Monday, January 31, 2011

Child's request


Image source - Google image search
This happened in the Spencer’s store near my home. I was standing in the queue of the billing counter. A mom and her 3 yr old(approximately) daughter were ahead of me.

Kid – (Holding a lollipop in hand and seeing the mother) Amma, what are you thinking?
ಅಮ್ಮ, ಏನ್ ಯೋಚನೆ ಮಾಡ್ತಾ ಇದ್ದೀಯ? 
Mom does not reply.
Kid – Are you thinking that I will ask for the lollipop?
ನಾನು ಲೋಲಿಪೋಪ್ ಕೇಳ್ತಿನಿ ಅಂಥಾನ? 
Mom does not reply.
Kid – No, I was actually just seeing the cover and shape.
ಇಲ್ಲ, ನಾನು ಸುಮ್ನೆ ಕವರ್ ನೋಡ್ತಾ ಇದ್ದೆ.
Mom still does not reply.
Kid – I know...Even if I ask you, you won’t get one for me.
ನನಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತು, ನಾನು ಕೇಳಿದರೂ ನೀನು ಕೊಡ್ಸಲ್ಲ. 

The kid turns to me and sees me smiling at her. She is shy and keeps back the lollipop in the box and covers her face with mother's dress.

I do not know why am I blogging this. This happened a few days ago and that kid's face is still in my mind...Do you call this implicit request or was it too explicit?

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Freedom

Image source  - Google Image search

Splendor of a victory

Show might of nation

Joy of freedom

Posted in Haiku Heights

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Overtime - short story

Madhavi bid goodbye to her client. 6th client of the night. It was 7.30 in the morning and the market was starting to buzz. She had counted her earnings when her clients were busy. Just the thought of having that money to save her daughter gave pleasure. Much more than what her clients got from her.

Madhavi's little daughter was in hospital. With a broken leg and multiple head injuries, the little one had little chances of growing big. Only the shots of injection to save her life. And each shot costed 5000. How could a prostitute of the market earn that? She worked overtime.

Madhavi counted the earnings of the day as she boarded the first bus of the day to the hospital.

Saritha decided to try her luck in the morning. She did not have any other option either. She was now the only bread earner for her family. Her husband, who was earning got burnt in factory fire. With 70% burns, his survival chance was slim. But the slim chance could turn fat with the shots of injections, that came at big price. How could the wife of a poor factory worker get that money? Saritha got back to her old work and worked overtime.

Saritha boarded the first bus of the day to hospital.

Saritha was a happy woman as she entered the hospital. She patted herself for the skill she had displayed. As she entered the ward, she saw the doctors frantically working on her husband. Within a few minutes, he was dead.

It took sometime for Saritha to compose herself. She went to the mortuary to get the dead body of her husband after postmortem.

Among lot of crying people, Saritha heard a faint voice..."I am sorry dear, I could not save you. I lost everything that I earned for your injection. Now I lost you. Let that bitch suffer the same fate. Let her see her loved ones dying and feel the pain."

Saritha turned towards the voice. She instantly recognized the tears filled face of the mother crying over a small kid's body. It was her pick-pocket victim in the morning bus, Madhavi.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Suspense killed

It started at 8pm..it was 3am now. The thriller had kept him awake. He realized that this is what a page-turner is! There were only 3 pages to go in the novel and the killer was not revealed. Suspense and narration had made him time agnostic. Police had reached the house of all the suspects to make the arrest. He flipped the page to know the killer. A blank page welcomed him. Disappointed with the print error, he threw the book and called the publisher.

Posted in Theme Thursday
Prompt - Flip

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Storm...

Image source - Google Image search
Descent was
Escorted by a
Sensible guide,
Coordinating the
Ever
Notorious and
Tenacious group.

Surreal and
Unpredictable were the
Rowdy and
Rich
Ensemble of the
August mountaineering
League.

Killer storms
Intercepted and
Lynched the
Lazy laggards. 

Prompt -  descent, kill, surreal

Thursday, January 13, 2011

The Jump

Jaggu was at the end of the cliff, ready to jump off. He looked around at the beautiful world, God had created. He thanked God for giving him this life. He looked down. 500 feet below..it was all water. A fall meant certain death. The thought of death rewound his life like a movie. Classmates, girlfriends, parents, wife, kid flashed in the water below. He closed his eyes. He decided not to go back.

Jaggu heard a loud whistle. It was time to jump. And he did. Jaggu saw the water becoming clearer. Underneath the water, he clearly saw the rocks that would crush his skull and ribs. He shouted loudly. Suddenly there was a jerk and he saw he was approaching the cliff and not the water. The bunjee thread tied to his legs had done its job. It had pulled him back.

After some oscillation, jaggu slowly landed into the boat below. As he reached the river bank, he thanked God for this amazing experience of Bunjee jumping and hugged his wife and kid.

Posted in Theme Thursday
Prompt - Jump