The Crooked Tooth

“I am on the way.” I screamed in a voice even I was unfamiliar with. The voice came from the darkest part of my soul, the part of me which I thought had gone but it was just sleeping inside of me, lurking for the time to come out, to show what had devastated me. Maybe that was the reason why I always helped the suffering souls, maybe I was curing myself, maybe the other was just me, maybe on the other side was just a mirror which reflected my former self. Suddenly the voice on the other end started cracking and with each crack with his voice goose bumps started dancing on my skin, mocking me that I was helpless even after knowing that he was in pain, a killing pain. “Last”, I just uttered it when a sudden jerk shocked me in the cab. The fear that the cracking of his voice could be the last thing I heard from him made me realise how cheap life is in this costly world, how precious were the moments when we used to laugh together, how beautiful his smile was, he was smiling in my mind and I was weeping in my body. The great food he used to cook but the irony of fate was that he now couldn’t taste a bit of it. His beautiful voice had turned into terrible scream, the scream which was tearing me apart. It was echoing inside of me and wanted to come outside of me. I didn’t had strong reasons like him to scream but still his pain was the reason of my scream. I screamed aloud but in a voice only I could listen.

The cab stopped and I came out of the moving cab rushing to his room in the gloomy place people call “hospital”. The room was filled with cry of the jolliest person I knew. I started hating my name when he called it with so much pain. The moment I felt as a dry leaf flying on the mercy of wind. The only thing I was able to do was shedding tears, I wanted to punch the wall, I wanted to slam my head, I wanted to kill myself. The person who had brought the light of joy on days I had lost myself was in a duel with his death and I was standing there letting him fight alone knowing that he will not return if he lost. I wasn’t brave enough to stand there and watch the cry turning into silence, I never had. The only place airy enough was balcony, I wanted jump but I didn’t but my own thoughts were choking.

The scream had turned into silence, a killing silence. I knew what had happened but had to check if it was reality or my mind was playing tricks on me. My shoes were heavy and were getting heavier with each step and so was my breath. Eyes had dried but open hands were wet. The door would had weigh a ton. But still it wasn’t heavier than my heart. The doctor had seen the fear on my pale face but something else was written on my sweaty palms on that day. The doctor’s smile said what was meant to be said, my cold feet began to warm again and my dry mouth became wet again. “He is fine and will wake up in some hours.” When these words got in my ears, I wasn’t there, I had already gone somewhere else, I wasn’t able to see or hear anything. I just sat in the corner of the happy room which was the saddest place a minute ago, I just wanted to see him for who he was but the swollen eyes wanted something else. The next thing I remember was his single crooked tooth when he smiled.

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THE SUNGAZER

Going out of the home is a painful process every morning not for thyself but for my lovely home, I leave him for a whole day longing for me. Maybe I am just too hard on him, I don’t visit my own home so often, and maybe it’s not homely home now, maybe my loneliness has crept in and started rusting my place.

My work outside is pretty interesting, “Good morning” eveytime I stepped out Mrs. Olive is always ready to start my day with his melodious voice which is more of a song. She must be good-looking also, I assume. How can a person who has so heavenly voice be ugly? The person can’t be. But I have often heard some people talking about her burnt face. They must be blind to see her happy soul. She just makes my day cheerful, her greeting is enough to light up a spark in a dimming soul. But, I haven’t heard wishing anyone else in the streets. They must not be worthy of wishes, God has already made them worthy to look at things and people but they don’t have the ability to see which is rarer than a sapphire among people with eyes.

Walking forward and bumping over somebody is a usual thing but I am not the faulty one, I can’t look but they can. Although, I am the one who is to be burdened over their faulty vision.The girl I bumped upon almost pummelled my face with his slaps but she was too generous not to do so over my apologies, she just left me with some abuses. I know that girl, many things had gone in my ears about her. Many are after her, it just don’t even make sense to me. Sometimes, it feels bad for them.

There is an yin in every yang. This is my yin for I know people for their actions, their tone of voice not by their physical structure which is deceiving. God has blessed me with the gift of not getting deceived. But, it feels sometimes to know what beauty is seen as. One day, I will find it in myself maybe in someone else, but I will see it.

Coming back to my only companion at night is a bless but it has become a haunting experience now, he has a grudge with me for not been able to give him the proper time. It has been so silent that I can hear the walls calling me by my name. Screaming every time, I abandon him. He only has me after all others left. I understand that but he must understand that also. I will not be around always, he has to keep standing.

Going outside on a sunny day is a bless for me. It’s warm and I don’t have to worry about wetting my leg in a mudpool. People don’t rush onto me. I don’t feel itching in my eyes, they complain about not be able to look in the sky but its only one in the town able to look in the eyes of the sun, the only sungazer.

Everybody can look but not everyone can see.

IN THE DEPTHS OF OCEAN

Sitting alone can be a cruel thing to your mind. Sitting on the sandy beach and wondering about the depths of the ocean I realised that we are both alike. We both have many secrets in our depths which we had been hiding in our hearts for times even we are not aware of. On the surface we are calm and composed but who knows what happens inside. But we have an acceptance of things, an unearthly quality. We have accepted poisons from others which has devastated us to our core.

It has been a long time when I saw him for the first time but I still remember his smile when he was talking to his friends. I was sitting on bench next to him and was looking for excuses so that I can just a glimpse of what he was. Just his glimpse was what I needed and more I saw him, more I craved for him. It was the first time in my life that I had laid my eyes on someone so special, someone with whom I could imagine my entire life with. Being a straight A+ student, I had never lowered my eyes in front of anyone but his simple look at me just destroyed my ego which I had been collecting from a long time. I tried to talk on him on phone but my foul attitude kicked in and things didn’t turned out as planned. Later I talked to him but didn’t confessed anything to him. Every day, I thought of confessing him but fear of rejection was hunting me down daily. Each day would begin with a determination and end with guilt. When I got home from college and washed my face, I looked in mirror and motivated myself. Each day it was becoming difficult to look in the mirror.

Then, one fine day I approached him, he was talking to a friend. I said “I can do anything for you.” but he said he wanted some time to think about that. That was the most restless day of my life. I wasn’t able to sleep that night. It was just me and my pillow. I was cuddling my pillow and something was in my stomach.  Next morning, I reached college and my eyes were searching for that one. That one, who could had changed my life. The one, with whom I could had been myself. The one, who would catch me in his arms when I would fall.

I just spilled my heart before him, I said, “I will always love you. Will you be mine?” but fate had decided something else. His heart was taken by someone else, the same friend he used to talk with. I just controlled myself, tears were on the brink of my eyes. On the way, it all lost and tears traced my way home. The hardest part was when I had to tell my parents about being well. I said, “I am fine and just tired.” For the first time in my life I didn’t shared with my mother what was killing me inside. That night, it was just me and my thoughts, it wasn’t sure who was controlling whom. The whole scenario was running on repeat mode before me even with my eyes open. Next morning, I came out of room as if nothing had happened. I couldn’t tell people I had been weak, I never had. I thought I would just ignore him but he had refused politely and considered me as friend of him. I just couldn’t. Some things are out of our control or maybe we came out of control. I wanted to shout on him, I wanted to slap him, I wanted to hug him, I wanted him to be mine. But, I also wanted him to be happy and his happiness was with another soul. I just smiled and hid the sea of tears in my eyes but still my eyes betrayed me and a drop oozed out when I was looking down. Luckily or unluckily, he wasn’t seeing. Days went by and I was surviving seeing his smile, his face, he as a whole. He was happy with her but not me. I wanted to focus on myself but focus always shifted towards them, capturing them. I still texted him but as a friend, it took more courage that would had required to pull meal from a lion’s mouth. I texted him, at least I was talking to him.

Something crazy happened, he had a breakup and a very devastating breakup. I was sorry for him but happy for myself. He was the talk of whole department for a couple of months, a ray of hope was piercing the darkness inside me. I decided to increase the frequency of texts and he too returned the same. I told him indirectly that I belonged to him only but he indicated always that he was just a friend. He had rejected me without even looking in my eyes, there was just love for him in my eyes. Even though he had only gave me tears and sleepless nights but still I accepted those as my gifts. It wasn’t fair to believe that all girls are same but it’s just fine afterall. He wasn’ t the one falling, I was. The mistake was mine not his. 

The Last Piece Of Cake on Christmas Eve

I just slammed the door on that cold evening and rushed towards the kitchen and threw all the groceries, lost in my own thoughts and rushing through the furniture in the way to drawing room I made a call which I thought I would never ever make in my life again and hoping that the person wouldn’t receive it yet longing to hear his so familiar and melodious voice. The phone rang, he hadn’t changed his number, the phone was ringing and so was my heart, with each ring panic was engulfing me and my head was ready to burst of thoughts, old memories of happy and sorrow days. It seemed that my whole past was dancing and mocking me for my foolish deeds. If I hadn’t let my ego came in the way, things could have been much sweeter. But, it was not my fault alone, things could had been treated well from opposite side also. In amidst of all this all , a trembling voice said “Hello!” and with great effort I said, “It has been a long time, Will you come tonight on dinner?” ,an awkward silence came between us and then a single word came from him, “Yes!”. The phone hanged up but still the single word was ringing in my ears and I began doing the chores for dinner. I started preparing his favourite dishes, he had a unique  and sharp sense of taste which could detect a little abnormality which had turned me into a over cautious cook.

The Christmas tree was decorated and everything was in its place yet I was rushing in the house for complete perfection. The doorbell rang and my eyes became wide but I but ran towards the door as I wanted to see if my brother looked the same as before. I opened the door and found the same boy with those messy hairs and dirty shoes. I wanted to cry and hug him but I didn’t wanted to get soft on him, I wanted to be the same hard big brother which I had always been and I just shook hand and let him in and closed the door gently. He had already made his way to the dining table.

We talked formally over the table about work and other things but at last everything was overpowered by emotions when he asked, “Why you did all of that?” and I just lost myself and in tears cried, “I had been mean and rude all of this time but I wanted you badly in these lonely times. After our fight, you left and I was alone with father but when he died I was alone in my life, each day began with the wet pillow and ended with the sour eyes. I wanted to talk to you but I thought you wouldn’t even pick up the phone but after so much time I gathered enough courage to invite you in your own house for Christmas dinner. You showed up as my Christmas gift.”He was smiling with tears in his eyes ready to drop down. Then the big brother scolded the small one by saying, “You could have called also.”He said, “I could have come by myself but if I had done so, how could have I been able to see you in this form?”

The dark clouds over the dining table turned into the shining rays on the cold Christmas eve. We laughed on silly jokes like the good old days and enjoyed the dinner with some good old wine. It was like a fairy tale for me straight from a book. There had been many such dinner in the past in father’s time but it was just ordinary at that time but this time it was something else. Only time has the power to show you the beauty of simple things, the value of your loved ones and the ones who stays in our heart even after descending to other world.

At last, we both ate the cake with last piece of cake left. I wanted that but I wanted my brother more. So, I offered him the last piece with a drop of my tear shining atop the cake.

Life is too short to be spend fighting with your loved ones.

The Broken Mask

It was a bright day as usual when I woke up but due to closed eyes I wasn’t able to embrace it. I started doing my chores unaware of the miracle which would follow me. I brushed my teeth, combed my long hairs, arranged my bed, I had wiped my face carefully so no one would notice the tear trails on my cheeks. Sitting on the chair with my favourite mug disgusting the world, my past had left a deep scars on my heart which I thought would never heal. My past had forced me to wear an invisible mask as a barrier to this overly loud and non empathetic world. I just had made up my mind that no one is going to understand what I felt and how deep my thoughts were.

These thoughts had made me isolated to the whole society, I was misunderstood a million times for being egoistic but they only knew about the mask which covered me not my true self. I had problems with such people but soon the mud got settled with time and I didn’t even cared what they spoke behind my back and moved forward towards my career. I had become something which I once hated. Talking rough to someone wasn’t a big deal, I wouldn’t give second thought about pushing someone behind for my success.

Then the following sunset, something unexpected happened and my mother got hurt by my sharp words but at that time due to my ego I went outside and returned late night, peaking in the house and slept in my room, I thought everything would turn out to be normal but I saw a letter lying on table just besides my bed which had written on it,

“Dear,

It has been a long time I had been tolerating you and your rudeness but yesterday the things you said didn’t came out of the mouth of my daughter I used to love, she was someone else, a stranger, I can adjust with my daughter but not with a rude stranger. I am going to my friend’s home for some time.

Please don’t try to contact me for some time.”

 

After reading this, I just realised what damage I had been doing to people, the mask which I wore as a barrier has now became my identity and I was reflecting my bad past life on even those whom I truly loved.

Being alone at home, life had become very boring and depressing. I would come home daily and wept like hell. Each morning, my pillow would be stained with my tears. Then one day I saw someone whose face had a strange shine on it. His big eyes were shining like pearls and he was gathered by people who were just enjoying his presence. I wanted to know what was happening but my mask stopped me. After some days we crossed paths and I got a chance to talk to him and he reminded me of someone very familiar but I couldn’t recognize who was that person. There was some magic in him as he could feel my words not just listen to me as most would do. His calmness was something that hadn’t been seen in ages. His compassion was mesmerizing. He would look at simple things with so much delight which I couldn’t even understand.  He wasn’t that smart or handsome but whosoever once talked to him would become spellbound and just admired him in eyes for who he was. His voice wasn’t that melodious but his words made people dance. His innocent smile was just enough for someone to forget her problems. That guy holds a special place in my heart as he is someone in front of whom you could be vulnerable but he wouldn’t take advantage of that, neither he would judge. He just smiles and looks at you with same glow in his eyes.He was innocent like a child yet more matured than others in seeing others. He saw eveything and everyone with crystal clarity could  guide on paths unknown. I talked to him daily and saw things from perspective I could had never imagined. He used to talk but much actually he was just a mirror who was showing me myself. In complete wonder of his words, I would return home daily.

 

Then one day while talking to him, I finally came to my senses and remembered who was he alike and I just ran from there with tears of regret in my eyes. I came home and saw the mirror but I hadn’t seen my true reflection since a long time and was too afraid to lift my eyes up. Slowly, I lifted them up and saw a girl crying in her most vulnerable form. The girl who can do anything just to save a dying bird, a girl who could see what someone actual needs and was generous enough to fulfil that. The mask had broken completely. It was my beautiful face which was there. I just forgot how beautiful I was under the ugly mask. No hiding it from the world.

The person with whom he was familiar was my older self which was lost over time. Sometimes, you just another person to bring out what was buried in you. I just wanted to cry for my lost self. No more hiding, that was me and nobody would make me bitter, I would make everyone sweet.

I came back to him and thanked me for showing me all of this but he said, “I didn’t do anything, I was just being myself, naked as I was born.”

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Blessed are those who are truly true to themselves.

You can always light someone’s life just being yourself, unmasked.

The White Caterpillar and Black Rose

“You are beautiful” said the caterpillar to the mesmerizing black beauty. The beauty blushed and in her feminine voice replied, “You too are beautiful and it’s just a matter of time, each of us take our time to bloom.” He had a question mark on his face regarding himself and thus asked her if one day he would also be like her. She giggled and told him, “You won’t be Black like me, you would be bright like sunshine.”

 

Listening to this, he in his innocence, asked her if she was sorry for her colour but she just smiled and admired his heart by saying, “If it would be all white, it would had blinded you. Black and White are not opposite, deep down they had grown from the same roots.”

He started circling around her, searching something, but it was of no use. He was searching for her feet. On asking she explained him, “I don’t need to wander for anything in this world, every necessity was provided to me and in time I had realised that everything was within me.”

“What you do when in joy when you can’t even move…….?”

“I just dance in the moving wind with all my petals just feeling the beauty of this moving nature. I just enjoy as if no one is watching. I sing a song too but only for those who can listen.” He seemed satisfied.

“I always crawl. Will a day come when I will start walking?” he asked in a deep voice. “You weren’t born to walk. You were born to fly like your mother who tasted my sweet nectar once when you weren’t in this meadow” she guided him touching his head gently with her soft petal.

“What was my mother alike?” the curiosity of knowing his creator was visible in his eyes. “She was stunning as you would be in some time. When she flew towards sky, it seemed that she was going to heaven away from all earthly boundations where no one would try to catch her. Humans just ruin things for freezing a moment. Real Beauty lies in the flow. Moments are not meant to be captured but lived.”

He enquired if there was something he could eat but the only sweet thing there was just her. He was hungry and wanted the taste of black petals but the guardian thorns were at the service of the fragrancing queen. But all life of her was spent in service of others, her life was but a fine smell for others which filled every life with joy. Thus, she gave herself to the hungry creature and her death became a feast for the hungry stomach.

 

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The Wounds Bled Again

“Today, the sun shines bright in the sky.” I thought in my mind, getting proud of the good deeds I had accomplished, and “Not all humans are same in this cruel world. I have at least made some difference for the needy ones and I shall be there when somebody wants my compassion” I thought, completely lost in my own world of imagination, unaware of physical realm when suddenly I heard a boy playing alone in corner of that garden. All joy had gone when I saw who he really was.

His ball came towards me and he came rushing unto me gaily but he seemed like the grim reaper coming to take my soul to hell, he bent to grab the ball but to my surprise he smiled at me and ran away. I had goose bumps all over my body. It seemed that all my hairs had turned to needles ready to pierce through my clothes and show this world how terrified I was.

(image source-internet)

There was a time when I was the most arrogant guy anybody could imagine. Smoking, Drinking, petty fights were more of a hobby of me. I was in highschool only but all my friends were from college biker gang. Being the only child I didn’t had any restrictions, I should had. My parents loved me for who I was, those two were the only ones I cared for but they feared that if they scolded me I would had done something wrong. That was the time when a single mother with his only child came in our colony. In those summer afternoons, I used to smoke in the vacant garden of colony where along with me was just

that kid. The innocent soul was having some pleasant time with his toys when the devil in my mind started kicking and I started exhaling smoke on his face and he coughed like an asthmatic patient and cried a lot. But how unfortunate was I at that time that he couldn’t spoke. I thought that of a lottery won and started abusing that kid in numerous ways, whenever I use to found that kid out, I tortured him. Sometimes, I slapped him for no reason and laughed thereafter. Once, I spilled his schoolbag on road and he was just standing there helplessly. He informed his mother but no action was taken on me by my parents on me when his mother told my parents about so. I feels so bad when I think why my parents didn’t just slapped me and kick me out of house for destroying that poor dumb child. Lucky are those whose parents are strict to them for a teenager has to be taught lessons hardly otherwise life does that in a hard manner. If someone has done some bad in life, you can pity on him but if you ,yourself, has done that you may never forgive yourself.

After some days, both of them left and there was just I who was later taught by life what I was. Some incidents in my later life showed me what damage I had done to others, my life just gave me a ton of lemons which turned each of my tooth sour. I used to cry at night wondering about the roller coaster of my life and laugh at same time seeing the ironical ways how karma takes revenge. The damage which I had done returned to me in unexpected ways. In midst of everything, I decided to quit each of my bad habits and to help each guy I will meet and will compensate to everything I had done. It has been quite a time after life took a turning point and I transformed.

But foolish me, arrogance just hid itself in form of my good deeds ,I might have changed but I still I didn’t understood life , past just came running unto me and shown me who was I, the smile of that pure heart was more lethal for a crooked guy like me than spears in battleground. The boy was blessed ‘coz only some has the purity to forgive those who did something wrong to them and still their face shines bright for the world. That smile just tore me for what had I had done and my wounds bled again.