March 24, 2013

Sleeplessness


I don’t know how I got in here. My innate curiosity would’ve brought me here. Though there were many people in the room, no one seemed bothered to get out. How strange? I saw some distorted, disfigured faces beside me. The one on my left was particularly abstract. The cranium was part open, pink and blue flesh hung loosely. The punctured jaw had glass embedded on one side. The spine poked out from the shoulder. Or was it the collarbone? I couldn’t tell. He was hurting,it, was hurting.

I could stand & keep looking but I had work to do. I had to get out of there. I started walking towards the exit, but the door was locked from outside. I screamed, but no one came, no one heard. I tried climbing up the ceiling vent. Fell down and hurt myself again. I tried breaking the window, that didn’t work either.

Tried calling Jemma, shouted, but she couldn’t hear. I promised I’d be home soon, I promised I’d finish work early,I promised I’d pick up the grocery on the way, I’d promised I’d spend time with her. She must be waiting, expecting. And here I was unable to get out of this room. Claustrophobic I was.

The retina was burning, the liquid had dried up, and the veins bursting. My eyes bled. But I kept them open. The sound was like nails on glass, screeching endlessly. Coming close to me louder, harder, faster. The odor was choking, ripe raisins, rum, peaty, wood fire, all shaken and stirred. It tasted salty, just like sweat, with a hint of blood or wine. My lips had dried, throat parched and that’s all I remember.

And then I found a tag attached to my wrist.
It read, dead on arrival.

I couldn’t sleep that night.



Gyanban Thoughts - its been a  while I ventured into the horror zone.This piece was written for Qyuki publication for a Chetan bhagat initiative called I couldnt sleep that night.The idea was to tell a story in 300 words around that phrase.I ve used all the senses of taste,sight,smell etc. to capture the mood and effect without getting too gory.The other experiment was to rearrange the paragraphs and see if a different story,narration evolved.See if you can spot it.

March 22, 2013

Lost and Found


In the bylanes of the bygones,
I found myself in responsible.
Of being rational,functional,frugal,
I lost to radical.

On the road to perfection
found myself in analytical.
Oh the machinist
I lost to emotional

In the design of a designer life,
found myself in a pattern,
In the scheme of things,
I lost to abstract.

In the junctions of life
found myself on the tracks.
The train keeps moving,
I lost to stations

In the milestones on the road
found myself staring at the fork,
In the lamps that showed light
I lost to darkness.



Gyanban Thoughts - A poem which talks about all how we go through a series of lost and founds in our lives,in fact the summation of lost and found is what life is all about in the end. Have you found yourself?

March 16, 2013

Interviewed



A young executive was nervously biting her nails.
The interview results were just announced. Her name was missing.
Her shoulders sank and tears flowed.
A retired father & an ailing mother waited outside in a rickshaw.
She picked up her bag & slowly walked towards the exit, when she heard
‘These names can leave,thank you’.



Gyanban Thoughts : A 55 word fiction about how people go through so many emotions in a short span of time.Interview results churn out the most emotions if you need the job badly.So many lives are impacted and they go through the same emotional turmoil.Lets hope someday everyone gets the job they want without having to go through this roller coaster ride.


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


March 10, 2013

The Shot






‘I want a cake,now.’ He screamed.

Sowmya looked back at him,and then resumed her cooking.

‘You are mean,its my birthday – I haven't eaten one in so many months.’

Sowmya didn’t respond.

‘Ok, I’m going out & wont come back’he said running out of the kitchen.

Sowmya shouted‘Appu,come back, now’ clutching the insulin syringe.



Gyanban Thoughts - Spare a thought for the scores of people who suffer from diabetes,more worrisome is the increase of childhood diabetes, something which was not that common a few years ago.Spare a thought for all those mothers who have to fight their emotions and cultural negligence to refrain their children from eating sweets,which in the Indian context is huge.There is a sweet for every occasion ,reason, or no reason. Childhood obesity begins from indulgence at home and serves as a root cause for most complications.



Sands of time

The scorching sun follows me Hot dunes burn my feet I know you are waiting for me As I leave the last oasis. A grain of sand tears my skin T...