The voice of herd

I settle down in the backseat of the cab at 11 at night, my eyes burning for sleep, my back aching, I tuck in the wrinkled sagging shirt, after all the appearance of the herd matters.The cool night breeze brushes my face as i poke my head out of the window. I close my eyes and let it all drift away. I remember the sleepless nights i spent, not typing through the codes , but driving down the deserted lanes with my friends. I have money in my pocket and i eat in cafes , but the food i ate in crashed weddings had the flavor i can never forget. My boss shouts at me, but my ears crave for my mother's voice when i used to come late at night. The cafeteria serves world class food, but my tongue craves for home cooked paranthas. Today i wear white clean shirt, but the joy of getting dirty in mud with friends seem to be lost.
The dreams of a big house took me away from home and a bmw won't give the comfort of my dad's own choti si car.
Those were the days when i could do whatever i wanted, those were the guys that grew me up, my friends and my family. We didn't have money in our pockets but we had love and satisfaction. The aura of my house still lingers with me.
My sombre breaks as a truck rolls by honking and billowing smoke. I am still sitting in the backseat of my cab.

The rat 6 feet under

Sitting inside the air-conditioned piece of concrete, with promises of life bellowing from the dead walls, my hopes crave for the sunlight, the purity it brings, for the promises made by it are not fake, they are warm and calm. The dead mass of electronics in front of me promises me of a better future, but that future is engulfed in dark, covered in desperation and stinking, shouting for satisfaction and happiness. 
The piece of cushion beneath me promises me of comfort, but wait, I remember my mother's lap. This cushion bleeds tears, tears of failure, tears of acceptance, tears of submission, tears of helplessness. The space around me is completely filled, yet woefully hollow. The life around me moves continuously, yet the dead are more alive. That feeling of buried under 6 feet of cool and moist soil. No one can count your tears, your eyes are closed, the sombre is eternal, its calm there, the silence engulfs me, I can't move a limb, but do I need to move? I can be whatever I want, I can be myself, the rats around me are not running a race here, they are just rats, just surviving their lives through, like I did. I was probably the slow rat, a rat with high ambitions, but not high enough to win the race. Maybe the rat who won the race is happy now, satisfied, but did he try the cool and moist soil 6 feet under? I bet NO, he didn't.

The promises

I walk alone along the dark road. Unknowing. Uncaring of what lies ahead. I just trace the steps. One by one. Someone once said to me, don't worry pal, I am here, backing you from behind, retracing your footsteps. He said he won't let me get lost into the unknown. All uncertainty evaded me. I knew, he was there, watching me from somewhere, hidden in the veil of darkness. I knew, he would be there, all I have to do is shout for him. And then I stumbled, I hit the ground, my legs gave away. I tried to get up but couldn't. I lied there curled up , sobbing and waiting, for i knew he would come, n give me strength to stand up. I waited, but no fear came to me. He will come, i kept telling myself, hours turned to days and days turned to months. The faith in me crippled, and realisation came striking upon me. I mustered all the strength that I could n pulled myself up. I had a long way to go. The destination was yet to be reached. And I had two more companions with me now, fear and uncertainty. Their burden was not easy to handle.

Thousands of people come into your life, making millions of promises. You set on a journey keeping those promises in your heart, a determination that those promises will be kept in need. However, the only promise that is ever kept is the one you made to yourself, the one that keeps you going, the one that gave you the courage to embark on that perilous journey. His promise was never meant to be kept. Somewhere you knew that in your heart. But you made a promise to yourself. To never fail the path you set on. That's what gives you courage to achieve what is meant to be, not the fake promises. You can see that goal, it's right in front of you, lying there, the reward of your sweat, you just have to lean n grab it. So, go and grab it. Don't wait for someone to give you a push, that push might throw you away from your goal. People hold your hands when they need support, not when you need it. So keep your hands free to grab your goal. Coz that's what your whole life is meant for.

Dedicate this to all of those who left you when you needed them, n prove them that the stumbled, broken you have gotten up and is ready to achieve what he always wanted to. Show them no anger or despise, for because of them you got two trustworthy companions, who are bound to stick with you no matter what. 

The apple orchard

Once upon a time, there flourished a vast empire at the foothills of himalyas. The majestic kingdom reigned across thousands of miles, covering almost the entire northern and central India. The empire was flourished and nurtured by a majestic king whose stories of valour and bravery spread across thousands of miles. Such was his grandiose that wherever he set foot, people would bow down to him.

Akin to his bravery, was his kind heartedness and generosity. Under his rule, the kingdom flourished. People would never face scarcity of food and water. They traded not in gold or silver, but in smiles and hugs.
The king's pride lied in his kingdom but his heart and soul lied in his queen. The queen was an epitome of beauty. The aura of her beauty spread across the kingdom. Some would call her angel directly from heaven. Men across the kingdom would kill each other to get a glimpse of her.

Her light green eyes mesmerized anyone who looked into them. The aura emanating from her seemed to even dull the glimmer of her golden gown. Her silver locks brushed the ground as she walked. Even the slightest touch of her soft hands seemed to rejuvinate the dead flowers. Her smile so radiant, seemd to hypnotize the onlooker. With beauty came the kindness. She would take care of poor kids and caress the animals. She would feed the destitutes and build old age homes. Some would call her paragon of benevolence.However, she loved nothing more then her apple orchards, with trees bearing crisp red apples. She would water them and sang songs for hours sitting under their shade. They were her children and she loved and cared them with all her heart.

Such was the intoxication of happiness, few would have predicted the clouds of gloom tht were about to dawn on the peaceful kingdom.

One fine day as the king was sitting on his throne, discussing matters with his ministers, a clairvoyant stopped by his castle. Famished by shortage of food and craving for a drop of water, she was taken in by the benevolent king. The royal food was served before her and the king himself fed her by his hands.
When she had her fill, she thanked the king and kissed his hands. Now that her hunger was satiated, the king requested to her to make a prediction for his beloved wife. She obliged by taking both his hands in hers. She then closed her eyes and started vacillating left and right, murmuring inaudible words. The ritual continued for about 10 minutes.

As she opened her eyes, an uneasyness spread through her face. She hesitated as her eyes glimmered with wetness. Seeing this, the king became restless and asked her what she saw. Hesitating, she let out the words that shook the earth beneath the king's feet....

        "At the dusk of 20th sun from today, the queen of this kingdom will take her last breath!!!!"

Horror gripped the king as his eyes flew wide open and he staggered behind, letting go of the clairvoyant's hands. As his mouth fell open and his heartbeat soared, unable to take in what he had heard, the clairvoyant burst into tears.

However, as realisation dawned upon him, fierce anger took place of shock. He ordered his guards to proscribe her and asked her to never set foot in his kingdom again.
However, as the guards took her away, he knew that her prediction couldn't be ignored. At that point of time, he decided that he would spend all his time, waking or sleeping, with his beloved queen and give her all the love he could.

From that point of time, the king could always be found by his queen, in her apple orchards. Unaware of the truth, the queen was quite elated with this gesture. They would walk alone in the orchards, hand in hand, with the king telling her stories, making her laugh. They would harvest the apples together. The king would climb the trees, while she stood below holding the basket. He would feed her with his hands, while the queen sang for him. Sometimes her laugh would bring tears to his eyes. What wouldn't he give up to see this laugh throughout his life....

At night, he would stay by her side, holding her hand with one hand and stroking her long silver hair with other. He would kiss her on the forehead and look into her bright green eyes. He would narrate her stories while she lay with her head resting on his lap. He would stroke her cheeks as she giggled like a child.

However, soon her radiant smile faded as her health began to detriorate. The long silver hair fell, giving away the balding scalp. The brilliant white skin cracked. The bright green eyes bore a pale look. Even the efforts of best doctors of the kingdom were in vain. Soon her legs gave away, unable to bear the weight of her body and she had to be bedridden. The flesh dried away , showing nerves and bones under the pale skin.

The king was overwhelmed by grief. He would cry all night, alone, desolate, but no relief came to him. His eyes remained red and swollen for days as he lost interest in his court and kingdom. Not only the king, but the kingdom was also engulfed in grief. Everyone started praying for their queen. The people of different religions came together to pray for her. The doctors would try everything they could. Their knowledge exhaused, but the queen was not a tinge better.

As the 20th morning dawned, the king's heartbeat soared. He sat beside his queen, looking into her pale eyes. He had gathered a basket of apples which he kept by her side. The whole day he sang songs for her, Beautiful, melodious hopeful songs.

However, as the dusk drew nearer, he could not hold himself as he broke down to tears. He took his wife into his arms with her head resting on his lap. Hot tears trickled down his eyes. Boiling hot, then instantly freezing on the cold winter floor. He could feel two hot wet lines on his cheeks, his lips were presssed together, hot and wet, holding him from bursting.

He pressed his hand onto his wife's chest, feeling the feeble beats of her heart. He knew it would stop today, for its beats were numbered and his wife will slip into an eternel sombre.
The helpless queen could not do anything to console her husband. She was too overwhelmed by weakness and pain. As a drop of tear from thre king's eyes fell onto her cheek, the sun dropped behind the horizon, and all she could manage to say was:

                                                    "LONG LIVE THE KING"

With this, she took her last breath and left the world of mortals to join a world of happiness, devoid of grief and pain......
The king sat there, sobbing, holding the lifeless form of his wife in his hands, screaming for her to come back. His hand still pressed onto her chest, searching for even the slightest heartbeat but none he could find. For little did he know that,
DEATH IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF A NEVER ENDING SAGA!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Floor-3/2

                                             
The vast ocean was calm and soothing. I was floating away in a boat, alone, immersed in the vastness of the ocean. I could feel the damp ocean air on my face, drawing away all the panic, leaving me calm and sombre.

Thud!!
That was a strange sound in the middle of nowhere.
Thud!! Thud!!
I woke up with a start. Damn these hostel kids!! I muttered under my breath, Who goes around knocking people's doors at 3 in the morning??
Rubbing my eyes, I sleepily got out of the bed, struggling to find my slippers. Few people appreciate the effort it takes to find slippers in the middle of the night!!
As I opened the door, I looked left and I looked right, only to find not a soul in the corridor. Cursing under my breath, I returned to my bed, ready to be lost into my sombre.

Thud!! Thud!!

This time i sprinted towards the door and opened it with a jerk. Still no one!! This time I lost my patience and yelled curses all over the corridor.... As soon as I closed the door, the realization came striking down on me.
It was the middle of summer vacations and there was not a soul in my corridor. My corridor was dead empty. I ruled out the possibility of someone running downstairs as my room was on the other end.

Slowly the color on my face vanished. Trickles of sweat started emerging down my neck. A chill ran down my back. With shivering hands, I locked the door and was about to turn to my bed when I saw a shadow lurking through the crease of the door.
Assuming someone was in the corridor, I quickly unbolted the door and leapt into the corridor. To my disgust, the moment I stepped into corridor, my room door banged shut.
This time I was scared to hell. I could feel my legs trembling. The earth shook beneath my legs.
A light was flickering near the lift. I could sense someone was there. Slowly,I started walking towards the lift, one step at a time, my senses completely awake, ready to tackle anything that could come. The light was there,
On! Off! On! Off!....
As my eyes was fixated on the light, Ifelt a hand creep in from behind and grab my shoulder. A loud voice echoed " BACK TO ROOM! BOY!!". At first I was so startled that I nearly jumped out of my pyjamas. But soon a calmness engulfed me. Finally the warden was here....
As i swung around to greet my saviour, my heart skipped a beat. Horror came crashing down upon me. There was no one in the corridor. Then who the hell shouted??

I mustered all the strength i could and ran towards the lift. My legs seemd to defy coordination as I slipped on a patch of water and my head banged against the wall. All earthly prespective left me for a moment. As my mind gained control, I realised that water can't be thick, neither can it be blood red.

I yelled at the top of my voice as I got up from the pool of blood and sprinted towards the lift.
I lunged into the lift, slammed the old manual doors shut and pressed the ground floor button a thousand times. I waited anxiously as the lift meter showed 5th to 4th floor, then slowly 4th to3rd and 3rd to 2nd..........
Wait!!!!
Why was it stuck between 3rd and 2nd floor? As Iwas ponderng, the lift rattled to a stop....!!!!
Horror gripped me!! I could feel cold sweat on my trembling hands. The face seemed to drain any color left. My legs gave away as I fell on the floor.

A voice echoed "BACK TO ROOM! BOY!!". The lift lights started blinking and blood started to fill the lift floor, thick, red and stinking. All I could do was shout at the top of my lungs.

The fresh morning newspaper was lying untouched on thetable. As the warden sipped his hot coffee, he turned to the first page. A he saw the first page, his fingers went numb and the cup fell down, breaking into a million pieces. He reread the headline:
"Boy found dead in hostel lift. Carcass found without a single drop of blood in body!!"

5 years have passed, the lift still hangs between the floors 3/2 and the corridor is still drop dead empty!!!!

Have you ever heard that silence pressing against your eardrums? .... That deafning silence.... The only voice echoing seems that of the blood rushing through your veins.... Your heart thumping heavily inside your chest. As if desperate to complete the numbered heartbeats.
Sometimes the imperturbable you waking up to a shrieking voice.  Its devilish .... Your feet move on their own accord. Putting each step in front of another. Trying to trace the gravel on an unknown path. You can see the blinding white light up ahead. You can feel the warmth.
However, as you stretch your trembling hands to touch it, it just vanishes.... Boom!!!! Into the nothingness. Leaving you there.... Alone. Desolate.... In the damp veil of darkness. Leaving you confound. Fearing the quiescent night. Pondering.... Shivering.... With tears dripping down your cheeks. Unable to hold them.... You stand there.... And wait till eternity.!!!!!!!!