A Magical Glow Miracle

The lightening tore the black clouds hard.

Her frail wings fluttered in the wind.

Her shelter was safe yet empty.

They had all gone to a safer zone .

She waited to test her fate again.

She had no choice but to wait with patience.

Days passed and food was scarce.

The Sun would come out and dry her wings.

She would then fly to seek her peace.

She would watch the rain and fight the chill.

Twigs were damp and so was she.

Her eyes were straining and paining.

Few feathers withered away.

She was all set to give up once and for all.

A sparkling glow of light flashed upon her.

She was unsure if it was a dream or a magic.

She saw the glow encircling her with care.

Her feathers were dry and she felt safe and peaceful.

She flew seeking her next destination far away.

She discovered new places and loved the adventures.

The sky, water, sun, snow, sand, flowers were magical

The glow would rarely appear and it was Divine.

She flew on with a glowing smile and gratitude.

The climate changed and time to head back home.

The weather was bright and sunny with fun times.

As the clouds reappeared she held her heart.

She was sure that the glow will rise her again.

As the glow of confidence, love and happiness within her.

Can Love Be a Reason or Mistake? - Part 2

She burst into tears. Samarth invited her to stay at his place till the water situation was brought into control.  She literally swam through the water to reach his place. Samarth was waiting for her at the doorstep. There was no power in the building. She collapsed in his arms.  Samarth caressed her forehead and puller her into his arms, hugging her tightly. She never felt safer. She had a quick shower and put on Samarth’s shirt and the duo had dinner under candle light. They sat on the couch close to each other reliving their college days. Shreya couldn’t stop looking at Samarth’s eyes. In spite of the darkness, his eyes comforted her. The events of that day were haunting her with even though she knew she was safe. Her fingers were trembling while she held the cup of coffee, her favorite Cappuccino flavor that he offered. Samarth could feel her fear which was quite obvious from her expressions even though she was trying hard to look normal.

Samarth sat beside her and as he was covering her with a shawl, he hugged her and whispered in her ear, ‘Don’t worry, you are fine. I am there with you right. You are my brave Shreya.’ Tears started rolling down her cheeks as she let go the shawl and cried embracing him. She had no clue what was happening but then she wished to be with him. While he told her to calm and he wiped her tears, his fingers caressed her cheeks. His kissed her forehead and she was speechless. ‘Can I kiss you, Shreya’, he asked. Time stilled that moment and all she wanted was love. She leaned in to kiss him.  And within no time, they were exploring each other’s bodies. It was the first time she felt like a passionate lover as in the novels she read, craving for physical pleasure. Samarth was warm and wanted to shower his feelings of concern for her. The severity of the rain slowed down and the sound of the winds calmed down by mid night. That night, Shreya slept peacefully. When she woke up next morning, she saw Samarth lying next to her. She didn’t know how to react and left without informing him. Facing Samarth at work became difficult after that. Though she didn’t feel guilty about the fact that they made love, there was something that she couldn’t understand about the relationship.

The week at office was uneasy for her. She was finding a name for her relationship with Samarth. She was a small town girl, ambitious and was confused about what happened. Days passed and Samarth’s boss, who was also his friend, was moving out of town. Samarth had discretely told Shreya few weeks before the night episode, he got the news that she needs to look for a job as the company was not performing so well in the last few months. But Shreya loved the comfort zone she was in and the pay was more than sufficient to pay off her rent. After that night, Samarth had called up many a times as if nothing really happened. She was afraid to ask him fearing something which was unable to understand. He had of course asked if she was fine and she had said with a positive answer, she was. She loved listening to Samarth every day despite the emotional upheavals and believed that everything would work out fine. She had fallen for Samarth.

By the end of the month, Samarth went on long leave.  Shreya’s heart was literally jumping with joy when he came back. But Samarth didn’t look his usual best. He told Shreya that he had a girlfriend who was a Bengali, but his parents didn’t want him to marry her as they wanted him to marry a girl from their caste and from Lucknow.  That’s when it struck Shreya. There was another woman in Samarth’s life, with whom she wanted to spend the rest of his life with. She was shocked. She had no idea how to cheer him up and handle her own emotions at the same time. She choked. She didn’t ask him a single question. Instead, she got him a glass of water and gave him a comforting hug. He smiled. When she returned to her seat, her heart was pounding. What was happening to her? She confessed to Samarth that there was more to the relationship and that she had fallen for him.

But the moment she confessed her feelings for her, he began acting strange. She started losing focus at work so much so that when Samarth quit as hinted, she put in her papers without another job in hand. Samarth had begun maintaining a distance from her. When the frequency of calls had come down drastically, she began stalking him online. Though Samarth lived in the same city, he was barely in touch with her.

She willed herself to not check her phone to see if he had replied. It had been about three days now. She hated that she was constantly checking his 'last seen at' status and yes, he had logged in just five minutes ago. Yet she couldn't stop herself. This sinking feeling to find absolutely no communication from him was becoming unbearable, almost torturous.

And then, just as she sat down in her chair, her phone vibrated. With her heart thudding in her ear, she unlocked her phone and stared at the screen. Finally! It was his message.

But when she opened it and read it, she nearly stopped breathing. She didn't know if he was joking or not. What was this?

 ‘It was a mistake. Look I am sorry. You trust me right?  I am getting engaged next week and its time you accepted the truth. I tried helping you that night. There’s nothing more to it. My parents and I want you to be there for the engagement function. Please come Shreya. Thanks, Samarth’.

She considered him her best friend, mentor and a loving person. He understood her much better than her; and she had always respected his feelings and valued his words. But when she wanted to hear those magical words from him, all she received was ‘a mistake’.

The entire phase in her life seeking his love and care was gone- just like that. What was she to do now?

Can Love Be a Reason or Mistake? - PART 1

Courtesy:Google Images

“It was a mistake. Look I am sorry. You trust me right? ….”

Shreya was reading the line again and again in disbelief. Her eyes were brimming with tears and had reached her spectacles, blurring her vision. Shreya had known Samarth for the last 11 months.

A young, aspiring girl all the way from Jharia, the land of the coal mines in Dhanbad, Jharkhand; Shreya had made it to Chennai with the sole aim of becoming an accomplished copywriter. She was fluent in many languages and since her childhood friend was from Tamil Nadu, she spoke a little of Tamil as well.  This was one of the blessings of having brought up in Jharkhand, she took pride of.   A petite youngster in her early 20s, Shreya had gotten in touch with her college senior Samarth to find a job in Chennai, a city and its vibrant culture she had always wanted to explore. She had made a few phone calls to him and Samarth had gone out of his way to help her find a job. Reaching there was sheer destiny, she believed.  The place had a lot of Ad agencies and the cost of living was lower when compared to the other metro cities. She was supported by her father, a Government Official by profession, to give her best shot in Chennai and he had arranged for a stay in a Paying Guest accommodation in the heart of the city. Upon enquiring, Samarth said that it was hardly 30 minutes drive from his place and that it was a safe locality. This was truly an assurance.

When she had booked the tickets and packed her bag, she sent an email to Samarth and also said that she had managed to arrange a couple of interviews by her own.

He replied, ‘Welcome to Chennai. All the best, Shreya, to become an ace copywriter.’  She smiled as she read. His words boosted her confidence. She was eager to see her cool friend in the new city.

And on her first day in Chennai, Samarth was there to receive her. Shreya had heard Samarth over the phone during their conversations while she was still in Jharia, but when she met him in person in Chennai, she was over the moon. He was a handsome guy and had oodles of energy. She loved his curvy smile and the spark in his eyes when he spoke. He was a perfectionist when it came to his looks. His hair was short and he had a French beard. He treated Shreya with care and trust. There were days when Samarth would wait in the office even after he finished his work, just to ensure that he dropped Shreya home safely. He would crack jokes and lighten her mood, when she was down.

Samarth helped her overcome her fear of interviews with mock sessions. He would be really harsh to her as an interviewer, but she knew it was for her own good. After a month of job hunt and rejections, she finally joined an advertising agency referred by Samarth. It’s been 30 days in Chennai and it was time she had some money in hands.

Shreya was ambitious and hardworking. Under Samarth’s guidance, she was evolving as a good copywriter. She had begun reading a lot of books and learning different writing styles. Her ads were out on leading national dailies and she felt like a great achievement. She shared her happiness with him. Samarth was from the city of the Nawabs, Lucknow and his style was unique. He had the pride and an unassuming nature in equal measures. Shreya would at times, visit Samarth and his parents, and relish homely food. They were fond of his naïve girl from small-town. She was overwhelmed when they bought her a pair of jeans for Holi. Samarth later said that he was proud of her achievement, especially the recent laminated brochure content that she had written at one shot.

 Samarth was a good listener and Shreya ended up sharing every little detail about her life. He also gave her a glimpse into his past and his girlfriends. Shreya loved listening to his stories. She would love to hear about his adventure trips and his feats when he would help people selflessly.  Perhaps somewhere within she had started idolizing him and never ever found a flaw in his character. She knew that he was always there for her as a good friend. She would always make small creative bookmarks and paintings for him. Samarth was always himself with her, she believed. He was not her boyfriend but she cared for him a lot. It was his honestly, humanity and humbleness that made him special for her. He never gave her gifts but he was a gift himself who made her smile and cross her fears in life with courage and self-confidence.

The biggest surprise for him was a big A3 sized laminated card that she designed and printed to wish him on his birthday. He was speechless and sent an email, ‘This is one of the BEST gifts I have received in live, I shall treasure lifelong. Thank you so much. Love, Samarth’. She was glad seeing him happy and the thought that perhaps she was a reason for his smile.

Work was getting hectic and even then their friendship was fun and she never wished for anyone else.  Once a while she would go for dinner with her friends and Samarth would call up by 10 pm to ensure if she was back to her room safe. He knew she was very simple and innocent while the city of Chennai and the advertising world was not so. He was a marketing professional and knew the world better than her. He was working in the UK before he came to Chennai and so he had learned much about the corporate world. Shreya respected his words and she strongly believed that he would always want her good.

Once, when there was a heavy downpour in the city and the whole of Chennai had come to a standstill. Shreya finished her work and left her work at the usual time. By the time, she had reached her hostel, wading through the water; it was late in the night. The warden asked her to shift to a temporary place for some time as the hostel was flooded with water. Shreya was blank as she didn’t know anyone in the city other than Samarth.  Though she had a few friends in her hostel, they had moved in to their respective relatives’ house and were an obligation themselves.  That’s when Samarth called her.