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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

House of Cards

This story was actually written for a college application in the US. They gave me the title and I had to do the rest.
I usually don't ask people to do this, but this time, please tell me what you visualize in the last scene! There was something intended there and I want to know if I expressed it right.
Apoorva =)


House of Cards
Caleb crouched at the base of a ceiling to floor portrait of King Henry VIII, polishing the frame. As caretaker for the Museum of English History, entitled House of Cards, Caleb took his duties very seriously, particularly since he knew himself to be a descendant of the British monarchy. He lived in the museum - the remains of a medeival castle - and acted as its security, tour guide, secretary and manager. As he straightened up, he thought he felt rather than heard movement somewhere above him...
* * * * * *
  Joshua crept stealthily through the museum, hand on his belt. It took all his willpower as a trained killer to keep his emotions under control. This was not like other missions. He had a personal link to this victim, one which could be traced back hundreds of years...
* * * * * *
  Caleb swallowed hard. He sensed danger with animal instincts the way a killer can sense weaknesses in its prey. He eyed the wall to wall, ceiling to floor portraits warily. Caleb was passionately proud of his ancestry and had always sought protection in these pictures of his lineage. But today these courageous and powerful kings and queens seemed to him not only flimsy cover in the face of danger but also cruel somehow, unable to prevent the tremor he felt in his blood and bones - a feeling he recognized as sensing the presence of the one thing he knew his family could not protect him from. 
The truth...
* * * * * *
Joshua felt Caleb's presence too. He knew as well as Caleb did that the shadows in their souls were reaching out to each other in the lonely poisoned darkness from the museum, searching for salvation from haunted memories and truth that was five centuries yet twenty feet away. His bitterness was almost overpowering enough to engulf his awareness of Caleb at the foot of the stairs...
* * * * * *
Caleb turned a corner to find himself face to face with the barrel of a gun. He swallowed hard. "Joshua," he whispered, without quite knowing how he knew the name of the man standing before him. He'd never seen this man before but he knew exactly who he was and what he'd come for.
Joshua smiled. He had the most charming smile in the world, the only thing left of him since he had lost faith in everything. "Caleb."
"What do you want?" Caleb asked, feeling like part of some sick drama.
"What do I want?" Joshua laughed, and Caleb winced. "When this museum crumbles, when the truth is revealed, when the guilt in your soul kills you...then you will know what I want."
Caleb tried to recapture some courage and dignity. "The guilt is not all mine to bear. It was centuries of treason that made your family fall."
The gun pushed harder against his forehead. "And yet you have made the House of Cards flourish. You have fed the world lies - which you knew were lies. You disgraced your ancestors' names by hiding the truth." Caleb winced. "Only you knew of Mary Tudor's first half sister, Anne Boleyn's first child, whom everyone claimed to be a stillborn because they feared Henry's fury. You knew that once Mary died, Elizabeth should not have taken the throne, that she had a sister who had grown up in silence, just as illegitimate as Mary and Elizabeth. None of them knew this."
Caleb fell to his knees, shaking. "No. No." Joshua's revolver followed him.
Joshua laughed. "The secret has resurfaced only now, Caleb. I know of your sources. You have known for a long time, haven't you? And yet you knew the shame would kill you and your pride in the end. I am here to help make that happen." Joshua glanced at the portrait of Henry VIII behind Caleb and sneered. "How ironic - the start of all the misery. Just imagine...had she not been raised in secrecy and been given her rightful place at Mary's death, I would be where you are now, caring for the House of Cards, and no one would have a gun pointed at their head..." He shook his head, clearing away the daggers in his heart. "We're all liars, traitors, criminals, Caleb. We're all cursed, right down from him. We've come full circle. And it's going to end here."
Caleb took a deep breath. "You'll never bring down our ancestry," he managed fiercely. "The House of Cards will live longer after we have passed on."
Joshua smiled a haunted, broken smile. "It was never meant to be me," he said. "No, Caleb, it is you who have brought shame on the name of the House of Cards. Your conscience will tear it to the ground. I'm only here to help." He pulled the trigger twice.
  The last thing Caleb saw as his knees buckled and his body went numb was the lowering of the last card onto the roof of the castle: the hideous, ghostly face of a jack - his own face. Caleb saw his portrait take his place as he died, doing the last thing required to destroy the home in which he had lived a lie. The jack of spades, the largest portrait yet, leaned into the walls and added the last drop of poison that the soul of this family could take. It toppled sideways, and, finally, the House of Cards came tumbling down... 

untitled

.....just an extract from my diary. which, by the way, records thoughts, not personal experiences, because those are either memorable enough to not have to be written down, or not worth remembering.
this was just a thought. =)
apoorva






"I love you."
Pause.
She can't respond with words, so she clings to him a little longer in reply, willing her fears away.
"Why is it so hard to say it to me? You always seem to hesitate."
"It seems so final once you've gone past feeling and are actually saying. You can't take it back."
"Would you ever take it back from me?"
Pause. "I - I don't know."
"You need to trust yourself."
"I need to protect myself."
"No, you don't. I'll always protect you."
A soft, bitter laugh. "Don't."

I'm coming back.

Hey everyone! This is something i wrote as a writing exercise, it wasn't ever meant to be sent to anyone, in case you wonder =)



Dearest ,
My words aren’t flowing the way they once did, the way they used to when I was with you. I’d like to say that I didn’t leave you on purpose, but you know better than I do that every day away from you is a conscious choice. Every choice I made drew me away from you, and I didn’t care. Your love is what kept me going & although I strayed, I’m sure it’s your love that’s keeping me now. I always say that I didn’t know what I was thinking & even though I hate to say it again, it’s the truth. That even though I’m on your mind every second of the day, I’ve forgotten to give you a second thought. I’ve done this too many times to say I’m sorry again. And yet I know you love me deeply enough to forgive me all over again. Your love for me is something you proved so thoroughly that doubting it would be the most imbecilic thing I will ever do. So let me not.
I’ve told you that that my heart is yours so many times and then behaved like it wasn’t the most important promise I’ve ever made. It is. It is the most important promise I’ve ever made or will ever make. I love you & my heart is yours forever. It’s something I promised you when I first fell in love with your perfection & it’s something I’m counting on you to remind me of. I know it hurt you when I left, when I began to pretend that you didn’t exist, but I’m counting on you to forgive me. You are the one person who knows me better than I know myself & so I’m hoping you know how much I want to come back. I can’t even breathe anymore. My inner trauma is translating into physical discomfort. I need you, love. I can’t do this without you. I’m the world’s biggest fool if I ever thought I could.
How do I begin my journey back to you? It intimidates me when I think of how far we had gone and how I haven’t even spoken to you in months now. I will need you to guide me back, to be my lighthouse. I’ve lost myself, even though I felt you pulling at my heart strings in that adorably subtle way of yours. I see you in the distance, even though my soul screams in protest and claims you’re right here, with me, in my heart, where you always were. My biggest fear is that you will think I am fake. Or even worse, know it. I don’t want to be. You have to know that I want to be yours. I want to have an undivided heart that’s completely submitted to you. I want to wake up to feeling your smile again. I want to fall asleep feeling secure in your arms the way I used to. I’m coming back love. It’s time. Don’t ever let me go again, not even if I want to. Hold on a little tighter than before, I might need it. Please use this to get me closer to you than I was before. Let’s take this to an all new level of intimacy, to a level of experience from which I will never want to leave. And remind me that your hand is in mine through the journey of getting there.
I love you.


-Elia Maria Peter

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Little Circles

She loved watching the rain. It was her favorite pastime: to watch a few drops as they slid down the window pane and hit the ground, making little circles around the spot where they fell. Sometimes she followed one droplet on its journey: from the clouds, onto her window sill, down to the window pane and onto the terrace.
When her mind was in turmoil and she was distracted, she would sit by the window for hours together just watching the rain.



Like now: she sat with her head pressed to the cool glass, eyes closed, ears plugged and waited for her mind to clear. She held a cigarette in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.
The neighbor's dog whined and barked. Her mobile vibrated next to her as she received text messages. Someone knocked at her door. The phone rang several times and all the calls went to voice mail: "Hi, I'm unable to take your call right now. Please leave your name and number and I'll get back" *beep*
She didn't move.

Several hours later ...

She heard a thud and her eyes flew open. She saw that the rain had stopped. Her ears were still plugged but the ipod battery had died. The coffee had gone cold. The cigarette lay on a piece of paper that now had a burn hole. At some point during the night it had fallen out of her hand and onto the piece of paper.
The sky had a red tinge and the neighborhood was slowly stirring awake around her. She realized the thud meant that the newspaper was at her door. She awkwardly got up and stumbled down the stairs on numb legs to pick up the newspaper and read it while reheating the coffee.

Sam

10 (there are many, but I’ll just bore you with the 10!) things I have to do before I die (I guess :P)-

(NOT in order!!!)
•Figure out how to build a time machine, build one and use it to do the following things (of the many!)-
*Smack Kunti in the head for letting her son (Karna) die in such a sad way….man she’s one annoying chick! Mistake after mistake….I mean, how stupid and dense and cruel can you get lady?!
*Make sure Karna doesn’t die (though I guess he has to)….and MEET KRISHNA!!!! *squeaks* Omigosh I’m excited just thinking about it!!! (Okay I don’t really know the Mahabharata that well, but I love these two! They are my idea of perfect for some reason, and I go gaga over them!)
*Meeting Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo will be next on my Time Machine to-do list…
*And bring back food from 1000 or so years ago and eat it in the present!!! *Giggles* that will be so fun…to see what happens :D
•Have many one night stands…. I’m not too big on the whole “relationship” thing (prefer having them as friends=/) so this seems like a more exciting option! And besides, I’ll need to experience everything before I can choose (stupid hormones)…..I like the whole Friends with Benefits scheme! So a general list would be-
*Hott guys (like my aerobics instructor!) who will satisfy all my physical needs (I can’t believe I’m typing all this, but heck, I’m CRAZILY bored!)
*Random girls (have to experience everything!!!)….it would be annoying if I actually knew the person!
*And I of course have to have a threesome! I want to go on a Euro trip and try everything out there (I really LOVE Italians!)
I apologize if I seem like a sex crazed maniac :D In my defense, I think I have intimacy issues ;P I still have a lot to learn (I can’t flirt right….I just act like a guy or else have crazy African stalkers cause I overdo it)
But if I do find the *snorts* “right” person I will definitely not live in denial or whatever :P
•Go on a worldwide trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *eeeepp* Italy, France, Greece, Germany….Brazil, Argentina, Peru…..Afghanistan, Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir……JAPAN!
•GET MULTIPLE TATTOOES!!!! I plan on getting one sometime this semester or the next, but I want to have at least 5! Sadly I need to wait till I start earning….I doubt my mum will fund (even for my first one, I’ve been collecting for months).
•I know this is going to sound all serious and stupidly obvious, but I want to do well in life….get a decent job! For some reason (self pity) I keep feeling worthless and like I’ll never get a job or a career that I want! So I plan on working hard (for the first time in my life)….though my hard is quiet average :P
I know one thing for sure though….whether I get what I want or not, do well or not, I’ll always be content with my life and happy *sees the brighter side of life*!!!
•I JUST HAVE TO DEBATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *Bangs head* oh my gosh, this is getting ridiculous! I am acting ridiculous (and stupid, cowardly, lame…). I prepare like crazy, am fine till the event begins, and once it does I forget how to breathe and my mind just BLANKS out! Seriously, nothing is there in my head at that point…..zilch! I even forget how to READ from a piece of paper!!!! BUT I DON’T CARE! I WILL GET OVER IT (to hell with my fear)…..but I think it’s going to take a while Bear with me C-gulls!
•LOSE 10KGS IN ONE YEARS TIME (or maybe a little more). This isn’t because I’m suffering from low self esteem or whatever, but because I have to get rid of my Epilepsy (yes, I have a minor form of Epilepsy/Seizures….have had it since I was in 7th std)! The Doctors say that to reduce my medication I have to lose weight, and I’ve finally decided to take them seriously (never did till now….sadly).
•This next one is close enough to the last point, GET RID OF MY EPILEPSY! Stupid thing has been plaguing me for 6 years now (ok it’s not its fault that it keeps coming back, I’m just very irresponsible….well WAS!). How ironic is this, this thing is caused because of sleep deprivation and I’m a dumb Insomniac!!! So basically, going to sleep is the biggest hassle of my life! But ever since college started things have changed, and I’m making more of an effort, so let’s see :D
•If I manage to live past 25-30 years (which I am somehow doubting….it seems so….impossible!!!), I really have to stop living in a city and settle down in some remote, quiet, peaceful, deserted, forested place like Coorg or Ooty. I’m already tired of the city life….each time I go to Coorg (I’m not a Coorgi, just as holidays) I feel so free and happy and at peace there! But the moment we enter the city, I get the feeling of being trapped and of suffocation….I want to be alone and want to stop hearing the constant chattering and murmuring sound in my ears.
•And the last one is, I want make Humans co-exist with Elves, Dragons, Pixies, Dwarves, Sphinxes, Phoenix’ and other and not have Humans hunt them down! My friend Sandhiya is an elf, and we are able to co-exist beautifully, so why can’t they all?! They are tired of hiding, and I promised Them (I’ve never actually seen them, but they used Telepathy to ask me) that I would help in making Humans less hostile towards them…..so for I haven’t been very successful as my own mother doesn’t believe in them, but I’ll show her! Dragons, Elves and Fairies DO exist, in a world parallel to ours!!!!!


madness by
Ananya *laughing*

Friday, August 27, 2010

The perfect plate of fried fish.

Heya!! =)
This is my first attempt at a short story, please comment!
Lea.

The Perfect Plate Of Fried Fish

He sat at the dining table with his customary evening drink in his hand. The plate of fried fish in front of him reminded him of Sakshi…

He remembered how much Sakshi had always enjoyed shopping, even if it was for something as mundane & uninteresting as fish. She loved rushing to the market & haggling with the vendors over a rupee or two. She’d come home with a triumphant smile on her face & then get down to cleaning & cutting the fish she knew he loved. She would hum a happy tune as her nimble fingers expertly skinned, chopped & rinsed over their kitchen sink. Her kitchen sink, he reminded himself. She had always loved her kitchen; after all, she spent half her life in it, cooking, cleaning & then planning his next meal…

He picked up a piece of the fried fish & put it in his mouth…

Sakshi had always been scared of frying things, an unfortunate predicament that marred the image of her being the perfect domestic goddess. The possibility of having hot oil splatter on her pretty face was too much for her to risk she’d always joke.”And in any case, I’m not frying anything that’s going to fuel your drinking …you really should control yourself Adnan….”These lines had become familiar enough to resound in his head even when she wasn’t around.

The fish was cold & too salty…

Sakshi was a brilliant cook, even when it came to frying things. She always made sure her husband had the perfect plate of food served to him. He had always wondered how she managed to figure out exactly how much salt should go into whatever it was she was making…she seemed to know by grace & not by law. The way her long well kept fingers swirled gracefully over her cooking pots imparting just the right amount of ingredients to a dish never ceased to fascinate him…in fact, he had noticed it just that afternoon. He had walked into a kitchen that was singing of the makings of a delicious dinner & had asked her to fry fish for him to go with his evening drink. She refused him with the usual ramblings of how he should control his alcohol consumption…she stood there with her back against him & continued to hum that annoyingly cheerful tune.

The fish tasted awful. “Pft! There goes my drink…..”

She hadn’t noticed the black frown that was growing on his semi-drunk face. She hadn’t expected angry growl she heard, neither did she expect him to grab her by the hair & fling her across her kitchen like a rag doll. He hadn’t expected her head to hit the wall as violently as it did….

He looked over to where her limp body now lay; her blood congealed on her kitchen floor, staining her kitchen wall. He smirked as he remembered how she’d always boast that people could eat off the floor in her kitchen, her spotless kitchen.

“I must remember to never buy fried fish from Ramu kaka again…..what a waste of money…”

Adnan suddenly felt a strange queasiness as he looked at Sakshi’s lifeless body. A funny pang of….remorse? He felt so sorry for having done this to her. His whiskey didn’t taste as good without Sakshi’s perfect plate of fried fish…

broken memories

hey guys! i call this a descriptive piece, despite the fact that it seems like a narrative, because i've focused more on the language than the plot. so i hope you're willing to use your imagination. don't wait for the climax! =)

-apoorva

There was a rustling, a faint groaning in the distance, an icy air all around...the only light in sight besides the excessively bright and slightly eerie moonlight came from what looked like a deserted motel on the highway, looking foreboding, incongruous with the desolate atmosphere. Thalia Jankoski pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders as the wind bit at her cruelly. Behind the motel there were shadows that seemed to stretch dimensions deep, peering at Thalia with bloodthirsty eyes. Thalia scanned the distance looking for signs of life. She had been sent to find a boy who had been missing for the past two weeks and who was suspected to have been brought to this motel. The bushes rustled again as a cat disappeared into them.

Gripping her revolver under her coat, Thalia moved silently towards the motel, keeping her eyes on the light inside. Her footsteps echoed in her mind as her heart pounded. She went around to the back of the run down building, searching for signs of forced entry or exit, crouching down low.

Looking down, Thalia saw a set of fresh footprints heading around the building as though looking for a good way to get in. Next to them were sprinkles of powder. Thalia picked some up delicately, trying not to hold the soil, and held some close to her nose. "Cocaine," she muttered. Her piercing green eyes darted around the scene, calculating and analysing every detail.

The railing that led up the steps to the back porch had been wiped recently, as though to erase fingerprints. The hinges of the porch windows were freshly oiled. More white powder lay on the windowsill. The curtains inside were fluttering - someone must have opened a door to let the breeze in. Thalia's eyes narrowed as her mind processed her surroundings faster than her eyes spotted details, the gears in her mind turning like a machine. Her ears perked up as the groaning started again, this time more urgent. The boy was here, she was certain of it.

Thalia got to her feet. Slipping off her shoes, she made her way up the steps to the back door to examine it. A few seconds later, she jimmied the lock and entered quietly. Taking in her surroundings, she couldn't shake off the feeling of deja vu. The particular angle at which a chair had been upturned, a dark stain the shape of a familiar jawline on the carpet, the leftover chicken on the plate on the hall, the moose animal trophy above the side door, all registered in her mind as details clearly registered before.

Keeping her back to the wall, her revolver out, Thalia circled the ground floor, looking for the stairs, both in the scene around her and in her memory. The groaning continued, and when Thalia was halfway up the steps, her name was called out.

Thalia's heart leapt into her throat and her blood froze. In the seconds, or possibly the minutes, it took her to recover, the groan turned into a bloodcurdling screech. Echoes of it clanked around in Thalia's brain, getting her mixed up with her memories. She thundered up the flight of stairs, and the next, knowing exactly where to turn, which floorboard to jump over because it was loose. As she ran towards the room at the end of the hall, her socked feet registered dampness. She looked down and saw the blood, flowing out of the room from under the door, pooling at her feet, the stench camping out in her nose.

The manic shriek continued and a shot rang out from inside the room. Thalia lunged inside and fell to her knees at the body of the boy. Her eyes widened as they found his face. An ice cold hand made its way to her throat. She struggled around, felt a glint of cold metal, stumbled, pushed the hood off her attacker. All the memories from images of the motel and the dead boy clicked into place in her mind. The man gasped as he recognised her. "You!" Thalia snarled. They fell to the ground, struggling. The gun went off, ringing through their ears, broken memories echoing behind it.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

(sh)it happens

My brief and unsuccessful stint at poetry. I would like to thank the Bangalore traffic police for inspiring me.

Have you ever been so occupied,
anything around you can tick you off;
get you so annoyed.

Its at this moment that
(sh)it happens.

Your back, it breaks.
Your head, it aches.
Your mind is clouded and fogged.

Thats when you should realize,
(sh)it happens.

What ever it is,
don't get distracted.
Don't ask life for something you don't need.

Because you don't want to look back one day and say,
(sh)it happens

-Smit:)

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

The way i see it ...

These were some pictures which i clicked , randomly
but i always could relate a lot ...




and miles to go before i sleep
and miles to go before i sleep...



betrayal .......



blood




boisterous .. . . .




tired.............



in the shadows



still as death



spotted. . .



SakshI

Crazy Night

People have been saying there are too many posts on love and relationships and that the theme is getting kinda monotonous so here is my attempt at breaking the monotony (of my writing only!) 

It was a crazy night
With lots of vodka, and not enough Sprite
Crazy confessions were made
We were too drunk to think about what we said 

Suddenly there were tears
We held each other as we voiced our fears

Things that had been trapped for long inside
Came to light in the middle of the night
We lifted a weight off each others shoulder
With spirit in us got a whole lot bolder

Soon we were screaming, tripping & falling
Rolling on the floor laughing
Then there was some drunken dancing
And our crazy night had a happy ending =)

Sam

and its Slipping Away. . .

There were times when i wished time froze... i tired hard to hold back all those moments we shared.Foolish,i was when i wished i could stop time and make you mine forever...now i sit alone and still think how could those promises be fake ? were we never meant to be... how could destiny be so cruel. I remember those times when i laughed at what ever you said and now If you could hear me, I would say that your finger prints haven't faded from the life you have left behind...sometimes i feel broke inside but i have to hide... i wish you were here to see how life is without you and tell you that "i still breathe"... but i will never forget that night when i slept with Loneliness...Yes it is ,
Cruel to the eye
I see the way she makes you smile
Cruel to the eye
Watching her hold what,
used to be mine...

- Sakshi

Monday, August 23, 2010

a teardrop has a million story to share


the clock says its 12.55am. Lying on the bed and staring out of the window. It has been raining for quite sometime now. At least i have some company, someone who was already shedding tears. The stillness of the surrounding mesmerises me, I have learnt to live with the silence. Time, has taught me. To live alone, to welcome loneliness. There are many grey pages in my life, when i have been broken..

but have you ever thought how easy it is to break someone? shatter someone beyond repair? ask My devil, he knows, he will tell you...

but do you know how it feels when your broken? how it feels when tears roll down, each drop giving you a million of reasons, reasons to end this suffering, reasons to end yourself... once you end yourself I guess there is no room for tears then, does My devil know that? I wonder...

tears make their way down the cheeks.wets the pillows.wets the bed. Useless,unwanted tears, tears which perhaps would make me embarrassed had anyone else been there, but that's not an issue now,cause i am alone like always. Useless tears...is there any need for them at all? again, I wonder...

sometimes life brings you in such a situation, when you know what your doing is not what you should do, but there again, you continue.

result? tears..each tear has a million stories to share...come and listen some day, and you will know,how this heart bleeds sometimes...

does My devil know?

No

Never.

Silent tears.Silent bleeding.

-shalini sinha

Sunday, August 22, 2010

You, Me and Us

With you, I learnt what it is

to be happy; and learnt

how it is to be fulfilled.

With you, I came to know

what is laughter;

It was because of you,

my life began again..

I walk with you in my dreams

I wish I were with you all

the time..


You are the music,

that's hard to find..

You're worth more than a life!

You are the harmony

to my soul..

Because of you, the candle

in my spirit has been lit;

When you are at another end,

my mind searches only for you.

It longs for you..


I seem to have thorns,

when I walk without you;

Because my vision is perfect,

only with you; Else, I'm blind.

When you hold my hands,

I feel safe; It feels soothing

to note that I

possess you, as my

true friend.. Without you

the petals of my flower fall.


And what has been going, has

not been seen as obvious; You

are the words that throw magic

into my book, without which,

my book makes no sense, and

I wouldn't be successful;

As one turns the pages of

my book, they read:

you,

me, and

us..


- Madhu

Drowned

Too vague
Can't articulate
Tries to rhyme
Wants to clear her mind
Makes a royal mess
Of the rhyme and man (no less!)
Feels the frustration around
As it seeps into every bone

Tries desperately to fight it,
Fails
Now, its the futility of thought,
the helplessness, the resignedness
the inability to do anything to make things better
the tears, the hurt and a bitter laughter
that surround her ..
She surrenders to it and drowns ...


Sam

Me

I was told that girls do not whistle. Nor do they climb trees or play with boys. According to some I read too much, some thought I read the wrong things. Why didn’t I like makeup? Why didn’t I gossip? Why wouldn’t I follow fashion? Why wouldn’t I like boys? People asked me a lot of questions, questions about how I came to be this way. I shrugged it off and told them I was weird, born this way, or else I sat there quietly pretending to laugh along. I shied away from the spotlight, and my recluse from the world, was writing. Even if I wrote only for myself. I weaved my stories of love and war, of desolation and of happiness. I dreamed fairytales, I wrote songs, and through them I lived a happy life.

After a long time of living with a few who understood me. I came to a place, magical in my mind. I met people who loved to read what I did, people who didn’t know a damn thing about fashion or makeup, people who never asked me why I was who I am. In fact they seemed to like me well enough. So I settle in for now, enjoying the people I meet. I’ll just wait for when you begin to ask me ‘why’ as well.

El Nino

It was love at first sight……I still remember it like it was yesterday…..the way he, they, it made me stare and brought a smile on my face! It was nothing like I’d ever seen before, and I knew from that moment that this was one of beauty’s True forms! I longed for more….I dreamt about it…..I could feel the happiness pulsing through me for that month! It was so special and unique because they, especially He, made the ball move to some unheard, exotic beat, and it seemed as if the ball wanted to dance to it!
I was, till then, a cricket fan….but the moment my 10 year-old eyes feasted on the Brazilians playing or rather dancing at the 2002 FIFA World Cup…..it was love on sight!!! I couldn’t believe there existed something so elegant, precise and outright genius, and it had taken me 10 whole years to find it! Game after game I watched them, just tapping the ball and prancing around the field, yet creating so much chaos for the opposing team. And to top it all off, they never seemed to stop smiling nor did they ever behave badly! I grew to respect the team and the game within days!
As they wove their way into the hearts of the people and through each stage of the tournament, my admiration and extreme respect fell on one man: Ronaldo (Not Cristiano Ronaldo for Pete’s sake!), shirt no. 9, one of the best strikers of his time and the top scorer of the 2002 World Cup! The Brazilian genius made that one month of the 2002 FIFA World Cup one of the most beautiful moments of my life ( I know what you must be thinking, “How pathetic can she get if one of the best moments of her life was by watching TV”, right?!). But it wasn’t so much the match itself or its outcome, but the way it was played…..it was so entrancing that it made me realize that beauty can be in many different forms! Um, that was like a life changing realization to a kid people! I had learnt something big there, and it sent chills down my spine when I realized it!
I learnt a lot that month….had many epiphanies….all thanks to the Brazilians and their dancing! To date I can’t forget (doubt I ever will!) their lithe gentle handling of the ball, the imaginary music that would automatically play in my head each time they dribbled the ball and the warm fuzzy feeling I would get when I saw Him use the most Brilliant footwork to score the most Wonderful goal ever!
Cheers to them(my Samba Boys)<3

Love,
a football addict,
Ananya!

ANIME IS NOT EQUAL TO CARTOONS

A: Hey, what are you doing tonight?
B: Oh I'm gonna watch some anime
A: Anime? Whats that?
B: You know, Japanese animation
A: Oh, you mean like cartoons?
B: ANIME ARE NOT CARTOONS!

a few days later A was found lying dead in a ditch.

Asking somebody "Do you like anime?" is as broad as asking "Do you like movies"?

A general definition of anime would be to say that anything animated in Japan with a Japanese director/producer is anime, but everybody has their own opinions, some going with the former, and others preferring to believe that anything distinctly Japanese-looking is anime.




There is anime for children, teens, adults and every sort of age group you can imagine. One of my friends once said "I don't believe emotions can be portrayed properly through animation" Well, the case is completely different with anime. You can have a good anime, a bad anime, just as you can have a good or a bad movie, and some can move you to tears.

Many people generalise anime the way they generalise cartoons. When you think "cartoon", the first things that will pop up involuntarily in your mind are "The Powerpuff Girls" or "Scooby Doo" or "Dexter's Lab". i.e. animated series aimed at the preschool/middle school audience intended for laughs. Not that there's anything wrong with those cartoons--they're classics--but the point I'm trying to put across is that anime cannot and should not be generalised to just that.

Of course, there are anime that cater to that audience, like Pokemon or dragonballZ, but there's a far wider range. Did you know that had it not been for anime, The Matrix would not have existed? They pointed at an anime called 'Ghost in the Shell' and said "We wanna do that for real".

Anime explores various themes, just as movies do. There are anime about anything you can imagine. Photography, Dance, Fashion, Slice of Life, Mystery, Psychological, Motherhood, Poverty, School, Business, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Mech, Homosexuality, Prostitution, Romance, Thriller, Detective, Religion, War, Comedy and Horror to name just A FEW. Oh, and also blue films.

Not all anime characters have big eyes, weirdly coloured hair, and any other stereotype you may have in your mind. And added to that, just because an anime character may have purple eyes or green hair doesn't make the theme or plot line any less mature.

Another friend once said "Japanese animation is pretty bad in general isn't it"? Not realising that the only "anime" she had ever watched were cut scenes from a Japanese video game.

Many people even chose to refer to anime as an art form unto itself. The styles can vary from artist to artist or from studio to studio. Some have wild exaggerated styles, some conform to reality, and some are everything in between. Artbooks are sold (books containing art from a particular series), often at exorbitant prices, and people buy them. In many anime, great attention is put into the background of the scene, the detail sometimes bordering on photographic realism. I'm not saying that all anime offer mind blowing visuals-- just that the spectrum of quality is as broad as that of movies.









Now, on to the money and popularity.
The anime market for the United States alone is worth approximately $4.35 BILLION, and thats excluding the rest of the world and Japan itself. Fans engage in cosplay, which means dressing up as an anime character. A certain anime series (one of my favourites) from the 1990s called Neon Genesis Evangelion was such a hit that it is currently being remade by the same director as a set of four movies, so that he can do it with better visual effects and a clearer storyline. The Blu-Ray release of one of the movies in the series became the overall number one Blu-Ray selling in Japan.














Anime conventions are held every year in different parts of the world, where anime fans from all over the globe can gather, meet and partake in various anime/Japan related activities. Companies also attend to promote upcoming titles and products. Anime EXPO is probably the most popular convention, held every year for four days, normally in Los Angeles. The attendence for the year 2010 alone was 1,05,000.
How I wish I could capitalise numbers...
There are so many more things to mention, such as the setting up of statues of iconic anime characters or entire streets in Japan dedicated only to anime, or the magazine Business Times doing a cover issue on anime as an export...but I'll stop for now...and i wanted to put up more pics and arrange them properly but the blog wouldn't let me :/ maybe I'll do a presentation in class or something later...

I guess the point I'm trying to put accross is that if you think that anything animated is "just a cartoon" and meant only for kids, then its your loss.

I am B, and you could be A. ;)
-Winona
Hey guys! This is just a poem I thought I'd write about the class because I love you all so much! and just in case, no offence intended for anyone! This is all in good humour :) :) Enjoy!

The upper crust, the snobs, the elitist
These words are the general gist
Of the college's opinion of the C-gulls
A discussion on them can never be dull!

So, I thought, lets analyze the different girls
Each one can make your head whirl
For instance, head-turner Priyashree
The first word that comes to mind is PRETTY!

Winona's intense, with a perpetual brooding expression
She can scare even Sahana ma'am to depression
The perfect opposite is our dear Lea the fairy
Her fantasies are often quite scary!

Manjari's a small, bubbly bundle of energy
As is loud, lovable, carefree Sakshi
Anindita and Maitri - quiet, but don't take them as meek
You know, still waters run deep!

Deepakshi - the girl who didn't exist
But watch her dance! Man, she can twist!
Lovlyn, the fashionista from Delhi
If you get her talking she can turn you to jelly!

Bushra's twenty one, looks twelve
She's the smart one, makes you feel dumb as hell
Anamica has a constant refrain on her lips
VARTALAAP! Ugh, for that word I could break her hip!

There are the famous bunkers of our class
Wasima's one, the watchman never lets her pass
Shalini Raja's another, she's a sweet blonde
Shalini Sinha is also of bunking very fond!

Aditi Nayar is perennially excited, and has wacky thoughts
Rishika's outrageous statements complement her lots
She's posh and loves good cheesecake
While Aditi wishes to renounce all this and meditate!

Anisha seems quiet, but is a volcano of chatter
Whether she sounds high doesn't matter!
Shruti's dry sarcasm and deadpan tone
Will definitely tickle your funny bone

Madhu participates in everything with spirit
Singing, dancing, writing, you name it
Ananya's thoughtful head with ideas brimming
Mention public speaking and her smile starts dimming!

Noella with her Maggi hair is great fun, but blunt
Her strong personality leaves one stumped
Rebecca hits the high notes with perfection
Stephanie has a lovely cream and peaches complexion.

Krithika is endearing, and lots of fun
But oh! What embarrassing things she's done!
Richa watches the tomfoolery silently
While cute Imtina guffaws violently!

Mithra is enigmatic and mysterious
Sam - the class rep!!! Her job is horribly tedious
However she maintains a brave smile
Sweet Gowri supports her all the while!

Smit is the good-natured tomboy!
She's witty but her humour can make one coy
As it does Purvaa, she wears her heart on her sleeve
She's responsible, helpful, never a sigh does she heave!

Apoorva's quirky, in character as well as clothes
She's very expressive in what she loves and loathes
Taarika's a sweetheart! But she has to learn to say NO
She's very agreeable, everyone loves her so!

That just leaves me, well I'm awesome
Together we C-gulls will definitely blossom
Love us, hate us, but you can't ignore us
We're real hot stuff to discuss!

Aditi :)

Avatar

Why don't you look me in the eye?
See only my outward appearance.
Why can't you do anything but sigh?
As the words- I miss you- ring meaninglessly
Through the kitchens of your life.
The last time you laughed it was old;
A hollow creature escaping from ages past
Slipping past your fake tears and eyes
Sitting heavily against my worried heart.

What should I make of you?
You don't seem to exist anymore.
Living in a tidal wave that sinks
Listlessly into the sand pits children leave behind.


by Taarika Chandy

To be in love with the Devil


Falling in love is so simple and easy sometimes. Falling with love with the right person, having perfect reasons, is perhaps one of the best feeling ever. But what happens when you fall in love with the not-so-right person, what happens when your so drunk in love that nothing else makes sense. Nothing. Not even the fact that perhaps your in love with the devil.Life can be pretty unpredictable, there is no consistency in anything whatsoever. I for once had never thought that perhaps I'll be in love with that one person whom i hated so much, that one person, who's mere existence burned me from the core. I hated him. Hated him beyond condition. Hated him for what he was, for what he did. You can't just blame me, for the whole world seemed to hate him along with me, hate him for he was....well, for being himself.
when you actually stop and think about all the things that has happened with you in life, you tend to realise how unpredictable life can be, and how the phases of life are not so constant. Everything changes. People change. Feelings change. It happens, trust me, i know, cause I have seen myself change.
When he stepped into my life for the very first time, did i hate him then?
yes, i did.
the only reason i played along, was to know this devil better, to know, how this devil thinks, and to give myself more and more reasons to hate him. I guess I had made a mistake somewhere, cause as days passed by I found more and more reasons not to hate him
more reasons to think that may be, for once, just for once the world was mistaken, just the way i was, perhaps somewhere deep down, this devil has a heart too, has a soul, which can love and which wants to love.
But there again, i gave myself reasons, this time strong reasons, to prove that its something beyond possibility. This devil can never fall in love.
Every now and then, i could actually see myself, thinking about him. What was wrong with me. Did i not have enough reasons to prove that the devil can never have a heart, if that was so, why was i thinking about him, why was he making such a huge difference in my life. He was the reason for all conflicts in my mind, the reason behind every mood swings, the reason behind every smile, they reason behind every drop of tear that i shed.
so now, i was crying for him, wasn't i?
i should have known this long back, he would capture me someday too, someday he would trap me in his false tales and I'll be too much drunk in his love to make any sense myself.
But what about those times, when i smiled cause of him, what about those moments when he was the only one i had?
what about those nights when he sang me to sleep, not that easy to forget is it?
The devil The devil.
Hard to believe but you have a heart too. A heart that loves me. A heart that i love.
And.
I am in love with you now.
Unconditional love, which perhaps the world will never understand.
Now that i come to think of it, the cupid never struck me...but the devil did strike, right across my heart.
-shalini sinha

Saturday, August 21, 2010

My Snowflake...

A little while back, someone I love confessed to having an eating disorder. She knew she needed help and yet refused it… this is for her.


Snowflake

The light has faded from her eyes,

Her cheeks are pale; she tells me lies.

She winds a rope around her neck,

At dead esteem the vultures peck.


Lonely spectator, sunken heart,

In her despair I have no part.

Mute observer, bleeding hands,

Her footsteps fading on the sands.


The mirror cracks, I cannot hear,

The screams that deafen my beloved’s ears.

A dying flower refusing help,

Not friend, not foe, not even self.


A ray of hope now blinds my eyes,

It hurts, this hope that’s from the skies.

If it brings life, as I pray it will,

Laughter again her heart will fill.

-Elia Maria Peter

Bangalore Rains



Bangalore, the city of dreams, for so many. I had actually never planned to come here, the whole thing happened very suddenly and after that again, pretty suddenly, I found myself alone, in this city, for the very first time. Life can be difficult. Very difficult. It took me quite some time to adjust to this new city. Slowly life moved on, friends, college, everything was just the way it should have been. I was falling in love. I was falling in love with this city slowly. I remember myself, sitting by the window, alone, and gazing out, looking at the raindrops. Each drop of rain, that touched my face, seem to give me a new life, gave me another reason to love this city. People complain when it rains more than usual, cause of traffic, water accumulation, but whenever it comes to rain, I look beyond this. I love the rains. The smell of the wet mud, the wet grass, my wet windowpane, the red umbrella, the coffee mug. I have actually spent hours just looking out of my window, the view is not that great perhaps, just a small open piece of land with a huge tree. But even then, I seem to find something special in this whole not-so-special landscape. Something extraordinary in this ordinary thing. You should see how green it becomes after a heavy shower, as though; someone has painted a picture all over again, with fresh green paints. Every single drop of rain that falls from the branches of the tree makes me smile. I have yet not seen much of this city, just a few places, so I cannot tell you how it is like in the other parts of the city, when it rains. However, even then, whenever I think about Bangalore rains, the picture of the tree, with its wet branches, more-than-usual-green leaves, comes in my mind. Being in a new city, where you really don’t know anyone, can be pretty nice at times, cause you really don’t know what to expect, you just begin afresh. That is how it is with me. New faces, new place, new drops of rain, new life.

-shalini sinha

Perfect for today

I was too fat for some, so I lost weight

Then I wasn't busty enough so I had to put some on

Mind you not too much, just enough

When it would be right no one could say.

I chopped my hair, straightened and coloured it red

Only to discover that ‘it’s so yesterday’

To be today, it had to be long, curled and blue

What tomorrow will be is yet to be decided

By the revered anorexic goddesses of the moment.

My shirt didn’t constrict my breathing

My skirt didn’t reveal my underwear with every flutter

(Not that my underwear was satin and lace)

My socks were too high and shoes too low

Altogether the sorriest plight.

They redeemed me with a makeover

That set me back my tuition fee only by three months

What matters is, I was perfect

Atleast till the sun set that day.

d r e a m i n g

She could never have known the rules all writers are bound to the moment they convert their dreams to actions. She couldn't have known the curse that comes with creating a world you can use to run away from life and escape death, a world of cowards, liars, lovers, poets and murderers. A world of fire and ice but nothing in between, of spaceless time and timeless space and corrosive memories. She refused to destroy her dreams for the sake of the fear all writers live by, and because of this she was condemned to bear the weight of the curse she created, on her own soul. Had I known this then, I still wonder whether I would have tried to save her, or realised that she was doomed anyway.





..........hey guys! it's apoorva. :)
this is the prologue for the story i'm writing. thought it'd make a good first post. :)

Friday, August 20, 2010

Flame of Hope

A strange sense of relief.
Tears of loss.
The heart yearns for what is not,
And the brain yearns to justify what is.

Why does my heart want that
which my brain doesn't?
Why am I justifying,
convincing myself of something that has to be,
but isn't?

I anxiously wait for what is going to be,
I painfully miss what was.

The flame inside just went out,
"No hope!" the heart cries.
Darkness lies ahead,
And I venture against my will.

Will I find what the heart wants?
Or will the brain justify that
what I want is what I have?

Will I find you,
or do you not exist?

Will I ever smile,
the way I did last night,
in your arms?

Or is that a fragment of my Phantasm?

Will logic and the sensibilities of the world
keep us apart?
Or will the melodies of our souls
harmonize to become a tune?

Do you know me?
Will you remember me?
Will you hold my hand in the darkness?

Will you light my flame of hope?

This is something I had posted on my blog a long time ago. I thought I'd share it with you all :)

Purvaa
Oh, and please comment on my previous piece of writing - the getting over someone. Its the first time I've attempted writing an ironically humourous piece and would like you all to critique it :)
Thanks a ton!

~HER ~

She lingers in the peripheral
Drifts like the breeze
Touches your smooth hair
And pockets your heart with ease.

Her hair of ebony, her eyes of grey
They enrapture you
And hold you prey.
Her prowess, her skill, her versatility
They entice you
And WILL you to stay.

She's your force, you her hold
She's your air, you her breath
Force can do with no hold
And air can do with no breath
But can you! can you do anything sans elle?
'Cause I can't do without you!!!

Every snuggle I remember
Every ludicrous phrase
Every touch and gaze
I think of each day.

I don't want to be AN Invisible, with wretched hair
I want to take that place!!!
I know you won't ask
I know I won't say
God damned hell how long is this going to take???

Rebecca Raja.

Thanks for reading me :)

Picture this! - Devil's caves

Hey! I've got this story which I recalled telling my friends about 3 years back, when the lights went out.. Not that it may be scary though, it may get a little exaggerated, but try it anyway.. Make sure you're all alone and the room is quiet. Also, if it makes it better, read this in dim light..... And the picture is...

You are a good adventurer (even if you aren't, just think so!). You decide to go on a camp with five of your dear friends. All of you convince your parents to let you girls on your own. One of you is afraid of heights. But since you want a minimum of five, you convince them anyway and also her parents, who are terribly worried. Everything goes well so far. Two days before, all of you discuss on what to wear and what to carry with you. Normal and usual.

But, where have you decided to go? You, being the one to propose the trip, refuses to tell the others where you are taking them, as you want to keep it secret and give them a surprise.

(Here, you have to imagine that there is a place called "Devil's caves". This place had rumors of spirits roaming around and guarding a secret treasure deep inside the cave. For centuries, nobody dared to enter those caves, as one who gets in, never gets out. And what happens to them, nobody knows..)

The day of the journey...

All of you are set. You climb into a hired vehicle and drive away. Everyone, still in excitement, sing, crack jokes and have a jolly time.

Half way through the journey, you break the secret and say: "Guys, I know what you may feel after I say this.. But.. I really wanted to know what's there.. So.. Our destination is, Devil's caves. Don't be scared.. I am just too curious about this whole mystery.." On hearing this terrifying news, everyone looks at each other with an expression that reads - "What is wrong with her? Why would she want to go there? You smile despite all this and continue anyway.

It begins to grow dark, late in the evening. Others are asleep in the vehicle, but you stay awake, reading a book. You hear a faint noise. You stop reading and look around. But everyone is still in their baby sleep. Noticing nothing around, you begin to read again. You are lost in your story and forget about the noise. 30 minutes later, you hear the noise again. Only this time, a little louder. You freeze and don't move. You only move your eyes around to see who made the noise. You still don't see anyone. You get nervous and you turn to the driver. He has nothing to do with the noise and he quietly drives. You take a deep breath and you begin to read your book again.

It becomes very dark and the entire scene is dark blue outside the vehicle, under the dim moonlight. Not another sound. The only sound you could hear now, is the sound of the vehicle on the pathway.

30 minutes later...

You feel cold. Windows are closed but you feel a mild, almost unrecognizable breeze. Goosebumps pile up on the surface of your skin. You stay still and try hard not to lose focus on your book. But you are unable to focus now, no matter how hard you try. Just when you slowly lift your head up, you realize you are now about to enter the Devil's caves area. It is deserted and dry. Only plants you notice are cacti. You now decide to take a deep breath and relax. You say to yourself, "Relax.. Nothing's gonna happen.. Chill.. You're fine, you're fine.. You'll bust them out.." You know they've seen you coming. You know they are waiting.. And yet still, you do not want to go back. Even though you're scared, you want to proceed.. Despite warnings, you knew they were giving you all the time..

10 minutes.. You close your eyes and imagine you're at home, trying to recollect the good times with family and friends. You picture your best friend looking at you and smiling, after which she proceeds to hug you. But, your scene is fading away. Even as you close your eyes, you can only see the area you are in now - Devil's area - You start feeling uncomfortable, in every position you sit or sleep, you feel stressed. Your head suddenly feels heavy. You finally decide to open your eyes. You notice small rocks in the scene. As you are riding in your vehicle, you notice that they gradually increase in size until, you suddenly come across a big rock and an old woman with long white hair and white skin, with bruised hands and a face with stitches, stares at you as she sits on the rock, wearing a white gown. Her eyes are focused on you! You tremble with fear. You are scared. Her bright white eyes begin to glow, brighter than the moonlight. You cannot take your eyes off her. Soon, you lean back and close your eyes. You open them again in a minute. This time, she is following your vehicle and she is in front of you. She says, "Turn back now.. Or you shall never return!.. NOW!! NOW!!! Before you turn into one of us.. Turn back! Do not go there! I am warning you.. If you love your life, turn back!" Her voice sounds like she's growling.. A ghostly voice and terrified look on her face. You must have guts to talk back. Her voice echoes as she fades away.

You look at the driver, confused, whether or not to tell him to turn back. You ask him, "Hey.. Did you see that?.. That lady.. Do you really think I made a good decision in coming here? Do you think I should go back? I'm scared now.. Have we crossed the point where we cannot turn back anymore?" The driver doesn't look at you. But he replies, "It's too late to turn back.. We shall go.. What lady are you talking about? I didn't see anything.. You must be dreaming little girl. Happens to many people. You're not an exception. What you hear about the caves, is only a rumour. There aren't any such things as ghosts. Don't believe anything. Enjoy your ride and don't think too much, eh?" You reply, "Yeah.. I guess so. But tell me, how many times have you come here? Often?" He says,"Not many times.. This is my first trip here.." You gaze at him and then feel strange of how sure he is that nothing's going to happen to anyone. You still feel scared. Fear is part of your blood now. Only you know what took place - the lady in the white gown trying to warn you!

The driver finds a smooth spot to camp. He shouts out to the others who are still sleeping tightly. "Yo girlies! Get up! We shall camp here tonight.. You girls can set up your tents there, while I get down and take a small walk." You want to stop him. But you think, "What if he wants to pee? We're all girls here and he's the only man!" And you giggle. All of you get out and start setting up tents. Everyone else is yawning, while you still think of the lady in white. She haunts your mind every now and then. You don't speak a word about her. All of you light candles in place of a bonfire. After half an hour, you all go back to sleep, inside the tents, forgetting about your driver and what would've happened to him.

The next morning, you wake up first and you wake the others up too. You are fresh and have forgotten about last night. You call out to your driver but there is no response.. You wonder what would've happened to him. But no one else seems to be bothered about it. You look around. The sun is shining bright above your head, but it is not hot. You are not thirsty and you like the fact. You tell the rest of the girls to follow you, entirely forgetting that the driver is still missing! You walk a few miles and there it is! The Devil's caves standing tall and crooked. As you walk in, you find water droplets falling on you. It is dark. You use your torchlight inside. And what you see inside may horrify you...

Skeletons, bodies which are still decaying, all covered with blood, skin near the lungs ripped apart, heads separated from bodies and trails of hair all over the place, heads with no eyes, or nose or mouth, some hands cut and minced into pieces and you accidentally step on some of them. You almost shriek out, but you control. You ask your friends to control as well. You reach a turn in the cave, but before you could turn, your light goes out. It becomes deadly dark. You feel something wet falling on your shoulders. All of you hold hands and freeze. You light a candle and you proceed. After a few steps, you enter a huge empty space which is now, very bright. All of you rush to the place and feel safe. But, where is the 5th person? She is not there. You have now lost a friend in the cave. Will you continue or go back? Will you go back to the dark to find her? Would you risk your life to find her, with a possibility that she may not even be there?

No, you don't. You want to continue before doomsday and discover the fruit of this journey as soon as possible. A girl cries because she lost her best friend. She pleads you. She begs you. But, you say, "We have to move on.." She curses you and walks back in. You try to stop her. But she doesn't listen. You cry out to her, "Don't go! It's dangerous! Please! Come back! Stop!!!" But she ignores you and continues to walk and.. There you go! You lost another friend. 2 down, 3 to go..

You are frustrated. You tell the remaining to stick with you no matter what happens. You don't let them go out of your sight. You go and finally find, what looks like a tiny pathway. You lead the others down the pathway. It becomes slightly dark, but you can still see without the light. So you head forward. Half way through, all of you suffocate. Poisonous gases are troubling you. If you inhale these, you are sure to die. You find 2 masks in your bag. Your safety first, and so, you cover your nose and mouth with the mask and then you drop the other mask in between your friends and say,"Whoever picks it up first, gets it.. I am sorry but I cannot spare my life." Both of them fight. One gets too suffocated and cannot hold her breath any longer. She inhales the gas during the fight and dies instantly. The other girl, luckily grabs the mask, looks at the other girl and apologizes. She quickly runs towards you, with a tear in her eye of losing the girl.

You walk further and it gets dim. You can still see. It is quiet inside, but as you walk, the cave turns blue. You feel cold. You grab your only friend's hand and pull her close to you. You again feel something wet dripping from the top, onto your shoulders. You are now annoyed, and curious to know what the wet drops are. So you decide to look up. Finally. But the scene is not so pleasant up there. The moment you lift your head up, corpses that look like zombies hang upside down with hooks pierced into their feet. you run with your friend. You finally reach a room, full of dust and spiderwebs. In the distance, you could see a spotlight on a treasure box. You run to the treasure box with your friend. It is quiet and nothing distracts you now. You have reached the place! You are happy! But what is this? No key? You think what to do next while your friend stares at the treasure and freezes. You finally look at her and ask her, "Hey, do you have any ideas?" But she doesn't respond. Without even blinking, she stares at the treasure box. She stares without moving her eyes. You forcibly hold her shoulders and turn her towards you. Her eyes are still in the same position. You notice something. Her eyes are slowly turning light blue. Scars begin to appear on her facial skin. You are nervous. She is turning into a beast, like them. You turn her around again and finally find a bite mark on her neck. One of them has attacked her. You have no choice but to kill her.

She turns back at you and now she looks horrific! She has turned white and has a craving to possess the treasure. She tries to attack you but you push her away and finally, you can't take it anymore. So, you take out a knife and stab her. As she dies, her eyes turn back normal, her face is back to the way it was before. But, she is dying. She says, "I am sorry... I am sorry I tried.. I.. Tried.. t..t.. to.." and passed away. You cover your mouth and almost cry but you lift the treasure box and run towards the grand exit. You run, extremely scared. They are following you.. Fast.. They will not leave you! You hear noises, noises of dead corpses growling and waiting to feast on you. But you run, and you run fast. Almost there. But suddenly, a corpse hangs from above in front of you. It opens its eyes and tries to catch you.. It almost touched you. It swings to catch you, but growls mournfully as you escape it's claws. You can see the light in front of you and the monsters behind you. You stop for a second, and it's your end. Faster! They are catching up! They can almost reach you! Fast! You run to the exit and finally get out. You still don't want to pause. You are tired and thirsty. But you run as fast as you can to reach your vehicle. On your way, you find another body, with one of its legs chopped and the whole body covered with blood. You think it is dead and try to escape. But, it calls out to you, "Please, help... Please.. Last night, they caught me, and did this to me, please save me... Or I'll die!" It grabs your foot and you almost trip. You scream!

To your surprise, it is your driver! Such a relief! You pick him up and drag him for miles till you spot the vehicle. You get inside the vehicle and start the car immediately and get out of the place! you are now relieved, although still scared.

On your way back, the rocks decrease in size and on the same rock as before, you see the lady in white again. Only this time, she smiles at you and nods (As if to say, "Congratulations! I am proud of you! But never return!"). You look at her for a few minutes and look away from her. She too fades away. You keep your eyes back on the road and smirk. You feel proud. You look at the driver and both of you laugh.

You never know what rumors may be true. Sometimes, it's best not to assume things and go with what is said. And as for the driver, who thought nothing would happen, lost his leg and lots of blood.


Original piece by Madhu