-
The Unheard Voices | Short story 6
The Unheard Voices | Short story 6
Somewhere in the midst of the chaos what is missed, are the voices which smoothly flow down through our way without disturbing us or making their presence felt. The beauty of life is to live these unheard voices and feel that living. In this generation of ours, the feeling is what we crave for as that is the thing being missed from our lives. We are able to see, observe and understand what is shown to us and we conclude. We miss understanding the feeling of the unseen part, the unknown truth, and the unheard voices.
…
The walk in the metro is clustered by the fights and laughter but what is seen yet ignored are the eyes of the guy sobbing for his lost job, the girl crying on the last seat for the fight she had with her boyfriend. The bargaining with the roadside vendors is something we notice but fail to observe the happiness in their eyes when they earn.
The glare of our parents is taken as a sign of their anger but what is missed are the tears in those eyes when we achieve something in life. The father who gifted his son a new bike on his birthday got his sons’ happiness but what the son failed to see was the money that he had to borrow from his neighbour for the bike. The schoolboy rejected the geometry box which his mother brought for his studies and asked her to replace it with the one his friend was carrying. What he failed to understand was the mother was suffering from asthma walked 2 km to get a new geometry box for her son and saved 5 Rupees of the rickshaw.
These voices are loud and more painful than laughter and fights. But they affect adversely. They impact deeply. They make us realize that apart from the thoughtless discussions, meaningless laughter and the aimless vision which we are chasing and going out for are not the only ones that define the living, the actual one lies in the unheard voices which we should look for but eventually fail to appreciate.
@ramta jogi
*********************************
Connect to us @
For more poetry, @ Ramta Jogi Poetry
-
The Deal | Short Story 2
The Deal | Short Story 2
It was a cold day on the 23rd of December 2015. The atmosphere and the song coupled with the view outside his room filled a sense of euphoria and languish in him. Karthik feigned playing the guitar for the entire length of the song. He looked at the mountains visible from his windows and pretended they were his audience and that whatever he played would echo back to him like how sometimes people at concerts do.
When Coldplay’s “fix you” was over, the next song that started playing was Carlos Santana’s “Europa”. Halfway through this song whatever euphoria was left had vanished. Karthik almost fell out of his window as he saw a cloaked figure in the reflection of the mirror of his cupboard. The figure was standing right near where his back was resting. “What the hell? How did you get in here?
Mom!”
“Relax child. You forgot that you are alone right now. I am not here to hurt you boy. I am merely going to grant you your wish. Do you not wish to be a virtuoso?” said the cloaked figure. Karthik remained silent looking at the darkness where the face is supposed to be. “Lets us not waste any more time and I will tell you things as they are. I am the messenger of death here to offer you a deal. I shall give you what you want. You will be able to play the instrument of your choice like a master.
I shall give you that knowledge and the hands of a maestro. In return, I want ten years from your life. You will die ten years early than you are destined to. I will not tell you how long you will live even though I know it exactly”. The figure took out its arm as if to shake hands. They were eerily human-like even though it wasn’t human. “What do you say, boy? It’s now or never. I am just here to respond to your lament. Don’t you want to play music in these mountains?”
“I do”
and he put out his hands to shake. The deal was made. Karthik ran out immediately to the instruments store and purchased the best guitar his pocket money could buy. He took a rickshaw to the nearest sunset point and hiked towards a secret cliff that only he knew the way to. Post that he tuned his guitar and stood there playing songs from afternoon to the evening and right towards the night. He played with all the passion and teary-eyed. He played till his fingers bled. At 12:30 AM, the mountains echoed no more.
— By Anant Pillai
The Deal | Short Story 2
*********************************
Connect to us @
For more poetry, @ Ramta Jogi Poetry
-
Take Care! |Life Blog
Take Care | Life Blog
The free flow, the collision and the flowing back; the water created all the chaos but still at that moment it was silent. The night was endearing. The sparkling brightness of the stars was at its peak. The moon blossomed adding to the beauty of the night. In the white mud with tiny pebbles scattered all around, they breathed a pleasant air which the water brought with its flow. The beach was creating magic. Everything around them was perfect.
In the white gown wrapped around her body, with a golden bracelet on her one wrist and a beautifully designed watch on the other, mascara decorating her eyes, she was sitting there and breathing the air of happiness and freedom. Her face was glowing seeing the rush of water touching her feet. Each time the drops caressed her feet, chirpy laughter with an everlasting smile came to her face. She seemed like a small girl clapping and laughing in her own joy irrespective of what was going around.
And there he was, sitting in the white shirt perfectly ironed and tucked in the elegant black pants. Both hands in the mud to lay support, he was continuously looking at her and living the moment. Her laughter kept a continuous smile on his face. He too was living the moment in her. They knew what was to follow and but they did not want to think about it. It was their day and at that time it was their moment which they were living.
….
Soon she turned her face and saw him watching her. She stared for a while and laughed. Seeing her laughter he smiled again. Their faces found it difficult to turn around and look towards the sea. As long as they looked towards each other, even the time found it hard and difficult to move on. A sudden wave of cold breeze finally made her turn around; he still held his face the same.
The silence was not killing the moment, instead, it was making the moment and was taking it to the new highs. Her hand waved to let the particles of mud move out from them and her eyes started gazing on her fingers. She smiled seeing her engagement ring and started playing with him. Even in that dark hour, her face was glowing. In the same moment was heard a deep sound of a train horn followed by a movement of the train. The rails were expected to be nearby.
Finally, after taking it out and wearing again, she fixed it in her finger and gave a sudden look towards him. He was still in the same posture smiling on her very actions. He was very much aware of her playing with the ring.
“I think it’s time to go”
she said in the most innocent voice. And without any reply, he stood up and gave his hand to her to do the same. They started walking. Finally getting their legs wet on the seashores, they made their way towards their car.
The car stopped outside her place. He sat there without moving out. She silently went to her gate and turned back, asking
“Will you be there for?”
“No. Leaving tomorrow. Don’t know when I will return” he replied even before letting her complete the question.
With a goodbye smile, his car left. She stood there with a smile on her face and tears in his eyes. Somewhere down in herself, she knew this answer.
Years later, the same old city of their welcomed them. In sophisticated dresses, poised etiquette, and formal smiles they met again. In a function filled with many of their known, they met each other. She was joined by her husband and he was their still alone. They faced each other and were not able to talk. Both had stories to tell, memories to share, emotions to show and words to flow. But nothing happened. The eyes were beginning to turn wet and lips went numb. The relation between them was yet not defined but now it didn’t matter even. Before the eyes start to flow its emotions out, they both decide to bid again a goodbye with no hopes and expectation to meet again.
“Take care” both uttered the words together
Somewhere between the deep chaos of the waves and the deep silence of the continuously murmuring people at the function, they knew that their love has survived the test of time.
*********************************
Childhood | English Poetry
Connect to us @
For more poetry, @ Ramta Jogi Poetry
-
The Walk | Short story
The Walk | Short story
The beginning
The lane was devoid of any noise. Sheer silence prevailed as if the beautiful words of a poetess had mesmerized the people, leaving them numb with awe. The darkness of the night began to spread its arms, engulfing the light of the sun. Braving the night stood a street lamp at a distance whose light beautified the night with its glow. With their hearts throbbing, they walked together. Each step drawing them closer to the lamp. Each step asking them questions, and urging them to open up. The fortuitous silence paved the way for things unspoken. It wanted them to look into each other’s eyes. It wanted those eyes to flow, to tell each other about their dreams, their desires.
Perhaps it wasn’t the day for talking. The chilly, wintry night was paying homage to their love. The gentle refraction of the light revealed their faces. In a traditional yellow dress, she looked like a princess. Her eyes glittering; of course, she was emotional. Those eyes could have been stars in the sky, but tonight they were here, right in front of him. Her curly hair looked like a deep dark forest. And there he was; with his off white shirt, half tucked in his faded jeans.
The flow..
As the light of the lamp brightened her face, he looked at her through his frameless glasses. As a momentary smile came to their faces, dark clouds mounted in the night sky, adding more chill to the already cold atmosphere. The stars disappeared behind the clouds, and so did the moon, desperately trying to lighten the sky. Her fair face jewelled in the light of the lamp, and clouds did nothing to the glitter in her eyes. Her smile made a beautiful dimple in her cheek, adding immense charm to her personality. As they stared each other, their eyes began to talk. Their hands drew closer to each other, and then she immersed her hands into his. The scene was picture perfect. It seemed as if a lovely story was about to unfold, with the night, the lamp and the sky being a silent audience.
They came closer, so close that they could feel the warmth of each other’s breath. Their lips caressed each other as they exchanged a soft kiss. Enclosing each other with their arms, they hugged. They stood there that way for minutes. She gripped him tightly, resting her head against his chest. He held her tighter, she belonged to him. They loosened their holds and spoke softly near each other’s ear.
“It’s over…”
The words that were supposed to distance them instead brought their hearts closer. They stood there in the same position, both knew that it was supposedly the end. It was the end of their togetherness, the end of the emotions they shared, end of the countless memories they were a part of. He was about to get married in the coming months, while she will have to search for a life which would define her, and give her an existence of her own without his support.
Conclusion..
What went wrong? Who was to be blamed? These were questions that mattered no more. Probably it was destined to end. They wanted to end it with a smile. But smiles weren’t ready to grace their faces at that moment. Holding back tears was the priority. With every passing minute, dark became darker. It was time they should leave. With heavy hearts, they moved apart in opposite directions. They tried to force a smile on their faces which became wet with tears. No more words could be spoken. The hands left each other slowly, well aware of the fact that they can’t be held together ever again. With a lot of courage, they turned their backs towards each other and left. Their story of a beautiful journey together ended. They were able to hold their tears back, but the sky couldn’t. It rained that night.
@ramta jogi
Edited by: Akshay Toplay
*********************************
Childhood | English Poetry
Connect to us @
SUBSCRIBE us on Youtube
For more poetry, @ Ramta Jogi Poetry
-
The photograph | Short story | Love
The photograph | Short story | Love
-Revealing the Un-revealed
The Beginning
On the table were lying memories. Different pictures captured at different times, different age and with different people, each telling a story of its own. Ananya gazed at them all as if she was living them in her eyes there and then yet again. But it was difficult; it was her past, unheard by many around her, in her presence. Some she had forgotten about, and some she desperately wanted to forget. This was not the first time she was going through these pictures. She wanted to know why many of her precious moments ended and still, she was happy with her life. She searched for her curiosity amongst those memories.
There was a photograph of her with Anant; her boyfriend during schooldays whom she had met for the first time in Dehradun. A tall, dark and handsome guy with whom she fell in love the very first time they met and dream of a life together. They were just 17. Love seldom showcases understanding, sometimes it just creates an aura of happiness. The same aura, Ananya was living in, then. The surrounding was blurred to them. She had her first kiss with him. Time went by and maturity knocked the doors, teenage was about to end. Who did what? Was that right? Who was wrong? What mattered and whatnot, everything needed a justification. Things began to change slowly and were never the same.
Memories
She picked up another photograph; Anuja, her best friend at college, who always stood by her in her highs and lows. Enjoyed with her in the hay-days and cried in her sorrow. She was her sole support in the 3 years of college at Delhi. Anuja and Ananya spent most of their time gossiping together. But as she began to realize what her life was meant for and what she should do to make it worthwhile, her priorities changed and so did the people around her. With her changed approach, she had to juggle her life between her best friend and her future, ultimately the relation did not work out.With her eyes wet, she kept the photograph down and searched for something which could make her smile.
She picked up the photo of her teddy bear, which made her wonder who gifted it to her. It was Ansh, her online friend. She met him on a social networking site, who made his way into her life, first through Whats App and then through Skype. At that time, she was working in Kolkata, which also happened to be her hometown. At this stage, she did not want a relationship but was eager to keep herself engaged in some activity apart from work.
Marriage was not on her cards at least for the next 2 years and so came Ansh. She met Ansh, and gradually their proximity grew. She dated him for a year. When she was with him, she felt liberated. She lost herself within him. She lived this phase of life. It made her more mature and independent. In an effort to feel free, she missed the part of understanding the person in her life. Her constraints of not entering in a relationship and still to be with Ansh confused her and that confused her relationship with hi. She never convinced herself and so knowingly or unknowingly things ended yet again.
Finally, she kept the pictures aside.
She realized how something that was once a part of her, does not exist today. Whether it was her first kiss in school with Anant, her sloshed state with Anuja, or losing her virginity with Ansh; each moment was an integral part of her life, which added some spice, excitement and thrill to her life and made her feel ecstatic. But none lasted. Going through the scattered set of pictures she realized how it was not the end in a true sense.
They always changed their direction and got lost somewhere, with a hope of returning in future. She slowly began to feel good that how she should not be sad as nothing had actually ended in the real sense. The end comes with the closure of certain things or certain people in your life. But that is what the dilemma of life is; the only thing that ends in life is life, rest everything continues, either in present or in memories of the past or in the hope of a better and brighter future.
Finally..
She was neither regretting them nor was she satisfied with letting them wave off in the ocean and reaching different shores. Instead, she understood how the memories that the pictures brought back were to make her understand the importance of time and how in each phase of life, each experience mattered and did well to her without affecting her present.
She searched through them once again, and a picture brought a smile to her face finally. Bringing it close to her and kissed it. She found an empty photo frame. She made her way towards it and put a picture in it. It was of her and her husband with whom she had an arranged marriage. She just had spent over a year with him but still, he was very important to her. What was the thing which made her choose him over others, she never understood?
She didn’t understand whether she loved him more than Anant or Ansh. Whether she was guilty of not telling him about her past, she never thought of it. She was finally happy with the answers she got. She understood there will be no end to any of the relations she lived; the only end will be that they will be one of these clicked pictures and she wanted to be clicked with a smiling face.
The door knocked, and she realized it was her husband, keeping all the pictures back in the old bag; where she thought the pictures actually belong and leaving them in the storeroom, she went to open the door.
@ramta jogi
*********************************
Childhood | English Poetry
Connect to us @
SUBSCRIBE us on Youtube
For more poetry, @ Ramta Jogi Poetry
