Sometime In Life...

Neha was so used to Gaurav’s amity and was so naively getting involved into him that she turned down the proposal to go out with Aditya for a cup of coffee. She wanted to spend that time with Gaurav and hence she approached him by giving him a call. Gaurav was her college friend and now a colleague in one of the Event Planning Firms. When she called him, Gaurav was so busy in packing his bag and hence didn’t apprehend that his phone was vibrating. Neha tried again and again, his phone was just vibrating and not ringing stridently and hence, again, her efforts were of no use. Thinking that her beloved is in problem, she started worrying and was not able to focus on anything else. Calling any of his friends and family members, who were not staying in the same city as his, was useless since he was living alone in his house. Being helpless, she was endlessly trying his number and, alas, was getting no results. She was then so uncomfortable that she left home to go to his residence and see what had happened.
Gaurav, a very real and a humble guy, was uniformly in love with her. While packing his bag, he was thinking of her only. He was planning to go to a site, which was in other city, to gather client’s requirements for their upcoming event. He was planning to stay there for a week and was then supposed to be back. He was so used to Neha’s company that he was not sure about how should he stay there without her. While he was in deep thoughts of Neha’s, a door-bell rang. Coming out of his room and heading towards the main door, he opened it. Seeing Neha in front, he was astonished, delighted and was much pleased. Giving her a very warm smile he welcomed her in. Seeing him safe and sound, she came to an ordinary state. Without saying a word, she went inside, straight to his room and started searching his phone. After searching for it for around 5mins, she got it, it was covered under all the clothes and then under a pillow. She understood a cause behind all unpicked calls. All the missed call notifications which were displayed on his cell, earned her a scowl. She was a little bit angry but was not willing to scold him. She was furious but not willing to snap his head off. She was expecting him to say something but he was so engrossed into reading her expressions that he didn’t say a single word. He was keenly observing every line of her face and was trying to read if any of her expressions were proving her true love for him. He was pleased to see her care and her attachment towards him. Neha’s expressions were then back to normal and she was curiously looking at him since he was not saying a solitary word. Thinking that she had overreacted and scaring a little bit, she tried covering her already hidden love for him. Her heart beats were raised a little bit since she got a strange vibe from him. Gaurav now wanted to appreciate her care, her love. His love for her pushed him towards her. Gaurav moved forward, held her hand and gently pulled her towards himself. She didn’t realize anything for a moment and then recognized that she was into much needed arms of her love. Knowing this, her heart beats hit the highest point. Gaurav wanted her to look into his eyes and show her comfort and approval for that much unexpected intimacy. Neha did the same thing. Being highly thrilled, he tightened his hug and covered her completely. Gently catching her lips into his lips and then taking himself out of the lip tie, he tried checking her consent. Neha was almost into a different world. She almost did not understand what was happening, she was just feeling safe and being loved by her darling. Listening to her implicit agreement, he caught her lips, then, this time more tightly and with more desire. Neha, with her closed eyes, was at ease and was then letting him to be closest to her.Continuing their smooch for a considerable time they both enjoyed each other’s comfort and affection.
Being on the verge of coming out of the situation, Neha opened her eyes, which were completely filled with her love for him. Looking at him, she slowly moved her hand onto his face. Gaurav was thrilled and was substantially happy. He understood that the girl he loved so much was equally in love with him. Without saying a word, they both confessed their love for each other. Tightening his hug, he put his head on her shoulder. Both of them were feeling comfortable, blessed and contented. Her hug was showing her love and care for him on the other hand his hug was denoting his authority on her, giving her a feeling that she was being shielded by him. Gaurav’s cell phone, which escorted both of them to come forward and showcase their love, witnessed the strongest feeling they both had for each other. The strongest love, the strongest bond which everyone experiences at some time in life....  

Daddy's little girl...

Without saying a single word, Divya was holding her phone by her ear since last two minutes. Gradually, her eyes filled up with tears and her phone fell down from her hand. Being miserably shocked, she sat down on her bed. She was clueless, helpless and was not sure what should she do subsequently when her dad met an accident and was admitted to a hospital by a spectator. Controlling her flowing emotions, she made herself stand and left the home to reach the hospital.

After reaching there, she heavily pulled herself towards reception and inquired about her father. She was told that she could find him on the fourth floor. Without waiting for a lift to arrive, and almost by running through stairs, she reached the fourth floor. There was a general ward and a list of the people present in there was displayed outside in a showcase. She could successfully find her dad's name there, against bed number 8. She ran inside to see him; however, there was nobody there on Bed-8. Distressed Divya came back towards showcase to double check the Bed number. The details seemed to be correct; however, her dad was not present there. With a damaged heart, she started weeping standing outside the ward. She was not able to find her dad anywhere even though his name was reflecting on the list. She wanted to know where he was and hence she started moving and asking people around. A ward boy standing outside did notice her and asked her who she wanted to meet. She directed him to the sheet displayed and asked him about where she could find her father. He told her in a low voice that her dad had a heavy blood loss and hence had been shifted to ICU on the sixth floor. Without waiting for a single moment she ran towards the sixth floor. There was a single ICU unit on Sixth floor and a doctor was standing outside, keenly observing few reports. She peeped inside from the glass door and she could see her beloved father lying on the bed with an oxygen mask and a saline attached to him. Seeing him in that position, Divya could feel as if she was all helpless and all alone in this world. She moved to the doctor and started an interaction with him by introducing herself. After a quick chat with the doctor, she understood that her dad needed blood with blood group A+. The doctor was trying his best to get it from outside since it was not available in his hospital; however, he wanted her to get that if she could.

Understanding the situation well, she called almost all of her friends and relatives to see if anybody could help. Some of them did assure to check and get back to her. Feeling very helpless and impatient, she left the hospital and decided to visit the nearby blood banks. As she left the hospital, there was a very heavy traffic outside. Driving her moped, she was trying to find out a way from an intense traffic. The vehicles were forming a long queue and were almost immovable. Since it was to take a long time to break the traffic; she parked her moped wherein she could get an empty place and started running through the road. She knew a blood bank which was almost 7 KMs from there. Deciding to reach there as soon as possible, she started running with the peak potential speed. She put all her energy; she knew that she could not live without her father. While she was running she was going through a memory lane and replying all her lovely memories with him. She did stop in between to refuel the energy and then started running faster than before. While she reached there she had almost lost all her energy. She was very much drained and was hardly in a position to speak up a word. Keeping herself hard and controlling her fatigue, she asked there for a 250 ml of A+ blood. The owner was not sure whether he had it and hence asked her to wait while he was searching. He accidentally got one bag. Asking her 1200 rupees for the same, he put the bag on the counter. She was glad to see the bag, putting two notes of 500 and 1000 rupees each on the counter she quickly disappeared from there. By the time she came out of the Blood Bank, there was no hint of a heavy traffic outside. She instantly boarded an auto and reached the hospital. Again without waiting for a lift, the girl took stairs to reach the sixth floor.  The doctor was standing outside of the ICU, again reviewing few of her dad's report. Looking at the blood and at Divya, doctor astonishingly smiled. He took a bag from her hand and went inside without saying a word.

Divya took a seat at a chair which was just kept along with a table, outside an ICU, closer to a window. Doctor had already told her that her dad's reports were critical and though doctors were trying their best, it was quite difficult for him to survive. It was complicated for her to digest this thing that her dad who taught her how to fight until the last minute of life, was then himself fighting for his life. He taught her to not to give up ever and it was then his examination. His daughter was then going to see if her father would fight and overcome the situation. All her strengths, her bravery were his gift to her. Her smart act, sharpness, and the presence of mind were all her dad's tuition to her. She started remembering all the situations wherein her father scolded her, hugged her, joked with her and taught her many other things. She started recalling all the moments which she enjoyed with him. It was him who had made her very ambitious and hence determined. He was responsible for her firmness and decisiveness. Her dad made her feel so special. Following her dad's pampering, she never gave an importance and a place in her life to any guy. She was exceptionally sure that her dad would find her the best match in the world. The pain she was feeling after recalling all the memories was wordless. It was as if she was feeling somebody had taken her heart out of her body. She was crying so much but no voice was coming out. Her sound was blocked at her throat. Her eyes were so tightly closed that as if those were pulled by somebody from inside. She was energy less and was feeling of dying before hearing anything bad about her beloved father who was her life. 

After a long time, a doctor came out and was about to share something with her. She got up and went close to him. Doctor removed his hand-gloves, his cap, and his glasses. He stood quite for a minute and then whispered something. Divya was very tired since she cried a lot and hence none of his words were audible to her. She had no energy to ask him back anything. Doctor had almost understood her situation, making her seat on a chair he started saying something again. This time it was clearly audible to her. She did hear doctor's comment, however, had no resilience to react upon. Tears started flowing from her eyes. She was not sure what that feeling was which she had just been through after hearing doctor's remark. Giving out a sigh of relief, she lied down on the table. Her dad was out of danger, he had won the fight against death, and he stood by whatever he taught to his daughter. He didn't give up till the end. She was then relaxed, her blocked voice came back, she could then completely open her eyes, there were still tears in her eyes – well those were tears of happiness. The credit for taking her dad out of death's jaws was definitely standing with her. She had done it for herself, for her life, for her happiness, for her father. She went close to ICU, peeping inside from glass, she silently started observing him. His face seemed to be slightly joyful as if he knew that his sweetheart ran for his life. Seeing that, daddy's girl, daddy's little girl was pleased, was very much pleased.

Aamchi Mumbai

Being an introvert and a very shy person, Ashwin, a young and independent boy always liked the unvoiced surroundings and a non-crowded space. He used to avoid public transports and always preferred his own car while traveling. Staying away from the crowd was then his habit. Sometimes he used to be proud of his money, his high-level education, standing in society and had a mercy sentiment for poor and middle-class families.

On a very fine day; a little bit self-righteous Ashwin landed into Mumbai for one of his friends’, Rohan’s, wedding. Mumbai, with a habit of accommodating everyone coming to it, welcomed him with a big crowd. Ashwin stayed at a hotel near Churchgate and was supposed to move down to a place near Borivali on a very next day for a Wedding ceremony. He was not very keen to be in Mumbai since he knew that Mumbai was known for holding a big mass, something which he always had avoided. But he was helpless. Rohan was one of his best friends during college days and he himself wanted to meet Rohan and wish him good luck for his future. After spending a night at a high priced hotel, next day morning Ashwin boarded a Cab and left for the Wedding.

Unfortunately, the Cab got punctured exactly in front of Churchgate Station. Ashwin was irritated and got down of the cab. While he was worrying on how should he proceed further, the cab driver suggested him to either wait for fifteen minutes or to take a local train till Borivali. Ashwin strongly denied the second option and confirmed his agreement to wait for some time. While he was waiting, he tried to book another cab online, however, due to slow network response, it too was taking long. After around fifteen minutes, driver sadly approached Ashwin and mentioned that another tire too was completely out of effort. Ashwin was exceedingly annoyed; he messaged few of his friends to pick him up while none of them replied. Since taxies standing outside of the station were able to provide service till Bandra only; the driver was consistently convincing him to take a train. Ashwin was dense and helpless. Since he had no other alternative, he started walking toward the Churchgate station along with the driver. The driver helped him to get a ticket and took him to the platform. The train was peacefully standing there as if it was waiting for Ashwin to move in. He stepped into the train and sat very uncomfortably on the seat next to the door. On the following second, the train started slowly moving and left the Churchgate Station. To his surprise, a guy who seemed highly educated was sitting on the front seat, facing Ashwin. That guy was wearing a blazer and was reading something from a file; he was also carrying a laptop with him.

Ashwin was damn astonished and wondered how come to a guy who seemed to be qualified and to be from corporate world could travel through a local train and could be so comfortable in it. He thought may be that guy was there because of the same situation that Ashwin was going through. Ashwin tried to be comfortable and started looking at some other people from the same compartment. He could see another man wearing a better and a costlier blazer than that guy’s, holding an expensive mobile in his hand and looking out of the train window. Ashwin was again amazed and looking at these two guys he started feeling relaxed. To Ashwin’s attention, there was a very simple and a beautiful girl sitting at the diagonally opposite seat of his. Her big earrings and her look in Pink Salwar Kameez made him timidly smile. Ashwin was then much adjusted in the train and started monitoring almost everybody from the compartment. There was a group of college students standing at the door of the train and enjoying the slow blowing wind. There were two old men sitting in the next compartment, which was visible from Ashwin’s place. Those two men were wearing very average clothes, indicating their weak monetary status, and were eagerly waiting for the next station which was Marin Lines. After the next Station’s name was announced, those two got up and got ready to get down by assertively standing at the door. Ashwin was stunned to see the strength and the endurance they both had. The train stopped at the Marine Drive, dropped a mob of people there, picked up another mob and left the Station.

Then the strength of compartment was increased. In that mob, he came across a girl who was wearing very stylish glasses, a very fancy jeans and a black colored t-shirt, carrying a bright yellow colored handbag and boldly standing near the door. The wind coming in was blowing her hair, making her more attractive. Ashwin stared at her for some time and again get back to his inspection work. There were people coming in and moving out at each station. To his realization, the soft sound of the bangles was coming from the other corner of the compartment, there was a lady sitting there along with a big bag of hers and with her two kids, whom Ashwin found very cute. The elastic sound of her bangles, the wind flowing through the windows and doors, presence of people in the compartment who were working in Corporate Industries and having almost the same level of education as he had, two beautiful girls in the same compartment and a company of a gang of college guys happily giggling and making the ambiance cheerful made him much more relaxed. 

He was now enjoying the travel and the untold, unfolded and invisible company of all his compartment-mates. Stations were passing by and Ashwin, unknowingly, was getting closer and attached to the ambiance and the so-called ‘crowd' of the Local Train Dabba. At Bandra, the strength of the compartment increased drastically. Ashwin could see few ladies standing. The ladies were seemed to be uneducated .Being courteous; he stood up and gave his seat to one of them. While he was standing, he could see that few people from next compartment were sharing their tiffin, some from there were busy in group-chat and few were putting in earphones and enjoying songs. There were no traces of any discomfort and all were happily spending time, same as they spend time at their homes. In next few minutes, Ashwin could hear the announcement on the name of Borivali station. He realized that it was then a time for him to get down of the train. He moved to the door, stood there and looked back at the compartment. There was nothing left behind, but still, there was something missing. The train stopped at Borivali and as per convention, there was a group of people trying to enter in. Ashwin managed to come out without any irritation. 

As he came out he saw few of his friends, whom he messaged on their cell phones to pick him up from Borivali, waiting to receive him for Rohan’s wedding ceremony. They all headed to a car and a car started. Ashwin was not willing to come out of the thoughts of a Local Train Dabba. With all rudeness, irritation, hesitation, arrogance he had started his Local train travel and when he came out, none of those feelings remained. That short travel taught him all meaningful things. He understood that the poor-rich split, educated-uneducated distinction, simple-stylish differences, age level differences were nowhere present. All people traveling were humans and there was no other noticeable quality within them. He came to a conclusion that – the city accepts everybody who comes in and as for how he or she is. There is no criterion to be a Mumbaikar other than to be into Mumbai and to run with the speed it runs with. It teaches everybody how to be patient, how to be strong, how to fight and how to stand back even if you fall down. He understood that the so-called ‘crowd' was formed because of a big kindness, of one of the chief cities of India, of accepting everybody coming to it. The Mumbai visit taught him something he might not have understood in his lifetime. Ashwin was then looking refreshed, satisfied and very happy. And why shouldn't he be?  He achieved something, he experienced the universally accepted truth, he understood the meaning of ‘Aamchi Mumbai’.

The Immortal Bond

    

    Meera was all alone on the road and was walking towards her home. Her silver toe ring, the only ornament she had, was making a periodic sound as she was walking the road with bare feet. Her long brown curls were tied very neatly. A small red Bindi on her forehead was complementing her dusky skin tone. She was in her favorite purple saree, the only worth wearing saree she had. There was a big box containing lanterns on her head. She used to stride very fast while going home but her today's walk was rather slow. After spending two consecutive sleepless nights to prepare paper lanterns, Meera's hopes, to get money by selling lanterns, had raised. Conversely, she was not able to get rid of any of the lanterns. Meera was extremely upset and was into bottomless thoughts of her four-year-old - Shiva. Shiva was eagerly waiting to get new clothes since last six months and Meera had already promised him to buy the one on Diwali which was hardly two days after from then.

        As she reached home, Shiva ran towards the door and opened it. He already knew that his mother was coming. Her toe ring sound was quite loud and made him always know his mother’s arrival. Shiva was sure that his mother would have got new clothes for him. Thinking of new clothes, he was so excited that he brought a glass of water for his mother before she came inside. She entered in the house, kept the box down and gave him an innocent smile. While his mother was having water, he started checking the box to see if she had bought new clothes and had kept them inside the lantern box but he could not find anything inside the box apart from lanterns. He was deeply hurt but didn't show his sadness on his face. Meera was noticing his actions and could understand his feelings. She didn't say anything as she was helpless and went inside to cook something for dinner. Shiva went outside and sat alone staring at other kids playing around.

         That day after their dinner, Meera started making new lanterns with more intense colored papers, hoping that intense colors would attract people. That night was again a sleepless night for her. She got ready in the next day morning, wearing the same purple saree and left her house to put up lanterns for sale. The place where she used to advertise her lanterns was a road signal and it was almost forty five minutes away from her house. That day Meera could sell only two lanterns and earn forty rupees. Her son's new clothes priced Rs.  220, she was again very disappointed and came back home with a deadly face. Before she was at the door, hearing the toe-ring sound, her beloved son opened the door. She avoided eye contact with her son and went straight inside to cook something. Shiva understood everything and convinced himself to spend Diwali without new clothes. He was all the way trying to hide his sorrow from his mother ;Meera was trying to hide her frustration from her son but they both were unknowingly failing to do so. That day Meera had no dinner, after making her son consume some food they both slept. Next day it was Diwali, she got up early and taking her lantern box she left home.

      That day, fortunately, she was able to get rid of few of her lanterns. It could make her earn only hundred rupees, though. With a heavy heart, she left for the day and picked up the usual road to go home. There was nobody on the road apart from her but her toe-ring sound was accompanying her. After an hour or so she reached home and called Shiva, almost twice -thrice, to open the door. He opened the door; she went inside, kept her lantern box down and took out a bag out of it. Shiva was curiously looking at his mother as he was not sure of her proceedings. She handed over the bag to her son. Shiva peeped inside the bag and was more than surprised to see it. The bag had not only new clothes but also crackers. He was extremely happy. He hugged his mother and very exaggeratedly started dancing. Meera was much energized; she was laughing a lot looking at her four-year old. She was satisfied and relaxed. Shiva wore new clothes and went outside to burn crackers. Meera was happily looking at him and was finding her happiness in his joy. They both were very happy and fulfilled. Everything had happened as per their wish, the only difference was - there was not going to be a toe-ring sound anymore and they both were going to miss it badly.

Sweetheart Forever...

                  With a lost mind and a lost heart, Adi started walking towards his bike. While unlocking the Bike's handle, he missed the moments when Seema used to hold the handle and not let him go. He was all lost and was not in a position to think anything. The moments both of them shared together were started passing by his eyes. Walking through the road side by holding each other's hands, her tight hold when they had bike rides, sharing each and every small thing, her not letting him look at any other girl whenever they both used to be together, a usual tight hug proving their deep love for each other and the only kiss they shared when Adi was leaving for a short official US trip. She was his darling, his sweetheart. For Adi, all these memories were more than his life. He used to like her possessiveness towards him. Her looks in Salwar Kameez used to attract him, but then all these things were no more.

             Seema was not a part of his life anymore. Seema's family had restricted her to meet him and was against their marriage. Her family selected some other guy for her and even decided the date of her engagement with him. Seema was helpless, but she made sure that the news of her engagement reaches to Adi.

She sent him a text message and asked him to forget her and not to contact her going forward. Forgetting her was more than impossible for Adi. They both truly loved each other but situations had made them not to marry each other. Adi was helpless too; he put the keys and started the bike. The lovely time was the past, the people with whom he made beautiful memories were not there in his life but he was holding with him the treasure of all fabulous memories which he was not ready to let o easily.

The memories were carved into his heart and were to stay there forever. She was going to remain his love, his sweetheart forever....