ARAINA- Part (v)

(ARAINA is a new series I have come up with. Do share your views as to how you feel about Araina. Happy reading)

Link to Part (iv)

Toby lit another cigarette. He was lost in memories of their Jim Corbett trip. “Do you believe in God?” Araina asked Toby. “Umm! I don’t know. But I do believe in power. One supreme power,” Toby replied coming out his thoughts. “You know, my spiritual journey started way back before when my dad taught me meditation and my mother learnt reiki,” Araina said. She continued, “I do believe in power, as you said. However, I still could not fully understand the concept of reincarnation or karma. When I was in hospital and going through all the pain, I asked myself whether all that pain was result of my past deeds. Had I done wrong to anyone. And I didn’t agree to that. Karma is still a concept beyond my understanding. I feel it is a human made concept to create fear to avoid people to indulge in bad deeds. And anyways who define what is good or bad.”  “I understand,” Toby said and added, “But even if you know about karma, you could do nothing about it. You have told me before that whatever you do, you do for your own happiness, and if for that happiness you are not harming anyone else, then you always go for it. When I am in confusion, I always think about this saying, and if my action passes this test I do it.” “Well! I take it as a compliment. You never told me before that you follow my sayings,” and Araina laughed while saying this. Toby became little embarrassed and passed a bashful smile.    

 

Araina continued, “I sometimes wonder what is death. Death, it is not for someone who has died, it is for us who are still alive. When someone whom we love dies, for a moment life seems futile. Question arises as to why we are living if ultimately, we have to die. Our ego crashes at that moment. Do you remember ‘After Life’, the series we had watched?” Araina asked Toby and Toby nodded his head. “There was one beautiful line in After Life which has stuck with me since then- Life is precious because you can’t watch it again. I mean, you can believe in an afterlife if that makes you feel better. Doesn’t mean it’s true. But once you realize you’re not going to be around forever, I think that’s what makes life so magical. One day you’ll eat your last meal, smell your last flower, hug your friend for the very last time. You might not know it’s the last time, so that’s why you should do everything you love with passion, you know? Treasure the few years you’ve got because that’s all there is. For me Toby, the best part about living is we know that this is all we have and this is going to end.”

 

“Can I take a picture of you?” Evak asked with camera in his hand. “O! Yes, sure Chaitanya,” Araina replied while winking and posing. “Stop calling me with that name here. You know my name here is Evak,” Evak said and clicked a picture of Araina and Toby.

to be continued...

ARAINA- Part (iv)

  (ARAINA is a new series I have come up with. Do share your views as to how you feel about Araina. Happy reading)

Link to Part (iii)

 

“I walk a lonely road, the only one that I have ever known. Don’t know where it goes, but it’s home to me, and I walk alone.” Daksh played this song from Green Day and Araina jumped on the dance floor to dance on it. Toby laughed. Toby had never danced, but he liked watching Araina dancing. The song got over and Araina came back to Toby humming the song. By this time the café was totally full and Daksh had already increased the volume of the speakers. “I love this song, Toby”, Araina screamed in Toby ears. Toby smiled and nodded. “Let’s go out in the balcony”, Araina suggested and Toby agreed. 

 

“I want to be alone, Toby”, Araina said. “What?”, Toby replied in shock and picked his glass and started moving. “No, no, I want to be alone but not now”, Araina explained.  “I want to be alone and sing loud, scream loud and cry loud.  I want to be alone and put the speakers on full volume and my TV on no volume. I want to be alone and cook whatever I want and be hungry whenever I want. I want to be alone and take out all my stuff and make my house messy. I want to be alone and roam unclothed in house, naked in soul, naked in spirit, naked in mind. I want to be alone and fly and enjoy the freedom of being independent and dependent on none.” 

“Oh! That’s what you are already doing”, Toby exclaimed. Araina became quiet for sometime and started thinking. She wanted money and she got a good job. She wanted love and she got good family and friends. She wanted freedom and God gifted her that on birth itself. She wanted identity, affection, understanding, leisure and creation and God bestowed excess of everything to her. She had everything but still felt that she didn’t have all and while thinking she realized that there lied no answer as to what she wanted. She could never be content without her own will and consent. “Let’s grab one more drink”, Araina told Toby. “No! No! You already had enough. You have started talking in poetry and rap form now”, and while saying this Toby started laughing. “Huh!”, Araina jerked her neck and started moving towards the bar. Toby smiled and followed her.

 

“Do you remember our trip to Jim Corbett?”, Araina asked. “Of course. That one trip in which you didn’t go alone and preferred to take me along. I am still so grateful to you for that”, Toby answered with folded hands and a smirk. Araina laughed. “It was a fun trip. You already know my experiences with other people. I don’t like people who on a trip sit inside the hotel room and watch television or those people who turned out to be very unhygienic. I usually like to travel solo. But I must say Toby, before you get married to any girl, have atleast one trip with her. You get to know in and out of a person on a trip. It is on a trip that a person is out of his comfort zone and you could easily decipher whether you could spend your life with that person or not.” “I got your point Madam Araina. Shall we now leave the bar for others?”, Toby replied and pointed Araina to move towards the balcony.

to be continued...

ARAINA- Part (iii)

 (ARAINA is a new series I have come up with. Do share your views as to how you feel about Araina. Happy reading)

Link to Part (ii)

Araina met Kamran a few years back in the same cafe. As always, Araina was alone enjoying her solitude with Murakami’s Norwegian Wood in her hand and Kamran was sitting with a friend on the opposite table. Kamran had been noticing Araina for a long time while she was engrossed in the book. For once their eyes met and Kamran smiled. Araina did not respond, however she noticed that Kamran was handsome and very graceful. Kamran searched something in his backpack and took out The Great Gatsby, the famous book by F. Scott Fitzgerald. He wrote his name on the book, went to Araina and kept it on her table. Araina was stunned and excited. Stunned as she did not expect a book from a stranger and excited because it was a book. For Araina books were her best friends. They had no questions and no demands and they listened to Araina's commands, her needs, and her desires. For her, reading a book with soothing instrumental music in background was nothing less than the meditation. Araina did not say anything and opened the book and read softly “Kamran”. Kamran was still standing near her table smiling and Araina said hastily, “I have read this book. It is wonderful.” She was still wondering that how Kamran knew that it was one of her favourite books and Kamran was happy that his guess was right. While sitting on the chair opposite to Araina, Kamran said “So what do you think about Mr Gatsby, miss?” “Araina, Araina is my name.”

 

Kamran was working in USA embassy in Afghanistan when he started getting threats from Taliban. Seeing his family in danger Kamran moved away from them and shifted to Bamiyan, a culturally rich city located in Central Afghanistan. However, the threats did not stop and Kamran and his family were forced to come to India as refugee. Since then he was working as a translator to people who come from Afghanistan to India for medical facilities. Alongwith Pashto and Dari, the two official languages of Afghanistan, Kamran was fluent in English and Hindi. Araina gave credit of Kamran’s fluency over languages to his reading. Kamran was an avid reader, and his love for books brought Kamran and Araina close to each other. With Kamran, things fell in place really smoothly. Kamran was different from other guys. He was simple yet intelligent, he had seen struggle so could decipher more deeply about what life is, having two sisters and a mom at home he was really good with females. Respecting women comes naturally to him and for Araina that was the rare virtue. In that one year with Kamran, Araina had visited various Afghani restaurants, she had tried all Afghani cuisines and relished them. For Kamran also that one year went in a jiffy. Araina took him to watch India-Pakistan cricket match where Kamran in his full enthusiasm shouted for India and Araina could not stopped laughing.

 

Art was, what Araina loved. She did not fall in love with a person, she fell in love with his art. And like love, art was present everywhere- in his way of talking, in his way of converting his thoughts into poetry, in his way of calling her name, in his kiss and in his way of walking beside her holding her hands.  Araina completely fallen for Kamran. However, there were no false promises made. After one year, Kamran got a really good opportunity in Germany, and he had to leave. Araina had wondered many a times that why all positive things like friendship, love and life are temporary and all negative things like hatred, enmity and death are permanent.

Well, Araina was already prepared for this and she always cherished the moments she had spent with Kamran.

 

“Excuse me, here is your Naan-e-Afghani”, the waiter came with their order. Both Toby and Araina passed a smile at each other  and hogged onto it.      

to be continued...

ARAINA- Part (ii)

(ARAINA is a new series I have come up with. Do share your views as to how you feel about Araina. Happy reading)

Link to Part (i)

Toby went out in the balcony to have a drag of cigarette and Araina followed him. Araina did not like Toby’s habit of smoking but she had never told him. This was the only bad habit Toby possessed and Araina did not want Toby to be perfect. For Araina like happiness, perfection was also a myth. Araina’s life had always been adventurous. She was bullied when she was thirteen, she lost her mother when she was eighteen and she survived synovial sarcoma, some rare deadly disease as doctors had told her. Pain changes people and Toby knew that Araina's sufferings had changed her completely. Her sufferings had made her free. And it was this freedom which always resulted in failed relationships for Araina. All she did was be her, whoever that be and that was not acceptable to the male chauvinists she loved. Araina had started enjoying her solitude and when felt lonely, Toby always came as her rescue. Araina never found a companion more compatible than solitude and a stranger more antithetical than loneliness.  In solitude she tried to find herself and in loneliness the others. For her solitude was the state of being rich and loneliness of being in terrible poverty.

 

Araina and Toby came inside to seize one more glass. Toby called the waiter and asked Araina what she wanted to have. She repeated her menu and asked Toby, “Why is it always necessary to make a choice?” and Toby replied, “Well you have the power to choose at least.” Araina pondered for a while and said, “I have power to choose, but I do not have power to escape the necessity of choice. As the ‘change’, the ‘choice’ always remains constant. It is difficult to decide what is better.” Being an epicure Tody ordered his favourite Naan-e-Afghani, another word for Afghan bread and he knew that Araina also cherished the same. He was well aware that the word Afghan would bring her out of her doldrums and would take her into some good old memories. 

to be continued...

ARAINA- Part (i)

(ARAINA is a new series I have come up with. Do share your views as to how you feel about Araina. Happy reading)

It was the usual Friday night in Delhi. She entered her favourite cafe with Toby, her very close college friend, to experience that alcohol punch. Being the lawyers practicing in Delhi, their conversations started with the Supreme Court judgments and various new Acts introduced by the Government to revive economy of the nation. For Araina, Toby was the only person with whom she could talk on any topic be it politics, laws, philosophy, books, travel, movies, love or sex. Araina was an ambivert. She avoided huge groups but could talk endlessly if she becomes comfortable. It was weekend but the cafe was quite empty. Being the music lover, Araina took a table in front of the disc jockey and waited for Daksh to play her favourite music. Araina and Daksh had never talked to each other. What bound them together was Daksh’s love for the music and Araina’s love for the dance. Music is indeed the best language in the world. Araina often imagined her love life in a form of music. Someone who would be like a soothing song with beautiful lyrics, calm, rhythmic and melodious, who she could feel when she was happy and who she needed when it was gloomy, someone who would be all over her like what was music to her. Music was the only thing which could dominate her. Music was the only thing which could change her mood instantly. A glance was passed between Araina and Daksh and seeing her, he knew that it was going to be a successful party.

 

“Isn’t the whole world moves around a single stimulation, a single kick?” Araina threw a random thought on Toby. Perplexed Toby looked at Araina. “I mean, see the people around here. No doubt they have lot of money with them. Look at their luxurious dresses and the glasses they are holding. They should be content. But they don’t look satisfied. Everyone here seems looking for a thrill, an adventure.” Toby simply nodded as he knew there was more to come from Araina. “I have seen people loving their spouse but still entering into extra marital affairs, I have seen people with lot of money but still entering into corruption, I have seen people having everything they could wish for but still they are restless. I feel what is missing in their life is that spur, a reason to break their monotony.” Meanwhile Toby was looking at the guy on next table who was continuously staring at Araina. Already in her deep thoughts Araina continued, “There is a darker side to every human being living on this earth. And to satisfy that side people enter into so called immoral deeds.” Toby reacted, “So you mean that extra marital and corruption are not immoral acts.” Araina again went into deep thoughts and took a sip from her glass.  “For me nothing is moral or immoral, it is all in the mind.”

The floor was still empty and Araina knew she had to do something to let the party going. Toby was relishing his white sauce pasta. Araina picked up her glass and kept it on the side table and started swinging on the music. Daksh smiled and Araina was ignorant about it. Her eyes closed, Araina was dancing as if she was hypnotised by the music. Music makes life so beautiful. That mesmerizing piece touched her ears and took her into the fantasy world. All what was required was to close the eyes and forgot all the sorrows. The music changed and Araina stopped and opened her eyes to grab her glass. To her amazed she was not the only one dancing at that time. She saw Daksh who by that time was jumping and playing his famous tunes. Araina possessed such powers. She came back to Toby and Toby hugged her.  Araina got confused and Toby laughed, “You have changed the whole ambience. It is amazing.” Araina smiled and putting her hair string at the back of her ear she said casually, “I don’t understand that why people are shy in doing what they like. Why they need someone to hold onto them, to encourage them, to tell them that they could do it. Why there is fear.”  Toby did not know that whether Araina was putting questions to him or to herself. 

to be continued....

YOU!

 With you enough is not enough

These days

More we meet, still it feels our meetings are lesser

These days

More time we spent, still cravings are more

These days

More we talk, more are the topics

These days

More we see each other, more is the remembrance

These days

With you enough is not enough

These days

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Nancy

STORY

I took a corner table from where I could see the whole place. I was alone. A friend of mine works in that café and he was coming now and then to my table to talk to me. I ordered a beer for myself and fish fingers, my favourite. It was a weekday, music was loud and few tables were occupied. 

When you sit alone, lot of stories keep coming to your mind. As I saw around the café, on one table there was a big family sitting with grandparents , parents and kids, all of them were having gala time together. On another table a couple was sitting with their small kid. Rather than noticing the place, they were engrossed in their cute kid making his small feet tap on the table, trying to make him dance. Few kids were dancing on the DJ floor with parents making their videos. On another side a party was going on with all the youngsters shouting and dancing. It was somebody's birthday I suppose. On each table, in every corner there was a different story. 

I realised that all of us are in some way or the other a part of a story. A happy story or a sad story, a love story or a travel story, story of a voyage or story of a return, comedy or a tragic story. We all are part of these small stories and ultimately a bigger larger story called life.

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Nancy