The Row House- 1

 Perhaps there's a history to every place, and perhaps we just don't realize it yet. Below every house must be the earth whispering tales of the ones who bled into it, tales of the wishes they had and tales that still keep replaying itself ...irrespective of our presence.
                      I entered into a row house; it was the fourth of the set of houses we were checking out to move in. A bunch of us needed a place to crash at after our college and working hours and we were waiting for the place that would click the minute we saw it. But the row house did much more. As I went up the creaky stairs, the power went off and we were submerged in darkness. After a few seconds the generator thrummed to life and we could see again. It was pretty spacious, well furnished and in the back of our minds we thought it'll work. That was until we saw the terrace. Up on the terrace was another room but the scenery was worth it all...The hills rose behind the row house, and we all chattered like the evening birds. Talks on who will stay where and where will we do what convinced the owners that we were up for the deal. And the rate at which we will be renting it out... was a bargain? So it was done... our search ended there.
                     Since I was relatively jobless, I decided to get the keys made for the six of us so that everyone can shift in at their own pace. Once the keys were in my hand, something compelled me to run through the place once again. I knew that there wasn't going to be any second thought about the row house, but it was evening when we checked and my timid friend secretly voiced out that she smelt something weird up there. I wasn't the one to go with such opinions but there was no harm in checking... or was there?
The rooms were empty, and painting work was getting done. The owners were so kind as to let us have our pick with the colors for the walls and as I walked from room to room I was convinced that all the colors of the rainbow were present. Well, we all had different tastes. I said a hello to the workers and made my way up the three floors to the terrace again. The small room was still locked, and i fumbled with the set of keys to find the right one for the lock. I gave up after a while and hoisted myself up on the side walls to just sit and stare at the hills. There was something to them... tranquillity, a peace of mind and a beautiful story to be told.  I got down, held onto the railing and looked down below. And that was when all my peaceful thoughts came crashing down to one word....fear.

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Memory Basket

I've been read before,
I'm crumpling old, but,
I've come to bring fore,
The memories that have been shut.

Knee deep in mud and lost in bliss,
Stealing from cookie jars on toes,
Sealing silly promises with a kiss,
Is how an innocent soul's life goes.

And the later half goes like,
Blackboard math and playground swings,
College books and mountain hikes
Until you become a puppet with strings.

Work holds a thread,
Family tightens the other,
And soon you'll have no time to bother
About what wishes are in your head.

That's that's when you'll glance,
Like you did from school gates once,
At your past and hope for a chance,
To re-live it all, all just for once.

And so before you turn,
Make sure that memory basket,
Is full with moments you'll yearn,
Moments you just cannot forget.

And if you already did,
Its time for me to bid
Goodbye for i'm just,
A poem to read, a must!

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Herds of Sheep- Answers to Practices

The human race is by definition like a herd of sheep. Someone says it and the someone believes it... and before even you know it, it is a fact. There are a few pages from history that I've read a long time a ago, which speak about the things we're still practicing without knowing the actual need for it. I'm not sure if you would know either but its interesting to look back into our ancestry, so here it goes.
                        Polygamy is practiced even today, and some of us thunk it's unethical. But do you know how it began? During the times when we were at war with empires, the soldiers used to lay down their lives without second thought of family. The widowed women were left with the burden of finance, upbringing and other such matters. To remove those problems, men would take the widows as their wives into their homes and support them. The relation would be termed as the wife, whereas the true reason was something else. Now a days however the reason has changed and polygamy is looked as a way to avoid marriage fall outs due to divorce.
                        I guess we all might have noticed this on the roads while driving or else where. Do the words 'O.K' behind heavy duty vehicles sound familiar? Wait, its mostly accompanied by the words 'sound-horn, sound- please'. The reason is that in those days when the British were the rulers here, our heavy vehicles used to run on kerosene. And to let it be known that only kerosene should be filled in it, the words 'on kerosene' were  painted as 'O.K'. But over the course of time that changed but the words remain till date!
                         The anklet is an ornament that the Indian women wear so often especially in the rural areas... but this has a hidden meaning to it. Back in the days when women were considered assets to the man, she was given no freedom and was constantly under observation. She was restricted to the household and nothing beyond. If a girl was to disobey and leave at any time of the day, the bell son the anklet would denote her presence and the men would track her down and ring her back. It was almost like she was a prisoner with a fancy chain that kept her down. Halfway through the transition the reason was buried and it became a normal ornament. And now is a fashion quotient!
                              These are just a few things that intrigued me but there's so many reasons out there. Start questioning and you'll see what I mean!

Price of Riddance

Looking out beyond the life's window at the void space,
I question myself of my capabilities and problems I face,
Maybe I've gone insane but I really feel that I might,
Be on the verge of doing the wrong instead of the right.

There's no reason to pounce on this new discovered story,
If it is something perpetual then there's no need to worry,
But the guilt for something I've done nestles deeper everyday,
And i'm concerned about the price of riddance to pay.

Though the winds are for and not against my little acts,
Reality will surely kick back with the facts,
Listen to the story and maybe i'm innocent but see closely,
I harbor over a friend, wield my tactics over him fiercely.

The root of this oak tree is that its betraying,
And my weakness: the wrong people I keep on trusting,
Sad to say, always the right people I keep on doubting,
Aren't I confused much? That's why I end up hurting.

Wish there's an end to all this, but its unnecessary to opine.
I see him happy, yet losing himself slowly; my thoughts intertwine,
to know what I'd been and what I've turned into by full
Someone he wouldn't be proud of, as to everyone I''m unfaithful.

Gina, the Worldshifter

Ever felt like this world wasn’t meant for you? No, not like ‘I don’t fit in, I must commit suicide’ types but rather like ‘I belong elsewhere’. That’s exactly the thought Gina would wake up with every morning. The feeling that she could do much better than pull off a successful mask around the mortals; kept haunting her at every part of the day. And try as she might, she regretted being stuck on Earth. It was bound by materialistic laws, forces and tons of conditioning. Gina just couldn’t live with the restricted freedom. They’d keep saying that she was a free soul, free to do whatever she wished and that was so far true… but whatever she wanted to do wasn’t on this earth.

            Years had rolled, but the thoughts were still fresh as she wanted to be a young writer. Others laughed at her, not because she was bad at it; but because she had the potential…to do better. ‘Better than worldly work’ she thought. But her mind was set. Writing was unrestricted. She wasn’t even bothered about writing in the same circles the world walked in. She’d write something new entirely. She had two options now at hand that she weighed carefully. Either she could write about the things that people wanted to read, things that mortals were capable of wishing…that would make her a success. Or she could write of the things she wished. And knowing that she was a separate entity altogether, she had her doubts whether that would click. What she really wanted was to open up the doors to other worlds for the mortals to see. They were so busy running behind the worldly pleasures that what they needed wasn’t possibilities of that same world… they needed an entire new realm. And that was how Gina set off to write of the unimaginable.

            But first, she needed to find her world, the world to show to the people. A lot of thinking would be involved she mused as her thoughts delved back to her dreams that last. Her dreams were the pools of her thoughts. Out here when darkness was the air she breathed in, she could concoct anything, give life to anything. And perhaps it’s the place where her mind wasn’t conditioned. But something was strange… even though Gina wasn’t sound asleep she could dream. And what’s more, she could intervene into the dreams of humans and twist the fabric of their thoughts. She noticed that the pattern was re-occurring and it took her just a few days of brainwashing to figure out a solution. According to her, there were three worlds… the world in which we lived, the heaven and hell where spirits dwell, and our dreams. Gina was full of excitement when she realized who she truly was. She was a Worldshifter. She could move around freely from one world to the next, but be present in the world that humans were aware of. At the very thought of her exploring the vast void and the subconscious, Gina’s lips would curl into a smile. Yes, she wouldn't write of the worlds, no, she would go into their dreams and change their view. To make living better for them. Now life was getting interesting…she only had one life; living it full wasn’t enough for her. But now with three parallel universes to be in, it was worth living.

Look out for Posts with her name as she reveals the worlds we aren’t aware of!


More pages on Gina!

The Dozen- 5

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Neil was told to act instinctively...and unbelievably doing just that was said to free him. In front of him were two people, both of whom he was sure he knew but he couldn't make them out in the cold darkness. Neil glanced back... the guards were hot on the trail but what he also saw was the pitfall up ahead. The three of them watched as a few guards fell into it and the rest proceeded to pursue them.
''Officer! Arrest him!'' They yelled towards Neil. He looked down at his clothes; yes, he was wearing clothes just like them. Neil smiled crookedly. It was time to have some fun.

''Stand back!'' Neil pulled out the gun the guy with the fire tattoo had given and pointed it at the captor.
''Step away from the girl, or I'll shoot you!'' Neil took one step at a time towards the swinging bridge forcing the other party onto it as well. When they were pretty much onto it, the guards were nearing.
''Slash the ropes!'' Neil whispered. The captor slashed it as the guards were about to step onto it. Fiona added a high pitch scream for effect. Then gun shots were heard. The guards froze.
                  The bridge went down, into the swarming foamy waters, but the three of them landed onto a raft. One of the dozen was there, and she quickly took them around the waters and away from the flood. Neil looked up to see the guards check the waters many times. When he reached shore, the complete dozen was there to welcome him.

''Good to have you back Neil!'' Gary clapped his back.
''How did you guys plan this whole thing? I mean it was so well thought of!'' Neil basked in the delight of his friends.
''Simple'' said Mackenzie as she narrated.
''We read through the laws to see if we can haul you out somehow. But unfortunately, the hotel people were framing us, without fault. Someone stole the bottle from Jeremy's room and planted the evidence there. That's when decided to play dirty. A few calls to my uncle and I got us into the station. Rented out uniforms, bribed a few and planned the escape but we were stuck with how to conceal your escape.''
''Thats when Jeremry had to add his dramtic ideas to the plan" said Mark.
"Well I figured to pose you dead would be the best option, but then again we didn't want you dead. It needed to look accidental as well. And since we kinda look alike..'' Jeremy paused as Neil shook his head. ''We staged an encounter of some sort''
''And I helped!" squeaked Fiona
''I got to hand it to you guys for this plan... thanks a lot!"'
''Save it buddy, we got a plane to catch. Lets get out of this dammed place!'' said Brandon which was followed by a ring of cheers.

The next morning the local newspapers ran the headlines of how the brave officer went down with the culprit. Little did they know that they both were alive. By then, the dozen were high up in the sky on the way home. They weren't afraid, nor nervous... let anything come, as long as the dozen stayed together, anything was possible! Anything!

The Dozen -4

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The sky was burning in dark shades when Neil looked out the bars that he was imprisoned in. Moe rain meant the flood's arrival. The officers had given up on him and had scheduled a court meeting with the Chief justice the next day. Neil was excited about the night, how it will begin and end when storm was brewing. If the dozen fail to haul him out, then this flood will. But the instructions were clear and not too heard to follow and Neil knew in the back of his mind that we was going to make it out.
                At half past 8, his dinner came, served by a waiter. Neil thought he knew him, but his skin was tanned so much that it couldn't be anyone form the dozen. Like Mackenzie had written, there was a red vial on the platter, but there was a small one and a big one. Neil was puzzled...the guards that were pacing the length f his cell gazed at him when he paused. All that was written was to drink the vial with the red potion. He opened the bigger one and poured out a drop. It was just red wine... Neil unscrewed the cork of the other and realized that the vial was colored red but the potion was colorless. The Dozen must have planned out something... had they written the wrong instruction? Was he to drink the unknown substance? He closed his eyes and without further thought gulped down the vial of wine. Surprisingly, it didn't taste much like wine. But he trusted the dozen too much to question them. For half an hour after that, nothing happened. Neil was loosing faith and sleep was closing in on him earlier than before. Then the doctor came on rounds.
            Neil didn't know whether he imagined it or not, but he could have sworn that it looked like Mark.
"Its procedure son'' he said when Neil raised an eyebrow at the syringe.But the doctor paid him no attention as he checked his pulse, took a blood sample,whistled to the guards and waked away. After five minutes, the night shift guards came in, shook hands passed some cigars to each other and took up the same duty. But the minute the ex guards climbed up and the footsteps subsided, the guards broke into his cell and shook him up well.
"Neil! We gotta go buddy!" Just follow the corridor and you know the rest" Brandon whispered into his ears while Gary switched Neil's outfit.
"Why would I need.-"
"Just leave man, the alarm's gonna go off anytime." Gray and Brandon pushed him into the dark corridor grasping his old clothes when the alarm went off loud and clear.
             Just like they said, at the end of the corridor there was a man with a fire tattoo. He didn't speak, he just signaled him to follow. The alarm was getting on Neil's nerves now, and he could imagine the lights sweeping the ground above. After what seemed like a long corridor, it ended and opened up into vents and drainage. It ended so abruptly that all that he could see was a hilly terrain.
"That's the swinging bridge. Wait there." He tossed a gun which Neil caught and then he vanished off into the night.
In a fraction of a second, there was movement at the bridge. It looked like a culprit was on the run and a few officers were following him. In the dark, he could make out that he was dragging a girl with him.
"Hey! Wait right there!" Neil ran down the rocks and bushes, and caught up with the criminal. That was when Neil realized that the girl held captive was Fiona. Neil threw a wicked smile as she winked at him.

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