War
"How long before they reach the castle?"
"Our army will probably be able to hold them off for an hour at the most."
"And the secret passageway out of the city?"
"It was never finished, your highness."
"Well then," said the king. "I'm off to sleep."
"Sleep?"
"I always wanted to die in my sleep."
The End
---------------------xx--------------------------
He-Man ???
He walks like a king through his house. He is master of his domain. He can eat what he wants, drink what he wants, and he can turn on the television and watch whatever he wants. He smiles.
"By the power of Grayskull!" he shouts. "I... Have... The Power!"
He hears the car in the driveway. His wife is back from shopping. He sighs.
It was nice while it lasted.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
The Maker's Chambers
"What was that?" Mrs. Maker shouted as she came rushing into the workshop. "I heard a big bang. What exploded?"
Mr. Maker looked up at her innocently and replied, "Nothing exploded."
"Then what's that mess in the middle of the room?" The mess she was pointing at seemed to be growing, and fast.
"That's the explosion of course."
"I thought you said nothing exploded."
"Yes, I did." Mr. Maker maintained the look of innocence.
Mrs. Maker wasn't giving up, though. "Well, if nothing exploded, then what is that?"
"THE explosion, of course."
"What do you mean by that?" She looked around the workshop at the charts that he had been drawing. There seemed to be a lot of circles all over them. She shouldn't have bought him that compass !
"And what in your name have you been doing here?"
Mr. Maker smiled, since the Mrs. had never taken any interest in his work before. He took off his gloves as he walked towards one of the charts that had a lot of squiggly figures on it. "I've been doing some calculations," he explained, "and I think - though it might be a while before I can prove this - that I've invented... Time."
Mrs. Maker wasn't impressed. "And what is Time supposed to be? Your idea of a joke? You call that mess there," she gestured towards the mess - which seemed to be growing larger - "Time?"
"Oh no, no, no!" Mr. Maker turned around to look at it. "That seems to be an unexpected by-product."
"Well, I'm not cleaning it up for you," Mrs. Maker replied angrily. "I'm tired of cleaning up after you." And she walked off back to the kitchen.
"Clean it up?" Mr. Maker thought to himself. "Now why would I want to do that?" He looked at what the Mrs. had called the mess, and smiled to himself as he stroked his white beard. "It looks beautiful." He watched it some more, and then thought, "Well, I'll probably have to make some more space for it. It seems to be growing awfully fast. And all those little balls inside it will need some studying too."
As he lifted the ever-growing mess, he realised he'd have to give it a name. Something nicer than what the Mrs. had called it. A name that captured the sheer poetry that seemed to emanate from his heart as he watched it grow. It looked like it belonged on its own. And yet, it looked incomplete. Like it would never be complete. Like it would grow until it occupied everything. Until it was everything.
If it were a song, it would be the first verse, and the last. It'd be the only verse. One verse.
He smiled as the name came to him. He'd call it, The UniVerse.
Mr. Maker looked up at her innocently and replied, "Nothing exploded."
"Then what's that mess in the middle of the room?" The mess she was pointing at seemed to be growing, and fast.
"That's the explosion of course."
"I thought you said nothing exploded."
"Yes, I did." Mr. Maker maintained the look of innocence.
Mrs. Maker wasn't giving up, though. "Well, if nothing exploded, then what is that?"
"THE explosion, of course."
"What do you mean by that?" She looked around the workshop at the charts that he had been drawing. There seemed to be a lot of circles all over them. She shouldn't have bought him that compass !
"And what in your name have you been doing here?"
Mr. Maker smiled, since the Mrs. had never taken any interest in his work before. He took off his gloves as he walked towards one of the charts that had a lot of squiggly figures on it. "I've been doing some calculations," he explained, "and I think - though it might be a while before I can prove this - that I've invented... Time."
Mrs. Maker wasn't impressed. "And what is Time supposed to be? Your idea of a joke? You call that mess there," she gestured towards the mess - which seemed to be growing larger - "Time?"
"Oh no, no, no!" Mr. Maker turned around to look at it. "That seems to be an unexpected by-product."
"Well, I'm not cleaning it up for you," Mrs. Maker replied angrily. "I'm tired of cleaning up after you." And she walked off back to the kitchen.
"Clean it up?" Mr. Maker thought to himself. "Now why would I want to do that?" He looked at what the Mrs. had called the mess, and smiled to himself as he stroked his white beard. "It looks beautiful." He watched it some more, and then thought, "Well, I'll probably have to make some more space for it. It seems to be growing awfully fast. And all those little balls inside it will need some studying too."
As he lifted the ever-growing mess, he realised he'd have to give it a name. Something nicer than what the Mrs. had called it. A name that captured the sheer poetry that seemed to emanate from his heart as he watched it grow. It looked like it belonged on its own. And yet, it looked incomplete. Like it would never be complete. Like it would grow until it occupied everything. Until it was everything.
If it were a song, it would be the first verse, and the last. It'd be the only verse. One verse.
He smiled as the name came to him. He'd call it, The UniVerse.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
She...
It’s been over 6 months since the engagement, 4 months to the wedding and approximately 14 months since I first saw her. I am talking in approximations here because one calculation mistake about the regarding such historical days and the guy is dead, so I hope my maths is right here.
There have been many arguments and multiple fights interspersed between a tons of happy moments - Although, many such happy moments would be me giggling at my own jokes And we are still together, with me admitting that she has contributed most to the fact that the relationship is going as strong as a well fed wrestler, with my contribution apologizing after all arguments, driving her around, accompanying her on shopping trips and listening to her conversations, primarily.
This experience has changed, and continues to change quite a few things around me.
I mean, my telephone bills have ‘changed’ by a noticeable margin, to the horror of my dad and to the sheer delight of Vodafone. The amount of driving I have been doing around the city has gone up (The sight of her house as I turn around the corner is sight more beautiful than Taj Mahal’s for me). I meet my friends less than I see “Bade acche lagte hai” (which is never). I no longer wonder if I would have to change some baby’s diaper someday, confident that I HAVE to change it. And, I’m not complaining about any of the above
There have been many firsts also. Like, I went shopping..in Kurla..a place I would never have even ventured into to save a friend’s life otherwise.
But jokes aside, there has been internal transformation too – and no, I don’t mean my kidneys changing colour
You know, this is not the first time someone put her faith in me. Is not the first time someone thought she would have me besides her in every storm. Is not the first time someone put me in a position where I could hurt her, trusting that I would not.
After a past which would justify a Kameena Sequel to be shot on my life story, it was like god had e-mailed me a letter confirming that I was incapable of taking care of anybody , except my set of 4 portable hard disks, maybe.
I had vividly visualized a Dolby surround system installed in life where I would live alone , watching movies and eating burgers only to die someday with the unpaid set top box guys being the only ones bothered by my death .
When I looked at myself in the mirror, I saw a guy who had refused to face difficult situation of his life, choosing rather to ignore it, hoping it would end on its own. A guy who thought ‘walking away’ or ‘letting things take their natural course’ was a cool thing to do, yet ashamed in his heart. A guy who had come to believe that life is this meaningless string of moments.
I know it was no holocaust I had faced, and there are people who have seen worse things - such as a college hostel’s food, but to my mind, I was a guy who could earn money and crack random jokes, but was worse than a China made plastic bicycle when it came to reliability and trust.
And then She came along. Strong minded. Independent. Graceful. Elegant. A lady who had the sensitivity of a petal, yet the strength of a tree. A heart which could absorb all pain, yet could shed tears touched by the pain of a stranger. A soul which held an understanding the very wise have, yet cares like the most innocent child ever. In short, my complete, geometrical opposite.
Considering the opinion I had about myself , I believe it would have taken a lot of foolishness and / or marijuana for me to believe I could be the guy she deserved , and to this day, I believe I am lesser than the guy she deserves.
But yet, since that day, she has been a friend, a guide and an inspiration for me. Without trying to teach me, she has given me something I could never give myself, something no amount of movies could give me, something no amount of hours immersed at work could give me, something no one else could give me
She has given me reason.
She has given me the reason to believe I can be a better man when she says she trusts me.
She has given me the reason to stay up at night till she is safely in bed, even though I have had a long day and have another early morning coming up.
She has given me the reason to feed a helpless beggar, knowing she would do the same.
She has given me reason to stop the car while driving to speak to her (she doesn’t like me talking while driving), when she has no way of knowing whether I have actually stopped the car or not. I even try and stop the car if I take a call while driving which is going to last more than a couple of minutes
She has given me the reason to choose the hard but right path, having learnt from her that a righteous life is better than a convenient life.
She has given me the reason to again believe that goodness and simplicity can exist and thrive in this world inhabited by greed, egos and exorbitant petrol prices.
She has given me the reason to know I am going to be all right, because my definition of being ‘all right’ has changed from not facing problems to solving them.
She has given me the reason to feel accepted, not because I am perfect, but because someone does not expect perfection.
She has given me a reason to be confident about myself as she believes in me more than could ever believe.
In a way, I think I never cared about the kind of guy I was. She gave me the reason to want to be a man better than who I am.
You know, I believe I may never be the man she deserves to be with. But for the first time in my life, someone has gained that place in my world that I am willing to happily try till my last moment.
Probably everyone else thinks this relationship is following the normal, Bollywood inspired storyline, and will end up fizzing out in a few months or years, replaced by the real questions such as who brings the kids from the school or why haven’t I still paid the telephone bill, but I know she will always be the same special one for me.
Because while a boy finds a girl who keeps him happy, this boy has found a girl he wants to keep happy.
While a boy finds a girl to live happily with, this boy has found a reason to live happily for.
I know “You” will read this, I just want you to know that I have made a lot of mistakes, and my dining table etiquettes are all wrong, and I crack jokes nobody gets, but I love you without expectations. And I will never stop doing that.
There have been many arguments and multiple fights interspersed between a tons of happy moments - Although, many such happy moments would be me giggling at my own jokes And we are still together, with me admitting that she has contributed most to the fact that the relationship is going as strong as a well fed wrestler, with my contribution apologizing after all arguments, driving her around, accompanying her on shopping trips and listening to her conversations, primarily.
This experience has changed, and continues to change quite a few things around me.
I mean, my telephone bills have ‘changed’ by a noticeable margin, to the horror of my dad and to the sheer delight of Vodafone. The amount of driving I have been doing around the city has gone up (The sight of her house as I turn around the corner is sight more beautiful than Taj Mahal’s for me). I meet my friends less than I see “Bade acche lagte hai” (which is never). I no longer wonder if I would have to change some baby’s diaper someday, confident that I HAVE to change it. And, I’m not complaining about any of the above
There have been many firsts also. Like, I went shopping..in Kurla..a place I would never have even ventured into to save a friend’s life otherwise.
But jokes aside, there has been internal transformation too – and no, I don’t mean my kidneys changing colour
You know, this is not the first time someone put her faith in me. Is not the first time someone thought she would have me besides her in every storm. Is not the first time someone put me in a position where I could hurt her, trusting that I would not.
After a past which would justify a Kameena Sequel to be shot on my life story, it was like god had e-mailed me a letter confirming that I was incapable of taking care of anybody , except my set of 4 portable hard disks, maybe.
I had vividly visualized a Dolby surround system installed in life where I would live alone , watching movies and eating burgers only to die someday with the unpaid set top box guys being the only ones bothered by my death .
When I looked at myself in the mirror, I saw a guy who had refused to face difficult situation of his life, choosing rather to ignore it, hoping it would end on its own. A guy who thought ‘walking away’ or ‘letting things take their natural course’ was a cool thing to do, yet ashamed in his heart. A guy who had come to believe that life is this meaningless string of moments.
I know it was no holocaust I had faced, and there are people who have seen worse things - such as a college hostel’s food, but to my mind, I was a guy who could earn money and crack random jokes, but was worse than a China made plastic bicycle when it came to reliability and trust.
And then She came along. Strong minded. Independent. Graceful. Elegant. A lady who had the sensitivity of a petal, yet the strength of a tree. A heart which could absorb all pain, yet could shed tears touched by the pain of a stranger. A soul which held an understanding the very wise have, yet cares like the most innocent child ever. In short, my complete, geometrical opposite.
Considering the opinion I had about myself , I believe it would have taken a lot of foolishness and / or marijuana for me to believe I could be the guy she deserved , and to this day, I believe I am lesser than the guy she deserves.
But yet, since that day, she has been a friend, a guide and an inspiration for me. Without trying to teach me, she has given me something I could never give myself, something no amount of movies could give me, something no amount of hours immersed at work could give me, something no one else could give me
She has given me reason.
She has given me the reason to believe I can be a better man when she says she trusts me.
She has given me the reason to stay up at night till she is safely in bed, even though I have had a long day and have another early morning coming up.
She has given me the reason to feed a helpless beggar, knowing she would do the same.
She has given me reason to stop the car while driving to speak to her (she doesn’t like me talking while driving), when she has no way of knowing whether I have actually stopped the car or not. I even try and stop the car if I take a call while driving which is going to last more than a couple of minutes
She has given me the reason to choose the hard but right path, having learnt from her that a righteous life is better than a convenient life.
She has given me the reason to again believe that goodness and simplicity can exist and thrive in this world inhabited by greed, egos and exorbitant petrol prices.
She has given me the reason to know I am going to be all right, because my definition of being ‘all right’ has changed from not facing problems to solving them.
She has given me the reason to feel accepted, not because I am perfect, but because someone does not expect perfection.
She has given me a reason to be confident about myself as she believes in me more than could ever believe.
In a way, I think I never cared about the kind of guy I was. She gave me the reason to want to be a man better than who I am.
You know, I believe I may never be the man she deserves to be with. But for the first time in my life, someone has gained that place in my world that I am willing to happily try till my last moment.
Probably everyone else thinks this relationship is following the normal, Bollywood inspired storyline, and will end up fizzing out in a few months or years, replaced by the real questions such as who brings the kids from the school or why haven’t I still paid the telephone bill, but I know she will always be the same special one for me.
Because while a boy finds a girl who keeps him happy, this boy has found a girl he wants to keep happy.
While a boy finds a girl to live happily with, this boy has found a reason to live happily for.
I know “You” will read this, I just want you to know that I have made a lot of mistakes, and my dining table etiquettes are all wrong, and I crack jokes nobody gets, but I love you without expectations. And I will never stop doing that.
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