Worth

The movie played in the background. The hero, playing a young martyr, mouthed his final words, “I give up my life so that my countrymen can understand what being free means”.

Oblivious to all this, she scanned the paper. “Buy one, get two free” screamed the headline. “Now that’s what ‘free’ really means”, she exclaimed.

until next time, free*     

*Conditions apply

Joy

The compartment echoed with the child’s cries despite its mother’s and others’ efforts, as the vendor slowly made his way around hawking his toys. He stopped near the child, trying to cheer it. And slowly the cries turned to gurgles, and laughing. The vendor smiled, the smile of a blind man who could create happiness.

until next time, and we turn a blind eye

News Updates

He saw the battalion of police in front of the theatre and immediately smsed his reporter friend. After the terror activities recently, there was no telling what’d happen and when. He could imagine the contempt on his friend’s face as he read the message and replied “Don’t you know there’s a Rajni movie release tomorrow?”

until next time, filmi... very filmi :|

I do?

“I am getting married”, she said. He wasn’t ready for dealing with this, their relationship wasn’t that defined yet. ”If that’s what you want.”, he managed. “..to you” she continued, “if that’s okay with you”. He wasn’t ready for dealing with this, their relationship wasn’t that defined yet. ”If that’s what you want.”, he managed.

until next time, decision makers

PS. Inspired by this

Bang Allure

She was tired of this place. Yesterday, an announcement about more power cuts. Great, no lights. And what was with the city today? Why was there such an eerie silence around? Great, no sound too. God, was some light and sound too much to ask for in a metro?  That was when the bomb exploded.

until next time, careful what you wish for

Burning Issues

While checking out the classifieds, he wondered why anyone would apply for a job selling ‘Cease Fire’ to homes. Offices were fine, but would people buy fire extinguishers for home? He was startled out of his reverie by the loud sound of the transformer exploding outside, and the thick smoke coming from his burning adaptor.

until next time, quickfire answers

Increased Mobility

He was surprised to be told that he was showing off. Wasn’t it a regular custom to send an sms to announce a mobile number change? Of course, this time there was a twist to it. The message said, “My mobile number has changed from W910i to E71. No, you don’t need to save it”

until next time, numeric only? ;)

Horrorscope

He wasn’t superstitious, but the day’s Career horoscope spooked him. With the elections approaching, his role as PM meant holding the fort till then, and building a positive image in the public’s eyes. He was betting heavily on the nuclear deal, so it really wasn’t a good time to be told “You’ll feel Left out”

until next time, leftovers

Timebound

He’d always been fascinated by time travel. So it wasn’t surprising that he decided to see a sci-fi flick even if there was some apprehension on how Bollywood would handle it. The movie was very inspirational. Halfway through the movie, he wished he could time travel, back to the time he bought the damn tickets.

until next time, not even timepass

Wake up call

He liked watching her sleep. She looked so much at peace now, wrapped up in that something-like-a-shawl thing. But he’d have to wake her now, to tell her that he’d finally cracked a puzzle. Now he knew why reality shows worked. People would rather watch someone sleeping than the movie for which they paid Rs.200.

until next time, in reality....

The Art of Breathing

‘Breathe in’ said the instructor. A collective intake of breaths followed. ‘Now hold until I tell you’, he continued. The stillness followed for some excruciating seconds. Just as he said ‘Exhale’, a sound erupted which prompted quite a few giggles. ‘..through the mouth’ said the instructor, with a deadpan expression, and without missing a beat.

until next time, gas chambers

Child Talk

She had been visiting the park for years now, to watch the children play. So many years, that now some of the 'children' could be seen with toddlers oftheir own. And in the last couple of years, she'd made a new friend. A young girl, who also loved to watch the children play.
There was something she wished to ask her new friend, she thought today would be a good day. So, after she came and they had dispensed with their usual small talk, she asked the girl about her plans to have children, now that it had been a few years since her marriage.
"Well, tell me your story and I'll tell you mine. Why didn't you have any kids" asked the girl
"My husband and i began seeing each other quite late, and by the time we married, we were too old to have children. So you see, we met too late. And that's why i asked you, to advise you to not put it off for too long", she said
"Hmm, well, as you know, we met when we both were not even twenty. So its as though we have known each other forever, and know each other inside out. Perhaps that is the problem. You see, we've already started our divorce proceedings. Maybe we met too early"

until next time, not just a matter of time

Urban Yogi

He couldn’t believe he’d reached a higher plane so fast. While Yoga was known to be effective, it took people years of practice to get there, but he’d briefly glimpsed it in his first session itself. He was safely brought back to earth, when his trainer told him that weakness had possibly caused his blackout.

until next time, kickaasana

A colorful personality

She was always interested in colors, ever since she was a child. Not that many people appreciated her work, but she couldn't care less. She had a way of mixing the most varied of colors and producing what she thought was sublime harmony. Of course, the masses never seemed to agree with her, but she was sure if the critics got a chance to see her works of art, they would fall short of words to praise her with.

And that was the only thing that kept her going inspite of the harsh words from her parents and all those who came in contact with her works. But even her detractors would have to admit, thosethat came in contact were profoundly affected.

Once she grew up, she decided to focus her energies on fabric. Though the opportunities that she got were not many, she tried her best to do justice to all the ones she got. The brickbats continued to come, but she was not to be deterred.

And today, she had decided to create a work of art that would knock the air out of whoever saw it. And knock the air out she did, as I could only gape in shock as our maid nonchalantly showed me my new bottle green corduroys that now sported violet gashes in strategic locations.

until next time, maid to disorder

Dealing from the front

He tried again. The damn thing just wasn't going in. He'd been trying to push it in for the last half hour with no success. He wondered how he'd got himself into this predicament. All he wanted was to have some fun, just like the good old days. Maybe he was too old for all this.

Wait a second, he wasn't old, what was old was the object of his affection, increasingly becoming merely the object of his irritated attention. He tried pushing it in once more.

Truth be told, he'd always been used to doing it from the top in the good old days, but that one'd died on him a while back.This frontal atack was something new to him, though his friend had told him it wasn't anything radically different when he loaned him his item - one used to such moves. For only one day, he'd said quite forcefully.

Quite apparently, his friend had no idea ofthe subtle differences. He gave up. It just wasn't worth it, he thought, as he switched the DVD player on. He'd remember to give his friend a piece of his mind, when he returned the damn front loading vhs system!!

until next time, cardio video

Separate Lives

They had all said that marriage was not an easy thing. It was a balancing act, and one which posed new difficulties as soon as you thought you had it all planned out. That was just before she got married, and now almost a decade had passed.Yes, it was quite a lot of what they said, but that was only part of it.

Truth be told, she was a happy woman now. She had a great love life, something women of her age could only dream about. Sometimes, more often than not, on weekdays, he took a day off from work and spent the whole day with her, ready to do her bidding. For instance, he was taking her shopping today, and when they returned, he had promised to cook lunch for her. And it was not even a weekend. Bliss.

They had a great time shopping, it was amazing how much of a help even a man could be in shopping, if he put his mind to it. And he was a great chef, that was a well proven fact. In fact, after she tasted his menu of the day, she asked him why he wouldn't think of it as a career.Speaking of careers, her husband was a high profile corporate executive. He earned enough not to mind her frequent shopping trips. That reminded her, she'd have to leave now to get back by the time he returned from office. After all, she couldn't allow such a great life to be disrupted by a suspicious husband.

Yes, they were right, married life was a balance, one that took quite some acting.

until next time, vows and woes

Panchvi Pass

They asked him about his new fad. He said it was a 55, a concept/story told in 55 words, no more no less. They said, okay when would he stop. He said, soon. Actually, it was just a quirky race, to complete fifty five 55s before his blog turned 5. That day would be tomorrow.

Until next time, ab tak pachpan :)

GeneRations

The lights went out, followed immediately by the drone of the apartment’s generator. Now there’d be sound and smoke,but yes, there would be light too. It would get the lamps in the apartment compound going, and he could study. Anyway, it was better than in his house, in the slum next to the apartment.

until next time, let there be light

Let there be light

He was a worried man, and that was a new experience. His family had been running the shop for generations now. Although they had initially been into commodities, his father had turned into an electric appliances and hardware shop. He had further expanded into small gadgets. This had proved to be a winning move especially since the slew of cheap products from across the border had begun.

He prided himself on his good relationships with his neighbours - both local as well as international, as well as his customers. So it came as a great surprise to him when a few days back, when some of his young customers chose to go to his competitor across the street, inspite of him attempting a conversation when he saw them on the street. Similar was the case with the Tibetans who lived nearby, who were his regulars, and with whom he had developed a great rapport.

He was unable to get a fix on what had caused this sudden change, but he had been noticing that people looked away with distaste when they glanced up at the shop awning. He wondered if it had anything to do with the new signage he had been displaying outside his shop, the one that advertised chinese torches.

until next time, olympian mistakes

Thus began April

She answered the doorbell, and told him he was wanted. In his foggy early morning state, he reached the door and found a woman blinking at him. He blinked right back. To diffuse the stalemate he asked what she wanted. She said his wife had told her to wait while she sent the waste outside.

until next time, not fool's proof