Strained

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Photo (c) Dale Rogerson

 

Strained

Words 101

“Well what story do you have today?”

“Nothing,” I sighed.

“Are you dead?”

“No!” I protested. “I just don’t have a story to tell.”

“May as well be dead.”

“True.” I was equally despondent.

“But you can’t die before you’re dead can you?”

“I guess not.”

“Then you have to have a story. Look around. Surely something speaks to you?”

“It does,” I ventured hesitantly, “but the ideas are all so nebulous and…”

“Well hurry up and catch one idea at least!”

“I wish I could!” I groaned in despair. “But….”

“But what?”

“The holes in the sieves are too large.”

***

Written for the Friday Fictioneers – a s story in 100 words or less. Thanks to Rochelle for hosting this challenge and to Dale for the photo prompt. To read the other stories inspired by this prompt click here.

Okay Fine! I plead guilty. If this makes sense, do let me know I shall let myself out of the loony bin.

 

The Joy of Little Things

For a long time now, perhaps since 2005 that I have begun to click pics with my phone. Yes, you guessed right, of trees 😀 They had begun to work their magic on me and I just had to capture them, keep them with me so to speak.  I often wished I had someway of documenting them, cataloguing them so that I could browse at leisure. Just a pipe dream, a waste of time. Time passed, I focused on home, career, academics until fan fiction happened. Blogging was the next logical step for my stories and yet some guiding prescient hand named my blog Stories and more.

And now after two years, the more bit often gives me greater happiness than the stories 😀 Anyhow to cut a long story short, this week I target two of my favorite photo challenges – Cee’s Happy themed fun foto challenge and the Daily Post’s Smile challenge. Let’s see if I can spark a bit of happiness and bring a smile to your face with my selection:

20160617_142550Good food can bring back the spark to the dullest of days and lives doesn’t it? Like my son declared some years ago “It’s almost impossible to be angry on a full stomach.” Since then I have noticed, it is harder to be upset after food – the next time someone at home is cranky you know what to do right? 😉

Boating
Photo courtesy nephew

Then there’s nothing like some precious chillax time with friends while riding out the upheavals of academic pressures and life in general. This is one of those times when nothing matters but now 🙂

Anda7A beautiful sunset at the end of a less than idyllic day. A new day awaits and hope surges things can only be better.

Pondy beach

You are just fooling around, clueless and untrained – something clicks and you have the near perfect shot, good enough to please even your own nitpicking self. The wonder of learning something new can give quite an unparalleled high, don’t you think?

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When a little boy shows off his Tarzanic genes 😀

20180127_123003While his elders (and little girls!) prefer to take the more sedate route and dress up like their ancestors did.

 

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Then there are other things that are guaranteed to bring a smile to my heart – chancing upon the white blossoms (or are they leaves?) of an unknown tree

DSC00382A prefect green circle in the midst of a chaotic entangled bushy jungle

20180126_121120When life clings on and persists in the unlikeliest of places.

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Photos courtesy the niece in Nice err Lyon

How the internet allows us to be there while sitting here – be it at the fag end of a day

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or the beginning of a new day.

IMG-20180221-WA0020Of trees that perk up after long cold dreary overcast days and engage in a bit of arm wrestling under a perfect and gorgeously blue sky – from all the way from Dublin, Ireland.

 

ToysDo you find joy and happiness in the little things of life? Did anything here make you smile? Do let me know!

But before I go, just in case these pics didn’t strike a chord, I must share this little piece to make up for taking up so much of your time:

“No sight so sad as that of a naughty child,” he began, “especially a naughty little girl. Do you know where the wicked go after death?”

“They go to hell,” was my ready and orthodox answer.

“And what is hell? Can you tell me that?”

“A pit full of fire.”

“And should you like to fall into that pit, and to be burning there for ever?”

“No, sir.”

“What must you do to avoid it?”

I deliberated a moment: my answer, when it did come was objectionable: “I must keep in good health and not die.”                                                       ― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

May you all keep in good health and not die – at least not a moment before one has to!

Life and Death

As I come out of my shell and explore my surroundings I can’t help but notice a unique seasonal feature around these parts. Spring and fall seem to coexist. Leaves carpet the roads and mounds of leaves dot the sides of the roads until they are carted off to their final resting place. And yet gardens are abloom with a riot of colors – pink purple yellow and magenta. The peepal tree outside my office is a case in point. It is almost bare with a few green leaves determinedly hanging on until they turn yellow and reluctantly make their way down to whence they grew to such dizzying heights. And yet whilst this tussle is on, a new unruly batch has already sprung up gung-ho and eager to make their mark in this world. I have been feeling too inhibited to click this particule tree but I did mix and match some photos in an earlier post – Peepal in Spring.

For this post I have captured a few contrasting images from the world around me. Come scroll with me…

20180331_102923Clutching at straws

20180330_101305Brilliant and defiant in death.

20180330_101433Life towers over and mocks at death – it is not for me!

20180330_101500Yet some die before their time

20180330_101451While others bloom despite all odds

20180401_081112Even when there appears to be no hope or escape

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Only when we accept that ups and downs, life and death will happen can we move on and live life as she deserves to be led – wholly completely, entirely and unabashedly.

Wish you all a wonderful day.

The Journey Within

I missed Becca’s Sunday Trees but here I am on Tuesday. Have a wonderful day people!

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Skipping along the dirt road

she stopped to

stare and ponder

Poor old tree

No respite

No escape

Imprisoned

Forever and ever

The tree swayed with gentle laughter

A single curled leaf

Twirled its way down upon her head

Little one

Not all journeys are without

If you would

but look within

Friends Forever

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Photo (c) Fatima Fakier Deria

Friends Forever

Words 101

“Here comes Her Highness.” Trishna muttered as Sapna floated down to join them.

Sapna stuck out her tongue.

“Enjoy your last day as Queen,” Prakriti said maliciously.

“Excuse me?” Sapna frowned.

“Maya’s coming.” Trishna burst out. “With fresh gossip.”

Sapna flickered and then rallied. “She must be ancient!”

“Remember how vain she was of her looks?” Layla’s husky murmur was still a killer.

“A bad hair day saved her from the car crash.” Leena rued.

“I wonder if she has any hair left?” Trishna patted her flowing tresses.

“I can’t wait to see her as a doddering ghost.” Sapna said gleefully.

***

Written for the Friday Fictioneers – a story in 100 words or less. Thanks to Rochelle for hosting the challenge and Fatima Fakier Deria for the photo prompt. To read the other stories inspired by this prompt click here.

PS. Any readers of Silver Streaks here? Or fans of IPK? This may be of interest to you (or at least I am hoping it will be!) 😉

WPS: Into the Maelstrom

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Photo from Google Maps

Into the Maelstrom

Words 151

“Exams over?”

She gave an ecstatic twirl. “I am free!”

“Free?” I queried. “But what about admissions, career…”

“None of that nonsense for me,” she dismissed with her nose in the air. “I have my future all planned.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“First college for some graduation course…”

“Which course?”

“Whatever I qualify for.”

“Okay. Next?”

“Prince Charming will find me and sweep me off my feet. I will lead him to a merry dance, before agreeing to marry him.”

“Wow.”

She smiled dreamily. “A stupendous destination wedding with both Shah Rukh and Salman Khan dancing and then go abroad for our honeymoon.”

“Where abroad?”

“Anywhere! The States to do lots of shopping.” She giggled. “Visit all the famous tourist spots, go trekking, camping, just him and me.” She clasped her hands. “It will be the most romantic time ever.”

“Nice.” I said. “And then what?

“I haven’t thought further than that.”

***

Written for What Pegman Saw – a story in 150 words or less based on locations chosen from Google Maps. This week we are off to Yellowstone National Park in the US and on my bucket list. Thanks to K Rawson for hosting the challenge. To read the other stories inspired by this prompt, click here.

#QOGUIN Series

Hello and welcome to my new venture – #QOGUIN Series.

Puzzled? Curious? Interested? Intrigued? Well I hope so! Anyway here’s the thing, while shifting houses I seem have to misplaced my muse. Probably off on a vacation which I deserve – but then there’s no rest for the wicked. And since I cannot seem to stay away from blogging either so I hit upon a compromise. I can finally hatch an idea that I have been incubating for quite some time – share some Quirky Odd Good Ugly Intriguing News from all over the world. Perhaps some stuff thrown in from around my tiny world as well.

So, are you game?

I’m not sure if it is going to be a weekly, monthly or even a regular feature. Ahh well we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it right? Hey, here’s an idea? Why don’t you join in? Surely you have something non-fictional to share? Just make a post and drop your link here whenever you’re ready – no rush, no rules. And to prove that I would like to make an earlier post A Salute to the Wall as the first in the series 😀 And all the other positive news that I may have posted earlier, will hunt them out and list them in a dedicated Page.

Today’s article for this series is on underage driving which, as most of us are aware more often than not lead to disastrous consequences. Children, especially in certain Indian Metros are notorious for going off on jaunts, motor racing and stunts late at night and are a danger not only to themselves but also the others. Fed up with repeated unfortunate and countless such incidents, in 2015 the traffic police in Bengaluru threatened to imprison and confiscate driving licenses of parents of underage children caught driving. In fact, scores of parents were booked. But they got off after paying a fine. Finally last month, the Hyderabad police cracked down on errant parents and arrested 69 such irresponsible parents of these daredevil (I’m willing to bet) boys.

This bit of news gave me a lot of cheer and hope. I now wait for the day when parents of daughters who commit suicide and are forced to suffer atrocities at their in-laws are also arrested.

If you wonder at my extreme reaction, perhaps you might like to read my article on Bride Burning, a call to action and my long running fictional piece (most of which is drawn from real-life) – Moonshine.

Thank you for visiting, I am happy to play hostess after a long time 🙂 Do let me know your thoughts and look forward to reading anything interesting – the good the bad the ugly – that you may have to share.

Have a wonderful weekend.

You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete. -R. Buckminster Fuller

WPC: Moo Point

Here’s my third and final re-post for the Daily Post a story in pictures. Hopefully I shall be back with fresh content soon. Thanks for your visits and patience. Have a wonderful day.

Dahlia's avatarStories and more

One sunny winter morning, we set to explore the Kolkata suburbs. Err well actually, the boys were on the lookout for a suitable place to reconnect minus the usual noise of their own ‘inhibitory’ pathways. And I, being blessed with no such inhibitions, tagged along for some possible photo ops. And voila there unfolded right before my phone camera a live drama.

brunchThe ladies were out for a bit of a munch at brunch

gossipPerhaps share a few confidences away from the old hag and other potential eavesdroppers.

dangerOh but wait – what was that? Danger!!!

retreatTime for a graceful and disdainful retreat – the leading lady led the way, while a tardy youngster grabbed a mouthful for the road.

retreat2Feeling brave, I ventured closer. She gave me a beady glare – No interviews or autographs please. I have other urgent business to attend to – she trotted off on…

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