She was comfortable in the sleeping bag, until now. The sudden chill forced her out of sleep. The wind was roaring outside and it sounded scary, she forced her eyes shut. The thought of her tent partner came to her mind. She might be awake, her heart raced as she tried to pull her head out of the sleeping bag, holding a number of times with fear. Her heart almost stopped when she found the tent was empty.
She wanted to scream. But she'd wanted to do many things now, first was to run away. But instead she pulled her head inside the bag again. She was shivering, it was freezing cold, but mostly the shivering was by fear. There would there be animals out there, wolf, bears, or...She trembled at the thought... or the ghosts. They say that they attack when you are the weakest mentally, the thought itself crept weakness through her heart. Sleep fled. C'mon buck up Rupa, she tried some encouragement but suddenly… she could sense some sudden changes. The wind seemed to be still like everything stopped, unlike few seconds ago, it also grew more cold. She held her breath. It's your mind playing games, stop it, she fired her mind…when she sensed a sudden movement, unnaturally rapid, near her. She feared even to exhale, still holding breath. Then suddenly, there was another speedy movement, this time not around, but through her. A sudden heavy force zapped through her head from her neck through her ear, and she felt a heavy pain, a momentarily dizziness. What is it ?
Her eyes were now flowing tears but she stayed still like a corpse. The coldness increased discreetly against her body. The chill senses was on and off as if some cold ones were around. She heard a sound, close sound, just inches from her face, a breathing sound to her left... Rather sniffing sound, the chillness now was somehow travelling toward her face. Another sniff to her right, then another... She knew they were close, pretty close and they were many... A whisper, her eyes flashed open and...
P.S : I thought to keep this open ended. I would like to invite my blogger friends to take this story further (those who wish). There are two things here to notice for the sequel -
1. What happens/sees when she open her eyes
2. And another thread, the ‘Whisper’ What could it be ?
So would you like to take the story further ? It would be fun to read the different interpretations. Let your imagination run wild... And don’t forget to comment the links it you write the sequel.
Dangling, was another story I’d write once, which I think was my wildest (or weirdest) imagination. Do check it.
“I always troubled you. I was crazy, hot bloodied and angry”
Angry ? she asked in her mind. “Yes angry” he continued as if he’d heard her. “For me, the world was not right then. They fought every day. (pause) Mom and dad. They fought… when I returned from school. They fought while dining. They fought all night. You were too small to notice”, the sadness in him was prominent.
“I was small. It wasn’t the way I wanted. The other kids were so happy. Their parents always visited the school meetings, functions. All what I got was blatant no. They never saw what I felt, what I was going through. Their fights was heartbreaking, painful for me. It wasn’t like that before. My mom was very calm, somewhat submissive. She endured my father’s casteless ire. But she, I mean your mom, wasn’t that way, she kept fighting.” he paused.
“I lost interest in everything, one after another. Nothing made me happy, but only sad. I lost friends, I lost studies, everything. But there was one thing that made me happy” Then he looked at her, with apologetic eyes. His face was filled with pain.
“Stop. Just forget everything” she wanted to say. But nothing came from her mouth. But probably he read it on her face. “I have to say this” he looked away, again at the distant lakes. “You. I troubled you. Harmed you, insulted you, in home, in public. The cry on your face somehow gave me a odd pleasure. I was successful in implanting the fear in you for lifetime…But piyu, I was young then”. She sighed.
“Till today they fight the same. You don’t know (a pause) I can hear the threats, the accusations every night. Just for you, just for you, they have made peace, but that’s for sometime. They would start again” She remembered the strange aura the home reflected, now she knew why. It wasn’t the truth, it was a fake home, a home built hastily to comfort her to deceive her from reality. Now she knew why she wasn’t welcomed to come back every vacation.
His voice brought her back. “Till you were here, I avenged, by troubling you. But when they sent you to Hostel fearing that I would spoil you, it was then I realised how much I missed you. There was already a void in my life which grew after you left me. I was very lonely. I am very lonely.”
He looked at her. She had a smile on her face. He returned a smile, the same, half-smile, right lips twisted up. But it looked like a happy smile, no more threatening. She laughed over nothing. By now all her fear was gone. His face was now happy. He knew he was forgiven.
He then shoved something at her. It was a doll. “You can give her a name, piyu” She giggled. She raised her index finger with a inquisitive look. He nodded. She tried to hold the torso trying to make sure she doesn't fall her ice cream and twisted the neck. It broke in two pieces. “Hmm…ya it’s fun. There is a reason why you did that to my dolls. Interesting!” They laughed together.
She raised again her finger again. He smiled as he nodded, with an surprising look. She shoved the ice cream to his face. “A sweet revenge…for all those wild things” she chuckled.
“Errr…that strawberry flavour sucks…” he complained wiping his face.
“Ya, you brought this to me. Don’t you know I like chocolate ? ” she chuckled.
“What is the evening plan”. “Why didn’t you call me ?” “I want to know everything, every detail” She had so many questions. He laughed at her sudden burst. “I thought you can only cry”, he chuckled. “Shut up!”
They talked and talked as peace was restored and they forgot that there was once any bitterness between them…She had truly returned, to her dada, to her big brother.
***
He was driving towards the hill. From the cliff one could see the whole town with green forest and patches of lakes that dotted their beautiful town. It was her favourite spot, the cliff, she had yearned to visit it but not now. But suddenly, the idea of CLIFF sent terror down her throat.
“Piyu” came a voice from the driving seat and she was startled. It was a soft voice, a brotherly one, one she always wanted to hear. He had never called her that way. He never called her Piyu. His voice suddenly seemed sweet and she wanted him to speak more. But at once the thought repulsed. Perhaps it was just her imagination, she always wanted a big brother. This can’t be real, is it ?
She realised they had reached the cliff. He pulled her out from the passenger seat. They reached the cliff end. “I don’t want to die”, she muttered the broken words trembling, but too low for him to hear. “What ?” he said. “Sit down here. I’ll get some ice-creams for us. Which flavour you’ll have, Chocolate ?” he asked. His tone sounded…different than usual. Did they sound like…happy ?
Bingo! she would have answered him but instead she reversed just to contradict him “Strawberry” she muttered. He said something in low which she caught, she was being cautious, I don’t even know what you like! She regretted at once. What’s happening ? she was confused…is this real ?
He was back with the ice creams. He had chocolate for himself and she cursed herself for her unwanted stupidity. There was a silence for few seconds. They watched the town with wonder, how beautiful it looked. She felt the urge to see the lakes at once. She was trying to distract herself from him.
“Piyu, I am sorry” he said. She looked at him. His ice cream was almost finished. He is fast like always, she thought. His was looking away from her. His voice sounded sad but warm and she suddenly felt like he appeared to her as her dada. But the word dada wasn’t even remotely associated to him, He hates you and you too hate him, you remember ? her mind snapped again. Err…she cried under breath unknowing if it was to him or her mind…
“Piyu, I want to confess…”, he continued in his warm voice. She felt the ice cream melting down her hand, but she let it. He was still looking away.
***
To be continued…
P.S. Tomorrow I’ll post the last part.
| “Piyu, your dada will pick you up” Her mother had said. The words kept growling in her mind with different monstrous effects. “Dada? Step-brother? Nikhil?” she babbled in her sleep. She was having a nightmare. Part 2 |
She was playing with her dolls. Their small dresses, comb, earrings were lying on the ground. “Are you hungry ? wait baby, I have food for you” she was talking to them in a motherly tone that her mommy used for her. Being just 4, the dolls were everything for her.
He came and sat beside her. She looked at him. “Will you play with me, dada* ?” she asked him with an increased enthusiasm. “See, I am feeding Dimple” she said. He snickered which took her aback.
“Dimple, huh ?”, he smiled, right end of his lips curved to his ears. He took the doll and twisted so badly that the neck and torso were ripped apart.
Her eyes widened and face twisted and she began sobbing, “Dada* You broke my doll. I will not talk to you.”
He threw a wild smile, as if her sobbing gave him a pleasure and also an encouragement. “You know how I did it ?” He picked her other doll, caressed her hair and twisted her to break her too. This made her break into bigger cry. Her hands tried to reach him to beat him but he shoved her away. She fell down. “You killed my Simple too.I will tell mummy. I will ask her to beat you”.
He moved closer, narrowed eyes showing a cruel look, “You know Priyanka, I hate you…”He laughed loudly and watched her running in small steps to the kitchen.
***
To be continued…
* Dada – Big brother
There are few pics which makes me think of retirement, one of them is this one. I would love to spend my last stint in some place like this or should it be the alps ?
How about you ?
Saw this ? Now imagine this -
You are taken to the top of the hill (you can see some crowd near the parasail), put into a really big ball, and the ball is pushed down, you come tumbling, head up head down…that’s Zorbing
or
You are taken to the top of the hill, you sit in the parasail, you know now that you have to dive down…that’s Paragliding
Well, I did nothing of this. I just enjoyed it from far, you know clicking pictures.
Just from the top to down paragliding was 600 bucks and 1500 bucks for a hour long drive, or sail. Actually I really wanted to do the paragliding stuff, to be precise, the hour long drive (huh). We all thought that we should keep the activities for the last day. But later, I slept over and missed all of it.
But even now when I think of it, I can’t imagine myself diving from that height (though there’s a driver to your back who actually directs the parasail). I am terrified of HEIGHT (the steep ones).
HEIGHTS !!!!
You too ?
| Part 1 “My miss brave” he chuckled, that made her laugh too. They stood hugging for some time just smiling, she acknowledging his presence and he hers. She stroked his back and they kissed. They remained silent for some time, just cuddling. Continued from here – Part 2 |
It was cold. She realised she was alone in the dark, vulnerable, in the forest. She felt a chill down her throat. She wrapped her hands around herself. She looked at the winter coat she wore, trying to recall when she stepped in the dark but she had no memory of it. All she could recall was her going to bed.
There was no light lit anywhere around and the place seemed far from where they had stopped. She tried to work her mind but again last she could recall was her going to bed. Then she gave up.
She had to, since a panic impinged her. She could hear the hounds. She looked at the trees, tall poplar with thin branches no longer than a feet or two. “Hell! I can’t even climb those if the hounds come” “Hell! I haven't climbed a tree before”.
She wobbled around, unable to decide what to do. She started walking, eyes wide trying to grab any sound, picking up speed. The river flowed parallel. She felt the urge to cross. “What was across the river ?” “Don’t ever try to get into these rivers. They are melting ice. You step in it, and if you fall, within no time you would be frozen. And if there’s no one around, then God help!”, she had heard the instruction. She gawked at the river. It was a growling, showing it’s power. “Don’t dare!” it shouted.
She stepped back, thought she would cry now. “Am I now crying ? I am not. Any normal woman would. I am in this jungle, alone, away from my husband, I could hear the hounds, and I am fine ? I bet this is a dream. Else it couldn’t be true. It’s too true to be true. Does that make sense ?”
To be Continued…
***
Once a year, everyone is unhappy. When ? The appraisal time. Those who work would understand. This year was no different. The recession, budget, blah blah, they have enough reasons to say no.
Promoted or not, everyone’s dissatisfied. Why ? the increment is nothing but peanuts, as usual.
The recession is fading and market is opening up. People are looking out.
But you know, it’s a cycle, just like what we have Project Life cycle, as usual.
Dissatisfied ? –> Resign –> Join another company –> again dissatisfied –>
This goes on, on and on…
