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A-Z Challenge – T – Trapped

trapped

The priest once again whipped Sukanya’s face with a heavy broom chanting a scary mantra.

The ignorant family and priest thought Sukanya who felt like a teenage boy who loved and played cricket over cooking and embroidery was possessed by a male ghost.

One more whip on her face and she held the priest’s hand hard and threatened in a husky tone, I am Shekhar and accept me this way or I will destroy this village.

After that incident Sukanya’s father never forced her to wear a salwar nor did the villagers bully her.

That was the only safe way to give wings to her trapped identity.

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Feeling trapped was a unique emotion and we agreed instantly, am sure a super post awaits on Shashank’s blog here.

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A-Z Challenge – S – Spooky

S

I couldn’t have been more excited the minute I saw my school from the bus window pass by me, the same banyan tree, the well near it and three swings, well it had been 8 long years after which I was coming to my hometown.

I got down and saw a familiar face, “Pradeep!” I blurted as he gave an incomplete smile and nodded, “You look the same” and I continued blabbering till we walked together a 100 meters and I hopped on an auto waving him a see you.

The auto driver gave me a puzzled look while I myself looked puzzled when I couldn’t see Pradeep in the rare mirror of the auto.

After a relaxed meal back home “Guess whom I met the first thing I alighted the bus, Pradeep.” Ma, Pa and brother gave me a shocking look, “Yeh, Pradeep Thampy, damn he looks the same since school.”

“Pradeep hung himself last night on a tree near the bus stop over a failed love affair, since then he has spooked and walked with a lot of people till the auto stand.” I froze realizing now why he spoke no word and instantly vanished as I hopped in the auto.

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“You are getting lazy” he spoke as he yawned. “Who me?” I raised my eyebrows finishing most work at office quite efficiently. “Ok, whats for S?” he stretched and questioned. “Sleepy?” I said…”No, just got up.” “No that is the S word.” I spoke attentively “I thought as much, sleepy isn’t an emotion.” Another yawn coming it’s way, “I decided we will write on Spooky” I announced.

That’s what happens when you decide to write together….mood swings, waiting to throw my tantrum now…Now if Shashank remembers the word as spooky then read the post here.

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A-Z Challenge – R – Rejected

you-2Bcomplete-2Bme

 

The Two Incomplete Halves.

 

She was feeling everyone stare at her as she walked into the canteen to have tea.

“Do you see her bob cut hair?” Shilpa whispered.

“And where’s her cigarette, didn’t see her pack since morning.” Viral added.

“That’s what rehabs do, don’t they? They get you rid of certain habits.” Shilpa chuckled again.

 

Avoiding all the talk Ananya darted her way to the farthest table of the canteen. She looked at her watch, it was just 16.00, two more hours to go and she can avoid all talk and leave office, she thought to herself. Ananya felt utterly disconcerted.

Just a table away, “Look Ananya is back, wo…she looks different.”

“Yeah, she looks hotter with the new look.”

“No I mean, looks like her rehab rumor and 3 month sabbatical sounds real now.”

“Wasn’t she involved with that fair guy?”

“Of course she was, in fact he left her I hear.”

“Anyway she is not worth it, sad, depressed.”

In trepidation and feeling the rejection again, Ananya grabbed her tea cup with both hands and closed her eyes squeezing the cup hard trying to meditate and count from 10 to 1 as the therapist had instructed in case she felt anxious and needed to avoid negative thoughts.

10…

 “Why can’t we be together Ananya?

09…..

“My parents would never agree to me marrying a non-Brahmin, Karan.”

08…

“We love each other, tell your parents nothing can come between us.”

07…..

“Why don’t you understand, my parents have told me to be away and not talk to you.”

06….

“Tell those pricks, enough is enough. Stop getting emotionally blackmailed. Or else I will lose it.”

05….

“Why lose it Karan, don’t say a word to my parents okay?”

04….

“They are, in fact they are the worst parents anyone can have, and they don’t understand your wishes. I will show them what I am; they need to be taught a lesson.”

03….

“Stttoppp ittt Kaaraan, yooou starttted agaaiin. Mmmy parrrentsss arree aaall I hhave; theeey hhhave ddd..done eeeverything fo..fo..foor me. D..D..Don’t you abussse th..them.”

02….

“Ananya, I have lost it. Listen I don’t want a thing from you. Just get lost you stammering b**** and ask your parents too. You don’t deserve me. You are nothing but an incomplete sick stammering woman. I leave you now.”

01…..

“K..K…K..Karan…..”

00

“A…Ann..Annnaya.”

Ananya slammed a tight slap on his face as she opened her eyes in rage. She was pulled back to reality. He stood there holding his red cheek, tears welled up.

“The…teaaa..wwasss …spilllinnngg…ittt..woulldd…sc..sc..scald…you. Sooo..ii thougghhtt …buutt you..”

“Yooou staaammmer? Whattt’s youuur n…name?” Ananya asked looking straight into his eyes.

“R..R..R…Rohan.”

Ananya’s anxiety melted in a second. She had met someone who was like her, a mirror image.

“D..D…D..Do yyou want tea?” The conversation had just begun between the two incomplete halves.

 Note: Neither Ananya nor Rohan with their stammering were never incomplete, incomplete were those who could not understand them. The complete them would never face rejection.

 

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“there is nothing I want to write from Q” I said, “And I am not giving up the challenge” after all he gave me quizzical as the emotion, like seriously…noway! So back to the challenge, “Whats for R?” And I gave a list of emotions, After rejecting a lot of emotions we zeroed in on Rejected and am sure after a super quizzical post Shashank will come up with a super post on rejected, hop in here for more.

 

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A-Z Challenge – P – Puzzled

P

It was very difficult to rank whether her love for travelling was dear to her or her dream of being instantly rich, the very reason she picked a lottery at every city she travelled.

She casually walked to the kiosk and showed the lottery of a million she had bought a day earlier.

The old man at the counter seemed in his 90’s looked repeatedly at the lottery ticket and the computer, finally after 5 long minutes he disinteresting said “ganaste.”

She looked at him puzzled for long, “English?” she asked as he nodded in denial, but his expression said it all, she turned to exit the kiosk to one more bad luck.

Just to learn a new Spanish word she had heard she said aloud, “ganaste” on her smart phone and Siri quickly replied, “It means you have won in Spanish, she shouted in joy on top of her voice *Ganaste.”

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“where is your post for Saturday?” I asked, “I didn’t write!” I need to learn to be so casual from him. “Why?” on the verge now…”Oh, you didn’t choose the word and I don’t believe in writing alone, it’s writing together remember?” “yeh right” I stopped my puzzled look, read a puzzled version of Shashank’s post here.

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A-Z Challenge – O – Offended

 

Opng

 

 

Would you mind thinking a bit out of the box and creating something that will appeal a common man, not sure what they teach you at the elite B-schools these days, Sharma snapped at the young new joinee trashing his presentation.

His offensive remarks were a norm now and he felt no pity belittling his subordinates on the contrary it inflated his ego.

Later that evening while trying to upload his profile picture on various social media he struggled with the newly bought ipad and sought his son’s help.

“Well pa, this is the last time I am wasting my time on you, why didn’t schools in your era have some practical learning than just theory, can’t believe you are so dumb with these simple user friendly devices.”

That offence had hit him hard, later that year Sharma won the best manager award and was quoted as being the most down to Earth and approachable manager by his staff.

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Catch up quick Shashank, I told him, well sometimes motivation works wonders isn’t it 🙂 So O was offended and am sure you will love the double bonanza of nostalgia and will wait for the O post on Shashank’s blog here.

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A-Z Challenge – M – Melancholy

 

M

Who was she after all?

Maya, long flowing hair, a saree wrapped more inviting than covering, her teaching music seemed just an excuse to flaunt her sensuous voice, her toenails painted red and the sound of anklet was mesmerizingly beautiful.

I had seen her sometimes amused, smiling, talking to herself or in deep thought, sometimes glum, she did look at me many a times from the opposite window and gestured me to come home.

It was that stormy evening when I got down my stairs to meet her and know her more,  as I stood under her apartment knocking at the door of anxiety, ecstasy when Narang babu startled me by pulling me back.

“No one stays there, who did you see? Maya, don’t fall for that ploy Somerbabu, it’s nothing but Maya, a maze,” I was lost in melancholy, was it my imagination or her ploy? Who was she after all?

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M? – hmmmm, mytified he jumped, I was like nooooo!! I said misunderstood and he gave me such a predictable look that I was choosing to be pissed or irritate and announced “Melancholy”. Am sure a super post on melancholy awaits us at Shashank’s blog here.

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A-Z Challenge – K – Keenness

K

He walked into his inherited maternal grand mom’s house almost after 30 years; the family feud had kept him away.

Nostalgia stuck to his every pore same as the dust of the dilapidated house, smell of freshly made butter that still lingered or the ripe mangoes that he climbed the tree in the backyard to pick.

Strolling through every room he lifted the copper box that his grand mom never let him touch saying he would get it when the right time arrives, his keenness that he held for so many years gave way.

After opening it with much struggle he found a key to a locked cupboard, his emotions knew no bounds when he found pictures of his childhood, his clothes neatly stacked, his toys, his birthday gifts still wrapped for the years he stopped coming and along with it was his future a letter mentioning property and jewellery that he had inherited.

The letter dropped off his hand as he sat down opening his birthday gifts.

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After a super holiday and break on Sunday, I am back to the challenge. This time I haven’t even asked and I know I will invite trouble if I don’t for L 🙂 So am all keen to know what Shashank is writing on Keenness, to read be keen here .

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A-Z Challenge – H for Happiness

H

 

 

Ananya was in pain and Rohan was restlessly moved up and down the aisle, he could handle everything but she being in pain.

He was irritated and upset too for she hadn’t taken a lot of care of herself when he was away.

He would look at the idol of Lord Shiva from the corner of his eye again and again not facing it, the atheist that he was.

“Look my wife is religious and prays you daily, all I want is she be ok? Well not ok but very well and out of this pain…cool?” he spoke to God and he heard the baby cry loud.

“Your wife is ok and it’s a boy!” the nurse pleasantly announced, Rohan’s happiness skyrocketed as he touched the baby’s head with his fingertips before running to see Ananya.

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“Why is the girl in your post so awesome and the guy in your post so ….” I said casually. “So….complete it?” he raised his left eyebrow. “Like so dumb? Who says no to love?” I tried to make sense. “Some people take time, wait for the next post!” it ended at that so expect some awesome happiness on Shashank’s take on it here.

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A-Z Challenge – Guilty

G

 

 

“Stop there! One of the earrings is missing, you have it I know.” said the sales girl to Ravi who had come to buy his wife an anniversary gift.

“No I haven’t taken it, trust me. I left all pieces there as they are beyond my budget.” trembling with a nervous tone he responded.

“More the reason you flicked it, there is no one here and you pocketed it while I was trying the other pieces to show you, give it back or we call the police” a crowd gathered all staring Ravi as the manager grabbed his arm.

“Please do not call the cops, I haven’t stolen it but will pay for the loss.” A teary eyed Ravi responded as the sales girl.

She felt extremely guilty of wrong accusation as tried to get the phone from her shirt pocket and felt the emerald earring that may have slipped when she was trying it on to show it to Ravi.

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“I never respected you, gave you the love you deserved, I spoiled your life” he said feeling guilty as she stood holding a glass of milk near his paralyzed body.

He a man of 45 married her at the age of 14 and since then she had been a very obedient wife who was very silent and listened much.

For the first time the palace heard her sing as she watered her favorite Hemlock plant.

She would sit by the poisonous plant patiently for days observing every shoot grow as she planned her life.

Her silence was the beginning of her revenge and a slow death for him.

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G has been tricky, I changed the word from grumpy to guilty and also wrote not one but two takes on the Emotion. From a super fragile post to feeling guilty read super fiction on Shashank’s thoughts here.

 

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A-Z Challenge – Fragile

F

 

 

 

“I don’t think I want to meet anyone or get engaged, please ma phone whoever you have called and ask him to return ” Ananya yelled as she banged the door of her room.

The break up was not fresh anymore but the memories were, she couldn’t come to terms with the idea of moving on.

She sat on the floor resting her face on the table where she had placed a house of cards her ex had made for her weaving fragile emotions of togetherness with a weak foundation.

The door opened after a light knock and Rohan entered with a pleasant smile, “Hi this is Rohan, care for a friendly talk?”

Ananya looked at a still smiling Rohan who held his hand towards her as the fragile cards flew with the zephyr of a new beginning.

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“Whats the F word?” Shashank inquired. “Fragile!” I said with all certainty still thinking did I get the question right. “Fragile?” a question with an emocon I didn’t understand. “Can’t fragile be an emotion?” that wasn’t a question, it was a statement you don’t have a choice we got to write on Fragile 🙂

A difficult emotion “Fragile” read a completely different take here.