As the boy sleep

The sunlight was entering the room through a small window. The boy who was sleeping in his bed turned his face around so that the light doesn't disturb his sleep. He was really tired after an eventful week with his friends and family. He wished he could just sleep some more time...

He turned around and this time the sunlight was brighter. He could understand that the day has long begun and he would be late if he doesn't wake up now...

He woke up with a headache, the reason for which he could hardly remember. He stood up and saw empty liquor bottles lying in front of the mirror. He went there to put them aside. He stood infront of the mirror to see himself... just to find a grown up man staring back at him from the mirror.

Short story : Incomplete encounter

It was like any normal day, Girish and Naina were chatting like they do everyday. Suddenly Girish heard a noise, it was coming from outside his house. He was surprise as he wasn't expecting someone at this time of the day. It was late at night and nobody visits him this late. 

He got up to open the door. As he was nearing the door the voice became louder. Now he could listen to the voice clearly. He totally forgot about the chat he was doing and was pulled towards the voice. When he reached the door...the voice was so clear that he recognized it very well. It gave him a shiver as the voice he was hearing was Naina's.

He was puzzled that how could this happen. He can't hear her voice as she lives far away. He opened the door with lots of inquisitiveness. His heart was racing as he opened the door slowly. To his dismay, there was nobody there , he looked around the stairs but couldn't find anyone. 

The only thing he noticed was a shining white light coming from down the stairs. He asked " Is there anyone ?" There was nobody replying. He followed the light down but as he went down the light just faded away. It was like the light was engulfed by the dark. 

He was in a shock as he wasn't able to comprehend what was happening. He was standing still and thinking what just happened ? and his phone rang. 

"Why were you not replying to me for last 25 minutes" said the same voice which he followed as he picked up his phone. "Naina is this you" said Girish. "Yes, who else. What were you doing for all this time" yelled Naina.

"Nothing."  Girish replied.

"I was just lost in your thoughts..."

Short story : Morning flight

The drizzling sound of shower broke Rishabh's sleep. He was still feeling sleepy, he looked at the watch which was kept at side table of his bed. It's 5'o clock in the morning and priya is taking a shower...ohhh I remember she has to leave for outstation meeting today. 

He tried getting out of the bed, suddenly he heard the phone buzzing, he checked his but it was still lying near his pillow idle. Okay, it must be Priya's phone, he picked it up but the buzzing stopped. Maybe she is getting late, I think I should tell her to take the shower fast.

As a tried to get out again the phone again started buzzing. He picked it up thinking it might be important. "Darling, are you ready ? I'm waiting outside your house for last 15 mins, we will miss the flight to our dream destination, priya yoouuuuu" Rishabh disconnected. 

He kept her phone next to her pillow as he heard Priya's voice coming out of the washroom. "So, you woke up", Priya asked in an excited voice. "Yes, thought I should see you the last time" 

"last time ? I'm just going for a trip" Priya told in a bit puzzled voice, As Rishabh stared at her giving a blank look, Priya said in a hurry "I'm leaving Rishabh, already late for my flight, you want to say anything ?" Rishabh was still silent.

As she moved out of the door, Rishabh said "Priya wait !!!"

"You have left your phone on the bed",  Rishabh closes the door. 

Short story : Time Traveler

Once upon a time there was a man who was really close to his family. One day he was going for a dinner in a restaurant where he was supposed to meet his family. While he was travelling suddenly he got the news that some expansion activity in a nearby nuclear plant went wrong. He was taken aback with the news. The nuclear plant was very close to the place he was supposed to meet his family for dinner. He panicked and started running towards the restaurant. There was just one thing in his mind that his family should be safe and healthy. With every passing minute, his tension level was increasing. As he was running he saw a huge light coming towards him, he couldn't figure out what it was and just before he could understand anything he lost his consciousness.

When he woke up, he felt week and physically very different. He looked around and found himself in a hospital bed. He has hardly seen a place like that the whole room was filled with machines he has never seen before. His eyes were still not opening properly and the lights seemed really bright to him. He noticed a man standing a little far from him, he looked at the man and asked "Where I'm now ? and Where is my family ?" The man in the room came closer to him and said "You shouldn't exert yourself, you need rest. Your eyes will get strained." The man lying in the bed got agitated, he was regaining his senses slowly, "I want to know it now", he said in a louder voice. The man in the room looked at him and said "20 years ago there was a nuclear explosion and we saved you...we sent a time machine and you were brought to the future...only you." The man in the bed looked startled for a few seconds and lost his consciousness again. 

The rough draft of this short story was written by me and few of my friends in 15 minutes while we were taking part in an activity. We were given a 6 words to weave a story within 15 minutes. Words were, upon, family, expansion, machine, dinner and time.

Short Story : Come back soon

Rajiv was standing at the bus stop looking for a bus so that he could reach home early. He was already struck at office for half an hour more than his usual schedule and now it is 7 pm in the evening and a huge crowd is present in the bus stop. 

He already had a hectic day and now standing at this bus stop is killing him, there is no place to stand and there is no indication that buses are going to come soon. Among all these, Rajiv's mind is somewhere else, he is thinking about the hot tea and snacks his wife would prepare for him when he will return home.

"Oh God ! when will this bus arrive." Just as he said these words, he noticed a bus coming towards the bus stop, like God granted him his wish. In his excitement he started rushing towards the bus. He knew with so many people around him, he would have to reach for the seat first or have to stand the whole journey or worse he may not even get space to be on the bus. 

Justice in the hinterland

It was a rainy night when some people came knocking at Manju's house. Her husband was not home and she wasn't expecting anyone. She thought she would ignore the knocks and so she sat silently in her home.

Sinful act

Do you repent ? a harsh and husky voice asked the question.

Do you repent your deeds ? the voice asked again. This time the young man whose body was full of cuts and bruises looked towards his tormentor. His eyes was full of question.

Badgered with the assault and questions. He finally gathered courage to say something to his tormentor. "What have I done ? What's my mistake ?" The tormentor's voice got even louder, "you sinful soul, you don't know what you have done. You deserve all this suffering." With a long rod he again started beating the young man.

After few moments,he again repeated the same question " Do you repent ?" The young man started shivering with pain. There was blood coming out from every part of his body. He was badly hurt. In that pain he looked at his tormentor and said "I love that girl father and I want to marry her, I can't change how I feel.Kill me if you want." The young man felt unconscious after uttering these words.


To be continued...

A bowl of rice

As Ravi returned home for his school, he was hungry was like any other day. He went to his mother who was one side of their one room house. He asks his mother, "what's there for lunch mother ?"

His mother looks at him and says " I have cooked a tasty bowl of rice for you ?" "Really ?" asks Ravi innocently. Go wash your hands first. He quickly washed his hand and returned.

His mother has has arranged the bowl of rice and a glass of water for him. He looks at them and quickly takes his seat on the floor, close to where his mother was sitting with the food. 

Death of a rich man

It was raining since the last night. The sun was hardly visible and it was barely morning. Mohan like everyday was awake before the sunrise. His son, Ram, who sleeps everyday when his father leaves was also awake today. 

Looking at his father getting ready he asks "where are you going today ?" Mohan got furious to his question. "What do you mean Ram ? I'm going to my work. The same work which has helped me feed this family and given me a respectable life."

His son Ram wasn't pleased with the answer. He stands up and looks towards his father. Isn't your master dead ? I heard he died yesterday and none of his family was there. Mohan's face got filled with anger and sorrow at the same time. "Ram, this is what I have taught you all these years. You should have respect for the man who actually paid your father the salary."

Ram replied " Father, he wasn't actually a man of honor, he made you work like a slave and paid you the bare minimum because of which we were never able to save any money. Even his children never used to see his face, he died alone and I think maybe his children won't even come to perform his last rituals."

Mohan's anger was increasing, "I feel ashamed to call you my son" I may not have been rich with wealth but I always loved you and always gave you the best I could. You have had everything that I never even imagined that I could have in my life. You have got good education and have you forgot what I always teach you ?

Ram in his low voice replied " I remember, a rich man is not a man with wealth but a man with good education and love in his heart." Mohan said "then where is your love, you have let money over power it. This is my last day there, I want you to come with me."Ram looked at his father and with a bit of hesitation said " Fine, but I won't saty long"

The huge house of Mohan's master was filled with many people today. Everyone he knew was assembled to witness his last rights being performed. Among all the people his children were missing. They will be able to come latest by tomorrow. Mohan looked at his master's wife and asked we would have top start the ritual who do you want to sit for this ? 

The master's wife in her shivering voice said "Though my children should have done the rituals but he wasn't that lucky but I see you have brought your son here, I think he must do it." Mohan looked with surprise towards his master's wife and then towards his son.

Mother : Epitome of love and sacrifice

There was a dangerous thunderstorm that night and the heavy rain has filled the almost empty road with water.

In that low visibility a car was moving in the road at a very high speed, the driver was in a hurry and a bit drunk, he has to reach somewhere fast.

While driving through the street he hears a baby crying very loudly, he was surprised to hear a baby's voice in that silent street and on such a rainy night.

The visibility was not great, the driver tried to look each side of the road so that he could see if the baby was around but suddenly out of nowhere a woman comes in front of his car and he loses the control of his car which end up badly hurting the woman.

The driver ran away with his car, the baby was still crying and was waiting for her mom to come, the woman on the road was badly hurt but still started crawling on that rainy street with a bottle of milk in her hand, she knew that her baby was still hungry.   

(Happy Mother's Day to everyone. Do thank her for all the great efforts she has done to make you the person you are. :) :D )

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

I'm the legend : Mars Trip 2020 Part-1

I was part of the contingent which had around 1000 people from various works of life who were selected to be a part of the Mars 2020 mission. We left earth on 9th of March 2020 and were scheduled to reach Mars around the new year's time in the year 2021. We were Provided with some unique spaceships which carried 1-10 people in them and were capable of handling all of our needs.

During the start of the journey, everything was going fine but as we kept moving on this journey our ships started developing technical snags. During our journey, we witnessed some horrific incidents. Some spaceships which were carrying our fellow passengers to mars developed some serious technical difficulty and from the images that we got from the inside of those spaceship made everyone here panic. Everyone inside those spaceship died of some unknown reason which couldn't be figured out.

This was just the starting phase. Humans have never sent so many people to any planet or astronomical body before neither they have sent so many spaceships together. Since there were around 100 spaceships which were sent at the same time hence the attention which should have been given to each spaceship was very less and which "may" have led to the tragedy.

Image from Wikimedia commons

In this period of around 300 days we saw many spaceships collapsing in space and in many spaceships nobody was left to answer the queries. These spaceships which carried dead people got totally burnt as they entered the atmosphere of the mars as they were no human present to control the working of these spaceships.

Three among the fleet of 100 spaceships was successful in landing on Mars. I feel "they" may have already known the probability of reaching mars and that's why they sent so many spaceships. There is a part of me which says I shouldn't believe that "they" may have purposefully sent us in a suicide mission.

All of us took a rigorous training of one year before being a part of this trip. Most of the passengers were well acquainted with each other and many have developed good friendships. In those spaceships which couldn't make the Mars surface were people who spent the last year working with me in those tiring conditions, never to know that they won't even stay alive to put their feet on the surface of the Mars. Some of them were my friend with whom I used to share some light jokes. There were few with whom I used take my lunch and dinners and they were many whom I used recognize by face and may have shared a smile while we have passed each other during the training. I knew those people and they are all dead now.

It was 3rd January 2021 that we landed on the surface of the Mars. Though we were still sad that we lost so many of our fellows who joined us in this mission but at the same time they was some happiness inside that we have finally managed to land on mars and accomplish our biggest challenge.

As we were thinking that we accomplished our biggest challenge suddenly we were faced with even bigger challenge. among the fleet which couldn't make it to the Mars were engineers and astronauts who were specialized in the process of setting up the living space in Mars.

Image from Wikimedia commons

Though all of us had the knowledge of setting up the equipment for our stay but we were very nervous. We were not sure how we will mange it but we started doing our job. We had some instrument and kits which just with a push of the button expanded themselves and we had nothing much to do, the main problem was arranging those equipment and instruments and creating a space were we could start living. The problem was also there in the setup of the electronic machines so that they start giving us feedback and data. 

It took us around 25 days to complete the whole work and we developed a huge space were we could start living. The place is big enough to accommodate 1000 people. Though we don't have these many people right now but we were advised not to change our plans for setting up the space as we were trained only in that and any change in plan could be disastrous for the people who survived. 

We are around 23 people who have survived and we have some how managed to set up the whole space of us to live. We actually got a lot of help from the engineers from the base station in Earth. Who were constantly in touch with us through the satellite communication. Somehow we have managed to start our life here with many casualties and with lot of jitters. We hope for better days to come.

# (This is the end of part one of the story, if you liked it then do give your feedback and wait for the next part which I promise would be thrilling than this one)

# I would thank Indibloggers for such a nice initiative called Indispire. This entry is in response to this week's Indispire topic.