Prashant V. Shrivastava's Blog

The Last Name

The Last Name by Prashant V ShrivastavaShekhar and Ada are in love. Last year when they met in a  coaching institute that provides free of cost education to interested students, they were least likely to mingle. Ada was above average while Shekhar was just average. Both of them were devoid of any family members or relatives. Shekhar had joined to improve his grades and Ada was giving away lessons. Though the two were of the same age group, Ada was good enough to provide her knowledge to others.
Ada's parents had died long ago in a car accident, and since then she lived alone. A couple of relatives tried to usurp her parental property, but she fought like a soldier and secured her parents' hard-earned money with her.
Shekhar had lost his family when he was 6. His mother's widow sister raised him, but she too died when Shekhar was in his first year of college. Her sole earning was the pension of her husband. She had paid all his fees in advance, so Shekhar managed to complete his graduation. To meet month ends, Shekhar rented the main part of the house and shifted to the outhouse. He was getting enough rent to meet his expenses.
In his second year of college, he received a compartment in Economics, and he badly needed tuition to get through the exam. He was unable to afford high fees of coaching institutes, so he joined charitable coaching run by a retired army man.
Ada was a teacher in an institute. Although both of them were of the same age, she was very good at economics and used to help other students.
She maintained a low and mediocre profile. She knew she was perfectly beautiful, but she also knew that a loner is never safe in a city--especially if she was a young girl of 22.
She knew that Shekhar was weak, so she started helping her after the classes too.
One rainy day, Shekhar escorted her to home. It was the first time when any boy had entered Ada's house. After a hot coffee and some snacks, she asked casually to Shekhar as why he insisted on escorting her. His reply stole her heart. He said,  "I knew your outfit would become see-through if it gets wet. I wanted to ensure no one sees you like that. People are very bad with single and beautiful girls."
Ada, a girl who would shy away generally from other males and even younger boys, was feeling safer with Shekhar. Shekhar began to come to her place, and they would talk, eat, laugh, and study together. In a few visits, Shekhar had come to know that Ada was immensely beautiful but he still maintained a distance with her.
Finally, their love grew beyond limits, and Ada insisted on getting married. Shekhar agreed easily. They decided to sell their houses and buy a new apartment to start a new life and leave old bad memories behind. Both also planned a small business of nursery where they would sell plants.
-------In the frame, we see an elderly officer dressed in a formal shirt and trousers. The pocket of his shirt is hardly able to bear the weight of some papers and his mobile phone. The officer deals with all kind f people all the day, and he perhaps fears that somebody would steal his expensive phone if left on the table.
His thick spectacles are half hung on his nose. He reads papers through his glasses while looks at the people from naked eyes.  
On In the middle, there is a table which is covered by a dark green tablecloth. A thick glass that is equal to the size of table's top is placed atop the green cloth. There is a calendar visible on the table through the glass. In the front wall, we see a full-size cupboard made of iron. It has a dull brown color. The cupboard's surface is full of scratches, especially lines. Many bills were affixed on the surface of the cupboard and were later scratched out. These bills are left with some torn and defaced parts. 
Right next to the table, we see a couple seated. A girl and two boys are standing behind their chairs. 
The girl who is sitting on the chair is dressed in a red salwar suit has a fair complexion. The suit has light work of embroidery. She has tied her hair loosely. To her left, the boy who is sitting is in a light pink shirt. He had full beard on his face with glasses on eyes with blue frame. His mustaches match with the density if the hair on his face. A friend of his has kept his hands on the shoulder of the boy who is sitting.

The couple seated are Ada and Shekhar.
Today, they got their new apartment registered, and now they were sitting before the marriage registrar.
The registrar asked for their names to confirm the form's data.
Shekhar Kapoor and Ada Saxena. So, after the marriage, you agree to stay with each other and amicably deal with all the problems and happiness together.
The two agreed.
And Ada Saxena will become Ada Kapoor from now on!
Ada, nodded in agreement while Shekhar looked blank.
The registrar gave a quick look to both and got back to work.
Do you have to say something, Mr. Shekhar?
"Sir, we have decided to move on with a new life leaving all the past behind," said Shekhar.
"Okay." said the registrar.He did not lift his head up as he thought it would be mere excitement and the boy would talk ideal things to impress his wife.
But if I keep my last name, I will be carrying my past. I want to drop my last name."But, I need your full name as per your records," said the registrar. He was surprised and a little baffled as the argument was childish and would stand by no logic whatsoever.
Then, I would want her to retain her full name as it is.
"This is strange but possible," he said.
"I want to step into new life with a sense of equality. We are buying a home together. I do not want you to compromise on anything, ever," said Shekhar.
Ada had tears in her eyes.
The registrar was surprised and happy eventually. He blessed them for a successful life. The two left the office as a married couple en route to a new home with their common love and personal identities.


Photo credit: amira_a on VisualHunt / CC BY

Watermelon

Watermelon by Prashant V ShrivastavaYou are inside a corporate office having state of the art infrastructure. The walls are decorated with electronic screens showcasing amazing wallpapers and some business information. At the helm is a large cubicle with a lot of space lying empty. There is one open laptop, a small wireless mouse, a headset, and a black business diary with a pen attached to it. A young boy dressed in a crisp white shirt is facing the laptop, and you can only see his back. The collar of his shirt suggests that he has worn a dark purple tie but his rolled up sleeves indicate that he is more at ease while working.In this frame, we also see some people walking with files and coffee mugs. It seems that the seat of the boy is at the corner of the gallery through which other employees pass.
We can see a full screen of a massive LED TV flung on the side wall of the gallery. The TV is playing an advertisement that promotes the company and its business.
While everything including the boy’s position and the view of the LED TV is clear and the scene is in the status quo, a girl comes into the picture covering the entire LED.
The girl is facing the boy. We see her wearing a light green suit with a thin scarf stuck to her shoulders. We see her hair resting on her shoulders, and the girl is holding a red opaque plastic tiffin box in her hands.  The boy noticed the girl and the conversation begins:
He: Hi!
She: Hello.
She: You forgot this lunch box here on your desk yesterday.
He: Yes I remember. My Mom was asking me for the same, and I had no clue where did I forget this. I had thought that this must have been left in the cafeteria where I eat my lunch.
She: No, it was here only. Actually, I left a little late last evening. The office boy was picking the tiffin to keep it somewhere. At the very moment, I was passing through your desk and could fathom the entire story. I asked him to hand it over to me.
He: You did not need to take that much of pain. But I am humbled and just can say thank you!
She: Not at all. Here’s your tiffin.
He: Thanks! I will not open it here as the smell of stale leftover food will kill all here.
She: It might not.
He: It looks heavier than usual. Should I open it?
She: It’s your Tiffin, your wish
He: Okay. Watermelon! Oh my god. You cleaned the box and then took the pain to refill it with my favorite fruit. I am overwhelmed. Can’t thank you enough.
She:  Well my mom tells me that we should not return containers as empty.
He: Well, I will eat some, but the quantity of watermelon is much more than I can consume alone. I suggest you keep the container for today and share with your lunch-mates. I will collect the container positively in the evening.
She: Well, you can also share with your friends at lunchtime. They will be happy.
He: Actually, I do not have any friends here. I have just joined a week ago. I eat my lunch alone
She: Well, mine is the same case. I too eat alone.
He: You seem to be new joiner like me
She: I am in this company for the last four years
He: Don’t mind me asking, then why you do not have friends
She: My best friend left last week for a better job. I used to share my lunch with her only.  So, I eat alone.
He: Okay then, I will try and finish myself. Thanks for the gesture. Really appreciate.
She left with a smile on her face.
He: My only friend in this office brought me this sweet watermelon. Would you like to share?
She: I have some fried rice with green sausage. Would you like?He: Of course!



Photo on Visualhunt

The Weekend

by Prashant V Shrivastava

The Weekend by Prashant V Shrivastava“The best time of the week is always a Friday evening. You have an entire weekend available--unused. Weekends are always special, but this one is going to be extraordinary for me,” confessed Ahana.
She was closing a weekly sprint review call with Mary who was her US counterpart. A software engineer by profession, Ahana was the business analyst for her team. Her job included taking business calls, communicating plans to the team, and bridging gaps between the customer and the project management. Sprint review call was not her onus, but she had taken it voluntarily.
“I know this will be very special for you. Have a charismatic weekend baby, see you on Monday,” Mary disconnected the call as she was the organizer.
She quickly shut her laptop down and packed her stuff in a dash. But her luck was entirely in the relaxed mood. She ended up with messed wires of her phone charger, laptop adaptor, and mouse. She sat back in her chair and untangled everything.
As she reached the lift lobby, it was out of order. She had to wait for a while because the staircase used to be a lonely place and girls in the office always avoided that route to the exit. The lift did not show up, so she had to ask the office boy to accompany her to the parking lot.
Amid all the rush and chaos on the road in the form of gridlocked squares and jammed flyovers, she had developed a pain in her left foot due to the constant pressing of the clutch pedal.
But, the hope that was there in her eyes kept her lit and energetic. She unlocked her flat’s door and dumped all that she had in hands on the first chair she saw. Without wasting a moment, she began to get rid of her office outfit and rushed to the washroom. A quick shower and hope of the forthcoming evening instilled a fresh exuberance in her tired body. Wrapped in a pink towel, she placed herself before the mirror. It took her 15 minutes to wear all the makeup and complete the hairdo.
“He loves this magenta lipstick,” she said to herself. While applying the lip shade, she recalled the time when Sumeet used to take hold of her and wiped all the color off her lips. It always used to be a two-way action. Ahana used to create a scenario where Sumeet would fall prey to her unavoidable beauty. Her stunt of stepping out of washroom wrapped in a pink towel with wet hair had never failed. And her juicy and magenta-painted lips would prove to be a sweet icing on the cake.
Dreaming about those wet kisses, she accidentally crossed the contour of lips with the lipstick. She smiled, gave a small pat on her head, and reworked to put things in place.
She had kept aside 30 minutes wrapping that saree that Sumeet always lovedEverything was fine but Ashish's way of hugging Ahana, touching her waist, or even kissing her cheeks, over the time became a pain point for Sumeet. Sumeet though showed off that he was a cool man but inside had problems with such intimacy between his wife and her friend. This kept on developing and about six months ago, Sumeet saw the two drunk in the arms of each other. It was a party in Goa and Ashish was shirtless while Ahana was dressed in a very short dress. Sumeet reacted badly to this and declared his desire to get divorced. He was sure that once Ahana becomes single again, she would marry Ashish.
Ahana, on the other hand, stopped seeing Ashish. Ashish also was upset on this and left the country with a new job. He believed that his presence in Mumbai would only keep the couple apart. He also hoped that all would be well as time would pass.
This did not work at all. The three lived separately, but the relationship between Ahana and Sumeet did not improve. Ashish then was approached by the sister of Ahana to save the relationship between the couple. He returned to Mumbai a couple of weeks ago and planned a get together at Ashish's flat to fix all the confusions and pains spread out like an endemic among all the friends and relatives.
Ahana, who was not the culprit, was made to feel bad by one and all. ExceptAshish, no one believed that she was innocent. Entering into negotiations with Sumeet also meant that she had accepted her fault and was ready to rectify it. Ahana on the other hand only wanted Sumeet back in her life and was prepared to give up her self-respect.
She maintained a fair distance from Ashish as she sat on a distant Sofa as Ashish was still arranging food for his guests.
"I want some spicy rice with green vegetables and some chicken gravy," he was heard explaining his order over the phone. Suhana frowned at this kind of weird order, but she knew that Ashish was like this only. Having heard several such order requests, which apparently had been turned down by the restaurant attendants, Ahana got up and took the phone. Ashish though wanted to move away, for some reason did not. While Ahana was dictating the specific food that Sumeet would have liked, Ashish was still there. 
This was the very moment Sumeet reached the flat's main door. Someone from the society’s main gate would always call and ask the flat's intercom before sending someone in, for some reason, this did not happen that evening.
Sumeet was about to press the doorbell, but he realized that the door was ajar. He pushed it gently using the wine bottle he had carried. This silent entry appeared to be an indication of something terrible. There was a silence which was scary. The foyer of the entrance was full of dark walls as no one lived there for years. Cobwebs and seepage were rampant across the walls.
As he entered, he saw Ahana standing right in front of him. She had worn that lovely smile and of course her saree and especially lipstick made her more charming. Sumeet wanted to hug her tight but somehow controlled his emotions.
All of a sudden, that blue feeling turned into a beautiful moment.
Sumeet handed over the bouquet to Ahana. She leaned forward to give her a thank you kiss, which he missed totally, as he had moved towards Ashish with that bottle of wine.
Ahana's sister arrived in a while, and the party got into its theme.
It was close to 12 on the clock, and still, no one had initiated the agenda yet. Ashish had bought two shirts of the same color and size. To begin the conversation in line with the agenda, he requested Sumeet to put on that new shirt. Sumeet agreed and asked Ashish to wear the other new shirt as well. The two wore the shirts and tucked it as they used to—half out and the other half tucked in. Ashish just wanted to revive the broken relation on the patterns of their glorious past.
Both had whiskey followed by Vodka shots. Around 1:30, Ashish asked Sumeet and Ahana to come into the other room. Ahana protested the idea.
"We are here only. Only Di is here except us. We can talk here," she added. However, Ashish was adamant.
"Silly idea!" She blabbered and asked both of them to go first. "I will come in a moment," she said. The room was dimly lit. Ahana saw back of Sumeet and failed to control her feelings. She hugged her tight all of a sudden and began to cry. 
Precisely at the very moment, Sumeet opened the door of the washroom. The sharp light of washroom unveiled a picture of him, which was unpleasant. He saw Ahana holding Ashish's chest tight and squeezing. Ashish's hands were out in the air due to that sudden push from behind. And before he could get rid of her, it was too late.
Ashish did not utter a word. Ahana by now had realized that everything had messed up, perhaps forever. Sumeet went out of the room silently. Ashish had turned towards her, and now he held her bare arms. "This is awful timing and we yet again messed up everything Ahana," he leaned in shame towards her. All of a sudden, someone switched the lights on. It was Ahana's sister who overheard their conversation. Before she could say a word, Sumeet from behind shoved her. She lost the balance, and Ahana leaned to hold her. Meanwhile, Sumeet had hurled the bottle towards Ahana which was a mishit and hit Ashish eventually. 
"What the hell?" She yelled at Sumeet.
Sumeet's eyes were red, and he did not waste a moment before attacking Ahana. He slapped her hard, and she was on the floor, right on Ashish. 
"I wish you all die," he said and left the house.
---------- Ahana's sister too moved soon and asked Ashish to drop Ahana home. Both were sitting on the floor. Ahana cried for more than 30 minutes.
All of a sudden, she got up and pulled Ashish's shirt to make him stand. Before Ashish could fathom, Ahana's lips had locked his lips. For once, Ashish tried to push her back but the next moment, the kiss got deeper and longer.
"Can I stay here tonight?" She asked in very formal manner. Ashish was silent. Soon, she slept in the drawing room. Ashish covered her with a soft blanket. ---------------- Next morning, She woke up, brushed her teeth, and stood in the drawing room's balcony. The air was pleasant, and sunshine was balmy. She had never spent a night wearing a saree.
 "Oh yes, it was my wedding night when I was wearing a saree the whole night. The next morning was similar, and I was about to start a new life," she felt nostalgic.
"Here’s to a new start Ahana," Ashish came with tea for her.
"How are you now?" He asked.
"How are you, first tell me," her voice was dominant. 
"Heavy," he replied.
"Why do you drink so much," she asked as she sipped the tea.
"Alcohol did not make me that heavy," he replied.
"Then?" her voice got softer now.
The wind was flowing from her to him. He was feeling the smell of her. Last night’s kiss was delicious, and the hug was hot. His eyes met hers. The blowing hair insisted for more concentration. The two came closer. And another kiss happened.
"Will you marry me," Ashish proposed as he bent on his knees. She, in response, kissed his forehead. "Of course, I will." 
Photo credit: rajesh satankar on Visual hunt / CC BY-NC-SA

Idea Exchange

by Prashant V Shrivastava
Generally, an email from the HR would contain anticipated content but this was different. The subject line was now common and she could read a couple of initial words when she got a notification in her smart phone’s email program. These were the words that had become known across the company.
She was one of the chosen employees who had to leave the organization amid cash crunch and share value fall. The company had been struggling to keep pace with its competitors for last one year and had lost many famous and permanent customers.  Office and market were abuzz with plenty of reasons that included the ouster of Mr. Smith as CEO last year, not investing into mobile applications timely, and accepting more work than the company could complete, and so on.
After the Q3 results were announced, many freshers and mid-aged employees had accepted offers from other companies. Veterans who were sitting on higher posts were struggling to find a matching salary job so they were showing as they were loyal to the company.
The company last month had informed that some positions may be closed forever. Today was though a happy Friday morning, many employees received an email that they have to hand over all that they had in their possession to a special team, and take cheque of their dues and leave for home.
As many as 25 employees were sacked that day as per speculations. This otherwise noisy office was stunned silent that morning. People who never ever opened a laptop without a coffee were also had their eyes glued to the email program.
It was there in the air but people believed that their manager would never give their names to HR. But even managers were helpless.
Neha was broken from inside but she was known for her courage in the office. She was not supposed to cry. She looked around and rushed to the washroom. Inside the closure, she cried but did not let her voice come out.
She could clearly see her dream flat being shattered. She had paid all her cash savings as down payment to the builder and she knew it was only the way forward. There was no option of any return. Although her flat had got all the clearance and check from the bank, she knew the EMI was just a couple of weeks ahead.
Having cried for a couple of minutes, she felt good. She realized that this was not the end of life. She could pay the first EMI with whatever advance the company pays and find a new job in the meanwhile.
Idea Exchange by Prashant V Shrivastava

She got back to her seat and began to collect all her personal files into one folder. She then uploaded all those to a Cloud drive. She deleted all the personal content and confidently got up to hand over the laptop and other accessories to the administration. She was smiling and as confident as she was always."You can take a salary of two months in advance along with payment of 13 days of the current month. We will deduct the tax from this income," the HR said in a hollow voice.
"How much will be the tax?" She asked."25689 rupees Neha." The HR lifted her head from her computer to talk to Neha.
The HR was surprised to see Neha all normal. She was busy with her phone as usual."And if you can bring your investment proof in one month, we can adjust that," the HR added."Deduct this money and prepare my cheque. I will dump this laptop meanwhile," said Neha.Before the HR could say something, she was gone.--------------"I will not break down," she told herself and opened the freelance job website. She found many projects that she could handle. She applied for all of them and believed that she will get at least a few.She prepared her study room like an office, pledged to be as serious, and as disciplined as she was in the office.
Days passed but she did not hear back from any of the job posters. Little worried, she also updated her resume on job sites.
Another week passed and now she was restless. Although she could still afford to live in her rented house for next two month, but her home loan EMI was her big worry. She needed a job or work within next one month so that by the end of the second month, she has a salary or payment in the bank.-----------------While sifting through social media, she read about a requirement of writing a few blog posts about telecom domain. She was with a telecom company for past few years and knew all the nitty gritty but she was not a writer.
She let this opportunity go and searched for some programming jobs. Most of the jobs she was finding needed a group of 2-3 people of different skill sets. And she was all alone.
Tensed and worried, she skipped the noodles she had ordered and fell asleep on the sofa. She woke up around 10:30 next morning as she heard the doorbell.
It was the engineer from water purifier company. He had come for a regular service."My RO purifier is fine," she said to him.
"This is routine service checkup madam. If you do not want, just sign here so that I can update my records," he was polite and a gentleman.
"Then go ahead and complete your job," she opened the door.
An expensive watch, high-end smartphone, branded shoes, his accessories looked interesting to her. "You maintain a good life. You earn well I guess," she said looking at her.
"Well, I was a software engineer until last month. I was sacked and did not find a suitable job. Working as a hardware field boy to sustain," he said as he emptied the purifier's tank in the sink."I even can't do such jobs," she told herself.
"Don’t you have the smart tablet connected to company's central database where all the records can be maintained? You could even take my sign on the tab using a stylus," she said while signing an odd piece of receipt.
"And I can develop that. I will make a proposal and give it to my company. Here is our card," he said as he left the apartment.
"Great, I just handed over a million-dollar idea for free," she kicked herself.
"What if I join hands with this man and we create the proposal together. He knows people in the company which is the first requirement to get started," she said and rushed towards the lift.
After 5 minutes, she was back in her apartment. He had left so was the idea. The card he had given had an only toll-free number of the company and no other clue about him.
"Once again I have let an opportunity go so easily. I know I am not comfortable taking orders. I want my own venture. I am a born entrepreneur and have been blessed with so many skills. People with ordinary skills are leading or commanding me," she was anguished at herself._____Fed up with herself and situation around her, she dialed the toll-free number of the company. A man picked up the phone. "I need to speak to the secretary to the CEO. I have to send a proposal and need an email address," she finished.
"You can tell me the proposal madam," the person replied.
"My proposal is a business offering. I cannot discuss in the call center," she fumed.
"Well, you are talking to the CEO only," he said with civility."Unbelievable!" She said.
"Agree. But that’s the only truth madam," the voice at the other end was calm and sincere."Please write down my email address and I will revert with my opinion on your proposal," he maintained the professional tone, which was now impressive to Neha.
She noted down the email and prepared the best proposal she could. Another couple of days passed but she did not hear a word from the RO Company. She knew even a startup or small-scale company looks for a company name before awarding an order.
She decided to take a break from her tensed life and visit her parents. She packed and loaded stuff into her car. She had only reached 10 miles from home and she noticed a push notification. It was from the RO Company. She calmly parked the car and jumped in ecstasy. The appointment was next morning.
Next morning when she reached the office of RO Company, it was actually a room in a flat. An elderly man guided her to the room and left. In less than a minute, the same person appeared who had come for RO service at Neha’s place. She was not surprised as she was expecting surprises already.“This is my Dad’s business. When I lost the job, he resigned and handed this chair over to me. This was no profit no loss company so far as we had maintenance contract of a famous RO company,” he said while offering her coffee.
“I am starting to save money so that I can pay EMIs to the flat I purchased last year. This is why I started doing fieldwork as well,” he added.
“So, you invited me to earn brownie points in the eyes of a girl?” she was rude with smiling lips.“See, I liked your proposal and I think we can do it together,” he tried to appear professional.“This project needs one person’s effort of 100 hours. You can do it yourself or I will do it—on my terms,” she said. A stunned silence followed.
“Okay, then you do it,” he said.
“I will pay your fees,” he said.“Strange.”
“Why so”
You are saving money by not appointing field boys and you are ready to pay me 50k rupees for the project which is a value add to the company. But, as of now, you need to put your business on track.“Don’t act foolish,” she said and got up to leave.
“Can you help with documentation then?” he asked a strange question.
“What makes you think I can do documentation,” she assumed her chair back.
“Your proposal is full of polished English. And I can pay you enough for your articles without acting foolish or being prodigal,” he said.
She picked her clutch and left with a smile.The boy knew she would not show up. And Neha was of the same opinion.
“What a waste of time,” she sped her car.
After two days had passed, she still remembered the boy and his stupid act. And since she had nothing to do, she thought to help him out.
She asked him to send over details of his company and she would write marketing blogs for him.She spent two days on the first blog but subsequent ones took less time. These few blogs made her feel fresh and new.
“Am I also a writer,” she asked herself while applying body lotion in the washroom.
She recalled about the project she had seen on social media the other day. She searched and luckily, that project still was waiting for able takers. She accepted that and wrote some precise and amazing blog posts.
She now was accepting writing projects and diversity of subjects she needed to write on kept her interested and entertained.
In her first month of being a writer, she made half of the salary she used to get in her last company. She was excited.----------------------One day suddenly she met Shekhar again.
“I want to thank you for your idea and support. I have got a maintenance contract for an international company today. They were impressed by technological advancements we offer. And the advancement is none other than that project that you had suggested,” he said in a single breath.
“Cool,” she said and began to walk away.
By now, Shekhar had realized that she was not happy to have given a great project idea to someone else. And now that idea has flourished.
“Actually, I too need to thank you, Shekhar,” he was surprised to see her close to him.
“Your idea of documentation worked for me. I wrote more blogs and now maintain documentation of two companies. I make enough money and live like a free bird,” this was the most polite tone of her he had even listened.“I am glad indeed,” Shekhar said with a smile.
“We deserve a party. How about a co“Of course madam,” Shekhar wore his goggles and began to follow her.



Photo on Visual Hunt

Murder of a Judge

Murder of a Judge - Short story - Prashant V Shrivastavaby Prashant V Shrivastava
"Arrange 50K else you are dead," Lia read as she opened her eyes to check her phone. It was 7 ’o’ in the morning and she sprung up as soon her eyes read these words. She rubbed her eyes, drank some water, and pinched herself to ensure she was not dreaming. 
She tried to search the phone but there was no such other message. She took time but finally left the bed and rushed to the washroom. While taking shower, she recalled that she used to receive such prank messages from her old boyfriend. She got her brain nerves relaxed as she turned the shower off. 
"I will not spare him if he does it again," She took the last bite of her favorite breakfast cake and left her apartment.  
Days passed and she never received any such message again. After almost one month, she got a similar message. This time she was very drunk in the bar with her boyfriend so she did not bother giving it any attention. 
As she woke up the next morning, she recalled the message. It read, 'I was away and this gave you extended life in which you earned a lot of interest on your money. Now give me 110k as I multiplied the last amount by 2.' 
'How funny!' She said to herself. '50 multiplied by 2 does not make 110.' 
She moved on and almost forgot about the message. 
She had a boyfriend who was a writer of scary plays. Three years ago, he used to send scary messages to Lia to test if they would create an impact on his audience. Lia was brave and somewhat habitual to deal with such creepy messages. 
Another message then caught her attention. It read 'Mr. JJ, you have insulted me by ignoring my messages. Tonight shall be your last night. Goodbye!' 
Next morning when she woke up, she dropped her coffee mug almost on her foot as she read the headlines--'Former Apex Court Judge JJ murdered' 
'All these messages were real. I could have saved the judge. That means the new phone number I got belonged to him previously. This is going to be a case of conspiracy and I will be framed as an accomplice to the killer,' a series of questions flashed her mind. All weird thoughts of being arrested to rape in Jail to be killed eventually filled her mind. 
She spent entire day indoor but by the evening, she had decided to tell the cops the entire story.  
'My story is credible of course as it is plain and the whole truth,' She prepared answers to the questions she thought would surely be asked. 
She dressed decently and reached the police station. As soon as she saw a police officer beating a criminal, she was frightened and rushed back to her car. 
She made several attempts in next 3 days but her fear never allowed her to touch the steps of the police station. 
She finally gathered all her courage and reached the police station the following weekend. Before she could brave herself to step into the office, a felt a heavy touch on her soft shoulder. She cried as loud as she could. People around noticed that. The man who had touched her sprung back a couple of feet. 
'Did you kill Mr. JJ?' The man asked her calmly.  
'No. I have no connection with any murder,' she broke down. 
'Now tell me,' the young man offered her a glass of water. 
'But who are you?' 
'I am the police inspector of this police station.' 
'Then why are we sitting here in the garden and not inside the police station? 
'I saw you were extremely frightened. I also have been noticing that you have been struggling since last 3 days to enter the station,' he said. 
'So nice of you,' she took a pause and then narrated him her story. 
'So, you are innocent Lia,' he delivered a verdict. Lia had not thought that it would be that easy to convince the police. 
'Is he playing a game or looking for some sexual favors or simply looking for money or he is just nice,' another set of suspicions crossed her mind in a flash. 
 'Had I acted in time, I could have saved him,' she said. 
'You are not at fault. Such pranks keep irritating us and we are not supposed to trust all of them,' the inspector consoled her. 
'You should go home and do not talk about this with anyone,' he said. 
She nodded in agreement and drove back to home. 
He stared at her car until it disappeared. 
She was sad about the Judge JJ but she knew she could have not done anything. She decided to have a couple of drinks before retiring to bed. 
She removed her jeans and suddenly something touched her feet. She bent to pick the visiting card. It was of the officer whom she had met that afternoon. 
It had his phone number.  She thought for some time before writing a message to the officer.  'Need to share something with you.' 
'I am really stupid and very coward,' she said to the officer in the same police station garden bench where she had met her a day before. 
'Explain,' he was in rush. 
'Well, the morning I came to know that these messages were about Mr. JJ, I went to his house to warn him.' 'You met him?' Asked the officer. 
  'No' 
'Then?' 
'Actually, wasted the whole day in deciding whether I should go to police or him' 
'Then' 
'I went to his place around 11 PM. 
By that time, he had been murdered as police were there. 
'How did you know he was murdered by 11 PM,' asked the officer. 
'Initially, I saw police and thought it was security. So, I got frightened and ran back to my home.' 
'Next morning when I read about his murder, I recalled that there was an ambulance as well the last night.' 
She began to cry. 
"If I could have used some sense, I could have saved him for sure" 
'Why? 'the officer asked. 
'Because I blocked the communication between killer and victim,' she began to cry again. 
The officer was now little upset. 
'Listen, you wasted my time. This information does not help me in solving the case. If you know anything else, do just share with me.' 
'Goodbye for now,' he tapped her shoulder and left. 
Days passed and now Lia had forgotten about that incidence. 
One month later, she saw the same police officer in a resort where she had come to stay. She was working on some commercial shooting project. She met him and he too recognized her easily. 
The two interacted several times before they fell in love with each other. Their romance had reached the threshold of marriage and the two decided to celebrate their singlehood one last time an evening before marriage. 
They drank, danced, and made love. 
Next morning as the officer opened his eyes, he lost all the senses. He was surrounded by at least 10 police officers. Lia was in the other room. She signed her last affidavit and left without speaking to him. The police arrested him. He was getting mad.  
‘What the hell I told her last night?’ he spoke to himself. 
Two days later, Lia read in the newspaper that the killer had confessed his crime and the Judge JJ's soul would now rest in peace. 
'How did you know that he was the culprit?' 
Asked Jane, her friend. 
Well, he told me the entire story when he was drunk. 
'And how you realized that he could be the killer' 
'I had no clue. I just asked him about his job and he revealed that his fortune turned and now he was a billionaire,' she said. 
'What was the story then' Jane asked. 
'Well, 25 years ago, the judge had asked an intern to come to his place in the evening to take some law lessons. The judge raped her and threatened to put behind bars if she opened her mouth. The poor girl left the city. After one year, she delivered a baby boy and soon after, she died.' 
‘There was no one who knew who the father of the kid was.’ 
‘One fine day, the kid, who had become a police officer, was matching some blood samples for the DNA test and accidentally discovered that the judge was his father.’ 
'He met the judge who refused to accept him.' 
‘Then this officer investigated the story end-to-end and found out the truth.’ 
‘That is when he conspired to kill him. After the death of the judge, all his fortune would be inherited to him, because of DNA match.’ 
‘And to make it look like a money-killing, he orchestrated entire drama. Call it my misfortune that I got the sim card which the officer had earlier stolen from judge's one of the phones but had lost it. It got deactivated and it was allotted to me by the telecom company. Officer knew this, so he decided to make me scapegoat and sent those messages to me. If I had informed the police, he could have handled it as he was there only. But to his luck, I did not do so. And he easily executed the judge and closed the file. I was already frightened of being framed so I kept mum.’ 
This is how I got to know the story. I wrote it down after he had slept and then called the police. Until he confessed this morning before police, I was hoping to be wrong. But, now, the sky is clear. The murderer got convicted for his crime. 
Photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jone_va... VASAITIS</a> via <a href="https://visualhunt.com/re/88d4d1&quot... / <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... CC BY-NC</a>

Delhi to Jaipur

by Prashant V Shrivastava
It all began one balmy Saturday morning when I raised my left hand to open a small pocket located at the ceiling of my car. I was searching for a card, which had prepaid validity for national highway tolls. I was a frequent shuttler between Delhi and Jaipur and that is why I had a prepaid card. My hands accidentally hit another button, which opened a curved conversation mirror. The front row passenger could talk to the passengers sitting in the back rows through a conversation mirror. I purchased this SUV after my first salary appraisal. And this giant vehicle had such many small and useful features. 


Delhi to Jaipur by Prashant V Shrivastava
Keeping my eyes glued to the narrow toll plaza lane, I attempted again to open the pocket, which had the toll card. I was successful this time. However, as my fingers expected to pick a card smoothly, I had to struggle. This made me look at the pocket. My eyes caught the conversation mirror. It had a shiny object in the middle. It took me less than a moment to realize what that object was and why it was there in the mirror. Of course, there was someone in the back seat. Meanwhile, the car behind me began to honk so did the toll plaza agent outside the window. I made an extra effort and finally got the card. The agent swiped it and returned it to me. The boom barrier opened and I sped my SUV.  I softly closed the ceiling pocket but did not touch the mirror. Soon when I was sure that I could afford to take my eyes off the road, I peeked into the mirror. I knew it was a two-way mirror so the person in the back seat could also see me.  I was moving my eyes subtly. She had sharp features. Nicely painted lips, nose pin, and black eyes. A sleeveless outfit well carried with a transparent scarf looked elegant and beautiful. Her ears looked soft but bore the weight of her heavy earrings. Earrings were as big as a bangle. But suddenly I realized that a boy was also sitting beside me in the front row. I got careful. To ensure I was a gentleman and innocent by all means, I pretended to close the conversation mirror. I deliberately pushed it much lighter than needed to lock it. The girl and the boy noticed this. I was happy with my success. However, the next moment this win evaporated as the boy shut the mirror. He must have done it out of helping attitude but I was not happy with that help.  One glimpse of her had left me restless. By now, I even was not aware that the boy sitting with me in the front row was her boyfriend, brother, or worst--husband. The two were friends of my close friend who requested me to drop them to Jaipur as I was already going there. The two co-passengers boarded my car just outside my society gate. I was in so hurry that I did not even see the girl properly. Now, since I had seen her face, I had a strong desire to talk to her, get friendly, even though if she belonged to someone else. I had already driven for more than an hour so it was legitimate to take a break. Fortunately, a well-maintained restaurant was in the vicinity. I slowed down the car and then took a careful left turn. As I stopped the car, I asked the boy if he wanted something.  “I’ll take a cold drink. What will you have Didi?”  This was perhaps the best sentence I had heard in ages. He will take the cold drink and the beautiful girl was his sister. Wow. Yayyy!  I immediately rushed back to open the door for her. She was indeed beautiful. Free hair spread on her bright flawless face created a sun-shadow picture. Her tender lips with perfect contour added to the perfection. Her bangle-sized earring made the view expensive and scintillating.  “I’ll help myself. Thanks for asking,” her words were simple. The sound of her voice was as crisp as that of a powerful water stream. Each of her words was clearly spelled and properly pronounced. I, being an editor reviewed her sentence critically and found no mistake. She was flawless.  She got down the car. Salwar suit of traditional style suited her. A thin and transparent scarf tucked somewhere on her shoulders was well carried by her. Her shape revealed her hard work at Gym. Or maybe she had a very balanced lifestyle.  Flat sandals added to her simplicity, which empowered her personality. She asked to be excused and before I could close the door, she had surpassed me. It was my great desire to be in touch with her. And the wind heard me. Her scarf literally kissed my hands. I was glad to wear a polo t-shirt that day.  I ordered my tea and the other two had water and cold drink respectively. We were back on the road and this time, she was sitting beside me. No idea why she chose to be there. Maybe she found me reliable or she realized that in order to see her through the conversation mirror, I might lose focus on the road. But my speculation ended when she herself told that her brother wanted to sleep and she did not want a drowsed co-passenger in the front seat.  “Beauty with the brain,” I told myself but I guess she heard me. I can say so because as soon as I finished the sentence in my heart, she smiled in a strange acknowledgment. The road was better and this time was amazing.   I suggested her to browse through the song albums to choose her favorite songs. She agreed and whatever she played, looked pleasing to the ears. Soon she started talking herself.  “This car is much comfortable than my Dad’s Sedan,” she said.  “This is not a car dear. This is an SUV,” I finished replying.  Shruti. My name,” she smiled and it appeared that many beats of Jal Tarang played in one go. Her smile had a melody.  “So, you live in Delhi or Jaipur” I resumed the conversation.  “Delhi. We are going for a ring ceremony.”  “Okay. A friend or cousin?”  “Technically, it is me who is getting engaged” She added.  I felt a shock. But that did not come out as an expression. The SUV was still at 120 kmph and my eyes too did not fumble.  “Technically?” I had a question.  “Somewhat,” she replied.  “Would you mind if I ask you the matter in detail?” I was looking for hope against hope.  “Well, in short, I have not yet made up my mind if I want to get engaged with a boy who is 2 inches shorter than me. My Dad selected him or me.”  “And is he interested in marrying a taller girl,” I sought a negative response.  “Same as me. He too is skeptical. Obviously, a boy would not like a taller girl. Would you marry me if I am taller than you?” She had a deadly question in one breath.  “I am taller than you,” I made it light.  She cackled and it was the beginning of a long pause.  She started playing with the music player. The next song that played was a slow romantic number. She began to hmmm as the song began with an alaap. I looked at her and she stopped.   I did not say a word but soon the alaap ended and words were being sung. I started singing. She joined immediately. Our understanding of the song and the pronunciation of the words were impeccable. We enjoyed the entire song.  "You like romantic numbers or this was an exception?" I asked.  "Well, I love romantic and soft numbers. Such songs are meant to play with your heart beats. With friends, tunes dominate but alone, the words make you feel. Music when is not deafening and irrational, makes all the sense," she replied and I was tight-lipped.  I too loved the romantic numbers especially from 90s’ Bollywood but I had never thought things in such a detail. Her idea and the explanation were seamless, just like the tone of her skin.  I had a great collection of the 90s and one after the other, my collection made me feel proud.  For most of the songs, we knew the singers, lyrics, composer, actors, and even year of the release.  I was feeling really nice with her. The car was literally flowing on the freeway.  All of sudden, we encountered a slow truck which was in the wrong lane. I tried to overtake but met another surprise as a tractor full of dry hay was on the other side. The poor tractor driver hardly was able to see behind due to excessive and overloaded stocks. He was scolded by the truck driver for blocking the road.  This was a usual scene. Whenever you pass through a village, you find bikers sans helmet and other carefree vehicles unaware of any traffic rules. But this gave us a break. The break that broke the string of rhythm.  Songs were still playing but none of us was singing. Soon, the obstacles got cleared but the lost rhythm did not return. I felt as if this break came to wake us up. We were not friends. We could not be. And this small affection would only lead to pains.  I was not sure what was in her mind at that time. I knew that girls are strong and do not get entangled easily in such scenarios.  "What if you decide not to marry him?"  "I will not go to the venue of engagement, simple."  "Is it?" I was curious.  "Sounds Filmy but I will just give a call to my Dad and will ask him to postpone everything as I am not ready yet. My Dad is a great person who understands things as they are. He will make an excuse and will call it off," she again made it very simple. A situation that gave me goosebumps was a cakewalk for her. And of course, kudos to her Dad.  We entered the periphery of Jaipur. Some houses amid plenty of trees were standing out. "Let me know where to drop you?" I asked a question that meant to know her decision if she had taken till then.  "Hotel Shranjika International, please. It is 10 kilometers before the city starts. You do not need to drive extra to drop me," she said.  "And where is the engagement?" I asked.  My tone was a little rude. I knew. I thought to apologize but I could not.  "It's in the same hotel. If I choose to get engaged, I will go to the hall which is in front of the reception desk. And If I chose not to, I will check into another hotel adjacent to Shranjika International," she said.  She had nailed it. Simply superb.   "Can I use your phone to make a call please?” she asked.  I pointed towards a small dashboard pocket. She found it easily, made a call to herself, and pretended as if she was searching for her phone.  The hotel had arrived. I was requested to stop 200 meters before the main gate. I was sad to let her go but had to. The two left me comfortably. I hoped that at least she would look back at me. I was wrong. She turned and suddenly rushed to me and gave a nice hug. I was tearful, so was she. It was love which had no life further. She controlled herself and returned. I got back to my car and instantly rushed back to the road. It was hard to believe that I was still crying. I fell in love just like that, incredible. Tears were uncontrollable. And I did not even try to stop them.  Memories created a little while ago were now pinching me and each act of her was making me cry.  I wish I could turn back the clock and bring the wheels of time to a stop. The time when she was with me. The time when we were singing was the best of the lot.  Then something made me stop the car abruptly. It was her call. The number that flashed was unknown yet my heart told me that it was her. Maybe she took a decision to not to marry a shorter boy. And that could pave ways for the commencement of my love story.  "Hi, hope you are okay. I have just made up my mind," she said. I wanted to hear more and soon.  "I am getting engaged with this boy," she said something totally incredible and unacceptable. But suddenly I felt the power to handle this.  "I think I love you Shruti. Maybe more than that boy will ever in your life. And now I also respect you for that decision that you took in favor of your family. You could have let them down but you now have made them proud," I ended. The chapter had closed and I was home. 
After a couple of days, I saw a message from Shruti. "Would you mind giving me a lift to Delhi?"  I was surprised as she was not supposed to take a lift from her Ex. "I will leave tomorrow morning sharp at 6," I replied.  "Okay, thanks. I will wait at the fuel pump on the highway from where we took the turn towards the hotel."  I had reached 5:30 at the stop. She arrived at 5:45. She carried a small bag. A gentleman suddenly appeared from nowhere and gave her a goodbye kiss. He also waved hands towards me. I showed thumbs up. We moved on.  "You want to listen to the story?" She opened the conversation.  "I smiled back."  "As I reached the hotel, I was asked to reach room number 214. I made it and found mine and his parents there. He was there as well," she sipped some water.  "My Dad said that he was proud of me that I got ready to marry someone I did not love just to keep the family's reputation. He added that he heard the story from the boy and the two families mutually decided to call this union off," she finished.  “Living with a constant and permanent discomfort will not take us anywhere. People should be compatible or in total love. We belong to none of these categories--the boy said to me,” she again begun to browse 90s’ songs.  I was really happy now. What all happened during these two days was absolutely perfect. There was a period of discomfort but sacrifices pay more than selfishness does. She was a great girl. I had a chance. And of course, I was taller than her.   Prash!  



Photo credit: Artistic-touches via Visualhunt / CC BY-NC

Love you Papa

Love you Papa by Prashant V Shrivastava by Prashant V Shrivastava

24th May was her 24th birthday. Last year, the same day she had received a trip to Singapore as birthday gift from her Dad and for this year, he had promised a car for her. But this was her first such birthday when she was not sure if her parents would even wish her at 12 am, gift was a distant matter. And this time, she only wanted to hear those wishes of her parents, that tiny cake, and the fusion of birthday song in two differently echoing voices. This year, it was all different. She impatiently waited for the clock to mark the start of her birthday. It was 11:55 PM of 23rd May and she was both nervous and awaiting. The clocked ticked 00:00 hrs. Her phone began to buzz with messages and calls. Her phone’s notification pane was flooding with birthday wishes but her heart was sinking every passing second which was hurting her without her parents. Mom had slept earlier while Dad had not arrived home yet. In some time, she fell asleep. She did not answer a single call or message. When she woke up, she found nothing new in the day. It used to be the most exciting day of the year and this time, it was a plain ordinary morning. With heavy heart, she got ready for college. As she came downstairs to have her breakfast, she saw her plate was covered with another plate. She looked at her Dad and Mom and then uncovered it. It was a key. Her Dad got up and picked the key and took her outside. Her mom who also got up the same time was left behind. “This is your car! Enjoy your present honey. He kissed her forehead and then turned back but his hand was held by Deepika. “May I take you on a drive Dad?” she requested in most polite and soft way. Her Dad wanted to say No but at the same time, her mom had come closer. “You can take me honey.” “Yes darling, I will come with you for sure,” her Dad intervened.Her Mom left disappointed and ignored. Deepika looked at her Mom and then turned towards her new car. Soon Deepika and her Dad were on the front seat while the backseat only had couple of feature books that Car Company had left to read. “This is top model the one you have always wanted,” her Dad fastened his seatbelt. An Engineer by profession, Deepika’s Dad had chosen best car of the segment for her. And this was right time to tell her daughter about all the features it had. “Can we stop this anyhow?” Deepika put a full stop to her Dad’s long commentary about the car. It actually left her Dad shocked and speechless. “Yes, of course,” he said after few seconds. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean about your description of the car. I was asking if we can leave the past behind and be one family once again, the way we were eight months ago,” she had tears in her eyes. Her Dad came closer and hugged her. “I wish I could. I tried for two months after the news of your mom’s affair broke to me. I did everything possible to get out of it but I have just failed. In fact I failed the day my wife got all her love and lust from my own best friend. I just wish Sanjeev had not revealed the truth to me ever. He is dead now so I can’t even hate him. But your Mom who kept me in the dark for these 23 years, did a blunder beyond repair. My heart is not able to handle this,” he took a pause. “I will just be not with you both but I will take care of all your responsibilities that I have. Your education, lifestyle, marriage, children, their marriage, and so on. I will do everything possible for you till I am alive. I will just live alone and all my property and inheritance will go to you,” he rubbed his eyes. “I want you Dad. I want nothing else.” She cried like a child and this time she was louder and her tears were bigger than ever. Her face was all wet with tears and her Dad was not even having courage to wipe them out. After a while, she wiped her face with her hands and started the car again. “You must be getting late for office. Now I will be strong and will learn to live alone,” she lashed at her Dad. In response, her Dad said nothing.Deepika’s mom was still standing near the door where Deepika had left her ignored few minutes back. Deepika barged into the house and sat on the sofa in anger. She then suddenly stood up and closed the door. While passing by her mother, she pulled her hands and made her sit next to her on the Sofa. “I want to know everything. And do not lie a bit else you will lose your daughter for life,” her anger was full of pain and her mother could feel that well. “Some eight months ago, your uncle Sanjeev met an accident. He was hospitalized for a week but then doctors gave up on him. While on death bed, he called your Dad to tell him a secret that was concealed for years. He revealed that he had sex with me several times in the absence of your Dad. And you are his daughter biologically,” her mom stopped. Actually she was stopped by Deepika. “What? What that rubbish is? I am my father’s daughter. I am no result of any lust between two strayed people,” she cried hard. It took her full day to accept the truth. She was all broken. Now she was feeling that her Dad was right in abandoning them. “No matter how much I cry, he will not stop. And actually he should not. What’s there in this apartment that belongs to him? A wife who slept with another person and a daughter who is not his own,” the same breaking fact was now giving her reason to be strong as she was now able to understand the pain of her Dad. Next week her mom told her to drop her Dad to the Airport. Her heart sank for a while but then she came to know that he was only going for a week. She was preparing herself to be able to bid adieu to her father soon. As she dropped him at the Airport, her Dad gave her a good hug and left. Two days later he called up Deepika and informed that he had rented an apartment in West Delhi. He will shift next week sometime. He returned a day earlier than planned. Next two days her Dad spent in selecting things that he wanted to take with him. “I will leave tomorrow before Deepika wakes up,” he said to Deepika’s mom over dinner when Deepika was not around. But Deepika heard that. “You have been spending time with her. Can’t you give me some moments for rest of my lonely life,” her mother said. “Okay, let’s talk in the bedroom,” he said and went to the study room. Deepika wanted to be with her father but she knew her mother needed him more, at least that day. She came in her room and began to feel as if her father had left already and tonight she was all alone in her life. She struggled for more than three hours before all of sudden she fell asleep. “Oh shit, I am late. He must have left. I at least could have hugged him for last time”It was the strangest feeling ever. She knew she will not be able to take care of anything after her Dad. She was not accustomed to even breathe without her Dad. And here, from this moment, she had to live alone. Totally perplexed, she cried out loud. “I love you Dad. I will die without you,” she cried as hard as she could. But soon she realized that her Dad will not come to console her. He was gone. He had been cheated and now he wanted a real life. Her tears left her spaghetti all wet. She looked around and threw alarm clock, her phone, and the table lamp to vent her anger. But nothing was working for her. All her hard work and, mental preparation proved to be futile. She was feeling like an orphan. She decided to cut her nerves and end the life. By now, her mom had reached the door of Deepika’s room. She begged to open but Deepika didn’t. She found a paper cutter to cut her wrist. “Dad is gone mom. Now it’s my turn,” she cried. “Please stop Deepika. For God Sake,” her mother begged. “Please open the door honey.” All of sudden Deepika stopped. It was the voice of her Dad. She waited for the call to repeat. But it didn’t.She realized that she heard Dad’s voice while it was that of her Mom. Dad had gone already. And now it was her turn. She closed her eyes, clenched her fist and lifted her right hand with cutter to slit the wrist. Suddenly she fell on the floor. “Did I collapse immediately after the cut,” she opened her eyes to check her wrist. It was intact. Then she looked at her other hand which had no cutter. She lifted her head to notice that the cutter had gone to the farthest corner of the room. All confused, she got up to see that it was her Dad standing there. “What the hell were you up to? Did I raise you all these years for ending life this way? How come my daughter is so weak, how the hell...” he continued to scold but she got her smile back. He did not go.She sprung up into his arms. “Please be with me forever Dad,” she said.Both in tears hugged each other. “I can be with you as long as you get married,” he said. “I will not marry ever,” she wiped his tears. “Let me tell your mom that you are okay,” he left her and opened the door. She hugged Deepika tightly and she could only say sorry a million times. “We have decided to put the past to rest. We will continue to live the way we had been living through all these years. Actually last few days alone in Delhi made me realize that I would die if I live without both of you,” he opened his arms and the two ladies got buried under his chin.
Image courtesy of Becris at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Prashant V Shrivastava

Love never dies

 by Prashant V Shrivastava

"What were you looking at Sameer?" Teacher asked in a rebuking tone. He dropped his eyes down and began to stare at the notebook which was blank.

"I am asking you something. I wrote the answer here a minute ago before wiping the black board. Everyone else noted down the answer. It’s only you who was lost somewhere."

Sameer was still blank and had no courage to raise his eyes to face Ishita - her teacher and an all-time crush.

Ishita realized that she was unnecessarily creating a scene before entire class. "I want to see you in staff room after the last period," she said and then called the class off.

Sameer who was a brilliant first year student had lost all his grades all of sudden. He was not concentrating at all on any subject. This was a matter of concern for one and all who knew him. Ishita was impressed with Sameer because of his past performances and academic record. Sameer was also brilliant in computers and had helped Ishita in fixing her computer related issues many a times.

Ishita was little worried about Sameer and this kept her mind occupied all the while that day. She thought Sameer would tell her exact reason of this negligence towards his studies and she would be able to help him in a positive way.

She waited for him for some time in staff rom then decided to leave as it was already 3 PM. She collected her belongings and books and was about to leave when Sameer entered the room. "Well, let’s talk while walking towards parking lot," she did not wait for Sameer's nod.

They began to walk but none of them was able to start the conversation which was supposed to be a calm conversation. She realized that while in animation, it will not be easy to discuss his issues that casually. "Are you upset over something Sameer," she asked as she sat in her car and started the ignition to switch on AC. "Well yes mam," these were the first words she heard from him after long time that day.

"Ok, I want to know the matter," she demanded as she fastened seat belt. He raised his eyes and suddenly dropped them back to stare the dashboard drawer of front side passenger seat. Ishita realized that her seat belt had messed up her dress. She immediately covered herself with a chunni.

"Well, if you want to talk in peace, let’s go my place," she offered.

"Sure Mam," he agreed as he looked into Ishita's eyes. The eye contact ended the same moment and Ishita started the car.

The car stopped in the basement parking and as usual Ishita was struggling to park the car properly. Sameer offered to help. Ishita immediately accepted. "You park and come upstairs. Meanwhile I will switch on AC. It’s extremely hot today."

Sameer looked at Ishita who he knew was the sexiest woman he had seen face to face in his life. She was his crush sometime back but today Sameer was occupied with some other thought which was bothering him more than anything.

Before he could press the doorbell, Ishita opened the door. "Thank you mam," he said while closing the door back. "Come ‘on Sameer. Be comfortable and stop treating me like a teacher here," she said as she moved into the kitchen. "Then should I treat you as my girlfriend," he said to himself as he settled himself on the Sofa.

"Now tell me what has been bothering you. You are not the Sameer I knew."



For some 5 odd minutes, only sound of opening fridge door, switching gas on, and pouring of tea was audible in that apartment at the second floor.

"Do you know Sneha?" he started after remaining quite for a while.
"Yes, the one in our college?" she answered and sought confirmation from Sameer.
Sameer nodded his head in agreement.

"She had proposed me last year after exams and after initial reluctance, I agreed to her proposal."
"Then suddenly last month she said that she only was trying to forget her ex-boyfriend who now has returned in her life."

"It’s unfortunate Sameer. But the strange thing about love is that we cry for someone else's loss. In this case, Sneha has lost you and she has axed herself," Ishita said to him in hollow voice to ensure she could demonstrate empathy towards him.

"My brain is telling me that she never deserved me. But you see, it’s very difficult to get her off mind," his voice pitch dropped considerably.

"Have some water friend," she held his hand and offered him the glass.

He lifted his almost heavy and wet eyes. 

"You know I am very strong guy and very tough but this one girl has left me shattered. She has proved that how fragile was I? Easily lost into her eyes, got entangled in her hair, and somewhat her child like behavior," Sameer was feeling better with every word.

"I always feel that I wish I had a friend with whom I could share all my feelings. Actually I could have cried on their shoulder," he finished.

"And you can share your feelings with me always - See I consider you as a good guy and you are a good friend too. This is why I want to see you happy," she finished and came closer to her. She held his head and inclined it on her shoulder.
She began to caress his hair with her fingers. She was feeling the pain he was suffering from. Her shoulder on which his head was rested began to get wet with his tears.

She allowed him to shed some tears and then held his face in her hands. She wiped tears. "Let me give you a sure shot treatment which will make you feel magical and lighter. Let me give you a tight friendly hug," She knew what she was offering to him but she has always knew the method to mitigate the sorrow. This was the way her grandma used to appease her in her childhood. Of course now she was an adult and was inviting over a young boy to hug her but she was not thinking anything like that at that moment. She was only wrapped in emotions of Sameer and wanted to help him out as much as she could.

"I am fine. And I am not sure if I have rights to come that closer," Sameer knew what he was saying and this could cost him the hug he could cherish rest of his life.

"I am just giving you a simple plain friendly hug Sameer. Stop being over matured. Come boy," she stood up and opened her arms.

Sameer forgot all his pain and recalled the time when he always used to dream of making out with Ishita last year. Now he had a chance to feel her. "Whatever, I will feel her as best as I can but I must ensure that she doesn't get hurt by any of my actions with her. It will be difficult to control but I must only eat as much is offered," he moved with his shyness into her arms.

Unlike what he had thought, the hug was really very friendly. He even couldn't feel the softness of her breasts which he used to adore so much. He only managed to touch her bare back for a split second. "Come now," breaking her thought process of having missed the train; she pulled him back in her arms. He was not sure what made her do so but he this time wanted to make the most of this opportunity.
Without a delay, he held her back and she knew what Sameer was up to. This time he was feeling a magical movement from her breasts as her breathing was audible.

She slowly began to caress his back. "You will be alright boy," she repeated this sentence 3-4 times. But Sameer was only feeling the heat of her body. He slowly kept his chin on her shoulder. She reacted to this movement but did not protest.

Ishita now had begun the movement to push herself away from Sameer but his grip was stronger. Though she could have pulled herself out easily but she was trying to do this gradually. Meanwhile Sameer got the signal that this was ending now. His desire now had grown up. He thought if he could kiss her tender lips. This was the moment where at least kiss can be done. But he was fearful that she could even reject this idea in anger.

He began to pull himself out but held her face in his hands. He kept his eyes closed to avoid any eye contact with her. He softly touched his forehead with hers and then their noses touched each other. Ishita opened her eyes as she knew what would be the next but as she saw pain on his face with closed eyes and wet eye lids, she closed her eyes back. She opened her lips a bit to breathe out the tension and heat of the moment and same time Sameer opened his eyes. He saw her opening her dark pink lips. He knew it was the signal to start. He maintained the contact of noses but freed the contact between foreheads. This implied that they could now kiss.

He was still not sure whether to touch her lips with that of his. He gently pulled his thumbs of both hands little down from cheek and kept on the both ends of lips.  She shivered a bit. He opened his eyes and at the same time she too opened hers.

He gently brought his sight down on her lips to indicate that he wanted to kiss them. Actually he was looking to get the permission of the owner of sweet and tender lips. His eyes were looking to articulate a promise that he will kiss them gently.

As he looked down, his eyes slipped onto the cleavage of her with had emerged from very well shaped breasts. Her suit was such that you could not see any cleavage from front but from top, you could even see through to her navel though it was dark beyond a limit.

He only had slipped his sight below but Ishita felt as if he had touched her. She looked at him and then closed her eyes. He slowly moved towards her lips and then they kissed gently. In no time the kiss turned into smooch and both got involved totally in that velvet act of love.

"Did you kiss Sneha too?" Ishita removed his hands from her breasts and sat on the sofa immediately. "Yes, I did that a few times," he was honest.
"So this kiss of mine will help you forget all the kisses you did to her," Ishita was trying to justify her bold act with a student of her.

"And what if I had slept with her," he said in lowered voice.

"Very smart Sameer," she smiled at him and adjusted her dress.

"I was intending a soft friendly hug but this kiss just happened. So forget what happened a while ago and don't dream of sleeping with me," she was still in light tone.

"No, I know I am not that lucky," he smiled.

"So, was it your first kiss?"

"No of course not. But yes, this was the best I ever had I can say. Even I was betrayed by someone some four years ago. I was badly broken but then I realized that life cannot be stopped for one person. I moved on and did my Phd. under a very rigid and stubborn professor. That kept me busy and I was able to forget him easily."

"So, I should do a Phd under you," Sameer said.
"Well, a big no Sameer. You have a nice career to follow. I will be very happy to see you successful."

"What if I propose you," he said immediately.

"First you concentrate on studies and not on sleeping with me. Believe me, I will not mind marrying you but I want you to focus on career first. This will also leave Sneha bewildered and this is the best way to convey her that Love must be respected not played with," Ishita said.

"You know Sneha had tied you with her beauty and artificial love. You are made to be free. Do not get distracted by anything right now. Be what you want to be. When you will be done with your career, you will great options to find love. Who knows if I get that lucky to marry you that time? But till, then be clear on your goals and stay free from any bonds. And yes, I will be your that special friend always. But do not expect more kisses from me," she finished.

"Can I just have one more"
"No way Sameer"

"I was asking for tea"
"I knew you were asking for something else"

"Alright, can I have something else"
"Well, come !"

They kissed each other and suddenly the door bell rung. "I am hiding in bedroom," Sameer immediately slipped into her bedroom. Bewildered with this, she opened the door. "It was newspaper boy who had come with bill," she paid him and closed the door.

She went into her bedroom to ask why he had to hide. "Well, I thought you would not like that anyone sees me here," he cleared.

"Alright then, you leave and I will start my house core things," she said and turned toward hall.

"Well, that one thing..." he said in lowered voice.

"It’s time you leave Sameer. I don't want to do anything anymore," she was little high on her tone this time.

"Ok, I am sorry. I'll just leave," Sameer's happiness and excitement had vanished. Ishita thought for a second. "I have left him exactly where he was when he came here. And if I had promised him, I should keep it," she pushed him on the bed as he was about to stand up. Before he could fathom what just had happened, his lips were locked by her. She was all over her and soon Sameer too took the charge. After few minutes she released his breathe. "Take 15 minutes and do whatever you want with me. And then get back to your life and make me proud," she smiled and kissed him back.

"I just want you to hug me on the bed and remain in that position for fifteen minutes"

"Strange! When you can do so much, you are doing only this much," she was little surprised.

"I don't want to take undue advantage. But if you wish, I can do whatever you want"

"You just do what you want. I am doing this for you," she said and smiled.

After more than an hour, they woke up from the bed. She made him a strong coffee. And then Sameer sincerely followed the advice from Ishita.
Four years later…


After four years, Sameer sent her an email.
"I want to see you to show where I have reached today"
"I could have sunk but you saved me," he said in his message.

There was no reply from her. He then got busy with his life and forgot her completely. After another six months he was invited to deliver a session in the same college where he had met Ishita.

In his speech he mentioned that one teacher called Ishita helped him get all the success in life. She was the one who pushed him back on track when he was about to stray away.

Principal in his speech while thanking Sameer for his time and thoughts expressed his happiness that Ishita not only made Sameer a successful person but also helped save this college. "She is the one who is behind the very existence of this college," principal said.

Sameer was confused but maintained that he was okay. He then while interacting a student asked about all the Ishita matter. He said you will come to know soon. The Principal in next session invited Sameer to unveil a statue of college trustee. Sameer felt privileged as he walked towards the statue. He pulled the veil belt and was shocked to see Ishita's statue there.

"When did this happen?"

"Four years ago"

Principal said that he will share her story after Sameer's speech.

Sameer's face now began to show his tension. He never knew that Ishita was dead. She was just young when he last met her. She was just full of life. Did she meet an accident? Was she killed? Did she attempt a successful suicide? A plethora of questions was playing on his mind. 

And when all this happened, I was not there for her. She gave me all what she had and I even didn’t know when she died,” he was feeling too bad from the moment he saw her statue.




"Now I request Malini Mehta to throw some light on the life history of our inspiration:  Miss. Ishita," principal said.

"Ishita, when joined this college was just another student who was pursuing her education on scholarship she had won. She was a simple down to earth girl who braved the scarcities of her life with patience and smile. She always ensured that no one could know what she was going through. She never borrowed anything from anyone. She used to give tuitions to manage her daily expenses," Malini Mathur took a small break.

"Then one day a lawyer came to the college looking for her. She was avoiding meeting him because she knew that it could be from her ancestral property dispute due to which she was left separated from the family. The lawyer found her to break news that her grandfather had died and left a fortune of 10 crores of rupees for her."

"She accepted that money but still she lived a simple life. She joined this college as a junior professor and she served students till her last breath. She bought a flat and car on loan and paid all EMIs from her salary. She used the inherited money for the welfare of students who wanted to study."

"We were losing this college building due to lack of money but then Ishita stepped up and donated a whopping 5 crores from her account to save the college. She was happy that she was able to return something to the college that gave her so much."

"But as they say, happiness never comes alone; she was soon diagnosed with cancer which was not curable. She did not give up the spirit of life despite that. She ensured all her property and money was spent for the betterment of students. She also touched many lives and helped them learn the way to live. She knew how lucky was being alive. "

"Today we are establishing her statue here in college premises because she has been an inspiration for one and all," Malini got her eyes wet as she closed her speech.

Sameer delivered his session keeping a calm gesture. He then visited the flat of Ishita which was closed. He enquired about it and then showed his interest to buy that. He was allowed to do so. Sameer opened a fund raising gallery in that flat and directed the entire fund he got there for the welfare of girls who wanted to study.

He got married to a girl next year who was his colleague at work. The couple was blessed with a beautiful daughter and they named her Ishita.

by Prashant V Shrivastava. Prashant is the author of Life's Like That, a fiction romance novel. You can visit his website: http://pecificcreation.com 
"Image courtesy of marin/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net"