A journey for the In-side

Prayer is like flying

May not always take you to the desired height always

But for the moment when in the sky

It lets you fly high and

Be in union with your heart and will

Praying is an unmissable ceremonious part of our Indian religious culture but it is one of the most innate feelings that human beings are born with. A prayer is not necessarily reading of scriptures for a particular duration or chanting of mantras known to one but it is the art of speaking out internally a message, desire or a wish that you want to or have already realised in life.

If we can manage to say a prayer in silence of our mind no matter in which situation we might be in, by staying in accord with our mind, body and soul at the same time, then not only it takes the soul on a spiritual journey but also helps in sorting out conflicting thoughts; which when not taken positively can stay in our mind, enter our daily life and gradually yield negativity in almost all our activities.

At times when faced with a situation with no personal time and the feeling of ‘blue stuck in grey’(when barring yourself, everything else surrounding you seems to be grey, lacking life, vigour and enthusiasm) catches your soul then saying even a small prayer cuts you off from the world and its happenings at the remotest levels.

To say that prayer, one would speak or utter to one’s self anything that comes from within, even a mere stating of how you are feeling to your own self at that time would bring about a small level of awareness about self’s feelings. And on the other hand you would be giving that tiny bit of private time to yourself while carrying out all the roles and relationships that you are actively a part of.

By saying a prayer anytime every day, bit by bit you move on to know your self better. What you say out, what you see inside after closing your eyes and what your internal voice utters out to you and ultimately to the creator, generates a part of your self which is aware not just of the routine work or duties you are required to do but also of the person who was once born and had his/her own likes and dislikes to exercise and dreams to achieve and cherish as he/she grows up as a part of the scheme called life.

Also, “when risen handholding the awakened self, trivialities bother much less.”

-

A.

From Else to Self

To revel in anonymity of else

can never be the leading way

to know your self

eyes are opened and the existence awakes

future, like instincts is made known

when actualised by practising beliefs

invisible, like thoughts is the silence

that inherits the shadows of many

puts a realisation in self ...

acquire at any moment one can but

the land bearing the present two steps

chant through unspoken eyes one can

but the lived verses of life...

worshipped thus wholly every religion 

when eyes  are blinked immersed in faith 

religion like senses imbibes mystics of

volition in beings..

atheist or not, religion is but to live

everyday where be the temple of life

with unending roof of protecting sky ..

from death came life, from sky came land

from eveil came love, from dark came light

and from else came self...

arms are stretched and all religions embraced

steps do touch the first thing in the morn

and the land is thus respected

slumber wakes up a dream

an dthe dream wakes up life

when ever eyes are opened, wakes up the self

to rebel in restrictions of self

is a free way  of knowing

Self amongst Else ...

A.

(Kailash Mansarover)

Love is far reaching, the most lightest in appeal,

brings you to life that mind sometimes fails to reveal ..

A.

When risen handholding the awakened self, trivialities bother less .

The last solace

whay lay forgotten lays far beneath

forget heart can't what it sow

a look when falls on the life now so raw

cries out heart, seeks no existence

and ripped stands life devoid of soul

when the last solace draws black upon the hopes

life complicates, love falls, and the world drowns

nothing changes the will of the dead heart

no more the scarings haunt the scared

nothing comes when sole reason to live shatters

no sound, no words coming out of the mouth stands true

when the last solace draws black on blue

whay lay ahead can not be the same

life after all proved to be a pain

how all wishes can come true was often

the thought of the innocent heart

now after ages the life has become dull

shine restorative by none

how to sit up and how to look

wish could turn to the ages of two

the last solace

had his heart belonged to another

the words now banging in my head forever

hurt am not, nor am i sad

ripped i am of the soul i had once felt

they say

as we sow, so we reap

life played again its old game

coined a fool with love petal name

silence of the creation is met with

when the last solace leaves you alone amidst

it was just a beginning , a realization crew

never knew it would strike so hard in the heart

with the pain drops, coated blue

writing, oh solace i now name you

take me back to when i was not created

my love, my trust, my faith when lay not insulted

call me back to you , take me along with you , make me smile

and say to me to live my life

when you have found a reason for me here

when you can heal my heart which lay open

take me back

this is not me, can not be

take me back to the ages of two

and send me afar where nothing feels blue .

..

Flight

Life is not about presenting a perfectly balanced picture,

its about being able to stand when you could have easily fallen down .. .

 

 

 

 

A.

The Mystical Night

A morn can sometimes be

But a night will continue to be a dream .. .

A thought is awake and the subject sleeps
A silence is worn and the desire wakes up

A dream is lashed down and the arena unexplored

A morn can sometimes be

But a night will continue to be a dream .. .

 

The eyes are sealed in anonymity and the vision lighted

strange situations, stranger people , and unspoken glances

an emotion is felt with closed eyes

and the whole world is made real in the closed yet broad

arena of imagination ..

 

imagination many a times when practiced in life 

can be made true 

but it might be the thought of imagination that naturally came to come true ..

thoughts with a strong belief , will let us explore

the dark vibrant shadows of the night 

 

However, a morn can sometimes be 

but a night will continue to be a dream .. 

 

(+)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A.

Nature-Call

Our noise, words get silenced up when nature's play is easily heard .

A.

Time- Line

 If time doesn't help to do what you want to, get the rest of the forces along.

There would be moments when no matter what you do and how hard you try, and yet things don't seem to get put together and lined up straight the way we want them to . So what goes so terribly wrong that we just can't sort them out and have our way!! Is it the way things were meant to happen to us or its just that the right time hasn't come for that thing to happen for us ? Is it hundred percent destiny that rules out all our efforts or is it a formed misconception that most of us have grown up to believe?

Life becomes as we want it to because thoughts we possess create our lives and influence those close to us. Thus when time seems not to favor up at all, we must adhere to our senses and bring all other forces along so that they strengthen the power within, in every aspect. So that when the next time we wake up to make it our day, we would know we are not hollow and dependant only on the created factor we refer to as time.

 
 Create.

  

 Explore Self.

Discover.

 

Nurture.

Play.

Love.

A.

Thought-Point

Often we believe in things that have left an imprint on our soul in any way.

This belief becomes stronger as we grow up . The factors that lead to formation of that belief however seem to fade away from our memories. What are memories made up of ? Who all have the power to create the living moments in us that merely by closing the eye we can re-live them any time of the day.

Memories must be kept with proper care. Bad ones can let you down to the extent of you abhoring yourself and good ones can heal you up.

And yet whichever way it be, nothing holds us closer to this life than memory .

A.

Atari-Wagah Border

Cutting Distances

When the feet bangs the earth in the ceremonious rhythm of patriotism

reason , will, let alone our contriving hindsight

falls short to let see the cryptic plight ..

Rack and ruin or the bow and the salute

the thrill and applause at the historical Wagah Border never runs acute

from the humble times to the present act of outdoing each other

lowering of the flag has become the cause of another grave matter

Performances with such grave enmity and aggression

throbbing of the hearts to the claps and applauds of the public

threads those feelings that are bought up to include hatred

a sense of negative nationalism for the other side

where it leads on to, what aim it serves

lies not known

and rest oh life, history adds on ...

And rest oh life, history adds on

those cutting distances which are not being shortened on ..

That which was marked to end the enmity between both the neighboring nations

is now sparkling with a vicious ceremonious act which consumes when

performed

drilling in each the highest sense of patriotism

but when hindsight is seen from close

lay in it the rotten, rather soured hearts filled with dilemmas

and unanswered questions as to why such ferocity is taken up

in something so humble and admiring as lowering the flag down

Gives away the Retreat Ceremony something so negative

which often the geography, history or the manipulation adds on ...

when the doors are banged across the face in aggression

reason, will, let alone our contriving hindsight

falls short to let see the cryptic plight

And rest oh life, the history adds on..

those cutting distances which are not being shortened on.... .

--

Akanksha

Caught !

past ran away the inhibitions
new came along all revealations
tip-toed that chasing silence came to an end
zig-zag we ran our traces we left a trail of

follow me, follow me not
for, past ran away myinhibitions
speak to me, speak to me not
new I am , here for what you are

criss-cross, you kept your stare on the bed
zip-zap and high flew away
the days never to end

be with me, be with me not
have named you for divinity

hold me , hold me not
life ties strong, to behold and belong

ages, years and all crazy distances
what was never a possibility
appeared what a mere dream
created that in me a dream
has come alive
with the beat of the heart
where one cannot wait for the days to start .. .



A.

Impatient Tidings .. .

For today I want to be unstructured, unstructured in my writing, unstructured in my thought process, unstructured in my life, unstructured about the things I do and almost everything.

Yes, I am at this vantage point in my life right now, from where I can see my college corridor . .

Its unusually empty as I see it right at this moment.. and as I am stepping on to find my old teachers, I can see none, the classrooms are empty , I had thought I would just barge in when I see Renu Ma’am teaching and surprise her.. but its all empty .. Then I decide to check up the canteen thinking that at least I would be able to have my favorite Apple pie and then when I finally go in there, I see that the canteen is almost empty except for some office people lying down in one of the corners and catching up on their sleep probably after having their lunch for the day.. And I realize, bloody hell, its vacation time… and I was expecting whole bunch of my favorite teachers, food items to be all there … crazy…

And then as there were not many people in the college and the sky was killer today .. . all containing clouds of various forms and depths.. and there I go .. I just took my camera out and was soon enjoying being in the space I was a part of for three long years..

LSR gave away a lot to me.. in shaping up my thinking the way I always wanted to .. . helped me realize that in life if you want to walk you way, you got to take your own steps…

And then I sat down in one of the gazebos for some time and was just thinking of how life has transformed from LSR to becoming a part of an MBA institution… something which was totally un-thought of by me and now I have grown so okay with it that its stopped surprising me when I tell people that I am doing MBA.. Also, its not that bad as I always thought it to be.. . Ya, we form perceptions all the time..

But also so many times when things happen to us in life, they don’t happen to prove us wrong, they happen to make us realize that there is something right in everything we thought was wrong …

Over the time I have also vanquished my instinctive calm and now more often I stick on to impatience which only ends up making me feel not quite like myself and then I wonder.. I always wonder when the day wakes up that .. hey .. what the hell is going on with you girl… you were always the calm, subtle, vibrant and the patient types and now you follow your impulses a way too frequently and also if you want something, you just want it then and there and if that doesn’t happen you totally lose interest and want to forget about those things and people.. I mean hold on … breathe… just take a nap in the quilt.. hold on … .

I don’t know if my attempts have been valiant even a bit but I so sometimes feel like I could be a part of those ancient Valhalla’s whenever I tend to become impatient and could come back to life when am myself and not ruled so much by my impatience.. .

Okay .. now why the hell I am making it such a big deal if I get impatient.. well, it just doesn’t stop there.. When I am impatient and suppose I want to talk to this friend but because of x,y, z reason I am not able to .. And then what happens..?

I should understand and try and catch up the next time .. Right ? Hell no! With me, its like If I cant do that thing right then and there , and seek satisfaction in being impulsive, I lose interest and just want to jump to conclude things with friends.

Though off lately I have so stopped myself to do that. But this is so unlikely of me to even think on such lines.. This really bothers me a lot sometimes.. . I mean do I even realize how much its going to be a matter of shock to the other person when I suddenly behave like I don’t even wanna know them anymore, and all in the name of impatience..

I mean its not worth it .. . cutting off people just like that.. just coz of one impulsive moment .. you cut off everything and what do you end up doing .. hurting people you so thought you want to care for.. .

So for now, I am so gonna try and forget my impatience behind the valance and look out for it when I know that I am impulsive enough to throw it out in the trash .. ..

Impulsiveness I know I can never avoid. :)



Akanksha Chaudhary

9/07/09

what to do if not love?

Of all the times when you feel high and low, of all the places you want to be and not, of all the sides in a person you get to see or not, breaking up is one hell of a feeling which leaves your room soon enough not .. .

Breaking off the friendly chord that once dragged the nights in to a series of laughing riots or breaking up with the person whom you thought you would be able to simply love forever causes no less pain than even when one chooses to talk about it to friends and try and get over it . Don’t know if it relieves of the anger and the sadness point within but yes by talking about it you do once again bend on to live those very moments you thought were the sweetest ones in your life. And that doesn’t help at all!!

It just brings back.

So what to do in such a terrible situation when every hour seems to be jumping outta the clock and reminding you of that time?

Time passed. Time spent. Time lived.

If its such an awful state to be in then why do people get in to relationships at all? What is it that changes the whole charm of being with that person later on? Is it that we grow out of love just like that or is it that we have seen all the sides of that person, got to know all that we could have about that person that we somewhere start looking elsewhere to find something more deeper and new. Or is it that our priorities change or so we believe and since we can’t commit either that we break up?

In matters of love of any kind or form, we just trust ourselves and we don’t wanna see or believe in what’s been happening to people around us. And one thing that we surely don’t need at that time is > advice. We believe we can handle our own relationships well .And so we put all our trust that is there to put in that person. Also we become a better person , as in more caring, more loving and more understanding . In normal situations we might not have tried so hard to see things the way the other person sees but when we know that we love someone we really try hard so that we don’t jump over or oversee any stair that is there to climb to touch up that person deep down.

How important that person becomes and all the elements of our life start revolving around the energies created and shared by that person . And then when they are withdrawn, its empty how we feel and its crazy that we do.

Investing yourself again in another person either comes in very quickly or it takes a lot of time because we develop trust issues. Love knocks in again. We are made such that we cannot not love. And it could happen again.

After being in love for the second time, when we are still reminded of the experiences/words from the first relationship sometimes then again we miss a beat. But more importantly we know we barely would want that person back again. They were what they were to us once. The World.
And now someone else has come in and they are pushing the roads for us. And why wont we walk with them when they showing us the way?

Things about the past are hard to forget and shouldn’t be forgotten. What needs to be remembered is the fact that they did give us something good, something bad , something fun, something mad. We all play roles. Love roles. Friend roles. Silent roles. And sometimes we create roles too.

And life isn’t one extended role.

It’s a series of things that happen all around and within us and we are surrounded constantly by several energies around us. Sometimes we pick on the right one and get it passed on to us for all the good reasons. We get a new role for our self and we create another for the other person. Life evolves and plays constantly. Nothing lasts forever and nothing is meant to be forever.

What happens, happens here on this very planet. And some force connects us all in strange ways. It takes away and brings back. It re-bonds and rejuvenates. It makes life. And accidental pairs. Pairs that play on till the last breath lasts. Pairs that learn of loving as the dew drops make for a new start just to let your little heart know that the world would never fall apart.

The Final Delusion

Had long ago left your space

your memories let drown

your entity never allowed to let surround

But one afternoon it was you who again came around

a sad happening you told the tale of

my heart grew receptive to your words

a new space out you towards

and i stepped ahead forward

life is not a coincidental plan

it makes sure to tell you, to show you

to whom you should belong and how you were all wrong

Delusion it was of a sweetest month

the final one in for you to conclude its term .. .

We have to stop believing in some people who were once a part of our closest life . Generally left with no other alternative but to let them go, to forget them for the rest of our life and just simply getting on with things. But then life is not al that simply planned. It has its own spices for cooking up those final ingredients of life. And at no cost, no amount of prayer would not show us the kind of reality we never wish to see. We gotta see it all. We are sorta made to .

So there we are, after a point of time that same person you had all forgotten about in years suddenly tip toes in to your routine again. And because you wouldn't otherwise get your thoughts to grow considerate towards that person again , there would be an 'add on incident ' that would make you grow all sympathetic, and wanting to be there as a person, as a friend. But knowing that the other person had loved you at some point of time, it gets rather tricky to keep the line of phone calls till the 'hi, whats up level ' .. . it kinda gets down to ' you have had your lunch sweetheart ?' or something. And then you start thinking, this person has come back exactly because 'God' wanted me to realize that my decision was wrong, wrong, wrong. And hey just look outta the window> that peson is all new, all ready to shower you with the kinda love you always wanted to have and feel within, around you !

And just when you think, 'Yes, i know it man ! I was so wrong about him/her', Bang. There crashes the trust cycle. And also our such great hobby of thinking that we can predict our life . And finally know who belongs where in our life.

Things like this also room out this personal belief that the number of times a person comes back in your life and the number of time your trust is broken. It just simply shows that no matter how many times that person might come back, life is trying to show you that that person isn't the right one for you . Because its not a joke that every time you are proved wrong. So, where we think that someone's coming back is a great sign out forward for us to believe that that person is the right one. Think again, it could just be otherwise. ;)

A.

A wish that once was.. .

The wish that once was.. .

A wish is mine and a wish is yours
what I do calling my own reflects you oh love
a part of me alone where I get to see not..

"That's my wish!" or "I am going to do what I want to" sounds quite assuring when one is going through the ‘am strengthening myself’ phase of their life.. Asserting our self, our thoughts and then finally our own identity on to an altogether new set of conditions and people in life can really end up complicating almost everything .

Now what’s really this ‘my wish’? Does it exist at all? Or do we always get to do what we want to? During the self actualization phase when we seemingly do things that we want to, are we really taking decisions and stepping on our own footprints or unconsciously after being influenced by family, friends and situations we are doing what might be the reflection of many ideologies that we have agreed on to or not while on our way to get to know life?

Well, yes, life is surely a question!

Sometime back I got down to think that life is not really a mystery and there are really no unknown passages or secret doorways that we are destined to unravel as and when the right time comes.. and also came above to believe that through knowing the meaning of our dreams we can really get to know which way life is going to lead us… and also the possibility of knowing whom are we going to come across in life..

Now when I believed in my dreams, they really guided me well.. To let my conscience know I even started writing my dreams the moment I woke up.. and that really sorted out things in my heart for true. After a week or two.. I did get to know something about the people in my life, about places am yet to discover and about people I am yet to meet. All this was going great and I was so close to strengthening my self and thoughts.

But reality got me and after a while I realized that the reality, the immediate surrounding that we live in has such a strong presence that it can extricate us from our deepest past and melancholy and from the thoughts and vision of our most passionate future. What actually gives the present so much of power over the most adamantine possession that we have: thoughts?

What is with us really is. And what is not, can be but not right away.

The present, which has people walking , talking, eating, laughing and just doing something has a certain motion and a force about it that it seems to bring back one from the past they wish to live in or from the future that they dream of. It says ‘ am right here, take me’. And since this force is sitting right there with the time and you got to face it the moment you wake up, it tends to make seem all the dreams as dreams alone. Something seen when there is not much active force surrounding us. And once the mysterious charm of tracking down life through unknown ways and unspoken glances is questioned and asked to justify its presence, well the wall comes in and therein dissolves all the thoughts bridging the present with the future.

Acceptance without questioning, not everyone can do.

And those who can accept it can really live their life. . because at night when we lose our self to sleep , we dream.. its the only thing that comes our way unasked.. it knocks on our door and silently takes us away and makes us experience.. it asks us not our wish… but represents it somewhere in the moments that it makes us to live… that’s how a wish is truly expressed ..


and the same goes for people in our life.. we can go on saying every single day ‘hey that’s my wish or I wanna do it that way’ but just like in our actions of so called ‘following our own will’ we reflect the wishes of our dear ones and so do they… just that we don’t get to know this that easily.. and even if we do.. well… do we really believe that ? Naa… !! We don’t wanna make life issueless.. right?

A wish when seen by another wish remains no more a dream. What is not a dream, becomes the present, a reality..



Akanksha Chaudhary

do i hear you say.. ' move on .. . '

‘ I don’t know’ when becomes the answer to every question asked, then every answer that comes to voice becomes uncertain . .

In life we often say, it was destined or whatever happened was for good only or that when past starts to hurt, we should learn from it and move on.

Moving on. . ? what really do we mean by that or for how long can we even get on to follow that in our routine. If for a day one is with the friends taking a day out and in the process of laughing out with the same intensity of old habit one may also even feel that they have already moved on, because they can now laugh at least.

Laughter is one thing when it comes to you , it will always take away..

The sadness.. the bothersome thoughts.. the present thought process of mind.. the deep melancholy.. the sad songs which one repeatedly would listen to .. takes away all ..

Now all of these indulgences often allow us to become unusually quiet.. not really peaceful though!! In that quietness, if we keep on chasing the inner world of memories, spoken words, unanswered questions, unmet glances or fortunate coincidences or the lived happier moments , we lose our self. Often we do things because we wanna lose our self. Listening to music comes handy and takes not even a thought.

Sometimes living in memories brings back a smile , sometimes heart feels sad as to why would some people make life so complicated for themselves.. more than situations do, people complicate their own self.. by breaking away from their own identity.. stepping upon their own beliefs.. doing things that give momentary happiness.. and being with people with whom they can just hang around with and have fun.. this is surely a part of moving on for them.. no more they would claim that they are not emotionally attached to the person they are with at the moment. .

So does moving on teaches one to be emotionally conservative . .? skeptical.. ?
To a certain level we tend to be careful not to show our emotions as openly and naturally as we might have earlier when we knew what do people need to move on and far about ..!
If conservatism allows not the free expression when two people are together, would that relationship then work out.. ? It might if the other person is not in the phase of moving on as such and can always be extra loving, extra caring and extra almost every emotion that makes believe in life and love. So what if the extra effort is expected from your side and you are already so emotionally consumed that all you wanna do is think and talk about anything but relationship and commitment..

You just wanna be yourself and yet not because you are being careful this time .. and yet every next time it would always in the beginning make feel that , may be this time its true. Its always the next time as the statistics would show. 


So why do we needa bank upon such negative experiences in life which would leave us with nothing but a skeptical attitude where in just because the first time we came across a different ( WRONG!! ) person , now we would try and judge the authenticity of every thing said, and done by this second person ( second becomes first, coz if it as any true, the first one still would have been there.. !!)

Moving on …
The more we would think of it n try and really move on.. the more it would stick on to us.. and consume us.. instead if we give it some time.. talk it out .. and not just try and push it somewhere deep inside our body.. it will gradually come out in the open and would just dissolve peacefully.. when we talk and share with the closest person in our life.. it feels good… it works the same way around..

You give moving on all the shit it wants.. just talk it out.. do your part.. and without making it a whole topic of discussion out there and seeking sympathy.. just a li’l time for your self and with your self shall do the magic.. and leave one feeling all afresh.. people come in our life and go.. some stay.. and that’s how it is.. we can make them happy while they are with us.. so that when they are gone n some other day , after the second one also seems to be the different ( wrong) person.. and we lie down yet again on our bed n close our eyes.. playing the same old song and relaxing in our deep melancholy … we don’t end up chasing the sadness in our memories again but could actually think of the happier moments and cherish .. and go to sleep with all the warmth and hope and the lyrics of our fav. songs playing in our dreams…


Life is a thought.. we can have it right within..


Akanksha Chaudhary ..

Of all the things we notice and not.. ..

when we see things and people not, they see us.. ..

this one after a long time is for a friend, i don't know if i can even call him a friend, for, almost all the part of the journey I didn't even take notice of his presence but knew that that person knows about me being in the same cruise. I was lost, i was looking at the water and trying to serach something out. Of course, at such times, we never know what we are searching for... so i am no exception.

why am i writing this.. ? well, there need not be a reason to write a thought. And yesterday night, while almost putting myself to sleep , I missed a smile. A genuine one. One that assures you that no matter where you go in this wide world there are still people who would smile at you especially on a day when you need that reassuring gesture may be from your best of friend but when it suddenly , unexpectedly comes from a stranger, then heart becomes vibrant witha thought that indeed world is not such a bad place to live in..

this happened, i mean this realization came in port blair, while was heading off to ross island.. was just remerbing ths friend, this stranger, who was so interested in photography that even when we were left stranded on the island with no boat, no electricity around, nothing to our rescue and people were getting panicky, then he stood some steps away from me, smiling. He said nothing, so i thought i should ask something.

So in my LSR accent that almost got me laughing i asked.. "wats lyke d time..' .. ... got us both laughing..



Akanksha..

remaining part of the mystical night ##

This is the remaining part of the ‘The Mystical Night#1#’ (http://www.jatland.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15442)


The Mystical Night ##unfolding##.. cont..

‘It would all be fine’ Mahek said repeatedly, looking in to my eyes. But she didn’t get any assured blink from me this time. It was almost 5:30 am as the couple quietly asked us to follow them uphill again. ‘Market area’ the slip had read. And we were climbing the hill again. It seemed desultory and the interpretation of their willingness a constant conundrum to me. But being only little suspicious about the couple, I was drowned in my thoughts as I could see the night sky burnishing the settled clouds for the waking sun.

‘when nature surpassing millions of men can start afresh every morning with a new sun, then men have but no right to be sadistic, because nature bears us more than we could ever bear anything else in the world’

After being silent for a while, the couple started conversing in their strange dialect that we couldn’t understood. As we all talking and in groups carefully climbed the rocky narrow area, the lady turned back and pointed to one distant building in white. Temple or church, none could make out as it was still far.
After seeing at least sth that looked like our destination, all were relaxed and my suspicions were taken away by the smiles that stayed on everybody’s lips for a while.

‘dew drops could be seen and touched on the leaves, and as I stopped to look at the horizon under a shady tree, Mahek and Deepika shook the tree making the dew water fall on me and thus my somnolence drifted away with the fresh cold air that blew ever so fast..’

The lady came up to us and suggested a short way to the church, after following that route for a while, we found ourselves moving away from the church as it became more distant, so we refused to follow them anymore. The couple was quite taken aback when we said that. Again, they exchanged a look, for god knows what.
We all decided that now we could go on our own and after thanking them we took the way we thought was right.
‘woan go alone. Nah safe.’, the man said.
‘we maah deliver.its aah duti’, the lady added.

They lady appeared motherly and we were glad that they want to accompany us. No aspersions whatever could be felt for the couple from anyone of us. Now they followed us, although, where they originally were going early morning before they met us remained unasked.

In another half an hour we should be up there and then camp, joyita declared cheerfully. As each one of us was dying to just go back to our camps and sleep off. Half way around, the man took leave from us and left for somewhere and now only the lady was accompanying. Where did he go? I was left wondering.
But nobody bothered his absence, as each one of was busy in noticing the hills.. wild roses.. strawberry bushes..and just enjoying the peace that crowned throughout the woods as we walked on. As we climbed on slowly, we were not tired. The lady was suddenly found talking on a mobile, which was pretty uncommon at that time.

‘feeling alone even when with friends is one of the strangest feelings
and it stays in your heart when you least want it to. Damn! things always come when unwanted in this world! ’

When we were still five minutes away from climbing the church, lady said, ‘maah home heer, welcoam in.i weel show, maah guests aah goahd’
We refused, she insisted. Religiously, she convinced us, and under an obligation and her motherly presence we followed her inside the small two roomed house, she offered us to sit down, it wasn’t that clean and suggested irregular dwelling. She went to get us some water. We all relaxed and everybody thought of just getting our last hint and then returning back to the cozy camp.

It was just when ten minutes had passed that we realized the lady’s prolonged absence, and we got up towards the door only to find ourselves locked in. I was stolid as I sensed it coming and yet ignored all along the way. Others were more worried than scared. None of us had any cell.
At this moment unlike others, we could not even feel that our coach might be somewhere around.
When expected, Nothing happens.

The door was wooden and engravings made it seem traditional. No window was there in the room and we cursed ourselves for not noticing how and when we were locked from both the sides. She did shut the door saying that her baby is sleeping in the other room, but we never thought we would end up getting locked like this. It was happening just like in movies. And although scared now, we all discussed about kidnappings and what not.

We were all made quiet as we heard the man’s voice once in between, but no other voice followed his and no reply came..

Cont. .. .. .. ..




Akanksha Chaudhary

Rooh..