True Story - wings of fire

*********************************************************************************All characters appearing in this story are taken from true life. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely intentional. If you can spot yourself amongst the characters, be assured that it is you
 *******************************************************************************

Once upon a time , not so long ago there was a  Scarlet Macaw. She was a very beautiful Scarlet Macaw. She was so colorful and full of life . She had an incredibly bright plumage in colors ranging from the scarlet , through to light blue, yellow,with metallic gold iridescence, and even some green in the wings. Though Native to humid evergreen forests in the American tropics, this beautiful bird had flown down to Bangalore after getting married to the most handsome Fire-tailed Myzornis . Our Scarlet Macaw was a beautiful and brave woman who was equally kind and compassionate. All through her childhood her dad had treated her like a Princess and told her she was no less than any boy if not better.  So after marriage though she loved the Fire-tailed Myzornis very much she was very very cautious. Cautious about what ? Cautious that Fire-tailed Myzornis should not treat her as a mere female. After few initial hicupps she realized that he did not actually belong to the enemy camp but was one among what you called as "real men" shown on televisions.  Soon they were blessed with two beautiful children who thankfully had the best of features of both the parents.
They were both taught the right values. While the Jr Macaw-Myzornis who was a boy respected every living being baby Macaw-Myzornis was full of life and radiated confidence .
The Fire-tailed Myzornis helped with dinner and also advised the Scarlet Macaw whenever she faced any problems as work place. The Scarlet Macaw was highly respected at the work place .She shared a good rapport with her manager as well as clients. There was a time when her client had sent her flowers all the way from the dense rainforests of Melbourne !
The Macaw wanted to something more . She looked for other options in the same organization and soon got a good role in one of the happening teams.
As always she worked hard . But this time her supervisor - the Harpy Eagle was not so impressed. He kept different types of competitions to judge his team and finally when the results came our Macaw got a shock of her life ! But why ? she asked.  "That's because of relative performance " pat came the reply from the Eagle.
"Can you swim like the fish? " He asked
"N...no " she replied
"Can you crawl into a hole like the snake ?
"No I cannot " she replied
"But I can fly ...and I flew so high ! "
"Anyone can jump into a plane and fly " He replied.
I will take it up at the next level she thought. Definitely my skip level who resembles the guy out of Mani Ratnam's movie Roja will help . So she went to the Lappet faced Vulture's cabin.
"Relative performance" he replied without bothering to look up. Learn to swim and crawl and we will see next year what happens" and he dismissed her with a mocking smile.
The Scarlet Macaw came home to find the Fire-tailed Myzornis' shoulders ready for her to cry. After she was done with crying she asked him for advise. He looked a bit surprised. "Ofcourse you fight " he replied. That was all she needed. "This is going to be your fight. While I will always be there right behind you , to hold you , to give you support, its going to be your fight entirely. And when you come back from the battlefield I will be right at the doorstep with a bottle of champagne...  either to celebrate the victory with you or to drown the sorrow. Just go ahead and fight!"
So with these encouraging words our  Scarlet Macaw went straight to the battlefield and called the Vulture and the Eagle for a fight. She had no idea if she would win or loose but she knew in her heart she owed it to all the females in the world - birds , animals as well as humans.  She owed it to her dad who taught her to fly so high. She owed it to her husband who took leave to look after the kids while she attended her meetings. She owed it to her daughter and even to her son who looked upon her. And above all she owed it to her mother who prayed during her exams , who was by her side always, who readily took care of her kids while she worked. More than winning or loosing what mattered was that she stood up for something she believed in.
And thus the fight began.....The Eagle and the Vulture were powerful ...very powerful but our  Scarlet Macaw had so much of strength in her that even she was surprised.

As she opened the champagne bottle that night for the first time she felt her life was worthy and meaningful.

Note : I had decided to fight  , to raise my voice against something I totally believed in . I fought ...fought hard and I won. Even if I had not won it would have given me the satisfaction that I at least fought ...fought with all my might. 





Take Care,

Equality

They were both best friends. "Best...est friend" in his language. Though there were other kids in the orphanage , he always called her to hold his tiny hands when he wrote the alphabets. She always gave him her share of desserts on Sundays knowing well that there would be no second serving. Age , gender, color  nothing came in between them. To him she was his world , someone who would hold his hands when needed    and guide him in this big bad world. To her he was the little angel who needed lots of love and care.

"You can't be with her for long" they said
"Why?" his innocent eyes asked
"She will play with dolls and you will play with guns and trains" they explained
"So what ?" he asked again
"She is a girl and you are a boy" they replied again, this time loosing their patience
He didn't understand how that mattered but didn't have the courage to ask anything else .

One day as they stood hand in hand waiting for the Aunty and Uncle to check them out , he could feel a tiny squeeze on this little finger. What was his friend afraid of ?
The Aunty looked at the girl and smiled. "Lets take the girl. The other one is a boy after all" she whispered into her husband's ears.
The Madam immediately came forward , disentangled the tiny finger and handed over the girl to the lady.
"Yes take the girl ma'm ...You will do good to the society"

That day he understood that girls and boys were not the same. 


Today a rep from World Vision contacted me. They are finding it difficult to get new sponsor for the kids .  He had brought with him handful of profiles for me to select. Select ? How could I do that ? It just broke my heart. 
I am a mother of two - a girl and a boy who need me equally.  Be it a girl or a boy they are the same until the society (including parents) starts differentiating them. I am all for women's equality and women's rights but before that lets at least try and give our children a chance at growing into educated and responsible citizens irrespective of their gender. 

http://www.worldvision.in/

With our busy life lets at least try and support organizations like world vision and others in their endeavor. 

Take Care,

angel of freedom

She handed over her invite at the gate and waked inside with her head held high. She changed her seat a number of times until she was satisfied that she would be able to see the stage clearly.
Once she had settled down she looked around. The atmosphere was charged with excitement. There was fun and laughter all around. Everyone was dressed in their best. Deep necks, sleeveless, silk , cotton , red, green , white, tattoos, red lipsticks ...she felt strange -  happiness and excitement mingled with nervousness. She looked at her watch. Few more minutes.  Finally the stage came to life. She lost all sense of her surrounding. She seemed to be in a daze. And then the moment arrived. The stage was filled with ten or more odd kids wearing short silver skirt dancing to the song "Sheila ki Jawani" . There were tears in her eyes. A sense of achievement. It was as if she had taken the first step towards freedom. She ran backstage to hug her little daughter ... for the first time in years forgetting to adjust her burkha.
She smiled at her daughter and together hand in hand they took their first baby step towards freedom.

Take Care,

Is this love ?

If you thought whispering 'I love you ' was the only way to express love ...read on ... 

Papa Tomato : (Seriously looking at his trading portfolio) Can you get me a glass of water ?

Mama Tomato : (Shouting from Kitchen) No water in the house !! Get it from the loo if you find it so difficult to come down.

Jr Tomato : I am the second best in class

Mama Tomato : (Raising her brow) Did you get marks for any subject ?

Papa Tomato : If there is no water get me some juice

Baby Tomato : You are not lizzzeening to me !  !

Jr Tomato : Marks ? What Marks ? I am the second best entertainer in the class (proudly)

Mama Tomato  :-/

Baby Tomato : Why are you not lizening to me ? Waaaa......

Mama Tomato : Shhhhhh....Police is there standing outside the house...keep quite

Papa Tomato : Get some rusks along with the juice !

Mama Tomato : I just read online yesterday, rusks are unhealthy !

Papa Tomato : Ok then get me the whole wheat cakes you got last week

Jr Tomato : My PJs are the second best

Mama Tomato : Ha ha ha ! I fooled you last week !!! Those were the normal cakes ! I am not even sure if such a thing called whole wheat cakes exist !!!! Mama Tomato doubles up laughing !

Jr Tomato : Mom you are cool ! Super cool !

Baby Tomato : Will you give me away to the police if they come here ?

Mama Tomato : Yes if you keep troubling me ...

Papa Tomato : Ok get me an apple then

Baby Tomato : WAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....

Mama Tomato : Stop swinging the bat Jr ! You will hit somebody !

Baby Tomato : WAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....

Mama Tomato : Theres no juice ...its all over ... no money in my account to buy more

Papa Tomato : What are Credit cards for ? Ok I will transfer

Mama Tomato : Stop swinging the bat Jr ! STOP IT NOW !!!

Baby Tomato : No one understands me !

Mama Tomato : God ! Where do these four years old learn all these nautanki(drama)  from ? Switch off the TV Jr ! Switch it off NOW !

Papa Tomato : Where else ? She learnt all this from you ...Drama Queen and little Princess

Jr Tomato : Drama Princess, Drama Queen and Drama Empress ! Wow !

Mama Tomato : Are you calling your dad's mom as Drama Empress ? Ha ha ha  !

Jr Tomato : (Switching off the TV ) Can I go out and Play now ?

Baby Tomato : He switched off the TV !!!! more waaaaa...

Papa Tomato : Are you getting it ?

Mama Tomato : Huh ! No ! You come down and get it ... at least it will be a better exercise for you than standing in the football field waiting for the ball to come near you...

Baby Tomato : Jr Switch on the TV ! SWITCH IT NOW !!!

Papa Tomato : But its you who need the exercise ...Remember you have to fit into your new dress...

Mama Tomato : Huh !

Papa Tomato : And I am mid way transferring money

Mama Tomato : Ok I will get it up but treat this as an advanced B'day gift !

Baby Tomato : Even Jr does not understand me !

Mama Tomato : (running upstairs with a tray and winking at Baby Tomato) : As soon as Papa completes the transfer , we will go and buy chocolates....

Mama Tomato : How did the transfer go ?

Papa Tomato : (with a sly grin) went well... I paid the electricity bill from your account ! Transfer complete !

Mama Tomato : (All red ) Duh !!

Baby Tomato : My mama is so sweet ...we are beeeest friends

Mama Tomato : No one understands me (sigh)

"we are all a little weird and Life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love" -  Dr. Seuss

Dear Papa Tomato "Happy Aniv ! May the weirdness keep on increasing ! "

Take Care,

True Story - III

*****All characters appearing in this story are taken from true life. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely intentional. If you can spot yourself amongst the characters, be assured that it is you  ****************


Once upon a time there was a Liger. You don't know what a Liger is? Liger is a hybrid cross between a male lion (Panthera leo) and a tigress (Panthera tigris).

Thus, it has parents with the same genus but of different species. But he was no ordinary Liger. Oh what a majestic Liger he was. When he walked all the females turned around to look at him. He was large and powerfully built. The Liger's coat was shiny short and buff yellow, with a tuft on the tail tip darker than the rest of the coat. And his mane ? It was full and shaggy , covering the back of his head, neck and shoulders and continuing into the throat and chest to join a fringe along the belly. His mane and fringe were dark, almost black giving him a majestic appearance.
When he roared, all the animals scrambled around and hid wherever they could.
Being at the top he was very lonely. He had followers but no friends. He would spend hours smoking cigarettes and thinking about his lonely life.  What he wanted was a partner. But where could he find a partner who would match up to him ?
So when the Hyena came with a marriage proposal from the lioness living in neighboring forest , he immediately declined. All that she does the whole day is stand in front of the mirror and admire herself , the Liger retorted. No I need someone full of life , who is not afraid of anyone , who everyone looks up in awe.
Who can brighten my days and love me in every way.
"Why don't you marry the sunshine?" the Hyena muttered under his breath before walking away with a bow.
The Liger was about to say something when he looked up. His eyes automatically closed, so bright was the sunshine. He gave a lazy laugh and took out the cigarettes.
He was not able to sleep that night. His mind kept wandering between the neighboring Lioness and the Sunshine.
The next day he decided to propose the Sunshine. For the first time in his life he felt nervous.

"Are you by any chance proposing me " The Sunshine asked with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Yes ...No ...Yes " stammered the Liger as he extended the flowers towards the Sunshine.
The Sunshine just kept looking at him with a sly smile. He fumbled in his pockets and came up with a ring. "Its a pure platinum ring" , he managed to say.
"So you ARE  proposing me !" The Sunshine said with a triumph .
"Though you are kind of cute , I really cannot marry you"
"Cute !" Did she just call him cute ! The Liger could not believe his ears.
"I love my freedom. I love adventure. I love to shine on the highest mountain and make its snow glisten like diamonds. I love to shine through the thick dense forest and bring joy to numerous birds and animals. I love to shine on the dessert soil. So how can I be tied up with you. But as I said you are kind of cute so yes we can be friends"
And this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. The Sunshine followed the Liger when he went for hunting , they both sat near the lake and chatted for hours. Not a day went by without them laughing so loud that the entire jungle wondered what the joke was. But come evening , the Sunshine would bid goodbye to the Liger. Many a times the Liger tried to coax the Sunshine to stay back but she was adamant .
One day after playing in the lake for sometime , the Sunshine took the Liger's hand and whispered a goodbye. His heart missed a beat. He caught hold of her tightly. "I must go dear one" she said softly "for my heart yearns for the mountains and valleys". As she tried to slip away from the Liger , he held on to her more tightly. On the spur of the moment  he caught her and forced her inside a bottle and quickly tightened the lid.
His eyes had a maniac gleam. "Now you are mine... only mine and I refuse to share you with the world"

He took the jar along with him to his den. For the first time they spent the night together. He in a high chair near the jar and she, sad and teary eyed inside the jar. Next day onwards he carried the jar everywhere he went. But he was not happy. Even though he had the Sunshine with him , it was gloomy and dark. As the days passed by the Sunshine lost all her youth and vitality. She became pale day by day. No amount of coaxing or cajoling helped. Even the Liger's health deteriorated. He no longer roared. He even stopped going outside. The whole day he sat inside his den with his little jar of sunshine trying to make her laugh. Finally he gave up on that also and just sat quietly staring at her.
 One day as he sat in his den he saw a colony of ants slowly moving towards the Sunshine. As they were about to climb on top of the Jar , he roared. "How dare you ! Don't you dare to go near my love"
"Your love ? Do you love her? " The leader asked. "Love gives hope, love gives strength, love makes you want to live. But she is about to die and we have come to take her carcasses"
The Liger seemed to be jolted out of his dream. He took one look at the Sunshine and made up his mind. He took a broom kept in the corner and swept off the ants. Then he took the jar outside and opened the lip. With tears in his eyes he bade goodbye to the Sunshine. The Sunshine slowly floated towards the mountains promising to return next year.

Every year as promised the Sunshine returns to the Liger. The Liger waits for this day eagerly throughout the year. They spend time playing in the water , making boats out of the leaf, they cycle down the jungle trail, laughing , chatting and pulling each others leg.

This year too the Sunshine returned. And what did she see ? The Liger was not alone. His wife and three cubs welcomed her warmly. Did she feel a teeny weeny bit of Jealousy ? Yes ! But she was destined to be free , she knew even bounds of love would feel like chains to her. But before saying good bye which she realized was going to be her final goodbye she gave the three cubs a present each. She gave a part of herself to each one in the form of dreams , hope and love without which the world would cease to exist.

Moral/Lessons Learnt : 

• The more you try to possess your lover, the more true love will evade you . Give space give freedom.
• You can't always get what you want. 
• You can find love everywhere...just keep your eyes open ;) 

If you liked this please go ahead and read the other two true stories

A True Story...

another true story...

Take Care,

My little miracle

He banged his head on the wall ...pushed the chair with force ...knocked down the jug of water...threw the pen stand on bed...
"Oh my god ! only a miracle can save me now ! 
"Why! why did I get fired ! C'mmon having frequent coffee is not a sin ! Help me God help me !
I have to pay my EMI
I have to Pay Nidhi's Insurance premium
House rent
I hope my Boss meets with and accident !
I don't want to pay my EMI ! 
I hope I get a great job! Now ! 
I hope something ...something happens to the house owner
I hope somehow I don't have to Nidhi's premium
Help ! Help me ! Take me away ! I don't want to live anymore  ! I need a miracle"
He emptied the entire bottle of whiskey and flung himself on the bed. Pretty soon he was snoring away.

Next day morning he woke up with a start . The sun was already shining brightly
Did it matter ? He had nothing to do except apply for jobs the whole day .
He logged into his personal mail
He couldn't believe his eyes .  There was a mail from Softtell . He remembered he has given an interview there few months back. He rejected the offer at that time as their salary didn't match his expectations . Now as per this mail they were ready to increase his salary. His was a niche skill and they were not able to find anyone else .
He immediately called their office . The HR assured him the mail was not a hoax .
"Oh my God ! Oh My God ! Thank you ! Thank you so much ! "
He prepared a cup of tea and came up to the balcony with the newspaper. "You are pumpkin pumpkin... Hello Honey Bunny  " His phone started singing. He picked up the call. It was Geeta on the other end,
"Can you believe it dude !!! Can you just believe it !!!" She sounded excited.
"What is it ? " He was hardly interested in what was going on there in the office.
"Our Boss ...the villain ...he met with an accident last night ! He is in the ICU and looks like his chances of recovery is very less."
He just couldn't believe his ears . Suddenly it struck him . Was this the miracle he wanted so badly?
He kept the phone down and composed himself. He took a sip of his tea and opened the newspaper.
The headlines caught him by surprise . "All computers of MoneyBank blown up" . He read further. Hmmm... so a storm caused some power mess up and the whole system along with the records was blown up. It seemed like the next step for the bank would be to declare bankruptcy.
He felt completely shaken up. Wasit really happening? Could somebody pinch him please !
He wished he had asked for loads of money instead of all this .  How he wished for another chance .
"Honey Bunny ..Honey Bunny " His phone started ringing again. Oh the Landlord. "Hello Ji " He heard his landlords cheerful voice.  So his landlord was safe and sound. He let out a sigh of relief . To think it was his miracle happening! He had been really stupid!
"Beta Ji I am going to Singapore for six months. My sons wife has delivered. I don't know anything about internet and all. So you keep my rent safely with you. I will come back and collect it .  Ok beta ji ? "
His hands were shaking now . "WHAT THE HELL!!!" He stared shivering. He felt a cool breeze down his spine. He felt very uneasy.
Suddenly he saw a shadow moving towards him .He felt dizzy. He could make out two horns on the shadow's head. He remembered the last wish he had made . Yama ! God of death himself had come to take him ! He felt his legs going numb . Everything around him blurred ....

He felt something cool on his face. Water ! He looked around. It was raining and the water was coming into his balcony. He got up. Looked at his mobile. My God ! He had been lying there for five hours !
Let me make some more tea. I need to clear my head and then check out if  this was all a dream or reality.
He slowly walked towards the kitchen.

He took water from the tap and kept the saucepan on the gas." Uff what a day " He murmured.. He took the matchbox and lighted it . His eyes fell on the bright yellow sticky post on the fridge. A note from Nidhi . "We knew this was coming. Of late you have been totally in your world completely ignoring me.This is a good bye . I will send you the divorce papers shortly. Don't try to reach me. "
He felt like someone was banging his head with a hammer.  He felt the need to splash some cold water on his face . He slowly walked towards the bathroom . He was about to turn the tap on when he realized he had just walked through the closed bathroom door.

Take Care,

You are mine ...only mine

Aravind looked at Bindu. How peacefully she was sleeping ... like a baby . She looked so peaceful and angelic with her silky black hair falling across her forehead. She was the picture of relaxation with her lovely hands folded up against her cheek. No it cannot be true . She was not that kind of a person. And they were now married for fifteen years . In fact next month it would be sixteen

years. She would never do that. But what about the flowers and gifts that she had suddenly started receiving ?  There was never a from name or address on them.

"Its from a friend darling " she would reply sweetly. "A girl" she would add that again very sweetly.
 Aravind got up from the bed. There was definitely something wrong. Even her behavior towards him had changed. She no longer asked him to accompany her for shopping. She preferred going alone. In fact the other day when he offered to drop her to office , she refused. Now days she didn't even insist him to eat extra chapati. She actually served his dinner in front of the TV and went inside to read book. She even spent most of her time on weekends browsing.
Was he going to lose her ?

It was true that as he climbed the ladder of success his family time had reduced. It had been almost five years since they went on a real holiday. Whenever they got long weekends they would rush to Kerala to meet his parents. Earlier Bindu would crib about it the whole time . But now a days she hardly mentioned the word holiday. "Was it because that guy was in Bangalore that she didn't want to go anywhere ? "

He glanced at the tiny alarm clock by their bedside. He remembered how happy Bindu was when she opened the wrapper and the alarm clock popped out with a message "keep thinking of me 24 hrs" . There was no name on the gift. "Its one of my friends from college days. We recently met on FB and this is her way  of telling me to keep in touch" Bindu had explained to him. He had believed her then. But now as he held the tiny alarm in his hands , he wondered ...

And then the other day he came back home from office and the door was locked . He had tried calling Bindu , but she didn't pick up her phone. Finally she came after an hour and all she had said was " Sorry darling ... I completely forgot about the time. And by the way I didn't cook anything tonight , shall we go out for dinner ?  You can pick up your call from the restaurant na ?" The ever complaining Bindu didn't say a word even though he was on phone through out the dinner.

And those beautiful flowers that were delivered at midnight on Diwali. "Someone is playing a prank on me " Bindu had replied sheepishly .

Aravind looked at Bindu again. She was smiling in her sleep. He looked again. Yes unmistakably she was smiling.

No he was not going to let some idiot take away his Bindu. Or was it too late now ? Anyway he was not going to let her go without a fight.
He took out his Blackberry and applied for a sick leave.
"Good morning honey ! " Aravind said as he kissed Bindu on her cheeks .
"Here's your masala chai to start the day ! "
"Uh ... you prepared the tea ? " asked a surprised Bindu
"Anything for you darling ...anything for you "

He switched off his mobile for the whole day. It was just him and Bindu. He felt her awkwardness at times. But he was not a man to give up so easily.
"We are going to Thailand to celebrate our sixteenth wedding anniversary" Aravind declared taking Bindu in his arms ...
"Really ? But what will your parents say"
"C'mmon ! Its our day ...Let us celebrate it together! "
The next few days flew by very quickly...Beauty parlor , shopping ...Bindu hardly got time for anything .
Finally bags were packed and they were ready to fly out the next day.
Bindu ticked the items on her list
Inform the maid
Inform the newspaper guy
Inform the milkman
"OOps I completely forgot something ! "
"What is it sweetheart ? "
"Give me a minute , I will be back. Have to inform my friend to look after the dog. "
"Why don't you just call her"
"I will be back in five minutes"

Soon Bindu was in a flower shop. She quickly selected the flower .
"Is it the same address ma'm ? " The shopkeeper asked ?
"Nope" Bindu replied and handed over the slip with address

Take Care,

Happy men's day (belated ) !!!

Ok most of my posts are female centric many of them trying to show men as villains ...The reason is simple ... I am a woman and I have this side which derives sadistic pleasure on seeing the discomfort of the men in my life :)

Four men (make it 2 men and 2 boys) have really touched my life
First my dad who showed me what unconditional love is . Second Hubby darling who in his silent ways always proves that he would be there for me through thick and thin. Third my son who follows me around like a lamb everywhere. Fourth my Nephew whom I really admire for his courage to face anything ...
And of course all my friends who have helped me , supported me or just been there with me when I needed them.
To all the good men out there who do make mistakes once in a while , who love their family , who fight with their wives and make it up , who are not afraid to say sorry , who break the movie promise because of urgent meeting , who buy the smaller diamond for the anniversary , who make dinner for their wives and who take their wife out for dinner to escape preparing it - the world would be really boring without you !

Happy Men's day ! Cheers !!!!!!!!!!

taken from internet 

Please Ignore : I am already plotting how to the kill the husband in my next story ;)

Take Care,

Love - Beyond Good and Evil

He approached her with caution inching slowly onto the web towards his intended target.

He desired her more than any one . So many days of wanting bubbled up inside him. He gently touched her lips with his, hoping to coax her to remove her hands. He wanted to see her beautiful face... infact all of her or as much as the dimly lit room would allow.He pressed his warm body against hers. He kissed her neck as she arched her back beautifully in to him. He closed his eyes and then opened them quickly making sure he wasn't lost in a dream. His hands trailed over her curvy body, fingers exploring each soft curve.  A small moan trickled from her lips

Soon he was drowning in deep waves of warm feelings.

She reached up and touched his cheek. He could feel his heart beating against hers. It felt as if it might beat out of his chest entirely.

He looked at her with triumph. Finally she was his. He owned her - Body and soul.

She looked at him with a smile . He could see the hunger in her eyes. He closed his eyes as the female black widow spider tightened her hold.

Black widow spiders are considered one of the most poisonous spiders .
It is often said that the male (usually significantly smaller than the female, down to 1% of her size ) is likely to be killed by the female after the coupling, or sometimes even before intercourse has been initiated. This supposed propensity is what gave the black widow spider, Latrodectus mactans, its name. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_cannibalism)




Take Care,

another true story...

*****All characters appearing in this story are taken from true life. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely intentional. If you can spot yourself amongst the characters, be assured that it is you  ****************

Once upon a time there lived a female Dove. Very pretty and equally intelligent. Her heart melted at seeing poverty around and yet she was very very shrewd .

She loved painting and laughing. While her friends burnt the midnight lamps to pass engineering exams , she passed the exams studying in the canteen along with her best friend and numerous plates of samosas.

As soon as she passed her exams , her parents got her married . A perfect match in every way . She cooked  rock hard idlies and he showered her with praises.

Their weekend was spent in shopping which was her favorite timepass.

Soon the strokes got them a sonny baby. After the initial few hiccups she settled down to the new routine.
But there was definitely something missing. Did she feel insecure because she was not earning  ?
"Darling you are already doing a lot . Why do you want to work now ? " Hubby asked surprised. But as always he let her have her way.

Soon she got a job !  Responsibilities kept on adding - at home and at work. Did she take anyone's help ? No ! Our Dove felt it would be a sign of weakness to ask for help. She was a strong female!

"We need a baby girl" one day Dove declared. "So be it " said darling hubby .

As her maternity leave came to an end , hubby dear once again offered "You can give up your job" .

 "No no I promised them I would be back after 4 months . So away I go next month"

Time passed by . With the added responsibility our Dove started getting up one hour earlier and went to sleep an hour later than her usual time.

But the responsibilities kept on adding as did her weight.  One day she got a shock as she looked into the mirror. Signs of ageing !!!! The damn expensive cream didn't erase the dark spots as it promised on television. She neither had the time nor the strength to sue them.

"If you want I can leave my work and take care of the house" Hubby dear offered.

"No No you earn more than me. You carry on . I think I will leave my job. Just give me some time to sort it out in my mind "

"I am a superwoman" she chanted 10 times everyday morning. And did it hep ? No it didn't. She gave up her evening walks to meet her deadlines. She didn't have time to hear her daughter sing "Chamak Chalo " .  She gave up her pedicures to complete the damn report . "Candle light dinner ?" she gave hubby such a dirty look that he actually felt guilty of proposing it . "Lets just grab a burger . I have a call in half an hour. "

The sensible hubby recognized the sign of depression behind the fake smile.  But what could the poor guy do ? And how long could the Dove's body take this kind of abuse. As she sat in front of the Psychiatrist she realized how wrong she was.  She thought equality meant going out and working. She knew the exact time of  each of her meetings , but didn't know her sons exam had started.

"Darling take a break from work for some time. If it doesn't work out go back. But at least give it a try. "  Dove nodded her head in agreement. Next day she went to her office and gave in her resignation. There was a notice period of two months .

From then on every time she fought with her hubby or shouted at her kids she thought "Few more days , then  life will be back on track" . She googled for dance class and meditation classes nearby. She did a lot of research on salsa and hip hop and finally decided on belly dancing classes . She was looking forward to her break. She got a new fruit juicer , sprout maker and a steamer.

Finally the day day arrived. She handed over her laptop and said good bye to everyone . As she handed over her Access card at the security she felt very happy and light. Finally she was going to live her life the way she wanted !

She came out of the huge gate . She looked back one last time. She took a step to cross the road. She did see the huge monster truck that was coming from the other side. Crash !!!!! Her white feathers along with her dreams were strewn all over the road... She slowly closed her eyes as the crowd gathered around her... A small tear dropped down from her lashes and got lost somewhere...

Moral/Lessons Learnt : 

• Don't wait until tomorrow to begin living. Start right now ! 
• If your superwoman outfit seems to have ripped /shrunk , just discard them for a designer outfit. 
• Its okay to ask for help. 

Take Care,

Broken Trust...

He sat quietly and watched as she carefully applied the red lipstick. He watched her pucker her lips, pouting almost as she applied the make-up to them. She smiled at herself and turned back. "Darling I will be late today... Lots of work at office ! "  He just nodded his head.

She took one last look in the mirror, then threw her cell in her brown leather purse, grabbed her office tag off the dresser,  threw a kiss at him and headed for the stairs.   He could hear the front door shut. On an impulse he got up and decided to follow her.

He was careful to keep a significant distance between them. She stopped for a minute to adjust her sandals and then continued to walk towards the bus stop.  She reached the bus stop and pulled out her cell from her bag. Soon 335 B came . He expected her to get into the bus . That was the only bus which went up till her office gate. He was ready to dash into the bus from the hind door. He was surprised to see her still standing there . "What the hell !!! Why was she not taking her regular bus". Just then the next bus came and he saw her getting in. He quickly got inside as well . He was not sure where the bus went. "Last stop" he said handing over 100 Rs.

She got down after three stops . He followed maintaining a safe distance between them.
She walked for around fifteen minutes and then took a left turn. He couldn't see her anywhere as he reached the bend . His blood was boiling from inside. Liar , cheater , vamp ... he came up with numerous adjectives as his eyes searched for her.
He spotted her entering a dilapidated white building. : " Karunashraya - Abode of Peace" the board read. He felt silly standing there. He remembered she had told him few weeks back that their maid's mother was suffering from cancer. She probably though he would make fun of her if she told him the truth. What a woman ! She had a heart of gold ! He suddenly felt so small.

He turned back before she came out and found him. "I must remember to buy some candles and red roses on the way back" he thought , still feeling ashamed.

She came out after few minutes. She stretched as she looked at the sun and smiled. She took out her mobile,  clicked on the message tab and punched the reply "Darling thanks for saving my life today. Will meet you in half an hour"

Take Care,

Heart knows no reason (story in 55 words)

The moon looked pensive tonight. 

She once again looked longingly at the unfaithful sun. 

Why did he maintain this distance ? She wanted to look into his eyes and  melt away in his arms. 

Lonely... forlorn... filled with revenge she decided to come in between them ... 

The little girl on earth exclaimed with glee " The eclipse !" 

Submitted at Sunday Scribblings for the prompt -  Distance

Take Care,

Food for thought ...

"AGRRRRRRRR...... Sandwich again !" He made a face as he closed the lid of his lunch box and walked towards his school canteen. Today again he must remember to throw the lunch into the big dustbin on the way home. "Why did his mom make things so difficult for him !", he thought.

Her tiny hands could not reach inside the huge dustbin. Where did the bricks she kept there yesterday go ? She found them lying in a corner.  She ran as fast as her tiny legs could go and grabbed the bricks. She had to get it before the dogs came. Finally she grabbed her treasure . A smile broke out on her tear stained face. She looked towards the sky and slowly whispered " thank you mom for the sandwich"

Photo taken from Facebook - Satyamev Jayate

Submitted at Sunday Scribblings for the prompt -  Treasure

Take Care,

Moksha...

As she stood at the edge of the cliff, she could feel the cool breeze brush against her cheeks.  She stared ahead of her, eyes fixed on the other side. She couldn't help the tears that flowed down her face.Everything was so calm and peaceful, nothing to what was going on inside her. She stood still, her eyes closed as she listened to the soothing sound
She could hear the sound of the river flowing below . She felt as if she was already drowning ... being sucked down ...deep down ..into the unknown ...


She was finally ready ! Ready for Moksha ..Freedom ...Nirvana....Was it the end or a new beginning ?

But how did she reach there ....the edge of the cliff ?


Suddenly her whole life passed before her eyes . Tanya saw herself as a kid playing with her sister . Her best friend saying good bye to her and then Rahul ...His soft touch , his understanding glance and then the tight slap that shattered her world.

Tanya had met Rahul for the first time at a friends party. She was new to the place and hardly knew anyone . she was standing aloof in a corner sipping her drink when hre eyes met the most handsome man in the room.

Before she could take off her eyes from him , he smiled at her. He strode across the room to her and extended his hands . " Hey my name is Rahul. Are you new here? Never seen you here before. " 

The rest of the evening passed by in a flash. When it was time to say good bye Rahul offered her a lift back.He was a through gentleman. Tanya loved his sense of humor as well. She had been catching him stealing quick glances at her. And every time she would catch him, he would quickly turn away or look elsewhere. She just didn't realize when her hostel came. 

After this, Tanya found that she kept on bumping into him everywhere and soon "very shyly he plucked up the courage to ask her for coffee.

Tanya didn't even realize when Rahul became so special for her . Then one day Rahul asked her to accompany him on a very special journey... to a very special place.

After three hours of drive he asked her to get down.
Finally they walked down alittle path and stood at the top of the cliff over looking the beautiful river.It was there he started talking about love, trust, and spending the rest of his life with Tanya. Was he proposing? Tanya couldn't make out. The last sentence she heard was "will you ? Please say yes." She slowly nodded her head thinking, “Is this IT?!!” He finally hugged her tigtly. "Thank you ! I promise never to leave your side. I promise."

Though she was happy before , now she experienced complete bliss. She wanted to spend each and every moment with her beloved. It started impacting her work, but she hardly bothered.

And then one day she stood in front of the bathroom mirror praying hard that the little red line on the pregnancy testing kit should not appear. Her heart sank as she saw the red line slowly appearing.
She immediatly picked up her mobile to call Rahul.

"Don't worry dear. All we have to do is go and see a doctor" Untill they reached the clinic Tanya was not sure if Rahul was talking about abortion or concerned about her health.

But even the cool Rahul started perspiring when the Doctor told them abortion was out of question. "Its already four months. We really can't take the risk. "
He was utterly perplexed and she was totally disturbed.
"There must be something ..something that we can do to get rid of this problem ! " Rahul exploded.
"Why don't we get married Rahul? " Tanya asked innocently.
He grabbed her by her shoulders and shouted " So this was your plan Tanya ? ! You did this on purpose so that I don't run away from your clutches"
"No Rahul. I will never force you to marry me. You are free to leave me and go. "
For days after that  Rahul walked around like a martyr.

They had a registered marriage. Tanya left her job and became a full time housewife. She joined a cooking class, made sure Rahul's house was neat and tidy. Though almost every night Rahul came home drunk , she made sure the dinner was ready on the table.

Rahul never accompanied her to the doctor. Infact the day little Ishita was born Rahul went off on a business trip only to return after a week. Ishita was a very sweet baby. She hardly cried. Probably she realized her mommy was already going through a hell. Though Tanya experienced moments when she felt happy , there were hours when she felt really disturbed.

Rahul's drinking got worse. He hated when anyone asked him about his daughter. He would come back home and take out his anger on Tanya. He has started hitting Tanya now. Tanya no longer shared the bedroom with Rahul. She spent her whole time looking after Ishita or cooking and cleaning .

One day she decided that enough was enough – a decision she put off for long. She went back to her old office and thankfully there was still place for her . She was asked to join in a months time. That would give her enough time to put Ishita in a daycare and look for a place to stay.

That night when Rahul came back, Tanya informed him of her decision to leave. He hit her in a fit of rage. Next morning she could hardly open her eyes. It was completely swollen. Baby Ishita was crying out of hunger and fear. Slowly she got up and prepared milk for Ishita. As she was lying down next to Ishita she heard Rahul slowly coming and sitting next to her. "I am sorry Tanny .....please give me another chance...please ..."

A week after this incident Rahul came up to Tanya and kissed her on the forehead. "Tanny love these are some papers , please sign on them. Theres no time to read them ...just sign on it love. "

That night out of curiosity Tanya opened Rahul's bag to check out what she had signed on. I was an insurance of one crore on Tanya's name. She nearly fainted. So this was what Rahul had planned all along. She decided she had to somehow run away from Rahul taking her precious Ishita with her.

A week later Rahul called Tanya on her mobile. "Love , I got a promotion. Lets celebrate ! Anyway Ishita is in a daycare, why don't you join me  now? I will be waiting for you. You know the place right ?

As Tanya reached the cliff she saw Rahul sitting near the cliff  making circle in the air with his cigarette and a bottle of alcohol next to him .

She tried to look down, but she could not see him anywhere. The cool breeze blew away all the wrinkles and frown from her face.

She was finally ready to leave this life behind and start on a new journey with her daughter. 
She was finally ready ! Ready for Moksha ..Freedom ...Nirvana.... 

A True Story...

*****All characters appearing in this story are taken from true life. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely intentional. If you can spot yourself amongst the characters, be assured that it is you  ****************


There was a tortoise living in a jungle. He was smart and handsome. He used to spend most of his time on a rock near a lake. His favorite time pass was  lying on his back under the sun and day dreaming. What did he dream about? or rather whom did he dream about ?
He dreamt about the rabbit who used to live nearby. He would sit on the rock and think about the rabbit for hours together - the way the rabbit would tilt her head and laugh, the way she would run around the tree...the sparkle in her eyes ... The tortoise could not find a single fault with the love of his life. The hours turned into days and days into months..... And did the Rabbit notice the tortoise. Yes indeed she did ! How can you not notice a person who worships the ground you walk on ? Did she reciprocate ? Ummmmm... she did have a soft corner for him but how could she be seen with him ? No that was not possible especially when all the male rabbits used to send her carrots everyday along with love notes and poems. What would her friends say ? No ... her vanity prevented her from going to the tortoise. She would just turn her head and nibble on the carrot sent by one of her suitors when she felt the tortoise starring at her.

One sunny afternoon the tortoise was sitting on his rock as usual thinking about the rabbit when he heard the rustling of leaves behind him. He slowly took out his head from his shell and

looked around. And what did he see ???? The love of his life was standing right next to him !

"Move out of our way ! " commanded one of her friends. "We are in a hurry"
The tortoise was totally lost admiring the Rabbit's beauty, completely unaware of what was happening around him. He was snapped out of his reverie by the sound of the clapping . "You can do it mate ! you can do it !" the crow was shouting !
The Tortoise was completely bewildered.."What do you guys want me to do ? "
"Race ! " "Defeat this lady here ! "
"No No I can't  ! I can't do this " stammered the Tortoise.

Just then a frog jumped out of nowhere and drew a start line.
The magpie flew down and with its wings on its hips ordered both the Tortoise and the Rabbit to get ready.

"On your marks get set GO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The rabbit happily skipped and jumped ahead.
All the followers of the rabbit kept cheering her all along. The tortoise was all alone. Even the crow was cheering for the rabbit. None of his friends were following him as it would have been too much of a task for them to return back. And anyways they were certain that he was going to loose... the race ...and his reputation .
The tortoise wiped his tears and gathered all his courage and slowly started moving ahead.
The rabbit reached the start of the dense forest. She turned back to check out the tortoise. He was nowhere in sight. The rabbit found a shady tree nearby which was out of the way and decided to take a short nap.

The tortoise on the other hand was slowly but steadily moving ahead .
When the sun was right above his head all he could think of was the rabbit. "My poor darling ! Am I the one who got her into this trouble ? " he wondered. "This harsh sun is going to spoil her smooth silky hair! "
He did not see the rabbit resting under the tree as he reached the dense forest. Had he seen her he would have surely woken her up. To save her from the sun he would have happily offered her his shell as well.
But then the tortoise did not see the rabbit and just walked ahead.

He came out of his dreams only when he heard the loud clapping and cheering of the jungle animals and birds.
He couldn't believe he had won the race. And then he saw her. Standing far away ... looking stunned !
He wanted to get down and run towards her as the elephant lifted him in his trunk . He closed his eyes. He just couldn't see her standing there defeated.  Finally the lion himself came down to him and handed him the trophy. With trembling hands he took the trophy and went up to the rabbit. With tears in his eyes he said " This is for you my love. I love you and will always be there for you."  His heart broke into thousand pieces as the rabbit threw the trophy onto the ground and walked away.

After this incident the rabbit stopped going out of her burrow. She lost all her confidence. She stopped eating and grew thin. Her hair lost its luster and the twinkle in her eyes was gone. Even the other rabbits who used to woo her stopped sending her carrots .  She was all alone and lonely . But her vanity prevented her from going to the Tortoise.

And the tortoise ? Untill today he was sitting on the same rock with a sad expression. He was missing the rabbit badly. His life didn't seem to have a purpose anymore...

But just now he saw a mynah sitting on a branch near his rock and his heart skipped a beat....

Moral/Lessons Learnt : 

• Don't try to put your love on a pedestal  . You know - " In order to place anyone else above us, we have to consider ourselves as beneath them and in doing so in actual fact you are setting your relationship with them up for failure."
• Even if you lose , people who love you and care for you don't stop doing so. 
• Love is blind but as its said  "never take someone for granted because you might wake up one day and realise that you've lost a diamond while you were too busy collecting stones."
• You can find love everywhere...just keep your eyes open ;) 

Always ... (story in 55 words)

"We will be together ...Always" He whispered into her ears as they built sand castle 70 years ago...

Today as they floated hand in hand over the clouds , he mocked " You are late ! "

"Sorry love , our little granddaughter held my hands tightly in the hospital. But see I kept my promise... To be with you always..."




***A story in 55 words...My first attempt  ***

Submitted at Sunday Scribblings for the prompt -  Always

Revenge...

As she entered into her house she heard a moan. Fearing the worst she rushed into the bedroom. The sight that met her eyes filled her with sick despair. He was laying on the floor ...too week to even cry out loud.
Tears filled her eyes. How could they do this ? And why ?

She had realized those people could go to any extend to take a revenge.

She knelt besides him. With tears in her eyes she whispered " How ...how did this happen ? "
She couldn't make out at first what he was saying. Then she caught the words "sweets ...in the kitchen" .
"They must have poisoned it " she shrieked !
"Run ...run before they catch you as well"

I will get you some water. She ran towards the kitchen. There was no water in the kitchen. Everything was dry. Even the tap which used to keep dripping was dry now. With a wail she ran towards the bathroom. Dry ! Not a drop of water. Then she saw the bucket of water outside the bathroom. Before she would do anything she heard a gasp from the bedroom. She just stood there like a statue. Not knowing what to do ....she felt lost and clueless.

She had met him only a few months back. She was impressed by his looks. She willfully succumbed to his charms. She said yes over the imported cheese and wine he offered her at his beautiful house.

Now what ? She would have to leave this house immediately. The beautiful house where they planned to have their baby.

NO ! She wouldn't just leave like that and run away.

She immediately set about gnawing the cables of the Telephone and the Home Theater system. As she walked out of the door she looked back and saw the rat trap. Though her eyes were filled with tears she gave a smile . 
Revenge was sweet.