The other one..

So as I had mentioned earlier (go to the previous post and see duh! :P) I had written two entries for this contest called "And then.." on Ruchi's blog. Here's the link to the first half of the story:

The Scene

Now this is the other ending that i wrote! This one did not win but I love it all the same! :)

Hate to love you

That face that had haunted her all these years…an image from an old worn-out photograph that she had carried around in her heart. All these years, she had been waiting for yet dreading this day. She still didn’t know if she’d ever muster up the courage to say those words to him. Her eyes welled up with tears without any explanation. Dabbing her eyes with a tissue she quickly regained her composure and risked a glance again on pretext of looking for the air-hostess.

Those dark eyes, that square jaw and the kind smile were still the same. Yes, a few wrinkles here and there but there was no mistake-it was him. She had imagined this scene in her teenage years, rehearsed what she would say and what would happen. She had spent hours in front of the mirror in nervous excitement practicing and rephrasing what she would say when she met him. She’d hated every part of her that wanted to love him but couldn’t help it. The Kathak recitals, the piano lessons, the basketball matches-all came back to her.

 

Her monologue froze midway when he suddenly looked up at her. She felt like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar and smiled at him blushing furiously and he gave her a confused smile back.  Was it her imagination or was there a fleeting hint of recognition on his face? But he went back to his Autocar and she leaned back and took a large swig of water and took a deep breath. It was now or never.

 

She turned again. “Pardon me if I’m wrong but are you Mr. Bryan D’Souza?”

 

He looked up blinking and removed his headphones and said, “I’m sorry I did not hear you. Could you repeat the question?”

 

“Mr. Bryan D’Souza?”

 

“I think you mistook me for someone else. I’m Shrey.”

 

“Sorry! I’m Liz. You looked a lot like an uncle of mine! I’m really sorry!”

 

“That’s okay. So I look that old eh?” he grinned, “It’s always nice to meet a fellow Indian here. You live in Sydney too?”

 

“No, I’m on vacation. I moved to Hong Kong two years back, before that I was in Delhi."

 

“Hmmmmm…How I miss that city! The clean air and the fresh food stifle me in Sydney! I last went to Delhi five years back. A week there was like oxygen! I missed the chaat, the yum kababs and the DTC buses!” he remarked smiling.

 

And they talked – about the weather, Sydney, India, Indian food, cars, traffic in Delhi, her job, her crummy boss (he used to have one too!), music, movies…it went on and on! They got on like a house on fire! He loved Audi too and shared her opinion that Federer was a pain in the ass for winning all the time! It was like they had been destined to meet. As the flight prepared to land there was a knot in her stomach. The words remained unsaid. She had said everything but what she had actually wanted to. 

 

Sydney arrived and as he waved and walked out of the airport, she stood there looking at him. The words came out in a whisper, “Hi dad.”

They came too late. Genetic maybe.

I won a prize!!!!! ;):):):)

I got the second runners up prize for a contest!!Yaiyee!!! Yes! Thank you thank you! So I wrote two alternate endings to this particular story. This was the "And Then..." contest was on Ruchi's blog. Here's the link to the first half of the story:

The Scene

So this is my prize-winning masterpiece entry:

 image source: http://www.bayareaonthecheap.com

 A Second Shot

The memories were like snapshot bullets that she had been dodging for years and had finally hit her, square in the face- that face of the man who had once meant everything to her. It was overwhelming! She sat there motionless for what seemed like eternity.  The flight was in the air. She went to the washroom and barfed.

Looking into the mirror she saw how far she had come from those days. Then she had been a smiling girl in her early twenties with the glow on her face typical of those in love. The glow was gone and so was the love. The hair was shorter, sassier. The clothes were no longer t-shirts, jeans and sneakers but smart suits and stilettos. The woman was no longer the girl he had known. The only thing that connected the woman and the girl was the pain that he had left behind- the hurt that had become a part of her life and had never left.

This was probably her only chance. She walked back with a calm face; she wasn’t going to let him go this time. A deliberate trip on the Jimmy Choo and she was on him. He stared at her like he was seeing a ghost and then his expression changed. Straightening up her ruffled clothes, she looked at him and acted like she was surprised. “Matt,” was the only word she said. He looked quite taken aback himself. “Lizzie… Wow! It’s been so long. You look…look so different,” he said.

“Yes Matt. It’s been a while. You look almost the same. Nice meeting you after so long.” He did look the same. The neatly ironed shirt and trousers, the cropped spiked hair and the goofy grin were all at odds with each other but blended so perfectly on him. She wasn’t surprised that she had fallen for him. He ran his eyes appreciatively over her and she blushed. She returned to her seat but they kept talking. He was a senior editor now. They talked about old times, their college friends, work… The more they talked the closer they came; she could see that old look in his eyes. He wanted her back.

The flight landed. He invited her over. It was a cozy apartment. As she was about to go to the guest room to crash he pulled her towards him and looked into her eyes. She was uncertain; did she really want to do this? All her courage almost melted. “I missed you so much. I’m glad you’re back,” he said and leaned in for a kiss. She kissed back and soon they were in a passionate embrace. She broke the kiss and said they’d better sleep. He looked at her dazed with desire and confused. She kissed him on the cheek and went to the guest room and locked the door.

He woke up in the morning and found her gone. There was a note on her bed that read:

“I’m sorry. Goodbye.”

It was his handwriting, the note he had left for her on their bed when he went away.

In a coffee house, Liz sipped on her cup of Cappuccino and smiled. The last laugh was finally hers. And the hurt was gone. She was free.

 image source: http://yuvakuran.blogspot.com/2005/08/cappuccino.html

  

 (P.s.-I'll post my other entry in a separate post so that my post does not stretch endlessly and make your yawn stretch as endlessly!:P :P)

Here's the link to my victory bhaashan if you're interested! ;)
http://ruchiballal.wordpress.com/2010/10/06/and-then-the-winner-is/

(Pss...guys!Thanks for all the congrats and pats on my back... appreciated! :) But please do leave your comments on the story as well..what you like, what you don't whatever! My story is complaining of being shoved out of the limelight by my victory laugh! Waiting for your feedback!!)

Half Full

©2007-2010 ~death-pain-misery

I was a true poet once upon a time. I thrived on misery and sorrow because I would have something to write about. I exaggerated my emotions and wrote long verses describing my woes. I could never see the glass as half full, for me it was always half empty, I liked it better that way. Morbid was the way to go and although it was unhealthy, it was the way it was.

image source: Randy Faris/Corbis

Then one day, in walked Mr. Bigde Nawab and turned my life upside down forever. He came from the land of never ending smiles and sunshine and looked in wonder at my land of stormy dark skies. He held the glass up to me and said, "Half-full". I blinked at him, not understanding because the glass was very much half empty. He smiled and said, "Half-full".

Life is how you see it, how we live it is all a matter of choice. It's a road with a lot of potholes and toll plazas and many obstacles, that can't be changed. What can be changed is our attitude to them. Is it an obstacle or a challenge to face? A mistake or an opportunity? This is something that we decide. Where we go might not be in our hands most of the times, but how we go is definitely always our call.


Whenever there was a problem that got me wasted, he would haul me up like a military commander and tell me how to give it back to 'em. He sees the bright side to everything. I was upset once because a lot of people were spreading crap about me and damaging my reputation. He said, "Look at it this way- you're famous! They talk about you, you're a star! No matter what they say, those who know you know who you are. The rest don't really matter, do they? Enjoy the limelight! ;)" 

We had our share of problems that we had to face together, but he never gave up. He would just grin and say, "Imagine what a great story we'll have to tell our children and grandchildren!" 

He holds me strong when I go weak, makes me smile when I'd rather weep. We both do go wrong at times, but we always find our way back, together. His smile is infectious and overrides my tears. he never lets me cry, NEVER. As in, I am not allowed to cry ;) 

He taught me to look for the joy and not the pain. He helped me walk out of my land of stormy skies and welcome the sunshine. Maybe it's that way, life is how we see it. We just have to look for the right thing. Now I look for a reason to smile. And even when there is none that comes to my mind, I just think of him. It works the best! :)

So the glass in the world of the Minstrel and the Nawab is always HALF FULL! Cheers to that!
And here's to my precious sunshine and to the years of bliss to come...:)

P.S.- No fuel for poetry so no morbid poetry! :) The Minstrel will try to compose happy rhymes for nursery children from today! No mean task ;) 

How To Calm Down an Angry Girlfriend (SECRET TIP)

image source: 100daysoflove.blogspot.com/

I'm a sucker for happy relationships which is why I'm releasing this little secret!

Alright I'm gonna tell you guys a tip to calm down a seething angry girlfriend. (You must send bouquets my way for this since I'm being so generous and Addy this isn't any truce, our showdown is still on! :P) This is a formula tried, tested and practiced by my dear Bigde Nawab so I hope he doesn't kill me for writing this! Hehe! (Love you tons but this was just too cute!) Read on...

(IMPORTANT NOTE: RESULTS MAY VARY. IF IT DOESN'T WORK ON YOUR GIRLFRIEND-WELL, TOUGH LUCK! :P)

So when the girlfriend is raging like a mad bull (like I do when I am really ticked off!) there's a simple way to calm her wrath. Don't raise your voice even by mistake (that would be an error who's aftermath would be unforgettably sour!). Hear what she's saying and then in the saddest, cute puppy voice say to her, "I'm such a bad bf..I can't even keep you happy...Maybe you deserve someone better.." and stuff like that. Keep it going until the change in the girl's tone is evident and the wrath has melted. She'll most probably say things like "Oh baby, it's not like that....Of course, you keep me so happy". And by the end of it, she wouldn't even remember why she was pissed in the first place! ;) 

 

© Nikitu | Dreamstime.com

I love happy endings! :)


P.S.- If you've done something really really bad and that's why she's pissed, then just make amends. Easier and safer! Or the ghost of it shall come and haunt you again in another argument! :P


(@  Bigde Nawab : yes I knew this all the time! :P hehe!)

The Little Things

Sometimes things just go wrong. I mean, picture this-you're in a picture-perfect relationship, you love each other; respect, adore, are mad about each other- the lalala types! You have fun together, he stands by you through all problems, makes you feel on top of the world. In short, you share the kind of love that others would literally die for... Everything's going great guns until one day you realize he's not serious about what he wants to do in life. Now this won't be an issue for many people but let's also suppose you are an ambitious girl, a go-getter, for whom this would be ka-boom! This could also be something else, anything at all; basically a certain contrast in personality that is a little hard to digest.

So what next? What do you do? You pester him endlessly, try to get something of you into his head; it doesn't work. You sulk, cry, fight, then make up. But things don't change. What do you do at this point? Stick by him or is it the end?

What about the days he stood by you when the world was against you? What about those little ways in which he made you smile? What about the tiny surprises he popped that made your day? What about the many things he did to fit your bill? What about the love that made you his? What about the promise, the happily-ever-after? Does all this go poof?


The challenge lies in recognizing the things that are of real value in the face of trouble. In relationships, as in other situations, it is the little things that matter the most. It is the founding blocks that are the key to make a structure withstand rupture. Does one negative cancel out all the positives at once? The key is to recognize what matters the most, not to let little pebbles become huge boulders in our paths. That is the foundation of a long-lasting and fulfilling relationship.. :)

P.S.- Phew! That was a damn serious post! Gosh I'm losing my touch of wit! But seriously, I hope I made some sense! Opinions are welcome! :) Take care!  

Angry Young Woman

So what do you do when you're filled with wrath and cannot find ways for a release? If there are mini pressure cookers building up a nest within you and well on their way to forming a massive volcano (hell, i don't think there's a biological link between volcanoes and pressure cookers, but what the heck! What on earth is a poetic/ writer's license for if not for making inane links like this and getting away with it!!!?) 

Shit, I lost track! So where was I? Oh yea, anger. Bloody bloody anger. You want to punch someone but you can't because it's just going to hurt someone you care about? Or because the person whose face you want to ram your fist into is someone you really really care about? So what do you do? How do you find an outlet?

Heck, I ain't a psychologist, I don't have the answers to everything! But well, here's what I do most of the time. I find a creative outlet, I write, I draw, or whatever. I find some way to express my anger, even if not to anyone else but myself. Anger or any ill feeling that is bottled up will just find a release in a drastic way sometime or the other, perhaps in a way that you might regret, it's best to wage that battle here and now than to be drawn into a war that is a lose-lose situation from every aspect.

So punch that pillow, scribble out those angry words. It might just help in saving a relationship. It might make a difference.

(P.S.- The Minstrel's learning to deal with anger and trying to ply out the pressure cookers from her Mount Vesuvius, one word at a time. Matter of "PRESTIGE". Hypocrisy ain't cool!)

Girls are Complicated??? Think again!

Alright let's talk about boys...Again let me emphasize that this does not apply to all guys but well to a general majority!!!!!! The others just get framed because of the others! So here goes nothing! 


Guys crib and crib that girls are like this and girls are like that, well hullo!!!!!! Two can play at that game! Guys call girls complicated? Have they seen themselves? [All due credit for the previous 2 sentences goes to this Facebook page] Girls and shopping have  a divine connection you say..well what about guys and sports? I don't mean that we don't watch 'em. Hell, of course we do! (I was crying buckets when Germany lost the football World Cup years back!) 

But guys can watch anything! I saw my cousin watching this cricket match between these red and yellow jersey teams or something, I asked him what teams were playing..He had not the slightest clue! And he spent the entire day watching it!!!! I mean, I understand a die hard fan of Man.U not missing a single game or Indian cricket fans spending the whole day glued to their sets praying for the team to win! ( I have done that too. By the way, have you noticed that supporters of both sides pray their asses off to make their teams win. So whose prayers are answered? Are both declared null and void? Then what is the point? :P) But why would you sit and watch matches of teams whose goddamn names you don't even know!! And that too at the cost of spending quality time with your loved ones!!

Hell, sample this: Wifey goes up to hubby, she's worried about her job not giving her enough time for home and wants to discuss it. The conversation:
WIFE: Honey, there's something that has been bothering me.
HUSBAND: Uh-hu..could you move a lil to the left, you're covering the TV.
WIFE: (moves) That ok now? So I was saying...Baby I'm really worried.
HUSBAND: Uh-hu
WIFE: I don't think I'm giving enough time to you and Nicky.
HUSBAND: Uh-hu
WIFE: I feel really bad
HUSBAND: Uh-hu
WIFE: Honey, are you listening?
HUSBAND: Uh-hu
WIFE: Do you think I should try changing my job?
HUSBAND: Uh-hu
WIFE: Honey, I'm talking to you...
HUSBAND: OH NOOOOOO!!!! YOU *&%&#^%#*! That was such an easy shot! Bloody scoundrels! I could teach you a thing or two about scoring goals!
(Wife stares)
(Husband notices the stare)
HUSBAND: Sorry honey, something wrong?
(Wife stomps off in fury!)
HUSBAND: Honey... Honey..Oh c'mon...Tell me what happened atleast... Honey...
(stares after her wondering what to do)
suddenly,
HUSBAND: Yess!!! That's a goal..You go reds!!! Awesome!!!
(And a boot comes flying from the next room and hits him)

Now if you still don't get my point guys, you must really be dumb! That's how guys just screw it up and then say girls are complicated! Ya right!

Guys say girls assume a lot of things. Maybe that would not happen IF you yourselves would open your mouths and say what you think rather than shutting off everytime something goes wrong with you. 

GUY: (After a lousy fight with his best friend) Hey sweetheart..
GIRL: Hi baby! You know what happened today? I met this really really old friend of mine! I mean, Hehe! She's not old, I mean, I hadn't met her in a long long time! I was sooooooo happy! She hasn't changed at all! We used to hang out so much earlier! 
GUY: Oh. Ok. That's nice sweetie.
GIRL: Oh I'm sooo sooo sooo happy! Now we can hang out again! We even dug out our ancient pics! U wanna see see see!!!
GUY: Ok.
GIRL: Honey, is something wrong?
GUY: No.
GIRL: You don't sound fine to me.
GUY: I'm ok yaar. What's your problem???
GIRL: (hurt) I was just worried so I asked.
GUY: Then don't. Why do you wanna piss me off?
GIRL: I piss you off?
GUY: Yea, now you are.
GIRL: Oh then please go talk to someone who doesn't piss you off.
GUY: Fine, I will.
GIRL: Fine, bye.
GUY: Bye.
(hangs up phone)

Wouldn't things have been much easier had he just told her he's upset!?
Girls are not complicated, it's guys and girls and their differing thought processes that complicate the situation. How can we salvage it? Through mutual understanding through talking it out. (That's another river of fire for guys! talking it out!) But it works, really! We girls ain't that bad!
And next time we go shopping, u can just sit with that silly game of yours and watch it until we get back!!! :P

(P.s.- I hope this is enough atonement for my previous post!!! This is for my sisterhood clan!! Love you guys!! <3)