room. He reached the store where we bought his groceries from. He knew his way well inside the shop. He always walked the same way to the cup-o-noodles rack. But today wasnt like always. He walked around the shop. Not really looking at anything. He didnt want to go to the cup-o-noodles rack.

He walked out of the shop. He walked to the ferry piers. The wind was strong. It was beating against his face. There was a restaurant just across the street. The aroma of delicious dim shum filled the air. He made a decision. He ran to his room. Folded up the canvas, put the brushes and paints in a bag. It was enough. He had had enough. He walked back, fast, determined, to the ferry pier. One last look at his love. And without a word, he threw it, with all his might, far into the sea.

He stopped painting. He got the imitations of other paintings, paintings that would look beautiful in the living room. He quoted high prices, and then brought them down to make a nice margin. Soon he moved into a new shop.

Today, 7 yrs later, he sat thinking about that day when he had given up his passion. He had let the world take away from him his first love. He had compromised.

He wanted to take a walk. He walked along the ferry piers. He didnt know where to. He just wanted to walk. He came across his regular grocery store. He didnt have to buy anything. But still he went in. He wandered around the store. He stopped in front of a rack. He stood there for a minute or two, picked up a cup-o-noodles, paid and left.