Firefox & The Lonely girl

Firefox & the lonely girl.

Chapter-1

He cleared his mailbox and logged out. He was blandly staring at his laptop screen, not sure what to do. He was frustrated. There was not much motivation left in him to do his work, or anything for that matter.

Just when he was about to shut down his laptop, an ad for a free chat room popped up. It said “JOIN FREE CHAT ROOM NOW” . He hesitated for a second and thinking that it would be a good way to kill time, entered the chat room.

He has never done this before, joining random chat rooms.  He was in fact a little excited about doing this, and that surprised him.

“enter nickname:  _______”  the screen blinked.

Ok. Nickname. Hmm.

His mind went completely blank. He had no idea what he should type as his nickname. He looked around his room hoping some name in some paper would catch his eye. He looked at his browser window again and typed “firefox”

Firefox has joined the chat room.

He saw a list of names in the right corner of the window. The names were even weirder than his, ranging from “body builder” to “sexy b*tch” to “tinker bell” to “lord’s messenger”.

So many jobless people in this world. He thought, not realising he was one!

So what am i supposed to do now? Do i wait for someone to start chatting with me or how does this work?  He waited for five minutes. No body approached him.

Maybe i should have entered a better nickname. He decided he should take the lead and start a chat with someone.  He scrolled down the list of users in the chat room. There was one name which caught his attention – “LONELY GIRL” . He was quite intrigued by that name. He clicked that name and a window opened.

                firefox:  Hi.

                lonely girl: Hi!!

He was taken aback by such a spontaneous response. His heart was racing. He felt like the time when he had his first drink when he was 17.

Come on. It is not that big a deal. He convinced himself.

                lonely girl: asl?

                firefox: sorry?

                lonely girl: :O

                firefox: what.

                lonely girl: r u new?!!

                firefox: Yes. Is it that obvious?

                lonely girl: lol yeah.. :P ASL = age – sex – location :)

                firefox: Oh.

No way i am giving away my details. But this is interesting. Hmm. Let me see.

                firefox: 28 – M – Bangalore

                lonely girl: cooool... 24 – F – Mumbai here :) :) :)

                firefox: Ok.

                lonely girl: first things first... If you are looking for some weird “hot chat” stuff, i am not the                         

                                   kind of gal ;)

                firefox: Wo! I’m not that kind either.

                lonely girl: lol :P OSM!! I just thought your name was very weird “fire”fox  n all that :D  so                       

                                  what do u wanna talk about??? :) :)

                firefox: anything. you tell me. What is the expansion of OSM?

                lonely girl: lol :D its short for awesome ;) :)

                firefox: I see.

                lonely girl: duuuudee!! you sound so cold :-/

                firefox: Why?

                lonely girl: lol..i dunno.. Maybe its coz u don’t put too many dots after each sentence.. :D

                firefox: do you come here often?

                lonely girl: yup!! everyday.. I can sit here for hours n hours :P

                firefox: Great. So what do you do?

                lonely girl: for fun?

                firefox: No. In life.

                lonely girl: Oh lol :P I’m an architect :)

                firefox: Wow! That’s great. I’m an architect too.

                lonely girl:  :O :O :O talk about coincidences!! lol

                firefox: why do you keep using the word “lol” in every sentence?

                lonely girl:  :D LOL = Laughing Out Loud

                firefox: so are you laughing out loud really whenever you type LOL?

                lonely girl: lol. no..!! :D (but now i am!!)

He smiled. This was nice. He checked the time. It was 1:00AM. He had an early meeting the next day.

                firefox: I better sleep. I have a meeting tomorrow. It was good talking to you.

                lonely girl: same here dudee... :) wil u b here 2mrw?

He thought for a moment.

                firefox: yes

                lonely girl: c ya then... G’nite! xo xo sleep tight... :D :D :) :)

                firefox: Good night.

He fell on his bed thinking about the lonely girl. His thoughts immediately switched to the meeting tomorrow. He fell asleep.

Chapter-2

It was 9:30 by the time he reached home the next day. He quickly freshened himself and had dinner which he had parcelled on the way.

He opened his laptop and he was in a hurry to sign in to the chat room. He scrolled down the names, once, twice , thrice. He couldn’t find the lonely girl. He was disappointed. He checked the time. It was 11:00PM.

Maybe she left.

He opened his mailbox and checked his mails, most of it was spam. He cleared them all and checked the time again. It was only 11:10PM. Just then a window popped.

                lonely girl: yo!! :)

He was elated. It was as if a new energy was flowing through his body.

                firefox: Hello.

                lonely girl: ‘sup?

                firefox: What?

                lonely girl: lol :D WHAT IS UP? so funny to type the whole thing mann! :P

                firefox: Oh. Nothing. How was ur day?

                lonely girl: boring :-/ as usual... how was ur meeting thingy??

                firefox: thingy? Meeting went fine.

                lonely girl: lol ... coollll :D :P

                firefox: How is architecture in Mumbai? Where do you work?

                lonely girl: It is ok i guess. I work for some stupid company..dont even ask :-/

                firefox: Ok.

                lonely girl: which company do you work for?

                firefox: I kind of have my own office.

                lonely girl: :O :O you dint get any job or what?!

                firefox: I did work for sometime. Now I prefer designing buildings on my own.

                lonely girl: ahh.. like that.. :P

                firefox: you are funny.

                lonely girl: lol. thnx :D but u r boring :-/ :P

                firefox: Is that so?

                lonely girl: Yeahhhh man!! you don’t even use smileys :-/ :P

                firefox:  I like it this way. Who is your favourite architect?

                lonely girl: duudeee..im so sorry..but im damn sleepy..I gtg...ttyl..gn..sd... :D :) :)

                firefox: OK.Good night.

After she logged out, he had to google “gtg” , “ttyl”, “gn..sd” to completely understand what she said.

Chapter-3

Days passed. The firefox-lonely girl chat became a regular event. They talked about anything and everything. Movies, cricket, travel, etc. They did not chat for long hours though. It lasted for 30-45 minutes but every single day. It became a habit difficult to stop. This went on for two months. One of those days when they were in the middle of a conversation.

                firefox: you know this is so weird.

                lonely girl: what is? :O

                firefox: we talk about so many things. wide range of topics. anything & everything.

                lonely girl: yeahh..!! we totally rock :D whats so weird abt dat :O

                firefox: It is weird because we are both architects but we have never discussed architecture!

                lonely girl: lol

                firefox: architecture is my passion. I just love designing spaces. And i’m so proud of being an

                             architect.

                lonely girl: lol..me too :P

                firefox: you have “LOL” now too?

                lonely girl: became a habit..lol.. cant stop it :D

                firefox: why don’t we talk about architecture today?

                lonely girl: Reallllyy? I was thinking today was gonna be about food :-/  lol :P

                firefox: What?

                lonely girl: jus kiddin.. ok shoot :D

                firefox: Ando is my all time favourite architect. Who is yours?

                lonely girl: Hafeez Contractor. Thats my guy :)

                firefox: LOL

                lonely girl: He is my sort of role model :) :) :)

                firefox: Ok. Seriously. Who is your favourite architect?

                lonely girl: Hafeez Contractor! duuuddee what are you saying? He is a member of the

                                  Bombay Heritage Committee & New Delhi lutyens Bungalow zone review

                                  committe!! don’t you think its OSM?? :O

                firefox: seriously. What?

                lonely girl: Ok... listen.. I’ve to make a confession.. I’m not an architect :-/

                firefox: What!

                lonely girl: yes and im not 24 and im not from Mumbai :(

                firefox: how old are you?

                lonely girl: I’m 18 :|

                firefox: Oh my god.

                lonely girl: I’m so sorryy :( :(

                firefox: I don’t know what to say.

                lonely girl: I knowww... i feel so baddd :( :( im sorry for hurting you.. you were so true to

                                  me..but i ditched you :(

                firefox: Actually no. I too have a confession to make. I’m not 28 either. I’m much elder to

                            you.

                lonely girl: how much elder? :O

                firefox: I’m 46. Married. Divorced.

                lonely girl:  w t f !!!

He googled “ WTF” and did not know what to reply.

                lonely girl: you are like my dad!! I can’t believe ive been chatting with you.. x-(

                firefox: So? You lied too.

                lonely girl: Forget it dudee.. Internet is full of posers! You are such a creep. GUD BYE!

Before he could type anything, she logged out. He felt so angry and guilty at the same time. He shut down his laptop and went to bed. He could not sleep. He shut his eyes tightly and tried not to think about anything. He failed. He kept thinking about the lonely girl.

 How can she cut me off like this? As is she was very honest.

He tried sleeping for half an hour. He got up again and opened his laptop and entered the chat room. He scrolled down the list of users. “body builder” was there as usual. She was not. He shut down his laptop and leaned back in his chair.

Entering this chat room was a big mistake, I am never coming back here again, After 2 hours of struggle , he fell asleep.

Chapter-4

A month passed. He never logged into the chatroom after that night. It was very difficult initially. It was like skipping a meal of the day everyday. He kind of missed the lonely girl and their weird relationship. It was one part of the day when he poured his heart out not worrying about any consequences . He missed that. He missed her non-stop chatter. But life went on.

It was a Friday night. He declined his friends offer to go for a drink and went back home. He just wanted to be alone.

He opened his laptop, checked his mails asusual. He had a sudden instinct to visit the chat room again.He logged in.

                Firefox has joined the chat room.

He decided that he would logout immediately if she was not there. He would not wait for her. But there she was. The lonely girl.  Somehow his ego stopped him from starting the conversation.

Comeon. She is just a kid. He thought. A window popped up suddenly.

                lonely girl: Hi.. how have you been?

                firefox: Hi. been good. How about you?

                lonely girl: yeah.. fine..

Think of something to say. Anything. He just kept staring at the screen for five minutes.

                lonely girl: u there?

                firefox: Yes. Was thinking what to type.

                lonely girl: Listen. I’m really sorry about last time. I was very rude to u :( you have been my

                                  good friend. I shouldnt hav done that to you. :(

                firefox: That’s ok. We both are at fault. I am sorry too.

                lonely girl: coooollll :) :) can we be frnz again?? what do u say we start all over again?? :) :)

                firefox: alright. OK.

                lonely girl: ASL? :D :P

                firefox: 46-M-bangalore.  What about you?

                lonely girl: 18-F-chennai.  :) :)

                firefox: So what do you do?

                lonely girl: I’m in my 1^st year engineering course . I hate my college :( and you?

                firefox: Hey. I lied only about the age part. Im still an architect running my own firm.

                lonely girl: OSM! :P

                firefox: Why did you say you were 24? and why an ‘ARCHITECT’? and how the hell do you

                              know about hafeez?

                lonely girl: lol :D I just typed “architect in mumbai” in google and copy pasted few lines from

                                  the wikipedia :D :P  and yeahh i thought a 24 year girl in mumbai who is an

                                  architect sounded so much cooler than a dumb 18 yr old college kid :-/

                firefox: I know. being an architect IS cool.

                lonely girl: lol..ok sir :P

                firefox: Come on. Now you call me sir because you know i’m 46?

                lonely girl:  :D :D jus pulling ur leg

                firefox: Can i ask you something?

                lonely girl: Yeah?

                firefox: It was actually very sweet of you to talk to me even after knowing that i am 46. You

                           are so full of energy. When i chat with you, i have these positive vibes in me and i feel  

                          so much younger. Why is your name “lonely girl” ? as far as i know, a chatter box like

                         you can never be lonely!

There was no answer from her. For 3mins.. now 4.. 4:30.. He was getting tensed . He was worried that he asked something that he shouldn’t have.

                firefox: are you there?

                lonely girl:  yea.. actually the kind of impression that you got about me – this person is not me. This person is who i want to be in my life. That is not what i am actually to the outside world. In this chatroom, i meet new people from different countries and culture and i know for sure that i wont meet them in my life. So i let out all my thoughts and the craving i have for living life to the fullest. In real life, i’m an introvert. People hardly know me. I have very few friends. Like in my class now, most of them dont even know my name. They dont even know i exist. I ve been used to all this ridicule and bullying.I can take it all. Im that weird kid in the class who nobody wants to talk to. Of course i dont want to be like this. But i cant help it. Who doesnt like attention and appreciation? Maybe its bcoz i dont look that great. If u r a girl, you either have to be super talented or super hot!! otherwise the world treats you like shit.

He was shocked. Though he knew her only “virtually” , it was like seeing a totally new person. He felt he needed to comfort her.

                firefox: That is not true.

                lonely girl: you are not a girl! you wont understand..I feel like shit when all these good looking girls in my class hang out together ignoring me. On the other hand, in this chat room i feel wanted. I feel good about it. That is why i come here everyday. Have you read sidney sheldon’s “tell me your dreams?” Im like that multiple personality creepy female. What a sad life i lead right?

                firefox: Not as sad as me. A 46 yr old guy in a chat room. What’s worse than that?

                lonely girl: lol

                firefox: you know what is more important than being “ super talented” and “super hot”?

                lonely girl: being “super rich” ? :P

                firefox: comeon, No.

                lonely girl: then?

                firefox: being a “super human being”

                lonely girl: oh comeonnn.. please dont tell me you are going to start that topic!! this is why i dont chat with old men x-( :D :P

                firefox: Comeon now. Listen to me. I will help you make your life better. Let me please. I somehow feel like I owe this to you.

                lonely girl: aww :) ok! i will listen to you

                firefox: you dont always have to be wanted by everyone. you do not “grab” attention. you earn it. Be yourself lady! Have a pure heart, love for others and a smile in your face. That makes you the most beautiful person in this world.  Love is such a beautiful thing.  Only shallow people see beauty as just skin deep. you are much more than that! aren’t you? just an example, the other day i had ordered pizza and i was climbing upstairs with the box. I saw my security guy and out of an instinct gave off the box to him . He refused at first but later he was so happy that he was going to have something for dinner that he has never had before. That feeling you know was so wonderful. When you a see a person smile and you know that you are the reason behind it. Do you know that there is no other greater feeling than the feeling of making some one else happy? Trust me, just try it for few days. Your life will become more meaningful.

He pressed enter with a sigh of relief. He hoped she understood what he was trying to say.

                lonely girl: wow.

                firefox:  what?

                lonely girl: noone has ever spoken to me like this before! Thanks :)

                firefox: so will you try?

                lonely girl: yeah sure. I feel good about myself already :) thanks a lot :) Can i ask you something?

                firefox: yes.

                lonely girl: are u sleepy :P

                firefox: No. Is that what you wanted to ask really?

                lonely girl: No. Jus making sure.. lol. you said you were divorced. May i know why? you dont have to..

                firefox: No thats ok. We were classmates. fell in love and got married. We have a beautiful daughter. Things were fine. We are in the same profession. Ego clashes happened. Things became worse. We both decided it was best that we were apart. We parted in good terms.

                lonely girl: what abt ur daughter?

                firefox: She lives with her mom. I visit her during weekends.

                lonely girl: How can you be divorced? you married the girl you loved! :(

                firefox: Life. happens.

                lonely girl: I’m sorry.

                firefox: no. Don’t be. Oh. I did a lot of crazy things when i was with her. crazy college days. i was the lead guitarist in my college band. I used to write songs to impress her. I used to write love poems and stick it in the girls hostel notice board. I was infact suspended for that.

                lonely girl: lol. you wer a romantic.. weren’t you? :P

                firefox: Oh yes i was. We were madly in love. And the most craziest thing that i did was on our wedding day.

                lonely girl: what did u do?!! :O

                firefox: ours is a very conservative family. After a lot of struggle, our parents agreed to our wedding and on that day, when i tied the knot around her neck, I kissed her on the forehead in front of hundreds of people. They were stumped!

                lonely girl: omg! you r crazyyyyy  :D but that was really romantic :) :) :) even now no guy would dare to do that!

                firefox: i know. I dont know what i was thinking. But i wanted that moment to be the most special moment of our lives.

                lonely girl: do u miss her?

                firefox: well. I have moved on. But of course her memories are still there. I’ve learnt to live with it.

                lonely girl: do u still love her?

wow. nobody has ever asked me that before.

He thought for a long time. He closed his eyes and thought about his wife, the mother of his daughter, his love. It seemed like an eternity. He opened his eyes and felt like he was awakened from a long hibernation. He looked at the screen, the question still remained.

lonely girl: do u still love her?

firefox: yes.

He typed. He was shocked.  He hasn’t asked that question to himself in years.

firefox: I’m off to sleep. It is 4:00 AM

lonely girl: thank you... i feel like a totally new person :) :)

firefox: me too :)

lonely girl: wowwww! your first smiley :) :)

firefox: haha. good night.

lonely girl: gn..sd..xo..xo..tc :) :)

Chapter-5

He got up the next day feeling very different. It was Saturday and he was going to meet his daughter.He tok his cell phone and dialled . A lady answered on the other end.

                “hello?”

                “it’s me”

there was a pause and then the lady spoke with a hesitation in her voice.

                “uh.. is Divya’s mobile not working? I will drop her at your place in an hour”

                “No. I wanted to talk to you”

                “what”

                “I love you”

There was silence. And then he heard her say:

                “Rajeev..”

She was crying.

Meanwhile, in chennai in some engineering college it was culturals day and everyone were gearing up for the final event , the rock concert. Jennifer was not feeling ok.  She kept telling her friends that she was feeling very sick and uncomfortable.

                “Just chill. Watch the concert. you’ll be fine”

                “No. I think its the food i ate this afternoon.. and ..”

Nobody could hear her after that as the rock band entered the stage and all the students started whistling, screaming and hooting. The lights changed colours and there was smoke everywhere. It was too loud.

Jennifer’s head was spinning. She couldn’t take it anymore. She felt like puking. She closed her mouth and ran out of the auditorium.

She couldn’t control. She found a corner and threw up.  She felt so exhausted and weak when suddenly a random girl offered her a bottle of water.She cleaned herself and drank the water.

The girl smiled and asked “how are you feeling now?”

“Much better .. thank you so much.. these guys wouldnt even listen to me.. rock show was more important” tears rolled down as she spoke.

“ thats ok. i heard you telling your friend, that is why i followed you up here to make sure you were ok.”

“that was so sweet of you... thanks a lot.. sorry i don’t even know your name? “

“Radhika”

“Hi Radhika.. Im Jennifer from ECE dept.. which dept are you from?”

“your class”.

The girl smiled and walked away.

               

               

Kaleidoscope

Kalyani and Swapna have been looking forward to this weekend for quite some time. 

Kalyani had in fact been dreaming about it. It was something that she was going to do for the first time in her entire life. She was so excited .She did not reveal her excitement though, to anybody, not even to her sister, as she believed telling it to somebody is a bad omen and whatever she had planned might not happen at all. The mere thought of it made her uncomfortable.

 Swapna on the other hand had mixed emotions. She did not know what to expect. She was happy and sad at the same time. She was not sure if this is what she wanted to do exactly. Whatever it is, she decided to face it this weekend. She felt her cell phone vibrating and took it out to read the message.

 “Saturday 6:30? “ 

 “Yeah will be there” She replied. 

 “Swapna, if you are not interested in my class, you might as well go out. “

 “Sorry ma’am”.

 Swapna’s parents were those kinds who spared the rod, and spoilt their child. She always got what she wanted in life. Well, almost. 

 “So you are going this Saturday?” Sridhar asked Kalyani.

 “I am going finally. Sri, i’m so excited. I haven’t told anyone except you. I can’t wait for Saturday.” 

 “Happy for you. I have been there once”

 “Really? How is it? Is it like.. no wait.. do not tell me. I don’t want to know until i go there myself."

 Sridhar smiled. Kalyani was the love of his life. He has not told her yet. He thought to himself that he should tell her soon. Maybe after the Saturday excitement is over. 

 “What should i wear sri?” 

He closed his eyes for a moment and waited for the same image that comes to his mind, whenever he thinks of her. 

 “that blue salwar you wore for rishi’s wedding”

 “alright then blue it is. I will meet you on Sunday and tell you all about how Saturday was” the excitement in her voice never seemed to die out. 

 “Can’t wait “ 

 Swapna headed straight towards the parlour from college. She wanted to look the best tomorrow. She always believed that spending quality time for grooming oneself was very important, no matter how much it costs. She spent 2 hours for the French pedicure and manicure, and then coloured her hair. 

 “2200rs ma’am cash or card?” 

“card” 

“tax will be extra ma’am”

 “yeah fine” 

She sped back home as it was already 9:30 which was late according to mom. She wondered why moms never understand their kids in these kinds of situations. 

 “what have you done to your hair?! Purple? Are you out of your mind? “

 “please don’t make a big deal out of it mom. It is just temporary. And by the way it’s burgundy” swapna started walking upstairs to her room . 

“What about dinner?”

 “Not hungry”

 She changed and looked at herself in the mirror. She loved the way she looked. She smiled to herself and fell flat on her bed. Tomorrow is Saturday. She let out a sigh and went to sleep. 

 Kalyani was sitting alone in the terrace that night. Staring at the moon less night sky studded with stars. She is a dreamer. She lives in a world known only to her. She tried to create her own constellations by drawing with her fingers in the air. She saw the hunter’s belt constellation and pictured a real hunter standing in the sky. For some reason the hunter resembled sri. She laughed out loud and then immediately became conscious of the silent neighbourhood.

 Tomorrow is Saturday. She smiled to herself. She smiled at the hunter once more and then ran down to her room to sleep.

 Saturday morning seemed to drag forever for both Kalyani and Swapna. The excitement of the evening started from lunch time. They had a very light lunch. Swapna almost ate nothing.

 It was 5:00pm Swapna was dressed at her best. She got into the car and started driving towards the city mall. Typical of a Saturday evening, the mall was flooded with people all over the place. She always hated this mall. The crowd and lack of parking space drives her mad every single time. She almost stopped going to this mall for a long time until today. She couldn’t avoid it. One last time she thought. I’m not going to come here again. She made a decision in her mind. She got into the lift in the basement and pressed the number 5. 

 “Sir, which way to city mall? “ Kalyani enquired an elderly person in the signal. 

“straight, 2nd signal take right” 

“Thank you sir” Kalyani looked anxious. 

 “What time do you have to be there? “ 

 “6:30 papa .. are we going to be late? It is already 6:10. I am so worried” 

“Don’t worry jillu, it is right here. We will reach in no time” 

Kalyani’s father always does this. No matter how bad the situation is, he always tells her something very re-assuring. He was everything to her. When he was with her, anything seemed possible. Maybe all fathers are like this. She thought. At least the fathers of all daughters in the world. 

 They reached the mall in 5 minutes just like how her dad promised. Kalyani has seen the mall from outside many times, but this was the first time she was going inside. Her jaw dropped down when she entered the mall. The huge atrium with a glass roof was something Kalyani had never seen before. So many people walking around here and there, eating, talking, laughing, shopping, it was like being in a whole new world for her. She saw young girls like her being dressed up so well keeping themselves in tune with the latest trend in fashion. She looked down at her blue salwar and remembered sri telling her how beautiful she looked at rishi’s wedding.

 “If you are going to stand there and keep staring at people jillu, we will be late” She quickly ran behind her dad like a little kid. They spotted the lift and went inside along with a bunch of other people. Nobody spoke inside the lift. 

 “Which floor is the cinema hall?”

 “5” somebody replied.

 Kalyani pressed no.5 with a smile on her face. She was going to a theatre for the first time in her life. 

 “Hi. You are on time for a change” swapna waved at kishore who was waiting for her in the coffee shop at the 5th floor. 

“You look stunningly beautiful “

 “Kishore ,let me be honest with you. I came here to tell you that, we should stop seeing each other. I am sorry, but it is just not working out. “ 

“Please tell me you are kidding”

 “No Kishore I am not” 

“Swapna, i did not expect this. We could work things out; I mean is there any other way we could..?” 

“I am afraid it is over Kishore, I know it is hard but I can’t help it”

 “I had actually bought this gift for you. Will you atleast take this with you as a remembrance?” 

“Oh.. I don’t think I should..” 

“It is okay Swapna, please i can’t take this back.” He kept the gift box on the table and got up. He shook hands with her and shrugged his shoulders. 

“I know what exactly you want Swapna, and i won’t be able to give you that. I am not rich. Goodbye” He walked off. 

 Swapna hesitated for a moment and then opened the gift box. It was a Nokia N series mobile phone. She got up and took her phone and speed dialled 1. 

“Did you do it? “ aisha squeaked on the other end. 

“Yes i did” “wohoo! Congrats babe. How did he react?”

 “He was a little upset but whatever who cares! I just wanted to get rid of this relationship. Phew! I am so relieved now. He is a nice guy and all that but he is struggling so much in his career, how can i live the dream life that i want to live with him? “

 “It’s ok, forget it. It is over”

 It was interval. Kalyani still couldn’t believe she was watching a movie in the big screen. It was her dream since her childhood. Finally they have come to a position where her dad was able to afford tickets for two. Tickets were already booked by her uncle. She enjoyed each and every moment sitting in the theatre, the cushion seats, the air-conditioned hall, the digital surround effect, it was all new to her and she felt as if her heart was beating thousand times faster and louder. She felt like clapping and shouting every time her favourite hero appeared on the screen. Kalyani and her dad came out to the snacks counter. There was a long queue. She looked at the digital display of the menu card. 

“what do you want jillu?”

 “all these food items seem very expensive papa. I will just have a coffee” 

“2 coffees please” 

“150rs sir” 

 “What?!” kalyani shrieked. “papa one coffee is 75rs? I don’t want papa. Let us not get anything from here. Let us go papa. We can get ma’s radio fixed or buy you a book or something with that money. But just 2 coffees?”

 “sshh.. jillu.. quiet.. These places are like this. Money does not have same value everywhere. People like us can do so many things with 150rs. But some people here can just buy 2 cups of coffees. That is the fact. It is okay my dear. It is your day.” 

“whatever papa.. i am not liking spending so much money and i am not going to come here ever again.. i mean 150rs for 2 coffees?!”

 “what?! He gave you a nokia N series” aisha laughed out loud 

“yeah i know that is like just 10000 bucks or something . How cheap ! And you know what, i hate this crowded mall , im not going to come here ever again. I’ll call you later” Swapna hung up the call.

"THE GUY IN YELLOW SHIRT"

His palms were cold. He started sweating vigorously. But he strongly dismissed the idea of giving up. That too after coming this far!

He accelerated his bike and went faster, knowing that his target was within reachable distance. He could almost see his bright yellow shirt waving in the wind.

He imagined his target smiling, the deadly smile sent across a message to him: “ You loser! “

He couldn’t bear that. Frustration started building up. He desperately wanted to get hold of him and that too fast!

The yellow shirt appeared closer now. Here I come you bastard! Let me show you who I am now.

He went faster, pushing his bike to its maximum speed limit. Just few metres away. I need to get him.

The guy in the yellow shirt turned behind and gave a sarcastic smile. He gets provoked and losing his control and balance, he falls off his bike, skidding sideways, finally hitting a tree.

There he was, lying under a tree, badly hurt. No. This is not happening. I did not want this to end this way. I will never find him again. Why does this happen to me always? FAILURE, was becoming his close companion.

He was reminded of his poor performance in the final football match, his elimination from the singing contest, the number of “sorry to inform” replies after interviews, the final good-bye from his girl-friend…

HIM!! I should find him. He will never get away with this.

He slowly got up from the ground and searched for his bike. He limped towards his bike and the sat on it with a determined look in his face.

 Incoming call …

“ Mr. Arjun, with regard to your personal interview conducted last Wednesday, we are pleased to inform you that you have been selected for the post of “Senior architect”. Please check your E-mail for further details. Thank you.”

He was in shock. He ended the call and stared at his mobile display screen and it showed:

 Press 5 to resume race

 Press 0 to quit

He pressed 5 with a smile. It’s time to catch the guy in yellow shirt!

Me and Her - A short story

I was heading back to my room. What a day! My mind was too cramped to think over all that happened the whole day. All I needed was some PEACE and some time alone. I decided to take a long walk all the way to my room – which would be as long as... Hmm... 4km maybe. Man! That IS far! I don't mind walking. Especially today. Speaking of spending some time alone.. Uh-Oh! There she is...
HER: Hi! Bad day, huh?
ME: Oh no! There you are. Why is this happening to me? Everything is going out of my way. OK, now what? I wanted to be alone and you appear out of nowhere! WHY! WHY! WHY!
HER: Whoa! Hey relax! I noticed you were upset. Was just trying to give some company.
And she gave that weird smile of hers.
ME: Thanks
Actually I do like her in some way. She does drive me crazy, irritates me, pesters me and all that.. but then she has been there for me whenever I needed her.
HER: Sooooo...
Oh no.
HER: Soooooo... Tell me, are we going to walk all the way? I'm very tired and my legs are hurting badly. Can we take an auto? Please... please... Pleeeeeease?
Auto. Which means 3 things:
-FORTY RUPEES, minimum.
-I reach my room faster.
-Four blank walls waiting for me and nothing else.
That sounds sick!
ME: No. We will walk.
HER: Goddd! You are UN-IMAGINE-ABLE! Actually may I know what exactly is your problem? Don't you have a good family? Friends? Work? A place to live in? Food to eat?
ME: I don't know. THAT is my problem. I just don't know what my problem is,ok? That is my problem.
HER: Huh? Don't you think it sounds silly?
ME: Maybe.
HER: Maybeeeee.. You need to fall in love with someone?
She winked and laughed at me.
ME: Come on! Stop that. I don't need that. I am fine. I'm happy the way I am right now.
HER: Oh yeah? That is just a mask you wear.
She laughed again, irritating me to the core.
ME: Stop that ok? Talk something else, or just leave me alone!
HER: Ok ok... You are the boss! Chill.. I will stop.
She smiled,turned and looked straight at the road, walking faster and dodging the crowd of people passing by.
--------------- SILENCE-----------------
I broke it.
ME: Hey
HER: What
ME: Say something
HER: I thought you wanted me to shut up.
ME: ...
She laughed again and stopped quickly as she noticed a guy coming near us. He was huge. Means really HUGE.
HER: Did you see? Did you just see how he stared at me? Bastard!
ME: You always do this. He wasn't even looking at you.
HER: He was! Didn't you notice?
ME: He did not.
HER: He did!!
ME: Did not.
HER: He did! He did!
ME: Alright! Stop shouting please. I needed peace remember??
HER: Oh yeah! All you care is about yourself. Has anyone ever told you how selfish you are?
ME: Shut up.
HER: No. I will not. You are one self-centered maniac! You only care about your own wishes. You think your the only one in this whole wide world who is dumped with problems? Listen to me when i'm talking to you!
She was getting too noisy.This is the worst part of HER. She never listens to me.I tried to divert myself. I noticed a small kid blowing bubbles near the platform. She did not even have a dress to cover herself. She was happy though.
ME: Hey look at that kid. She is so happy watching those bubbles floating in air.
HER: Cut it. OK so what are you trying to imply? That kid is homeless? Or, she is happy? She has no worries? So what are you going to do? Make her go to school? Provide her with free food? All you can do after this, sit down and write a page of short story filled with your stupid philosophy or click a photograph of that little kid and grab all attention.
' Hey wow! Nice picture yaar... So realistic...' NONSENSE!
ME:Hey hey hey! Hold it. All I can do is that. What else do you think I can do?
HER: You know what? You are good for nothing.
ME: Uh Thanks. That was really..uh..MOTIVATING!
HER: I'm tired. Let's sit down somewhere.
I took her to the park and we sat down on the bench munching popcorn.
HER: So
ME: So what?
HER: Are you ok now?
ME: I guess so
HER: You are a good person
ME: You think?
HER: At least you are not that fussy type.
ME: Oh. Thanks.
HER: But you are hard to please and you are really adamant.
I liked the way she said that. And since I couldn't deny what she told, I just smiled.
We sat there for a long time. She was with me. But we never spoke. SILENCE.
I enjoyed every moment. I felt more relaxed. I saw someone approaching me. I recognized her. She was my ex-neighbour.
“ Hello, What a surprise! What are you doing sitting here all alone??”
ME: Just spending some time alone.
“Enjoying loneliness, eh?”
She laughed and hurriedly left. “ Hubby waiting, gotta go.. bye catch you later”
ME: See you.
She left.
HER: Funny world.
ME: Maybe. We are funny. World is alright.(I smiled) Ok, Let's go.
I got up and started walking. She followed me – My shadow. INNER SHADOW.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

BEING ‘MOM’

BEING ‘MOM’


“Show me the meaning of being lonely…” She could hear BSB from her kitchen. She smiled to herself. It was her son. ‘LONELINESS’- it was one thing that she has been trying to avoid, but it was becoming impossible. Truth was bitter. She had to face it. She was feeling lonely.

Gone are the days when going out for shopping or buying vegetables from market was fun. She had her cute little son by her side always excited and totally inquisitive. She enjoyed explaining things to him and took pride in being a mother, the most selfless thing in the world.

But now, things have changed. He hates it when she calls him cute.
“Mom! I’m not a kid anymore!”
“But to me you are always my cute little…”
“Mom…please! Give me a break”
Conversations usually end up like this. Sometimes it goes like this:
“ I still remember when you were a kid, we used to…”
Beep Beep. His mobile
“Mom I gotta go now…will be back in the evening”
There was nothing that she could do. All she needed was some time with her son. She was helpless.

“Tell me why I can’t be there where you are…” She heard her son singing.
If only he realizes that there is an old lady in his life who is still waiting for her cute little son to come back to her.

She heard him coming downstairs but before she could reach him she heard him say
“Mom…I’ll be late. Will be home for dinner…Byeee”
Before she could say anything, he raced away in his bike.
She stood at the gate holding his favorite dish that she had just prepared. She watched her cute little son moving away… and said to herself
“Miss you my son”

'MY FIRST DATE'

'MY FIRST DATE'

I finally made up my mind to go to the terrace tonight. I’ve always wanted to spend some time alone there ever since we have shifted to our new G+4 apartments. I can’t say the view from the terrace is splendid, but good enough to catch a glimpse of the city and perfect for sky-watching!

I’ve wanted to go there alone but it was avoided because of just one reason – LAZINESS!
So I somehow broke the barriers today and triumphantly walked into the terrace! A sense of accomplishment crept through me ( All for climbing up to the terrace!)

The night was calm, the sky was pretty clear, star-studded and of-course the waxing moon… PERFECT ! I thought.

I searched for a spot and the parapet wall caught my attention. I sat there for a moment and feeling a bit uncomfortable, laid down (its quite safe)
‘ Hmmmm...Very nice!’ I heaved a sigh of relief and my lips curved into a smile.
I started watching the sky… It was lovely with all those sparkling stars… So beautiful!
I gazed on either side. I could find towers of various shapes and sizes dotting the sky-line.
But even the tallest of them couldn’t reach the sky!!

Nothing is as great as God’s creation. I thought. It feels so good to spend some time to admire nature, forgetting all the usual stuff like college, classes, assignments, TV, computer etc etc... Life has become very mechanical indeed! Except for moments like these…
The stars again…twinkling bright…and these constellations… How did God create…Wait!! I felt some vibration in my body!

I was lost in another world then I realized it was the vibration from my mobile phone…
I took it in my hand, the screen displayed: “ 1 message received “
I opened it. It was my friend :
” Hey remember the show we missed last Saturday? They are showing the re-telecast at 9:30pm ! “
I checked the time, it was 9:27 pm.
I jumped down from the parapet and started racing down the stairs, while my fingers were busily engaged in replying to the message:
“Hey thanks a lot! I would’ve missed it!”

Well… thus ends my “Date with Nature” !!

‘ PATIENCE PAYS ’

‘ PATIENCE PAYS ’


Today is ‘THE’ day. He has been waiting for this day for a very long time.
He is going to meet her after ages.
‘How would she look like? How would she react?’ He has never been able to guess this though he had known her for his entire life!
And this is what made him to fall in love with her…Yes!! He is in LOVE!!

She is late again! So typical…he thought. But she will come…for HIM.

Being in the beach, he could see other couples passing by. He smiled. ‘Unlucky men!’ he thought. He could also see other men waiting like him, but with a look of frustration and disappointment. He smiled again. This time because he knew she wouldn’t let him down!
No matter where she goes, she will return to him.

Suddenly everything seemed to change. People started leaving. But his heart leapt with joy.
‘There she is! Stunningly beautiful as ever! How did God create her?!’ She came near him. Without giving him any time to react, she was over him. He never expected this sudden expression of love!

But this is how she is…Always unpredictable! He liked it.

She embraced him first slowly and then more passionately and he could do nothing but reciprocate, enjoying every bit of it…

And this is how the Rain met the Earth.