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Prologue

He looked around the store purple hues with just the corner LED bulb switched on. He couldn’t risk being seen. He would lose all that he had worked for in the last 10 years. He grinned as he remembered his journey… the hours of hard work, the greasing of palms, the lost body count….

His eyes widened as he took in the beautiful silk camisoles to his right… arranged as per the shades and sizes. On his left were pairs of corsets and panties combined and hung to give it an erotic hue… There were black and white portraits of women oozing sensuality… he had no doubt they did… if the growing bulge in his pant was any indicator of the same.

He took in a deep breath looking upwards and the lovely lavender peppermint flavor wafted through his nostrils. He smiled to glory and moved ahead in between the racks hearing the silky swish of the lingerie. In the next fifteen minutes he had seen everything… sensual night gowns so see through… he almost came in his pants, belt with stockings, garters, overalls and an assorted combinations of bras and panties. The woman knew what she was doing he shook his head thinking. She had a gold mine here… and in that head of hers. He held himself through his pant as he thought of her. How many times had he jerked himself off ever since she had been his object of fantasies? How many times had he wanted to just… spend a night with her…. feel her warmth as he rode her or feel her luscious lips around him moaning as he came?  He took a nearby nightgown and stuffed it into his mouth to stifle his cries as he came… 

He knew the property in and out.

The fiery bitch was all the more appealing when she opposed him…full of conviction. She would be an asset to his business if she joined him. She would do it… he would make sure of it… He chuckled as he thought of her abiding by his rules in and out of the bedroom… It would be fun… made him hard again…

Panting heavily, he moved towards the storeroom. He knew the property in and out. The storeroom had to be there and with it the information he wanted…. He would soon be a rich man. He reached the locked storeroom but with a snide smile used the key… one of the few he had made when she had lost her bunch of keys last week. He laughed as he thought about his brilliant plan…she was clueless. She was only too relieved to get back her keys which she had accidentally lost. But that’s how he was here now… in her world. Very soon he would be in her house too. He opened the door to the storeroom and walked in. He switched on the light bulb and looked around. He was right. What he wanted was right there in front staring at him… right where that map had revealed.

Before he could move ahead, he felt a prick on his neck. He could barely react, before that strong hands held him from behind and pulled him out of the storeroom. He tried to move his hands. He was a strong man for crying out aloud… but he couldn’t… he was paralyzed. His eyes grew wide as he realised the fact. His vocal cords weren’t working too.  He couldn’t utter a sound. The hands holding him released him and he fell like a heap on the floor. Suddenly his mouth was opened and something silky was pushed into it. His breathing was getting laboured… when he saw a purple lacy bralette hanging before his watering eyes. He blinked but that too was getting difficult. Soon a pair of gloved hands tied the skimpy lace around his neck and tightened it.

Rot in hell…asshole. I won’t let you lay your dirty hands on the box nor….on her” was the last whisper he heard and recognized in his ear before darkness claimed him.

Clinicologues fiction

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Clinical experiences embedded in the cocoon of the fictional world. The purpose being spreading disability awareness.

    the revelation….

    Chapter 4

    She was frowning …

    He then asked in his voice sounding hollow. “whaath happen?” (What happened)

    She was annoyed by now; she asked him, “Why are you speaking like that?”

    His smile dropped and he frowned and looked away… it was then she saw something in his ears. She was now in tears. “What… what is that? In your ear?” she asked pointing to his ear.

    He sighed and took that out of his ear. It was a pink coloured shell like structure with a wheel like thing attached to its one end. “Ith a hearin aidh. Aai haafa Hearin phoblam…. I am hearin Impaith…” (It’s a hearing aid. I have a hearing problem. I am hearing impaired. )

    She folded her hands. She didn’t understand the flow of emotions she was going through at the moment. She blinked back tears as she looked away. She was feeling cheated.

    She looked at him. He was putting the aid back into his ears and looking at her… his face devoid of expression. She said with a strained voice.  “Why dint you tell me this before? You discussed the world with me for…two whole months. Didn’t you… didn’t you feel it necessary to tell me about this?” she pointed to his ear.

    Amishi was rooted to the floor. Suddenly the whole world around her had stopped. She gathered herself and released her hand from his grasp. He indicated for her to sit. He dragged her chair out for her, like a gentleman and then took his seat opposite to hers. He kept his hands folded on the table and with that smile lodged on his face he asked moving his hands, “Tho… whaat dho yuu wan tho eeth? Thaanwith ith beth hei” (so… what do you want to eat? Sandwich is best here).

    He looked stricken. He drove a hand through his hair and said, “aam thsohrry… aai dhon no whath thu thse… I thoth yuu wiil Undhuhthsaan… thsohrry.” (Am sorry…I don’t know what to say…I thought you will understand…sorry)

    She stood up pushing back her chair. Sniffling tears she said, “I…I want to go home.”

    Then she turned and left without a backward glance.

    That night she kept looking at her phone but it didn’t ping… there was no message from him, for the first time in two months. She was surprised she was still waiting for his messages…

    Today…

    It was two days since she had last communicated with him. Last night she had googled about hearing impairment and its effects. She had stayed up long into the night reading about how people cope with the disability arising. She realised Pavan wasn’t stone deaf. She read about the different categories of hearing impairments. She also read about hearing aids. Their benefits for the hearing impaired and limitations. Considering what people face or go through, Pavan seemed to have done well for himself. She realised she wanted to know more about this part of him….this aspect of his life, his struggles and how he overcame them. The information on internet though was enlightening and she felt she understood his situation better. It wasn’t like she didn’t understand his speech at all… but she was upset because he had hidden it from her. Why did he do that?

    She wanted to speak with him and clear things. She knew there was more to it than just what met the eye. She wanted to hear him out… his side of the story…? Occasionally she felt guilty as well. The signs were there in front of her all the time… she was the one who didn’t realise it. Somehow it dawned on her that it made no difference to her if he had this impairment. He was still the same guy…whom she had fallen in love with…without hearing him speak…

    She was a social worker for crying out aloud. The first thing they were taught was empathy especially when they worked with the differently abled. Her Pavan…. Yes HER Pavan was different…he was special…

    She missed him…. Even yesterday when she was busy in the fieldwork she thought about him. She visualised his stricken look when she had left the café. Her heart was breaking. Her eyes welled up every time she thought about him. She wanted to share her day with him. Her project  had got cleared because of his tips. She wanted to tell him about that. She had started reading about parallel algorithms and had surprised her techie brother with her knowledge the other day… she wanted to boast about that to him… there was a huge void suddenly in her life.

    Somehow the library walls felt like closing in on her…

    None of her friends from school or college could match up to him when it came to comfort levels or matching of wavelengths. She had started to depend on him emotionally and intellectually. He had ruined her for anyone else. And the way he addressed her… her heart always fluttered and yearned to hear more from him.

    Yesterday she was busy with the emotionally draining field work but today she longed to see him… she wasn’t even able to focus on her lectures.

    She had to take action. Where was he?

    She took out her phone and typed,

    Hey football guy, you didn’t play the match today? SITians missed their defender today…where were you?

    There was no reply though he had seen her message. She waited for half an hour with a pounding heart before she dialled his number. The ring tone was heard but he didn’t answer it. She started to worry. Was he alright?

    She messaged again,

    Hey you ok? I am getting worried…

    Immediately there was a reply

                                     Hi beautiful

    Sorry for what transpired

    Trust me…though I ache

    That wasn’t what I desired

    Your heart I didn’t want to break

    I fought the world and now am tired

    I want to no more stay awake

    I miss our moments together

    Let’s stop this communication once and forever

    Henceforth find no more odes

    I will miss you for I love you loads…

    Pavan

    That broke the dam and her emotions flowed… She didn’t care that three were people watching her. She covered her face with her palms and sobbed.  Her heart fell… she could fell it break into tiny pieces…

    How could he alone decide to stop communicating? Why was he punishing her like that? What was her fault? Yes she was shocked…. But who wouldn’t be? She deserved a second chance… would he ever give her one?

    She wanted to tell him…She didn’t care he was hearing impaired… She still loved him for who he was. But if only he would hear her out….just once. Her study holidays were commencing in a couple of days. It was not possible to meet him for at least a week. How would she bear the grief? She had to be strong. She had to study for her final exams….

    She wanted to desperately mend things between them. As tears trickled down her cheeks she hoped it wasn’t too late for them…..

    As she travelled back home later that evening her brother had switched on the car stereo… He was a diehard Kumar Sanu fan. The song playing was from the movie Deewana suited her state of mind aptly:

    Teri ummeed tera intezaar karte hai

    Eh sanam hum tho sirf tumse pyaar karte hai….

    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvevXfFGPFY)

    Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dear is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

    missing…

    Chapter  1

    Amishi was waiting for the lecture to get over… How she hated research methodology… She couldn’t tolerate statistics subject. In the final year of graduation studies, this was a compulsory subject. She was doing her bachelor of social work and loved studying humanities, science and technology and most of all the field work.

     She loved to be a part of the group visits to various places where the need of a social worker was immense. She loved seeing the changes they made in the lives of people who genuinely needed them. Just yesterday she had been to a municipal hospital. They were following up every week with this young girl all of 16years. She was from a remote village on the outskirts of Lucknow. She had an affair with her relative who was of the same age and landed up being pregnant. The girl had been scared to reveal anything to her parents fearing backlash. However one day her mother suspected something wasn’t right and by the time they rushed to the government hospital close by, it was late. The pregnancy couldn’t be terminated. The social worker there had counselled the angry parents and the girl too. They were convinced to go ahead with the pregnancy and give away the child for adoption. The counsellors there were threading on bare ice because there was a high possibility that the parents would have visited a quack and risked the girl’s life. But fortunately, they had agreed and brought her to Mumbai away from the prying eyes of the village. Here too Amishi’s team headed by her supervisor had been continuously counselling her, talking to her… for last 3 months. They had spent days and many hours of field work…even going beyond the call of duty to help the girl. Finally yesterday she had an induced labour and luckily without any complications delivered a healthy baby girl. Though the young mother was prepared to hand over the child, she was sobbing uncontrollably wanting to see her baby, even though she wasn’t shown the baby as per rules. The parents and Amishi’s supervisor who was a clinical psychologist tried to calm her down but eventually she had to be sedated. The child was sent to the NICU for care taking.

    But Amishi was pleased to bring about some kind of closure for that girl. Many times no one understood the importance of her work… accept for him.

    The professor announced the project work in Research methods bringing Amishi back to the present.  She was happy the lecture was drawing to a close…She had to rush out of her classroom before her friends started to question her or look out for her.  She couldn’t wait to visit the place she loved the most these days besides her field visit, the college library. She had her hours piled for study and project work and the next hours would be spent in the library… where she would get to see him.  Especially today….it was important that she see him.

    Amishi rushed to the library located on the fourth floor of her college building. She spent time after lectures in the library daily… especially in the last two months before leaving to go home at 8PM.  Her brother picked her up from the campus gate at 8PM daily. Today she had about 2 hours with her…  Most of her classmates either went home or stayed late in the cafeteria. She had escaped them to go to the library. Final exams were close.  Their study holidays were starting next week.

    Today there were barely two other people in the library besides the librarian and her assistant. Amishi was more than happy. It meant lesser people would spy on her. Not that she bothered but she preferred to keep her secrets to herself. She placed her book stack on the corner most table near the window and dragged her chair towards the window. She took a book in her hand and looked out across on the football ground.

    Where was he? She thought… the entire football team of Siddhartha Institute of Technology was present on the ground. But he wasn’t seen… her heart fell. She had waited all day long to catch a glimpse of the most handsome guy she had ever seen in her 21 summers.  The guy who had made a mark on her heart… on her mind…on her soul. She couldn’t sleep last night though she was bone tired after field work. He kept invading her dreams. She waited for the next half an hour for him to make an appearance but… he didn’t turn up. Every time there was a goal or cheer she looked back in anticipation but… he wasn’t there.

    Was he alright? She worried. Was he …angry? After what had transpired between them couple of days ago, would he ever want to even see her? But she wasn’t at fault, was she? What could she do? She just reacted that way….

    Tears rolled down her cheeks and she brushed them away with a frustrated hand. Since when did she care so much about a known stranger?

    Yes… he was a stranger who had the most expressive face and the most beautiful eyes that looked into your soul. He read her like a book.  He looked at her like she was the only girl on this planet… made her feel beautiful inside-out…  Before him, she had been like an empty canvas which he had filled with colours of life. Even now her heart fluttered thinking about him.

    If only life were so easy and restricted to special moments… If only life were predictable…If only she knew how she was supposed to react that day…. If only she could rewind back two days of her life she would move heaven and earth to change everything.

    But if wishes were horses….

    Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dear is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

    the special sister…

    The special sister…

    Sumona was waiting eagerly for the school van. It was 1PM and her younger child Raj was due to return from school. She was thrilled at the prospect of knowing how his day was. She wanted to find out all the information from the Ayah whom she used to pay extra for these tidbits. Today too she held a fifty in her hand and her eyes were glued to the entrance of the lane.

    Sumona felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to see Kamala aunty.

    “Oh…hello Aunty, “Sumona said with her eyes back to the road.

    “Waiting for little Raj, Sumona?” Aunty asked.

    “Yes… actually they are late by five minutes…” Sumona sounded worried.

    “Don’t worry Sumona, they should be close. You know the traffic these days… Anyways I will take your leave. I am going to get bread. Do you need anything?” Kamala aunty asked.

    “No …. It’s ok Aunty…” Sumona replied distractedly, her anxiety levels starting to rise.

    Sumona had a reason to worry. Her five-year-old son Raj had Down’s syndrome. He attended a regular school in the nursery section. Her older daughter Ananya was also in the same school in the seventh grade. Raj wasn’t speaking fluently as yet and she began to fear for his safety. Sumona called the driver repeatedly but the call wasn’t connecting. She called the school and they informed her that the van was yet to leave today. They had gotten late because of some dance practice for an upcoming event in school and they had apparently messaged the parents. Sumona checked her mobile. There were no messages… the school was still considering Raj tentative? After four months? They hadn’t added her number to their group message system…

    Different scenarios came to her mind in the next five minutes. She was in tears… worry for her son eating her up… her heart shredded to every last bit.

    Sumona’s life from the last few years flashed before her eyes. She had a life she had always wanted. A loving husband Rakesh and a cute daughter Ananya who was a quick learner. Sumona worked in the IT industry and was a team lead in a software company. She had consistently moved up the corporate ladder. Rakesh worked in the pharmaceutical industry where he was the general manager in the company where he worked. Ananya had grown up with nannies and then from the age of two onwards she attended a professional daycare. She was an achiever from the word go and transition to school was a cakewalk for her. She was not just good in studies but also a lucidly competent dancer. Dance was not just her passion but she was touted to be a child prodigy and Sumona and Rakesh ensured she got the best training. They even had teachers come home on weekends in addition to the dance class she attended. She was also attending gymnastics to improve her flexibility further. They had a great lifestyle only confined to dreams of the common man. They lived in a posh locality in a huge three BHK flat in a high rise. The society boasted of all modern amenities with a huge play area for children. Ananya attended a nearby Cambridge board school which not only helped her maximise her potentials but also gently nudged her to become the confident little kid she had metamorphosed into. Sumona and Rakesh had loved the place at first sight mainly because of the proximity to Ananya’s school. The EMI was exorbitant given their expenditure but since them both had great jobs they had gone ahead.

    All was going great till one day, about five years back… Sumona realized she had skipped her periods. She had been thoroughly stressed at work and felt that must have contributed to the same. However, within two weeks her worst fears were confirmed. She was pregnant. They had thought their contraceptives were fool proof but were proven wrong. What followed was a huge emotional turmoil for Sumona. Rakesh and she were not prepared for another child…. They fought almost every day. Rakesh had even contemplated terminating the pregnancy to which she had initially agreed but then couldn’t get herself to do it. Her parents were no more and her in laws were in their village. They refused to help out. Sumona and Rakesh had an inter-caste marriage. Rakesh hailed from Vijaywada and was from a family of farmers and landowners. Her in-laws had never accepted her so she didn’t expect any support from them. Sumona had decided to bring up her second child just like Ananya and went ahead with her pregnancy. She worked throughout her antenatal days. She worked extra hard so that she could enjoy her six months maternity leave hassle-free.  She very often skipped her obstetrician appointments.

    Finally, on the day of her delivery she had some complications and had an emergency C -section. She wasn’t conscious but when she came to, she heard soft crying. She turned around to see Rakesh crying silently with his head bent low. She was suddenly worried.

    “What is it Rakesh? Where is the baby…?”

    Rakesh looked up into her eyes. He looked angry… “I had told you not to have this baby…” he said accusingly.

    Sumona was confused and scared…  “Where in my baby Rakesh? Is it a boy or a girl…?”

    “He…. It’s a boy. But…” Rakesh looked away.

    “But what… Tell me something Rakesh. Where is he?” She was getting agitated and breathing hard.

    Rakesh came to her and held her hands. “Sumi, our baby is not… not normal. Doctor said…something synd…syndrome. He is now in the NICU. He has trouble breathing. Doctor said something about a hole in the he…heart.”

    Sumona started to sob… Just then the room door opened and eight-year-old Ananya came running in. “Ma… my brother is the cutest baby on earth…” She was beaming. She held her favorite teddy from her childhood. “…Ma…I got this for him. Will he like it…?”

    Sumona hugged her daughter. She was already feeling better now.

    Soon they took Raj home and from day one it was a huge struggle. Raj was soft like a jelly.  He could be bent in all ways and Sumona was scared to even hold him. Rakesh plunged himself into work and was barely at home. Sumona suffered from post-partum depression and amidst this chaos it was Ananya who spent time with Raj. She helped Sumona with his baths, changing diapers… rocking him to sleep. She sang songs to him and even tried to play with him. Gradually Rakesh too started to show interest. When Raj was five months old, he had his heart surgery. It was a taxing time for the family but Ananya was at her chirpy best.

    All this while Ananya’s grades never fell, but her dance took a back seat.

    Raj started to develop better. But he needed therapies. His physiotherapy was taking place almost daily at a private center and Ananya used to visit the sessions every single time.

    Soon it was time for Sumona to join back to work. However, since she couldn’t keep Raj with nannies, she had to leave her job.

     The loss of her job meant loss of income and they had to heavily cut down on expenditure. The biggest blow was they had to change Ananya’s school to her current state board one  because the fees were now beyond their reach. And the final nail in the coffin came when they had to totally stop her dance classes. The ones she attended were expensive and the cheaper ones were not up to the mark. Ananya never uttered a word about the changes. Rakesh and Sumona had talked to her about these and she had accepted everything like a pro. Sumona was at times worried that her daughter had matured way beyond her years.

    The honking of the van brought her back to the present. A smiling Raj stepped out of the van assisted by the ayah. Sumona gave her the fifty and asked her about his day. She was pained to know that Raj wasn’t selected to perform in any event.

    Later in the afternoon as Raj slept after lunch, Sumona kept thinking how she could calm herself. She was agitated. She was tired of seeing people treat Raj like an outcast. Many of her neighbors sneered at him. Some laughed and made fun of him, called him names. But Raj only smiled and went to them. He was such a friendly and smart kid.  Ananya’s friends used to come home often and they would play with him for some time. He had learnt so many things from them. If only people gave him an opportunity…

    Ananya had taught him to dance. Raj also loved to dance.  He was very flexible. He was able to do steps which even typically developing children of his age couldn’t do. But why didn’t his school teachers give him a chance? Sumona knew it was futile to ask them to involve him. Later that evening when Ananya was back from school, Sumona told her about Raj not been taken in the programs.

    Ananya took out Sumona’s phone and asked her to record their performance. She switched on the stereo and it played Raj’s favorite song and they danced together. The number was choreographed by Ananya and she had taught Raj. Sumona’s eyes filled as she saw the performance. She felt awful… Ananya couldn’t pursue her passion and yet she never complained.

    Ananya convinced her to upload the video on youtube. Within an hour they had about fifty likes and views.

    Ananya’s friends shared the video among their families and within a day the video had gained immense popularity. The following day Sumona received a call from the school to arrange Raj’s costume since he was now a participant in a dance number in school. To their surprise he had picked up the dance with ease.

    On the day of the event, Sumona and Rakesh were thrilled to see Raj standing right in the front and he didn’t even need cues. The entire hall roared with a thunderous applause. The school gave him a special performance award.

    The event was a game changer for Raj and everyone around him regarded him with renewed appreciation. There was appreciation flooding in from all around and he thrived. He even started improving in his academic concepts. He now loved learning. Everyone around him tried to teach him something or the other and they were proud of him when he learnt them. Ananya and Raj made a few more videos which were all a hit.

    A few years later

     Sumona was very happy today. Raj was awarded the performer of the day award in his school. He was in the fifth grade in an integrated school, where there were other educable children with special needs. He was now loved and accepted. He was admitted to that school about three years ago and Sumona had started working again. It was difficult getting back and she felt like a fish out of water. But Raj had inspired her. If he could be a different fish in the society and stay in the water happily then why not her…? She restarted dance class for Ananya who was now in college doing her graduate studies in humanities. Even today she was Raj’s biggest supporter. She taught dance to Raj even today. Raj had become famous not just in India but abroad as well for his dance moves. He had given quite a few performances choreographed by his sister. She had even arranged a performance of his in her college festival which was appreciated by all. Ananya was approached by other parents of children with special needs to teach them dance and she was considering pursuing it after her graduation.

    Sumona’s phone pinged, getting her out of her reverie. She had received an email from an NGO which worked for the disabled and was asked to give an interview on her journey with Raj so far. She had already spoken with them last week and this was a formal invite.

    The interview was live in front of an audience. Many of them were parents of the children with special needs. Sumona spoke about Raj’s habilitation via therapies and his development so far. She then added, “We consider these children Disabled. But Children like Raj have proved that they are specially abled.  They all need an opportunity which itself is a blessing. Raj has been blessed too. He has a very special ability via a very special person. That’s Ananya, his guardian angel, a special sister…”

    There was not a single eye which wasn’t wet…

    Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

     

    1) romance brought alive….

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    2) clinicologues….

    Fiction villa…

    #romancebroughtalive…

    #clinicologues

    “You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” ..

    It’s been a childhood passion for writing fiction. The tough perils of life left little time to pursue the same. But then you come to a phase of life where you decide…. THIS IS IT.
    My Eureka moment happened early this year. I got on the writing bandwagon and having finished my first novel… am on with my second. It’s been amazingly cathartic to pool out your fantasies in print.
    Will be sharing excerpts from my novels here. But this page is more about stories mostly short ones, I want to share with interested readers.
    Feel free to comment. I eagerly await your feedback.
    Thank you for reading and hope you enjoy reading them as I enjoyed writing

    -Priya

    Book Review: Mostly Mundane

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    Author: Saugata Chakraborty

    Contrary to what the title suggests, there is nothing mundane about this book. It’s a perfect elixir when not-so-mundane life stressors bog you down!!

    The story is an anecdotal account of Shantilal Biswas who goes through the curveballs life throws in his direction, with admirable tenacity and grit. The journey is laced with humour and the reader smiles throughout. A few instances also make you laugh out loud and you can’t help but compare Shantilal’s situation with your own!

    The author’s wit, play with language and humour stand out throughout the book. Nothing is preachy in the book, yet it makes you stop and think.

    This book isn’t to be just read. It’s to be savoured!

    My only grouse is the book ended sooner than it should have and I was left wanting for more!

    Book Review: My Life On Canvas (poetry collection)

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    Poet: Saloni Sareen

    While I am not a poetry person, Saloni’s book made me stop in my tracks and take a pause. Everything around me seemed mundane as I began to go through the poetry collection. The roller coaster ride of emotions as you sail through the web of words strung together… touches you deeply. The poet has put in her heart and soul into each verse and word. The expressions are simple yet the in-depth meaning is intense. The themes vary from nature to people to simple expressions around us. It would make the reader admire the surrounding beauty more. There are subtle shades of grey too… Even if one isn’t a connoisseur of poems, you can enjoy this book.

     

    Book Review: Kausalya : Queen of hearts

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    Author: Vibha Sangita Krishnakumar 

    Who was Kausalya?

    An unwanted daughter, given her mother’s indifference? Someone whose fate was tied to the Asura king Ravana? or someone who had to bear with the fact that her husband had to take on two more wives?

    Or was she just a mother who had to give up her children, including exiling her own son?

    Kausalya was the princess extraordinaire. She excelled in all areas to the extent that she was known to be blessed by the Goddess. She had powers unknown to many.

    However, she had to remain in the shadows of her father, husband and later, her son. Though she embodied truth and wisdom, happiness and sorrow, sacrifice and devotion, she came across as a disgruntled and voiceless monarch.

    There were many layers to the enigmatic Kausalya and the young author has done a good job of peeling them one at a time. Here was a warrior queen who birthed an avatar but was a lot more than what met the eye.

    The later part of the story, particularly the exile and Sita’s birth, is very different from what we have read in most versions of the Ramayana. But the reasoning is effective enough. It’s a different yet interesting perspective.

    Kausalya was the queen who had it all but was always alone…

     

    Epilogue: the password

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    Epilogue

    18 months later

    Maanav and Nitya walked hand in hand and stood still in Shadow’s office. The place had undergone a lot of changes and was more appealing to the eye. Maanav knew this was Padma’s handiwork. Shadow waved to them while on call. While Nitya rushed to pull out of her hand from Maanav’s grasp, he held on. Her dark green bangles jingled and she looked at her henna adorned hands. She smiled remembering their wedding a week ago.

    The slight commotion also stopped the furious typing that was going on in a dark corner.

    Didi… Naman miss didi… Naman miss Maanav… Naman good…” Naman scurried out of his dark corner and rushed to the newly wed couple just back from their brief honeymoon. He hugged Nitya and Maanav.

    Nitya blinked back tears as she watched her brother happier than ever before. Maanav finally let go of her hand as Naman dragged him towards his console. She saw that Shadow had arranged it all to suit Naman’s sensory requirements. The corner was dark just like he liked it and there were a set of headphones.

    She remembered the period 18 months ago when the final showdown took place on the ship.

    Jameel had passed and the MARCOS had taken over the ops from then on. The media carried reports of a Naval operation and there was no mention of SPS or Nitya, Naman or Kamble kaka. They however acquired a lot of evidence from Ashfaq’s father who had escaped a little earlier with them. It was more than enough to clear her Appa’s name and he was posthumously awarded an honorarium for his sacrifice and the PMO issued a public apology on behalf of all the office bearers to date.

    Ashfaq’s father lamented over the loss of his only son yet he delivered her father’s savings to her as promised. Nitya invested all of it in Naman’s name. The amount was substantial along with the ex-gratia amounts they received as arrears for their Appa’s service in India. Shadow helped her with investment advice. Speaking of which, the gentle giant was God sent for Naman and the young guy adored him. Shadow had immediately offered a job to Naman and Naman had been elated. They didn’t reveal anything about Naman… or his extraordinary skills to the media. Soon the frenzy died and Nitya and Naman moved in with Maanav. After a few months, Maanav proposed to her and she accepted… life had been a bliss ever since.

    Kamble kaka had lost a lot of blood but recovered well. He revealed all about his role as a RAW agent. He had retired from active field duty but Capt. Rawat on Maanav’s father’s insistence those years back had gotten Kamble kaka back on board to keep an eye on DR. Manohar’s family. That he already knew DR. Manohar was a bonus.

    Nitya’s Maternal relatives who had severed ties slowly made an effort to get in touch with them. While she was bitter about the past she understood their decisions. She was trying gradually for Naman’s sake. The boy was blooming and trying his best to socialise.

    Life had come a full circle indeed….

    Maanav and Avinash had joined SPS full on and had even completed a couple of missions. Anandi had taken off on a long break and was all set to join SPS. Nitya was glad Maanav had such amazing friends.

    “Nitya, take a look here…” Maanav called out shaking her out of her reverie. She walked towards Naman’s console where Shadow stood deep in thought.

    “Naman has created a folder in memory of your father where he has stored all the codes and other details that he unravelled…” Maanav explained. “…You should take a look at this…” Maanav pointed and Naman made a few clicks.

    The song from that instrument played again. The instrument was now placed in a locker because it was very fragile. It was no longer of any use but they wanted to keep it in Dr. Manohar’s memory. It was the only connection for the siblings with their father.

    This time the music played from one of the files on Naman’s console.

    “In our frenzy to complete that mission we had never bothered to find out what was the code to mobilise the torpedoes…” Shadow explained to Nitya.

    The torpedoes were embedded in a jutting rock in the seabed. They were carefully dismantled. 15 years of strong sea currents hadn’t damaged them much so everyone understood why the perps wanted it so badly. The investment was tremendous… the outer shell remained but the rocks would require blasting so it was decided to let it remain there.

    “…So here is the password… rather, Passwords. No one would have guessed them…” Shadow spoke smiling.

    “So, what were the passwords?” Nitya asked intrigued at the turn of events.

    Shadow turned the monitor towards Nitya and she read it wide-eyed….

    THE SECRET RIPPLES

     

     

     

    ******************** The end ***********************

     

     

     

    Chapter 25 The curtains fall… in action

    0

     

    Chapter 25

    Maanav stood still for a moment trying to quickly analyse the situation. Shadow was leading the mission but Maanav and Anandi had the liberty to make decisions for Nitya and Naman’s sake. Just then Aanadi gestured that she was going inside through a window at the far corner. He wondered how she could make that out in the darkness that had enveloped them.

    Amidst the acrid sea breeze blowing the loose tendrils of her unruly curls besides the obvious contours, nothing gave away that she was a woman. Maanav was in awe of her skills and all three of them hugely respected her for that. He nodded and gave her a thumbs-up. She disappeared into the dark cavern and Maanav tried to figure out if he could make out anything from the din of noises coming in. The intensity of the song had reduced but it still played and Capt. Rawat signalled that Naman was close to indicating the location of the torpedoes. He had to continue playing the song, which meant he had to unscramble the codes, which meant he had to keep typing on that instrument. Did the people inside know what he was doing?

    They probably had to know because Kamble uncle was there, wasn’t he? He knew what that song meant.

    He had to get inside… without making a noise because by now everyone would have been alerted. Suddenly there was a commotion and the glass in front of him creaked. He bent down in time to dodge a bullet. He slithered into the dark crevices. The bastards were shooting at his silhouette and Nitya or Naman could get hurt. He moved towards the back side of the ship. He knew there had to be an entry as per the blueprint Capt. Rawat had obtained. It wasn’t perfect, but gave them some idea about the ship’s layout. Usually those sides were heavily guarded but now that there was confrontation there was a possibility that the guards would be less since everyone had to take control over the deck, which now lay in darkness, thanks to Shadow’s handiwork.

    Maanav slipped on his dark goggles and moved towards his target, silently and quickly, true to his name… He was right. Not just fewer guards, there was no guard at the back end. How could these people be so careless? Did they underestimate the Indian Navy? They probably also knew about the SPS courtesy Kamble uncle. So, this didn’t make sense, unless there was a …. Trap.

    Right then Capt. Rawat’s voice made its staccato entry into his earpiece. “Avoid the tail… grenade trap…. Naman… conveyed… AVOID THE TAIL…”

    But it was a tad too late… His leg hit a wire or something like that. It was too dark and despite the night vision goggles, he didn’t see the booby trap. But he reacted quickly and sprang to safety as 3 grenades exploded one after the other.

    The explosion shattered the prevailing lull before the storm on board as chaos ensured. Flames licked the skies and debris rained down… charred wood, paper, cloth and stones too… Maanav barely escaped with a few scratches due to his quick reflexes but he worried about Nitya and Naman. Had Anandi made her way inside? Did he compromise her as well? Thick smoke filled the air around him and he had covered his face earlier in anticipation. The breeze helped for a change but there was a danger of the entire ship going up in flames a few containers that lay on the deck…. Did they contain inflammable articles? It would be catastrophic.

    “Location determined…” Capt. Rawat declared. His voice drained in the ongoing commotion. “… Navy on the way to neutralize…”

    Thank goodness the Navy had taken over that aspect. Their work was now cut out… They had to free Naman and Nitya and get out of there.

    But that was easier said than done. They still didn’t have intel on the number of men on board from the enemy camp. And then he heard footsteps… of course, the explosion had given him away. He saw a huge anchor with its rope coiled up together for later use and made a quick move to hide behind. He had to remain uncaught.

    “Bullet… come in…” Shadow buzzed into his earpiece. “…I have a visual on you. 3 men at 11 o’clock…” he now knew the positions of those coming in. “… they had AK 47s and grenades strapped to their bodies…”

    Oh hell… he could take them out of their AKs in an instant but the morons were suicidal… indoctrinated. They would just explode themselves and kill all of them in the process.

    “Bullet… just stay low. I shall join in…” Shadow spoke. He heard some clicks and thuds amidst a commotion on the deck. There was firing going on for sure… just how many were there?

    “20 + men on the deck… a lot more inside ready with explosives… hold back boys… we need to be strategic…” Captain Rawat screeched into his ears.

    Maanav hated to just wait, but he had been on dangerous missions and knew how crucial it was to wait along with presence of mind. Capt Rawat now had better visuals and all he wanted was to get into that room.

    Right then he heard thuds and looked a bit outside his hiding place and saw the 3 men lying lifeless on the dusty deck floor… guns and grenades in tow. Laser stood behind them and nodded before disappearing from where he had emerged.

    Wasting no more time, he rushed towards the room where the door stood on its hinges, hanging fragile in the wake of the blast. The sharp smell of burning metal was clogging his throat. It brought back the nightmares from his innumerable missions where he had conducted rescue operations, but nowhere before had his heart thudded the way it did now. He had known to remain neutral during missions, but this was proving difficult… with Nitya in there.

    He stealthily moved close to the door and tried to peep inside, hoping to get some visuals. There was noise and music, along with some murmur. He was in a small part right outside the main room… he moved closer to a shaft-like structure that stood like a wall between him and the occupants of the room. He made an effort to hear what was going on…

    They were talking… what?

    Yes, talking… in loud voices. There was an argument of sorts going on, and Nitya was arguing with someone with a deep baritone.

    Either Nitya was walking straight into the lion’s den or he was hallucinating. Where was Anandi. As if hearing him, he heard a tiny whistle. That was a call between the 4 friends… when they wanted to call each other without others in the Gurukul knowing about it. He looked up and Anandi was perched on a platform. If he didn’t know her, he would have thought it was a part of the wood. That was how good she was at camouflage. She gestured that she had heard everything there and that he had to wait for her to blast the shaft. Else their hostages would be hurt.

    He nodded… this was getting on his nerves. He was used to missions where he just walked in all prepared, completed the job and left with the hostages or the packages that they referred to as their targets. This was getting way too difficult because his heart was involved… the explosion outside was a throwback to those jungles years ago in the camp where Nitya and he were separated. But this time he vowed… come what may, he wasn’t leaving without her.

    There was noise coming in from outside… he wondered what was happening… did they neutralise the threat on the deck?

    He struggled to hear the rising voices coming in from the other side.

    “You are stubborn… very stubborn… like father like daughter…” the deep voice roared.

    “Don’t you dare talk about my father… you don’t deserve to take his name after what you did to him” Nitya spoke back.

    “We give him money… lot of money. And he…? he betray us. Because of him we couldn’t finish our mission. But now… Inshallah… we will.”

    The music continued and so did the typing. Naman was holding himself well despite the chaos.

    “Now tell the boy to explain this or you explain this nonsense music…” he roared again.

    Maanav wanted nothing more than to kick the shaft and kill the man with his bare hands, but now he would endanger everyone. It was a faint scratch… he realised that faint noise was coming in for a while now. He squinted up to see Anandi had chipped of a tiny piece of wood and was now peeping through it. She gestured that there were 8 armed men inside and a few people tied up too besides Nitya, Naman and Kamble uncle. Nitya’s hands were cuffed. Maanav’s anger rose but Anandi gestured to him to keep calm. This wasn’t the time.

    Their earpieces cracked again. “Deck neutralised completely. 3 arrested. We are all safe. Navy closing in 10 nautical miles…” Shadow informed them.

    Anandi conveyed the inside situation to Shadow through her tiny tab.

    “I just got a visual. I can see shadows and silhouettes inside. We aren’t opening fire now…” Shadow assured him.

    They continued to hear the conversation.

    “I don’t understand what he is doing… my brother just loves that instrument for its music…” Nitya reasoned.

    “I am not idiot, girl. I know this means something. Your father… genius… He made something for those… activation keys. Tell me or I will kill you.” There was click and Maanav’s blood boiled.

    He was about to kick the shaft when Kamble uncle spoke.

    “Wait Janab… wait.. if you kill her the boy will be useless… he only listens to her and she is the only one who can understand the boy… otherwise this would not have taken so many years…”

    “BAS KARO… I had enough nonsense… you old man… you are useless… what is the use of all my money…? You promise results… what is this? Why are… armed people on my ship? Who told them? Is something going on that I don’t know? My boys are dying…” the man was angry.

    The music became louder.

    “Naman’s messages have stopped. He is upto something. The Navy is a little over 5 Nautical miles away… from the torpedoes. It won’t take long…” Capt Rawat spoke up.

     

    “We are spread across here… just get them out on the deck…” Shadow spoke immediately.

    There was tiny vibration and Maanav knew it was the pick-up helicopter they had arranged just in case any of them were injured. It was on standby now. The music continued, and the ripples kept playing loudly.

    “STOP THAT…” the man screamed. “…OR I WILL SHOOT YOUR SISTER… YOU RETARD….”

    “Janab… please… let me try once…” Someone else spoke, and Anandi indicated it was Ashfaq.

    “YOU…? YOU…? YOU ARE THE ROOT CAUSE OF ALL THIS… YOU AND YOUR FAMILY… IF YOUR GRANDFATHER HAD NOT DELIVERED THIS PACKAGE OR HELPED HER FATHER… THIS WOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED… our mission would have taken place long ago and we would have received funding for a lot more missions… instead for 15 years I have been stuck with this because we spent so much on those torpedoes… they can’t be activated… Tomorrow is that Mumbai festival… lots of people gathering… best time to take them all… government will come to its senses…” The man chuckled.

    Was he insane…? Mumbai festival…? Oh goodness, it was Ganpati Visarjan tomorrow. Maanav decided it was about time.

    He gestured to Anandi to tell him where each person was.

    “Nitya… please talk to Naman and get the activation codes. Our men have tried here but its scrambled… Naman knows it. I am sure…” Ashfaq spoke again.

    “No Sajid… I mean, Ashfaq. My father gave up his life for the country… I would do the same but you know how much I love Naman… Unfortunately, he is uncommunicando… can’t you see he is distressed?”

    “Its always him over everything… isn’t he?” Ashfaq sounded frustrated. “…He was the bone of contention between us as well… if not for him we would have had a future…”

    Right then there was a gunshot and a thud. Maanav’s heart was in his throat but he heard Nitya scream. “ASHFAAAAQ… OH MY GOD… are you insane? Why did you shoot him?”

    “I will not hesitate to shoot anyone else now. Enough is enough… tell that mad boy to deliver the codes…” the man spoke coldly.

    Maanav looked up at Anandi who nodded. She typed into her tab, probably alerting Shadow. Maanav gestured the count of three and kicked the Shaft… he had to do it twice immediately when it gave away and he immediately took cover beneath the thick plank. There was firing around him and he heard a few clicks. No one would have anticipated Anandi to be there. She took out a few men before hurling a smoke bomb inside.

    “Maaaanav…?” Nitya called out to him and he heard her scream. Just then, the music stopped.

    The firing also had stopped for a moment.

    “Naman genius… papa genius… Naman genius… didi… torpedo gone… torpedo dead….” Naman scampered around.

    Just then, the huge man with a limp caught hold of Naman and held a gun to his temple.

    “You made big mistake and now this brat will die…”

    “NO… PLEASE NO… NAMAN… He will give the codes. I promise…” Nitya was frantic.

    Maanav and Anandi had trained their rifles on the huge man and 4 of his men who now got their bearings together and held up their pistols.

    “you fooled me enough… you and that old man… Kamble. No more. You can’t catch us.” The man limped behind backwards, while one of his men opened the door. Maanav instructed everyone that they were not to fire.

    “NAMAN …. no please…” Nitya was crying and right then Kamble kaka rushed towards the limping man. He held the man’s hand holding the gun and tried to pull. One of the men kicked him and he fell.

    “Shoot him…” The limping man commanded and one of his men shot Kamble kaka. The man moved away, but not quickly enough. He was shot on the thigh and instantly there was a pool of blood beneath him.

    “Oh God … NO…. no… Kaka…” Nitya rushed towards him even as the limping man shuffled outside with an awkwardly struggling Naman in tow. As they began their exit one of the men pointed his pistol towards Nitya who was trying to stop Kaka’s bleeding.

    In a swift motion, Maanav dragged Nitya, and they rolled towards a corner of the room and she missed being hit. Anandi made quick work of the man as he fell lifeless on the floor. Maanav shot at her handcuff’s and released them.

    Nitya grabbed Maanav’s hand. “Maa… Maanav… Naman… please…” she whispered amidst tears.  “…Kaka was innocent… he…”

    “I know Nitya… calm down. Nothing’s going to happen to Naman…” Maanav held her shoulders as he continued. “… that’s a promise. We are leaving together this time…” An unspoken understanding passed between them.

    Nitya furiously nodded even as Anandi spoke to someone about Kaka as she tied a tourniquet around his bullet wound to stop the bleeding. They had to take kaka to the helicopter as soon as possible else he would bleed to death.

    “Stay with him, Nitya…” Maanav instructed her and nodded towards Anandi and kaka.

    He saw Nitya help Anandi as they tried to control the heavy bleeding, and kaka was losing consciousness. He glanced a bit outside to check. The deck lights were on …

    Right then, Shadow’s voice came in. “Visuals on the target… Naman is in danger still. The man limping is the brother of the actual mastermind behind the 26/11 terror attack… the mission was named ‘BUTT mission’ in the bastard’s honour. He is wanted by Interpol for the blasts in London and the tourist bus attack in France. The Navy warriors are detaching the torpedos. Its 3 Nautical miles away from here. The bastards have rigged this ship, so we have to escape carefully… the trigger must be somewhere with the limping man.”

    “Alert everyone…” Capt Rawat spoke up. “… Our brave and intelligent Naman had overheard the perps talking about the layout of the bombs and the detonator details are with me. It’s wired to a mobile with that man in the centre. Name’s Jameel Sayeed. My man has hacked into the software. Keep him occupied for a tad longer…”

    Jameel limped cautiously forward. Right then, a smoke bomb landed close by, plunging the deck into a smoke zone. Everyone around began to cough and two of the men were taken down instantly. The two others sat limp on the deck, dropping their rifles. However, Jameel dragged Naman toward the ship’s edge, hoping to use him as leverage in a final standoff.

    From the tail end, a couple of paramedics precariously trapezed down a rope from the helicopter and got into the room. Maanav heaved a sigh of relief now that kaka would be safe. Nitya rushed towards him. Before he could react, she screamed.

    “NAMAN…  You, please LET MY BROTHER GO…”  Her voice had become hoarse by then. And Maanav’s heart broke watching her weep.

    Jameel laughed hysterically. “You guys ruined it all. The sponsors are going to have my hide… No… I won’t go down alone. This kid… he is the root cause of trouble… everything would have gone as planned if he wasn’t in the picture… He will go down with me…”

    “DROP THE GUN, JAMEEL. IT’S GAME OVER…” Shadow’s voice boomed over the ship’s loudspeaker.

    “NO… NOT OVER… NOT AT ALL… MY MAN WILL BE HERE ANY MOMENT… I will leave here with this boy. You all will become ashes… just wait.” He smirked. Maanav saw the flustered look on his face.

    “The explosives are disarmed. Jameel can’t do anything…. go ahead, my boys, finish the mission.” Capt. Rawat’s voice came into their earpieces.

    Within a moment, shots were fired at Jameel’s shoulder and he wobbled a bit. Maanav rushed and in an instant pulled Naman away. Jameel raised his arm with the gun, pointing it towards Naman but a shot soon made its way to his forehead and the curtains finally fell.

    Within a few moments, MARCOS on standby rushed and took control of the entire ship and the helicopter made a breezy landing to take the SPS team with Nitya and Naman along with the injured kaka… As told earlier, this mission was a secret and the details were not to be revealed.

    Nitya rushed towards Naman who, in turn, smiled awkwardly.

    “Naman Genius… Naman brave… Shadow…?” Naman looked around even as Nitya hugged the boy.

    Shadow came towards Naman and hoisted him up. “You are the true hero of this mission, Naman… do you know you just saved our country?”

    Everyone clapped for Naman.

    “Naman genius… Naman saved country…” The young boy erupted in joy. As Shadow placed him down, supporting him on he wobbly ship, he looked up in reverence at the gentle giant. “… Sh…Sh… Shadow…?”

    “Yes Naman…?”

    “…Naman Brave…? Naman good…?”

    “Yes…” Shadow reiterated. “…Naman is a brave genius… Naman is the best…”

     

    ©priyanayakgole

    (Disclaimer: This is a piece of fiction using the backdrop of the attack that happened and any resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental. This doesn’t attempt to change history or facts.)

    Chapter 24 Action on board…

    Chapter 24

    Maanav stood in attention along with Shadow and Razor. The 3 of them were to move in to complete the unsanctioned mission. They tentatively titled it ‘mission sea-blaze’.  Beneath the darkening skies, in front of them on the deck of the aircraft carrier platform, stood the Indian Navy men in combat uniforms ready to strike when required. It was decided that they would provide the silent support needed and if they found incriminating evidence, then they would officially wrap it up. SPS though on board with three other team members wasn’t a sanctioned body for these missions and it was allowed permissions only because of Captain Rawat’s strong influence.

    For Maanav this was personal too… he knew it would be tough to separate the two but he had to focus to stay in the game. To save the love of his life and the young man who had cemented a place in his heart. Next to his Shadow was the epitome of multitasking as he discussed strategies in depth with the Navy captain-in-charge. Shadow had been his strongest pillar of support. He knew it was not just because they were friends but also because Shadow had been through something similar for his wife Padma. His friend’s love story spanned years quite similar to his but Shadow remained unwavering in his feelings even ready to give her up when her father had requested it from him. He had seen it firsthand how Shadow was heartbroken and got back to work like a man possessed before giving it all up to start SPS and fight for Padma. The woman was tenacious too just like his Nitya. Padma never gave up despite Shadow leaving her and she chose to keep their child despite facing pressure from her royal family. Their love stood the test of time and Maanav’s respect for them had risen notches higher.

    Today he was in a similar situation… and he was confident of pulling this through. Because Shadow and Razor were with him. Right then there was a commotion, and he turned around and he didn’t need to see because she announced her arrival in a unique manner. Anandi ‘Lolita’ made her appearance complete in combat attire and while the 3 of them rolled their eyes not surprised that she was here, the Navy guys were looking with their eyes wide open… little did they know that beneath the sexy veneer lay a hardcore killer. Her otherwise blemish less face had a dark scar that went upwards from her right ear and disappeared into her hair. Anandi had never bothered to cover it with makeup or plastic surgery. She said it reminded her of cause… the reason she had chosen to be a warrior in the first place. Maanav didn’t know about her dark childhood in detail… But she was a strong woman and he couldn’t wait to introduce her to Nitya.

    “So, you 3 think you don’t need me? But tell you what, I swim better than all of you…”  She pointed a perfect finger at the three of them in turns. The Navy guys chuckled. She ignored them all and continued. “… don’t you think a woman ought to be there?”

    Maanav tried to control his laughter. She loved playing the woman card at times like this but she was someone who believed she was equal to guys! And they treated her like that as well.

    “I knew you would swarm in like that…” Shadow said. “…Welcome to the mission, Lolita and you will be accompanying Maanav as we start…”

    The helicopter stood ready to drop them on a passenger cruise ship a few miles away from where they had to go, to the cargo ship where Nitya and Naman were presumed to be held hostage. It was based on the presumptions from the signal Nitya’s body was transmitting. It would soon be metabolized and the effect would not last. It lasted for so many hours meant Nitya hadn’t had a sip of any liquid or a morsel of food.

    It was also not known if there were more explosives. One couldn’t trust these morons to go overboard in their misplaced idea of vengeance or some cause that they didn’t even know at all. They only followed indoctrinated ideas.

    But Maanav, Shadow and all the others knew they had to be extra careful. The cruise ship was also planted and the ‘passengers’ on board were Indian Navy men and women ready to fight this if needed.

    Maanav was extremely athletic underwater amongst all of them and could hold his breath longer as well. However, Anandi was exceptional underwater. She could twirl and create ripples in a strange way. No one would know what hit them and there was no match to her underwater. Maanav was not privy to a lot of personal information on Anandi before she joined them in the Gurukul but he respected the hell out of her. She was who he needed in this mission more than anyone else. He was glad his friends had his back. They were a formidable team when all 4 were together. He had seen that when they rescued Padma… It seemed like another lifetime but it was barely 2 years ago.

    The helicopter rose and moved towards the cruise ship. It didn’t want to come under the direct radar of the cargo ship so it was decided they would all drop down a few nautical miles away and swim towards the cruise ship. On a regular day, it was fine. They were used to longer drills. But the tides were high and the Met department was sending them dynamic updates. They checked their earpieces for inputs from Captain Rawat. He was coordinating with the eyes on the cargo ship… They had satellite images, but because of the strong winds, it was not strong enough.  Efforts were on to connect with the US defence counterparts to help release live films of the satellite recordings that could be of use.

    Their specialized equipment was in the cruise ship and Maanav couldn’t wait to get into them and use them… However he knew well, they would be exhausted by the time they battled the tides to reach the cruise ship and they had to replenish their energy. It would take time… but they had planned to hit it that night itself. Every moment extra would put Nitya and Naman in jeopardy.

    However, they were in for a surprise. The Indian Coast Guard had arranged for special motorized floaters so dark that they blended in the dark shining waters of the Arabian sea… The tides were high but so were their spirits as the group made their way to the cruise ship four warriors in each floater.

    “We’ll get them Bullet…” Shadow’s gruff voice sounded like a staccato in the cacophony of the aggressive sea breeze.

    Mannav turned to look at his friends, Shadow, Lazer and Lolita… they stood tall in his support and right then he was sure they would win this… battle or whatever it was.

    Within 15 minutes they reached aboard the cruise ship. A team of Marine commandos (MARCOS) renowned for their underwater infiltration and combat prowess was ready to help them unofficially.  Maanav couldn’t thank Captain Rawat enough for this support. It would have been impossible for the SPS alone to navigate through the blue tape to get this help.

    The mission was clear: avoid detection, neutralize the terrorists, and secure the hostages without triggering the explosives in or around the ship. But the only problem at the moment was they were yet to get live satellite visuals of the cargo ship. Meanwhile, Maanav’s phone screen indicated the fading dot from the concoction in Nitya’s body. They had to move quickly or the woman would dehydrate herself to death. A shudder ran through his body and he realised at that moment, Nitya was like his next breath. He now understood Shadow’s pensive expressions outside the ICU when Padma was in there fighting for her life. He had never seen Shadow like that for all the years that he had known him.

    He blinked away tears. He had to get his emotions under control. He decided to let the feelings make him stronger to face the upcoming roadblocks. It was just a matter of time…

    As the night fell deeper and darker, all four of them along with the commando team of 4, dressed in black wetsuits and armed with tiny but lethal rifles, slipped into the cold waters. Captain Rawat had just received the visuals and he was transmitting it to all of them through their earpieces. It was tough to focus in the water amidst the dark gushing currents. The four friends in addition to the rifles had grenades and Maanav had a tab for receiving the visuals. Shadow signalled them to halt and as they bobbed on the huge waves, he signed them the directions to take.

    As planned Maanav and Anandi swam towards the main hull while Shadow and Lazer took the tail. The four MARCOS surrounded the ship at strategic locations and in the next minute all of them were hanging on their ropes anchored to the top edge of the ship. The moulded edges of the anchors made bare minimum noise which was engulfed by the loud thunder and the wailing sea.

    They had received intel that there were 6 men guarding the ship outside on the deck and everyone else was inside. Maanav and Anandi were the first to loft themselves and the dim lights helped their cause. They blended into the Shadows and waited trying to get a hand of the deck and also get a breather. They were useless if they were too exhausted to put up a fight. Within a few seconds, Shadow and Lazer came aboard.

    Shadow true to his alias, melted into the darkness of the deck and if Maanav didn’t know him, he wouldn’t have known that Shadow was on board. As planned, Shadow slithered stealthily towards the engine room at the far end of the deck while Laser kept his watchful eyes trained on the bunch of idiots roaming carelessly on the deck with high-end automatic weapons.

    Maanav heard a slight muffle and a thud from the engine room, indicating Shadow had taken down whoever was in the room. It was important to take control of the engine room that housed the major power switches. Maanav heard a few click sounds and knew Shadow had laid out his ideas and most probably the entire control of the ship was in his hands.

    There was a major hurdle. The location of the torpedoes somewhere beneath this ship was still a mystery and they had to play the song on that instrument, now in the custody of the perps. They had to make the moves carefully. Though Naman had been calm so far Maanav wasn’t sure, how long he would be so without medication and food or if he saw Nitya was in danger. He hoped the boy wouldn’t do something dangerous for himself…  the only solace was Nitya was with the boy and these people would have planned it just to use her help with Naman.

    Right then one of the MARCOS who had come on board stood on a loose plank that caused a creaking sound and alerted the guarding men. The other MARCOS slipped back beneath the edges while 2 of those men approached this man while the rest of them began looking around for more intruders. The MARCO’s leg was caught in the rotting wood and no matter how much he tried he couldn’t move. Maanav wanted to rush to his aid, but everything they did then would call for attention. He knew what would happen at the back of his hand.

    Suddenly the two men fell down and each of them had a clean entry and exit bullet wounds in their heads. They probably didn’t know what hit them… Maanav smirked while Anandi nodded slightly at her brother’s handiwork.

    The remaining 4 men were running haphazardly like headless chickens while one of them alerted the higher-ups through the walkie talkie. Using this chaos, the other MARCOS came on board swiftly and freed their man, while Anandi and Maanav made their way to the inner sanctum of the attached room. There was a huge problem… they didn’t know at that moment how many men would be in the cul-de-sac of the room.

    Maanav and Anandi hit in the corner, turning towards the room, and his mobile indicated a faint red instead of green, which meant he was closer to Nitya. Less than 500 metres.

    A few men in black overalls rushed from the other side of the room with Automatics. He knew it would be a cakewalk for Lazer to take them all but they had to be careful because Nitya and Naman were still inside.

    And right then… from inside the room, the music began to play. The Ripples genesis….

    There was a creaking sound in their earpieces amidst the confusion.

    “It’s the signal…” Captain Rawat exclaimed, “…Naman has begun to transmit again… even through the video game…”

    What was going on?

    ©priyanayakgole

    (Disclaimer: This is a piece of fiction using the backdrop of the attack that happened and any resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental. This doesn’t attempt to change history or facts.)

    Short Story: The Alchemy of The Scar

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    The following 300-word short story was based on a prompt for Artoons Writer’s room.

    The Alchemy of The Scar

    Rivka Weiss strutted towards the centre of the museum, the staccato taps of her unsteady cane reverberating hauntingly through the exhibition hall. She halted, panting from the effort. At 95, things weren’t easy at all…

    Scattered strategically throughout the hall, stood her sculptures, each of them a mute testimony to a time that shamed humanity.

    Ausstellungen der Ewigen Stimmen (Exhibits of eternal voices) was held to mark the 79th anniversary of the Auschwitz liberation. She loved sharing titbits with young visitors. After all, the younger generations wouldn’t know what happened in that inferno decades ago, would they?

    She sighed, looking at her shaking left forearm; the deep disfigured gash from aeons ago, was now a mere grotesque scar. Its jagged edges once firmly embedded in her delicate skin, were now a distorted map of veins and wrinkles. Her children had advised plastic surgery for years…

    But how could she explain? This wasn’t just a physical scar but imprisoned in it was her tumulus past… her very soul. The scar stirred the emotions, never letting the embers of memory die.

    The scar brought alive the nightmares of the concentration camp where she was among the ‘chosen ones’ for the deranged doctor Josef Megele’s* medical experiments. The deep gash happened when, at barely 15, she resisted his eccentric attempt to alter her genetic makeup…. without anaesthesia.

    The Nazi camp didn’t know that her defiant blow to his head left him with hemiparesis for the rest of his life, and gave her the scar. Hemiparesis caused Megele’s ‘accidental drowning’ a few years later. Liberation came soon after and she was a hero in her circles. She became a renowned sculptor, each of her pieces telling the story of the testing times, forming a bridge between memory and history.

    Rivka was scarred for life.

    (word count: 300 excluding the title)

    Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction based on what is reported to have happened in Auschwitz. This is completely a figment of the author’s imagination. The author doesn’t intend to demean anyone/anything or distort history.

    Author notes: (source: Google)

    • Josef Megele: Josef Mengele, known as the “Angel of Death,” conducted horrific medical experiments on prisoners, particularly children and twins, under the guise of scientific research. He is known to have died of accidental drowning though there are various theories in regards to the same.
    • Auschwitz is the name of a German Nazi concentration and extermination camp established in 1940 during World War II. It’s one of the most recognizable symbols of the Holocaust and genocide in the world

    Book Review: The Last Witness

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    Author: G V Subba Rao

    This is an edge-of-the-seat thriller that moves at a fast pace.

    The plot begins when decorated ISRO scientist Dr, Rangarajan is attacked just before he departs for an all-important meeting in Germany. Once in Germany things don’t pan out they way they should have and he is killed. But the mayhem that follows is unexpected and everything points to a conspiracy. The dead scientist is assumed to be a traitor all set to sell the country’s space secrets to the highest bidder.

    HOwever, his guide in Germany, Jasmine is not convinced and believes in the scientist whom she greatly reveres. She has a young daughter, Niniya who has autism and is a high-functioning child with super memory skills. The brilliant but cautious late scientist has left something in Niniya’s I-pad that can be cracked only after a follow-through. Puzzled by it all Jasmine, convinced of the scientist’s innocence and the threat to India that can result in political mayhem, plans a visit to India along with Iniya. She is supposed to meet Sithara, a secret key in the larger frame of things planned by Dr. Rangarajan before he left for Germany.

    What follows is a roller coaster ride filled with unexpected dangers and plot twists as the trio tries to clear the scientist’s name and resolve a conspiracy against the country.

    The author’s research is commendable. He has kept the pace fast and steady so the reader isn’t swayed … A book full of intrigue from the go!

     

    Chapter 23 The Action begins

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    Chapter 23

    Nitya walked through the maze of tunnels. It was lit up with tiny halogen bulbs at regular intervals so it wasn’t difficult for her. The weight of the instrument however was impeding her speed. Her fitness levels these days weren’t all that great given the breaks she had with her workouts. She wondered how Naman lifted this stuff…

    Thinking of her brother brought in the tears and she had to struggle to keep them away. Naman dear… please hang on. Didi will be there soon and will get you out safely….

    She halted but right then the text she had received some time ago came to the fore. It was from a private number and she had to visit a location from where they would pick her up. It came with a stern one liner: ‘Come alone. We have eyes on you the moment you step out of your cavern’

    She shuddered at being exposed without knowing where the eyes were. She had wondered how they knew so much, but then it had to be the Judas… Kamble kaka. As she walked through the cul-de-sac of the route, she began to think about the past. The good times. Kamble kaka featured in all of them. As far as she remembered, he had never spoken about his family. He was a regular when Appa was alive and was the only one who had supported them through their crises after hell had broken loose years ago.

    Even after a gap when she had met him again, he had helped her. Right from finding a house with low rent to at times accompanying her when she had to take amma or Naman to the hospital or when she needed someone to wait with Naman at home. She relied upon and trusted kaka more than anyone else. There were times when she got late from work and she found him waiting for her at the entrance of the housing society with worry. She would be touched by the gesture. No one waited for her where they cared for her. No one worried about her.

    She wondered why he did all that if it was just to betray them or if it was just to convey information about them to the enemy. He had gone the extra mile, so it was difficult for her to fathom his betrayal. Somehow, she couldn’t believe he was the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Maanav knew him too… how could he, with all the backing he had not known about kaka? Kaka wasn’t good with technology. She knew how many times she had to help him with net banking because he couldn’t figure out simple elements like the ‘CAPTCHA’

    Who was kaka exactly? Would Captain Rawat have found out by now?

    Her thoughts went back to Maanav. He had been the pillar she always wanted to lean on. She knew he wanted to be with her at this moment but he had a mission to take care of. She was in awe of the team and the bonding between the friends, Shiv, Maanav, Avinash and Anandi, whom she was yet to meet. She was glad that despite the rough life Maanav had amazing friends he could rely on and now they were her friends too. She wanted to meet Padma, Shiv’s wife. She had seen her pictures when Shadow had shown them to her once and Padma was a stunner. She was the softness to Shadow’s rough edges. She had seen the reverence in Shadow’s otherwise stern eyes. He was madly in love with his wife. But still he was all set to go with Maanav on this mission. They had a team to get this done but they were doing it themselves because of her… she knew that in her gut. She felt guilty as well…

    Within a minute she saw the light and at the final bend of the tunnel, she saw a rough graveled path. In a minute, she was out of a wooden grove. For anyone looking from out, it would look like a grove filled with a variety of trees. The camouflage was astounding. She came to a location and waited near the mark she was told about. She nervously gripped her phone, hoping to receive a call or a text, but nothing happened. With every second, her anxiety increased, and all she wanted to do was to call Maanav.

    But she waited.

    After about half an hour as fatigue began to act its way on her mind, a vehicle came close. She had seen the vehicle; an unregistered Omni pass the way a few times but now it came to a halt. The passenger door slid open, and she saw a couple of armed men in black overalls with their faces covered. One of them jumped out even before the door opened completely and moved close to her. Dragging her by the hand, he pushed her on the seat. She held the instrument closely… Her and Naman’s lives depended on taking it safely to the perps. Didn’t these morons know?

    There was no time to ponder and her leg that was hurt from years ago hit the seat and she winced in pain. The man steadied her as she sat on the seat. some kindness that was! The other man removed a black detector and ran it over her to check for any kind of tracking device. He then put a blindfold over her… “This is only so for the secrecy of our location. Stay still and you won’t get hurt…” the gruff voice told her. He smelled of nicotine and she wanted to gag. But she wished to see this through… Mainly for her brother. Naman was fighting his battles… all alone. This was the least she could do.

    As the vehicle cruised along a rough terrain, she winced at the jerks and hits she got. But strangely, she realized her strength had increased by aeons this time. She knew it was because of the two most important people in her life. Naman and Maanav. Each of them had a permanent spot in her heart. Naman, for his struggle with his condition all his life and Maanav who had been a permanent fixture in her life even though he wasn’t present physically for a long time.

    Her back ached along with her glutes and her leg throbbed. Her feet were dead to the world, and she wondered how long it was since they were travelling. It was a long time and she had lost count of the time being lost in her thoughts. She only hoped what she had planned would be successful and all of them would be safe… she hoped whatever her Appa had started would finally get the closure and his name be officially cleared. Of course, Shadow had promised her that, but she knew better… without concrete evidence, it would be a Herculean task to achieve.

    Suddenly, the vehicle came to a halt. They removed her blindfold, and she had to blink a few times to adjust to her surroundings. The fresh soothing sounds of waves greeted her and for a moment as the breeze patted her cheeks, she forgot where she was. But immediately, reality struck.

    The door opened, and she was jarred back to the present. “You may come out quickly…” The man who had blindfolded her spoke. She was surprised at his tone. He was faking the voice that she was sure of, and now that she saw him standing before her just before the vehicle headlights for illumination, she felt something familiar about him. He was tall and those eyes… The way he touched his right hand to the back of his head… Good gracious.

    “Sajid… is that you?” She exclaimed.

    The man froze and his eyes were filled with what she fathomed as fear. Did she speak too much? She knew Sajid alias Ashfaq was forced to do what he did, but that didn’t absolve him of the crime. However, at that moment, he seemed scared as well, so she kept quiet. There was a roar coming from a distance that only increased with every passing moment.

    She looked around her, but except for the vast expanse of the night seashore, she couldn’t see anything. She was in Mumbai, she thought… where else could they reach in that time? Also, she could smell the acrid air that the night sea often unravelled in Mumbai. But did Mumbai have such a clean and empty beach place? She doubted. Then where was she? Could she get to talk to Sajid alone? There was a lot he had to answer, and she knew he would. He didn’t seem like a thug… But then she didn’t know who she could trust now. She had to keep her nerves intact.

    The roar increased, and she saw a helicopter descend sending strong waves of dusty wind around her before she could think of protecting herself with the cramped hands that still held the instrument, Sajid came close and stood before her, trying to take the maximum impact. Soon she was escorted to the heli and strapped to the seat. While Sajid sat in front of her. The other guy sat with the pilot and the two others in the vehicle drove away.

    The helicopter ascended in its glory and she couldn’t help but be fascinated by the night landscape before her. It was Mumbai for sure and suddenly from the high altitude the city that never slept felt so miniscule. The twinkling lights felt like sequins on a black cloth that beckoned her despite the hardships. She blinked back tears and wondered if there was any imminent danger to her beloved city…

    She looked inside and felt Sajid staring at her. They were alone for the first time. He had removed his mask. Probably because she had recognized him.

    “Want to say something…?” She prodded.

    He looked away outside, and she could see the distress on his face. The mark on his forehead where he had been hit was still healing.

    “Sajid…? Or should I say, Ashfaq…?” She continued softly. Now that got him to stare right back again.

    “So, you were there that evening…I knew it. I thought I saw you. And was sure when Janaab described you… What were you thinking, Nitya? Coming there all the way…? How did you even know about it? You almost got me killed.”

    I got you killed? Is that supposed to be a joke? After what you tried to pull through?” Her annoyance was palpable.

    “Whatever I did, I never intended to harm you or Naman. I have tried my best to protect you, Nitya. Or else you would have been long dead. Why do you think you escaped that place unharmed? Did you think we didn’t see you escape? No… It was I who took the responsibility for your secrecy. I convinced Janaab that you were more important alive than dead… you are so selfish, Nitya.”

    “JUST CUT THE CRAP, Saji… I mean Ashfaq. All that you have done is only cause me distress, especially to Naman.” She looked away, trying to let nature calm down her senses.

    “You don’t know anything, Nitya. I wish you did. I have only wanted to save you. I really liked you…” He spoke with conviction.

    “…Just Stop it…” She cut his talk. “… everything sounds so hollow… so superfluous. I fell for your tricks, I agree…”

    “…But Nitya, you were never in love with me. You agreed to date me just for the sake of your family… so you were not in the right either.” He stared at her and continued. “… But Nitya, believe it or not, I always liked you. I knew we didn’t have a future together, especially after this was done. But I… I liked you. I would have done anything to get you if you had reciprocated. But I knew from the go, you weren’t in this relationship at all…” He looked away.

    They were both silent for a while.

    “So now, what’s next, Ashfaq?”

    “We will be ending this all… your father, who decided not to betray his country, started this. And my moronic grandfather helped him and started this curse on our family… I am still paying for their actions….” He rubbed his face and continued. “…we will be descending soon and if all goes as per plan, then you and Naman will be free by tomorrow evening.”

    “You mean, you will be killing us, won’t you?”

    He gave her a look she had never seen before. He was angry… very angry.

    “You still think I am a monster, don’t you, Nitya?”

    “Honestly, Ashfaq, you haven’t given me a reason to think otherwise…. You should have left Naman alone.”

    “You were there that evening… you saw what happened to me. If my father hadn’t begged Janaab then I would be dead… all because of your stubborn brother. Anyways, I have arranged for our safe passage to Dubai. You don’t have to do anything for me… your father has left you a fortune… My father took care of it. It’s all Dr. Manohar’s severance pay and the moolah for making this…” He pointed to the instrument in her hand. “… You can start afresh and live there with Naman and that boyfriend of yours…He isn’t employed anyway.” Ashfaq smirked.

    So he knew everything about her… of course he did.

    “Wait, what fortune are you talking about?” She didn’t need dirty money.

    “I know what you are thinking, but it’s legitimate money. Your father didn’t spend a dime of his salary in two years. And he saved my grandfather’s and father’s life a day before he succumbed. My grandfather always spoke good about your father saying how such a great scientist helped him a mere sweeper, in financial crises for medicines for my ailing grandmother… He even funded my school education because my father was all set to make me drop out… I could study and become an accountant…” She saw moisture in his eyes.

    She realized she was crying too… Oh Appa, you were too humane for your own good.

    “Then why… why all this, Ashfaq…?” She couldn’t help but ask.

    “Janaab found us out one day. After all hell broke loose 15 years ago, we lived in obscurity in a corner of Islamabad when Janaab got to us… he threatened to kill us all for my grandfather’s betrayal and so my father agreed to join them in their cause. They let me complete my education and 5 years ago I had to join them in India. My father planned this façade…, of meeting you and having an affair with you so I could reach the package…but I realized it was not you but Naman who held the strings for the ‘package’… my father also mentioned a secret account where your father had kept away his savings and entrusted my father to give it to your mother someday after everything died down. But the events turned out in such a way, he couldn’t.”

    Nitya wiped her tears away…

    The helicopter began its descent, and she saw the shimmering lights on what looked like a cargo ship. Was Naman somewhere there? She hoped he was.

    “Nitya…?” Ashfaq called out.

    She looked up at his moisture-laden eyes. He never looked more vulnerable.

    “I am sorry… for what it’s worth. I never intended to harm you… just keep that in mind and, if possible, please forgive me.”

    She didn’t say anything, still reeling from the information overload as they touched base.

     

    Meanwhile in Pune in Shadow’s office…

    Maanav continued to pace like a caged animal, his eyes constantly on the monitor that showed a green dot move.

    “Bullet, you should calm down now…” Shadow spoke. “… You need to keep your spirits intact.”

    Captain Rawat called in right at that moment.

    “So we have the intel coming in. There was a request for a private landing for a heli belonging to an industrialist. It was meant for airlifting his pregnant daughter to England. However, the heli disappeared out of the radar within a few minutes of ascent. Any guesses? However, the industrialist is being questioned by the authorities and he claims ignorance, saying some staff must have done it… All that apart, Maanav, your serum is working well. We now have the exact coordinates of where the brother-sister duo are…. Shadow and Maanav, I have the required clearances from the Indian Navy. It’s show time, boys….”

    The next few moments were spent in mobilizing their small team and receiving faxes from Captain Rawat about all the necessary paperwork and permissions to breach the foreign seas. They were to go secretly, but if caught, they could be helped.

    Maanav hoped they wouldn’t get caught… after all, two precious lives depended on them. Along with crores of people residing in Mumbai… if the missiles were to be activated.

    But then, he trusted young Naman. He did! He knew Naman well by now… the guy was a genius and his gut feeling told him Naman would pull this off… whatever this was.

    ©priyanayakgole

    (Disclaimer: This is a piece of fiction using the backdrop of the attack that happened and any resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental. This doesn’t attempt to change history or facts.)

    Book Review: Till Fate Do us Apart

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    Author: Smita Das Jain

    The story begins with a couple on the brink of divorce and struggling to find a balance to co-parent their special needs daughter. Vedika and Rohan are career-oriented and have always had their differences. However, their autistic daughter Samiksha was the fragile thread that still connected them and occasionally stirred the flailing embers of their relationship. Problems escalate when Samiksha has to undergo orthopaedic surgery at the earliest and Vedika is also bogged down with pressure from the office.

    However a chance meeting with the orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Gaurang sets her heart fluttering and long dormant emotions are stirred awake. Dr. Gaurang too feels the pull to his heartstrings and sparks fly. There is an unspoken connection between the two, and it blossoms every time Vedika visits the hospital.

    The story moves on, revealing how the relationships pan out.

    I applaud the author for handling the intricate emotions so well. Whether it’s Vedika’s overwhelming guilt towards her little girl, or whether its her feelings for her daughter’s doctor or whether its Rohan’s urge towards a reconciliation… the author has treaded carefully.

     

    Thank you Penmancy book-nook program for this lovely book!