Tick Tick Tick ...............

Painting was his new hobby. He wanted to paint everything.

As he sipped the hot tea, he surveyed the surroundings from his terrace for a good subject to paint. His attention went to the evening sky, the crimson that was setting in.... The artist in him recognized this as a good picture.

So he started off on his canvas, sketching out the sky and the dipping sun. His Abbu was observing him from behind. As he started to colour them, he struggled. Every second the shades of crimson changed. From golden to dark Crimson, and finally a colour that he found difficult to describe or mix on his palette.

Understanding his situation, his Abbu patted him, "Son, its life, it doesn't stay still for you, like an ever-ticking watch".

Point of View

The Brahmin got up with a start. Has the station come ? He got up and jumped from the side upper berth, where he had slept uncomfortably through the night. He saw the lower berth was empty and looked out through the window. He gathered the malayalam words and realized it was Palakkad station.

Relaxed now, he looked around, time was still 4.45. Most of the passengers were sleeping. He saw the person on the side lower berth coming in with a packet. The man settled down on the seat and started gobbling the contents of the packet. The Brahmin wondered, "Its 4.45 am, Shiva...... some people just live to eat" ! And he watched the man opening another packet and gobbling it down again. The Brahmin thought, "No wonder people are so unhealthy these days, they follow no timings for food, eat and make merry...... shii......."

The Brahmin started packing his bag, as he had to get down at the next station. The man asked, "Where are you going" ?.

The Brahmin said, "I am Lord Krishna's devotee, so visiting him at Guruvayoor. I am glad that after years of waiting, I am able to visit for the first time".

The man said, "Is it? My home is very close by. You can join me, if you don't know the way".

The Brahmin thought that this offer was very good, so he kept silent and accompanied the man. As the journey progressed, they discussed a lot of topics related to God and spiritualism. And the Brahmin was impressed with the man's views. Finally the man left at kunamkulam, and directed the Brahmin to the bus stop that led to the temple.

While leaving, the man said, "Nice meeting you. I have to rush home. I have a Iftaar party to arrange....................... Today is the 28th day of my Roza"

Didnt you notice ?

After 20 years of hard penance, finally Lord appeared before Gajapati. The Lord asked, "Gajapati, what do you want" ??

Gajapati replied, "I want you to be with me throughout my life".

Lord said, "I cannot, I have so many people to attend to" !

Gajapati said, "You have made a promise, you must find a way".

Lord smiled and said, " Tathaasthu" ! and he disappeared.

Long time later when Gajapati was at his death-bed, he called the Lord. Lord appeared and Gajapati started his complaints. Gajapati said, "Lord, you never fulfilled your promise, I never saw you around when I needed you".

Lord smiled and said, "Didn't you notice" ?

I came to you as your friend, as the postman, as the traffic policeman who stopped you on the rainy day, as your house owner, as your watchman, as your manager, as your chief engineer.........

I came to you as the death of your uncle, as the truck which hit your bike, as the Tsunami, as the crow who pee-ed on your shoulder, as the black cat who crossed your way..........

I came to you as the sun beam, as the September breeze, as the rain-drop, as the hot sun, as the dry autumn leaf, as the cuckoo in March, as the mosquito in your bed................

Didn't you notice ???

Gudiyaa

He inserted the coin, and then put one more tick mark against the piggy-bank. He counted to confirm. The marks added up to Rs. 40.

This is the amount he required so that he could buy the Gudiyaa that he wanted. He had seen the Gudiyaa in Ram-Lakhan Stores display pane. Since he did not get pocket money from his parents like his friends, he had to cut on his expenses. He walked sometimes to home to save the bus ticket, made books out of old paper to save on stationary, put 50 paise instead of a rupee in the Shiv-mandir hundi. But he did not mind all this at all. He wanted the Gudiyaa. So, he broke open the piggy-bank, and counted the money again. It was accurate. Enthusiastic and overjoyed, he ran to the stores. He showed the money and demanded, "Give me the Gudiyaa......"

The Shopkeeper replied, "You are too late. The last one sold out yesterday evening".

He travelled back to his home by bus.........

Thaniyaavartanam (The Repetition)

Asif came in to his home and flung his school-bag in the corner.

His Abbu was repairing the tape-recorder and observed Asif closely and noticed the change. Asif had something in his mind. He went to his room and found him laying on his face, probably crying. His Abbu, caressed him and asked, " What happened beta" ?

Asif, said in a feeble voice, "I find myself an odd-person in school. All the other children parents are rich and well educated. They boast about their lives and lifestyles. I feel very uncomfortable with them. I want to leave this school and come with you like Irfan works with his Abbu".

Asif's Abbu looked into his eyes and said, " No beta, you need to continue, or else you will find yourself in this same situation with your son"...........

The Problem Solver

Abu-bakkar was the famous problem solver of his times.

People called him the gifted one. There was also a rumour that he practiced black magic. Nevertheless People used to visit him from distant lands. He asked them to sit on his magic chair and then they recited their problems to him, and then he would ponder over those for some time and propose a solution. Many of them worked miraculously. For some he did not say anything. He asked them to go back. Amazingly their problems were solved automatically.

Then came a time when Abu-bakkar himself faced a big problem (too big to describe in my blog). He searched in all directions. He even tried to visit some of his competitors in disguise to get a solution to his problem. None of them worked, the problem continued to eat him away. He stood at the foot of the iron statue in the market listlessly. Soon it started drizzling and then it started pouring. He sat there drenched in the rain, hoping his problems would be washed away. The rain went after some time, the problems didn't. Darkness set around him, and then he watched the stars in the puddle in front of him. He saw the Iron statue, and then he saw himself. Un-shaven, frustrated, Abu-bakkar..... the famous problem solver..... Allah ! he exclaimed and ran, splashing the water in the puddle. He ran towards his home, entered slowly and pulled out the largest mirror he had.

Carefully he observed himself in the mirror. The mirror that now rested on top of the magic chair...............

Bhavra.... (The bee)

"Pappa, I need a photograph of a bhavra for my biology class on monday. Can you come with me to the garden to take one photograph" ? he asked. Pappa was busy with his laptop, trying to complete a presentation for his review.

"Its not easy, beta", Pappa said.

"Why, pappa. You take such nice photos. You should help me take this. Other wise I will take your camera and take it myself" ! he said.

Pappa gave out a squared expression which generally indicated agreement, "Ohhk! ...... I will come with you", Pappa said.

They went to the garden and after monitoring for a few minutes, he spotted a bhavra. He jumped and exclaimed, "Pappa, there it is. A big one". Pappa chuckled, since he knew it is not going to be easy. Pappa tried to focus the lens on the bhavra, but failed to do so.

Pappa knew, the bhavra is like the mind, hopping from one flower to the other..........

Wet Papers.......

Finally the day came for him to forget her.

Even though their relation lasted only for 2 days, the pain was excruciating. He couldn't bear it. He opened up his diary. He had written her name on every page of the diary. He read those 5 letters....... His mind wandered, there was some junk hindi movie called "Dhai akshar prem ke". But these were 5 letters....... 2X ..... he cursed himself, what a crap joke for the situation....... he started sobbing. Something he had forgotten since class nine when he was scolded by his English teacher. Eyes that have been dry since years started to fill with tears, " Roone de aaj humko, do aankhen sujaane de.......". He hugged his diary and cried.... cried and cried.......... He cried till his tear glands said enough..............So, he got up and switched on the TV. Flipping channels for 20 minutes, his fingers stuck when he saw " Jab we met" on one channel. He watched it for some time and then the idea struck him.

I will burn this diary he thought. He held the flame against the diary. But the pages, his memories refused to burn. They were wet..........wet with his love.........

Drip Drip Drip........

Drip Drip Drip........ Drip Drap Drip........

There seemed to be no correlation between the pattern of the rains and the tears that flowed down from his eyes. Still it flowed. Rains from the heaven and tears from the eyes. But both have to stop. That's nature, the sun has to come out. So he wiped his face and opened the make-up box. He used all the bright colours that were present. Red, orange, yellow..... some silver. Colours that mask the truth, like raincoats........ They just keep the rain out, but cannot stop them. He remembered that he had a blue raincoat in childhood...... he smiled, memories are always funny..... and added more colour......

The announcement boomed across the ring......"Next item.....Raju Joker......"

Avada Kedavara !

I hope J.K.Rowling will not mind this simple story based on her Story !

Avada Kedavara ! Shouted Lord Voldemort.

Harry Potter was thrown back by the the impact of the Curse and he lay on the cold forest floor. But he was not dead, he rose again.

"But this is impossible", cried the girl with the black bindi. "Avada Kedavara is a death curse, unforgivable as you described earlier. How can Harry survive it. It does not make sense".

"Rowling is a great writer", said Professor Bandopadhyay. "She has imbibed basic human science in the form of her magical creation".

"But how " ?? This was the common question that echoed through the classroom.

Professor Bandopadhyaya explained, "She explains in her book that when Lord Voldemort cursed Harry, he actually killed a part of himself that was inside Harry. This is the same thing which happens when you curse someone in real life. When in a relation each one of us has a part of the other inside us. Acts of cursing just kills your own self rather than the other person. Isn't Rowling a master of human relations"?