Being Honest

It feels like for ages I haven't posted anything on my blog, and it feels depressing. Everyday I make some plans to write few words to be in a loop. I switch on my laptop with some clear goals in my mind, but every time end up climbing Facebook walls. Yes, I keep updating My Poems blog. Whenever I get some free time or whenever avoidable thoughts flood my mind, I exhibit my poetic persona.

Right now, at this moment, I'm restless. I'm waiting for something to happen, and this wait is going to kill me. I have spoken the truth, now I want to see if being honest pays or makes me a pray. Whatever happens, pray for me! Someone has quoted that CHILDREN and FOOLS always speak THE TRUTH, and I am a fool. But, I KNOW, HONESTY is THE BEST policy. I am keeping my fingers crossed and staying positive.

You don't need a reason to be positive, but sometimes someone acts like your motivating factor.

Hope I return soon to announce the positive outcome. Though my patience are gone, I am eagerly waiting for the dawn and it is not too far. I'm keeping my faith in Honesty Policy.

When love hurts...

Merlin was little nervous. Few days back his boss assigned him a task, and he still was searching for the right contact person. Then he called Sonia, “hello dear, how are you? Did you have your lunch?” “Yes I had. What about you?” Sonia replied and asked. “Yes me too. Listen sweetheart, you once told me that Sandra’s boyfriend is into designing business. My boss has assigned me a task. I want to get our bank’s new website designed. So I was looking for a website designer,” Merlin told in hurry.

Merlin got Jason’s contact number from Sonia, and he fixed the meeting with Jason. Merlin asked Jason to meet in Japan international on 22nd November at 1 PM. Jason told Merlin that he will come alone as his partner is out of town.

On 22nd November, at sharp 1, Jason was waiting for Merlin outside Japan International. To keep his reputation as a government employee, Merlin arrived 15 minutes late. Jason got little upset but he flashed a fake business smile.

Soon they both entered Japan International, Merlin ordered coffee. Jason quickly opened his laptop, and started explaining Merlin about his company. Merlin also gave his specifications, and told what he expects in terms of design of the website and budget. Jason gave him the quotation. Merlin quickly said, “Brother, I need to first discuss all this with my boss, and I will get back to you. It is nice to meet you.” “Nice to meet you too and I promise you a user-friendly website. Talk to your boss, and let me know buddy.”

Jason was about to leave when Merlin said, “hey wait, the designs you showed just now, I wanted to take my girlfriend’s opinion on it. Can you wait?”

Jason agreed. After five minutes Jason saw Sandra coming with one girl. He almost exploded with anger, but he was on business meet, so he stayed calm. Merlin soon introduced him to Sonia. Sandra did not need introduction, but she could not see at him. She was upset since their break-up.

Suddenly waiter came with four ice-cream scoops. Merlin had ordered ice-cream. Jason had to sit, and eat ice-cream. While having ice-cream, Sandra did not speak a single word, but kept looking at Jason. She had tears in her eyes. Jason looked into her eyes too. But as soon as he finished his ice-cream, he got up and took Merlin’s leave. He smiled at Sonia and said bye.

He glanced at Sandra for one last time, picked up his laptop, and started walking towards road. Sandra was looking at his back posture, his hair. Soon he disappeared as he turned left. She sensed the smell of his perfume, which still lingered in the air. She was clueless about the future. In the midst of harshness of hurt, she felt the shadow of the huge banyan tree really soothing.

(This is a fiction short story)

I walked when it drizzled...

Whole night it was raining, no it was pouring cats and dogs. It was quite cold and I slept comfortably with three warm quilts over me. My irritating mobile phone's alarm rang and almost pulled me out from rapid eye movement sleep (I was dreaming). I feel so sorry for myself when a dream I am watching reaches only the interval and not the end.

I crumbled the thought of going back to bed, though the bed was still trying to induce sleep in me by whispering a lullaby. But the morning was so pleasant; I pushed all quilts aside and rubbed my eyes. I opened the windows behind me and had a look outside. It was really a beautiful morning. I remembered my sneakers, the pair that i bought a few months ago. Today is the golden opportunity to wear them. I brushed my teeth and put on my track pants and a t-shirt.

I shuffled my wardrobe to find a pair of white socks. I finally put on my new sneakers with the shades of sunny-yellow and deep-blue. I opened the front door. I was thrilled to watch two tiny jet black frogs hopping near the stairs. I always felt 'eew' whenever I looked at these slimey creatures, but today somehow I found them cute. They were as tiny as an almond. With their tender baby limbs, they were enjoying their early baby-jumps in this world. They were playfully relishing the first rainy season of their lives. I bade good-bye to those little wonders and moved ahead.

It started drizzling and suddenly I remembered the smell of raincoat and its big round plastic buttons. I don't remember When did I wear raincoat for the last time, but I must have worn it back in school. Now I use umbrellas, the big ones. As I was opening umbrellas and wearing raincoats in my thoughts, I realized that the surrounding is greener than ever before. Trees just had a bath and now wearing their green bathrobes. Some tiny flowers were appearing proud of their ornaments made of tiny raindrops and leaves were feeling warm under their green shawls.

I didn't realize when the sun slowly made a way though crying clouds. I completed my morning walk while it was raining. The sun and the rain were greeting each other while I made a plan to go back to my comfortable bed and take a small nap.

Something random...

I inserted a headset in my ears and started walking down the lane. I crossed the road and left behind few apartments, a superstore, a cafe and a bookstore. A thought crossed my mind that questioned me, 'why don't you go in that bookstore someday to browse some books and pick up some interesting ones?' I instantaneously allowed that thought to evaporate as I prefer to buy books from those roadside vendors. Yes, those are pirated copies but light on my pocket.

I took right turn and continued walking on the clean pavement and came across the fountain. 'It was just a stone fountain in the morning but now it has come to life with water dancing on the tune of the song I am listening,' I thought. I suppressed a desire to stand there and capture the view of 'dancing water'. I went ahead, came across the building with dark blue transparent facade, and glanced at my reflection in the clear exterior of the building for a moment, as I usually do. The song I was listening to has ended and Radio Jockey started playing with words, I changed the radio frequency.

On another channel a song was going on describing the intoxication of first love. Though this song is one of the evergreen romantic tunes, I jumped on another frequency. Why I changed the song, I did not understand and I did not bother to understand. A few more steps and I reached the bus stop. Buses fully loaded with men and women passed by making me wait for my bus.

I was still standing at the bus stop when I recalled the song from Shahrukh's movie that goes - Tum mujhe kyun nahi mile pehle (why you did not meet me before). Next moment I saw my bus coming. I hung up the phone and climbed up the crowded air-conditioned bus when it came to a halt. To my surprise the same song (about which I was thinking) was going on in the bus.

I removed my headset and switched off my radio before pushing it in my handbag. My mind was dancing on the tune of the song which was going on in the bus and I tried to imitate the movements of water of the fountain.

Decoding it with dictionary

I am glad that I have cultivated a habit of using dictionary as soon as I come across that unfamiliar word. The fact is if I am reading and I come across a strange word, my mind simply refuses to go ahead until I unearth its meaning, unveil its usage and learn the correct pronunciation. Have you experienced the extreme euphoria when you come across a word again which was foreign some time back?

I love reading. I cannot read until I am assured that there is a dictionary by my side. I am quite lucky that I started taking interest in reading when I was a kid and all credit goes to Childcraft and Worldbook encyclopedia. The two huge Wordbook dictionaries played a vital role in shaping my vocabulary. I remember my reading sessions with mom every night before going to bed. My mom used to sit beside me, making me read aloud and underline words that are not familiar. The next thing was to look up the meanings in the dictionary and write it near the underlined words. I thoroughly enjoyed the bedtime reading activity in my childhood.

Later I understood that learning to pronounce a word is as important as knowing its meaning. I was 12 or 13 when we bought our very first computer. Gradually I discovered the valuable use of thesaurus. Soon the fascination of internet grew and after learning how to open an email account, the next thing was to use online dictionary. Online dictionary was simpler, you just have to type the word and within a blink of an eye you are ready to explore the word. Thanks to online dictionaries that provide audio files to actually hear the right pronunciations.

One day I purchased Oxford Pocket Dictionary from some book exhibition. After all buying a dictionary is an investment, isn’t it? Pocket dictionary made it possible for me to grab it whenever I banged on an alien word. But still I wanted something more, a lexicon I can carry with myself wherever I go. I was quite thrilled when I learnt about portable electronic dictionary and thesaurus, but I thought it is not a smart option to spend money on such device.

Finally I found the solution to continue boosting my vocabulary in an easy way, nothing but my cell phone. My Sony Ericsson W200i with my Loop SIM card solved my purpose of decoding unknown words and that is also for free. Isn’t it great? Of course it is as it comes with multiple advantages too. It is quick, it is portable and thus it is comfortable. Now it is as easy as ABC to make sense of that word which appears to be from some another planet. But still whenever I get time I take hold of those old heavy dictionaries, flip through the pages and look up for the meaning of the word in an old traditional way.