Alone in the crowd – 55 fiction

The Snap- The sport





Attempt 1- Sweet.


She was suffocating on the air she was breathing.

The jostling crowd around her, the cacophony that was soaking the stadium, the final match of her favorite club – every single thing that had her attention till then, faded away obsolete.

She felt alone & was in bliss. Her love was on his knee.

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The Snap- The crowd & cacophony-





Attempt2- Sour.

She looked around bored.

The jostling crowd, the cacophony & the stupid match - everything bored.

But she did not care anyways. She was there.

Better to be alone in this crowd than in her room, whose four walls of late have been complaining too much about how they never get their privacy.

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Attempt3- Salty.

“I miss you- alone without you in this crowd” She typed & sent the message.

“Me too” came the reply.

She smiled & then joined in the rhythm of the match cheering with the guy she was with today.

The message did not even transcend towers. After all both the mobiles were inside the same stadium.


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The Snap- The cheering & jeering-




Attempt4- Bitter.

Up & down she went,

Jumping & shouting with the crowd around her, her cheers lost in the cacophony of the stadium but she did not give up.

A few tears flew in a few directions.

Her lone voice broke. But still she shouted. If only her son wasn’t stillborn on that day, he would be here now shouting with her.

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Author's note-


The following 55 fictions are all based on the same Idea -Being alone in the crowd(Inspired by Keshi when she commented about it in my last post.) So i dedicate this series of 55 fiction to her. Gal, I hope I did justice to your Idea. :)

I have tried to bring out the different tastes that can be involved in the same scenario playing around with the four basic tastes. Sweetness, sourness, saltiness and bitterness. Guys, do tell me- how did you like my recipe.





If you like this kind of playing around with 55 fictions dealing with the same Idea but having different tastes, then- You should try out my previous such attempts.

-- About a girl crying[link]

-- About prostitutes[link]


PS-

Guys, I am actually pretty much in the middle of writing a pretty much bold, aggressive post. A post about gender and what I think is the most bigoted issue of all thats affecting us as a sexual being. I want to make the argument in the post strong, so I am taking my time. Will post it soon.

And yeah, I am going to kodaikanal - A hill station in TN this weekend with my family. So I will be out of blog ville for a couple of days. Will catch up with you guys when I get back most probably on Monday. :)

The lost emotions of love: - A short story.

He was dull. That’s it. You simply could not think anything else about him. Even roadside tramps might have had an once in a while happy face to wear and prance about but not he. May be the color grey was defined after seeing his face or after his face. Such was the bleakness that soaked and dripped from the ridges of his face. There just wasn’t any other expression, any other expression other than his nonchalant sigh, a sigh that seemed to be his answer to all the questions that might have lost their way and found him.

People never knew what he did for a living; let alone did he do anything at all? - Was a question that was seldom speculated because people rarely knew he existed.




Days passed into months and years and one day he too passed away like they all do one day or the other. Fate always has its mockery in the weirdest ways. He died in a spectacular road accident. So spectacular was the accident, So much huge was the traffic pile up caused by it, So much effort and time it took to clear the impaired traffic, that everyone was amazed to learn that he was the one and only fatal victim of the event.

The publicity generated by the single victim carnage was so enormous that the authorities thought that it would be a bit of a promotional material to find his living relatives and hand them over his remains. The authorities as it can be guessed found no living relations, friends or any living soul who in the least knew him. This baffled them and when the media got to know it, they made a bit of a circus out of it.





“Can someone be in such isolation in today’s crowd of a society?”

“Don’t people need other people to enjoy life and to cherish the thought of living?”

“Even in today’s age of nanotechnology and robotics, can the spontaneity of joy in other people’s company be replaced?”

“If not for love, what’s the purpose of keeping on living?”



----Excerpts from the Digital edition of the magazine - Life dated 12-10-3078-----


Experts in human emotional evolution say that this incident in a very odd way has become an eye opener for the people who have simply lost their touch with the human feelings of isolation, loneliness and forlornness. In an attempt to capture the public opinion, on the spot questions were put to the passerby on a busy street.


--College student: Let me tell me tell you something man. After I got my hand fit with the molecular mobile, you know the kind that uses your own bio- energy and your thought process for its other functions like dialing and other things; I am 24*7 in contact with my friends man. It even has inbuilt MP3 music. But you know what’s kind a funny. Nowadays I rarely take time to visit my friends or to greet my fellow passengers on the fly bus. My grand father used to say that his grand father told that these things were cool creating real human bond. But anyways man like him, I too never tried it.


--Doctor: May be I should have mastered in psychology. Those Psychologists get more patients calling than me, a diabetic expert. Patients nowadays simply send me their digital urinal imprint via mail and ask me to mail their medicines. Totally ridiculous. With total physical care supplied by the corporations who ensure you with 80 years of healthy life, what can doctors like me who are practicing alone accomplish?


--Rushing share market expert: Pardon, Oh sorry I have no time for any comments.



--Retired psychologist: I think that people are a bit more preoccupied for something so spontaneous like love to be expressed and to be expressed to in our present society. Totally preoccupied with how to run life that it’s simply easy to forget the simple things that really matter like perhaps to kiss your child good night.


--Road side tramp: Yeah, as I always say to my friends, the worlds gonna end my boy, the worlds gonna end. For sure. You can trust me. No not nuclear war or anything. Just humanlessness. Let me repeat - just humanlessness. Yeah I discovered that word “humanlessness”. When was the last time you went and saw someone just because you felt like it? Answer me you young man?


--A twelve year old on the way to school: The guy was dead and there were no relations or friends to cry over him!! I……..I am really sorry for him.


The responses that were obtained on the street were varied and gave considerable insight into the subject in a rather subtle manner. The technological leap in the past century may have made our life easier but what the humans in an emotional level need may not always be the easy way through says the EQ (emotional quotient) Expert of our magazine. Having a work book idea for almost everything single problem, not only provides an immediate remedy but also isolates people. In fact too much technology eliminates the need for other people.

So next time, you are about to take your digi dog out for a walk do consider buying yourself a natural dog. Of course it pees on the couch but it can also surprise you with an unexpected loving lick on your face.



----Book beforehand for your next edition and get to know the ideas our magazine doctor suggests to find your lost emotions of love. All the ideas have been tested and the experimental results have also been established. Zero chances of random events happening.


---The End---




Author's note -

Guys, I jus arrived from Coimbatore. I cleared the GD and I think that I did the PI reasonably well(the results will be announced in 20 days.). Thank you guys for all your wishes. They made my day. And a lot of really interesting stuff happened at the PI. Will blog about it in my next post.


And this is the first story that I wrote so it may have a lot of holes in the plot. And I am happy guys, happy 2 know that I have really come a long way from writing a poat and praying to god that someone would read and comment on it. Thanks to the inspiration that you guys have always been, I love to write 4 you. :)



until the next post.

cheers then.

muthu

Tweets & Taunts -

Guys, the following are a few one liners that I myself enjoyed tweeting. Most of them are sardonic, satirical and are deliberately provoking. Do not take them seriously. They are just tweets that were born out of boredom and random thoughts & so read them as tweets.

And if in a few tweets, be warned - I may go overboard with my thinking. Too much brain work always has a few side effects. So I may get quirky, do bear with me.






Philosophy -


when bored- slap urself once and remind urself - you are the one boring yourself. :D


waiting 4 luv is as silly as baiting for it.... if u luv some1 better go out tere and fight 4 it. nothing worth having ever comes easy... :)



Attitude -

Who said loners don't have a social life -We are too busy playing with ourselves to engage others dude & no jerk not sexually.... :D

oh... tweet me something intelligent, funny & witty. If u cant really, that s OK, jus send me another 1 of those stupid porn links :P







Satire -


honesty is not just d best policy, its fun-- Imagine telling your gf- Really u don't look that great but I just cant stop looking at you :)

And yeah b4 using my lines 2 ur bf, better check out whether she is following me on twitter. :P

Sri aurobindo says- the darkest nights r followed by the brightest dawns... I say- Yeah sure dude, If you are awake until then... :)

when badly bored tweet about it, some1 more bored than u will tweet u back, u will b surprised, then feel good& continue to be bored




Mushy -

every random thought of mine makes sense but of course dont try 2 fit them together -- they will fall apart like my heart does thinkin abt u

"Night is more beautiful than the day, for i paint the darkness with the dreams of my love......"

I hate people loving in front of me, It always hurts to see what I am missing right then.







Women -


Sometimes i think u need 2 b born a women to know a women but then what would be the fun in that... really...

God created man in his image was not satisfied so created women in even better image tats when he got kicked out of earth he neva returned


Political -

But just now they said chidambaram lost & after recounting he is declared victorious they recounted not reverse counted right?

Of course i voted, thats why i spend time watching the election results. jus to know how much i have messed up

Varun Gandhi says- people luv me coz i look like my father. I say- tats great dude but ur father is Mr.er.hmhm..????



Brutal -

Eating a lot 4 taste is like fucking a lot for fun. Be warned

Everybody fucks everyone either literally or physically So why is the word F**K so very offensive...




Author's note -

And yeah, I am totally into twitter. What else is more fun. People actually read and comment on your silly rantings.

And Guys I am going to Coimbatore for my GD and PI rounds tomorrow. Do pray for me. I will be out of blog ville till I return.



until then.

Take care -

muthu

The spirit of sports - An experimental story.

The snap -




The dignity game – (7 sentences)


The match was dense, intense and heated up with hormones, sweat and energy scorching like sex for the first time in all its magnificence. Both the players were equally skilled, well matched and played with their own heart and soul on the line. Even the table tennis table must have sweat ed a bit along with the four walls – the lone spectators, losing themselves in the tension of the game. The ball was served for the game point, the last point and ball bounced on the table along with the heart of the two lone men fighting with each other and with themselves for to lose was unacceptable to them.

Damn Once again draw, draw for the 7th time in a row.

The tired players decided to take a tea break at the club cafeteria. The tea must have been too good, for they never returned to finish the game.


We are men - (5 sentences)

Nobody knew who started the fight nor did anyone remember who cheated at the game first. But that doesn’t really matter as what has happened has happened and there is no going back.
After all a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. A few broken bones, bruised knuckles, scars, scratches, cuts, a few drops of crimson blood shed, violence and fighting.
Of course they won’t be playing for a while but at least they made sure to show they are not pussies.


The credit - (3 sentences)

The jubilation and the celebration of the victory, a well deserved victory flowed and flooded the room – hugs, slogans, shouts, embraces, teases, friendly punches, shoulder slaps, smell of sweat, glory and victory.
“The winning ball goes to” the coach paused with the ball in his hand raised for all to see.
Expectations soured sky high, wavered with expectations and then bloomed fulfilled when the couch with a sparkle and a smile shouted out “the team”.


The loser – (1 sentence)

He lost the game but people respectfully made their way for him as he left the stadium, for anyone can win like a winner wins but only the real sportsmen, men who laugh, cry and break along with the sport can lose like a winner; for they alone love a sport for what it is and what a sport is is just love unconditional.


Author's note -

Sports is something that not only unites men but it is like a bond among us. I remember the fights, the fun, the wins, the loses when I used to play football for my team in college. This post in way is like a dedication to all those moments and those moments that await to put me in bliss in the future.

Guys, This is one of my experimental stories. I have started with exactly 7 sentences and reduced them from story to story to reach 1. I have not taken into account the word count as long as I can limit the number of full stops I use.

I would really love your take on my attempt. And If you loved the above then you will also love my other attempt of the same experimental kind that I wrote a few weeks back - the topic of my stories being the darker shades of women. You guys should try it out.[link]



PS -

And guys, one of my political tweets got featured in a BBC article. Check it out. My tweet is above the first picture - the one with the congress supporter with coolers[link].


I was so in seventh heaven when I came to know it. Nothing like recognition of your own words to boost you. Hariprasadm tweeted me about this. Thank you so much dude.



Cheers then guys...

until later.

muthu

Alone – A poem

The snap -





The poem -

Mad moments few,
Will be drenched in dew
Lost in the darkness; my wry laments;
Just a handful
A handful of bitter tears;
Deeply blistering tears –
Scarlet scars painted; on
Crimson cheeks tainted;
Of pain;
Of love slain;
Like Cain;
Of Abel slain;


An elegy;
Of a love lost.
An orgy of a melancholy;
At a hearts cost.
Anguish; Ache;
Vodka; Sake;


I cry alone every night,
Dipping and drenching my shattered soul; in
A handful of bitter tears;
Deeply blistering tears –
I cry alone every night,





To remember the moments I spent laughing with her.
The bliss; the heaven;
The kiss; the Beethoven;
My love, my bow;
My Soul, my Spirit;
Lass of an angel;
In the bass of love;




Oh…. I lost her, I lost her
I lost her, I lost her……




Please do not disturb me; When



I cry….. Alone every night.





Author’s note –


The above poem also is based on a Tamil poem that I wrote while travelling to Coimbatore a few days back (I haven’t posted the Tamil poem but if you guys want to read the original Tamil poem, I will post it later). My sis says that I can be pretty depressing with my words sometimes. The above poem according to her is one of them. I don’t really agree with her. I think that pain in love is the ultimate salvation in life.



PS –

I actually am posting this poem from a browsing center nearby my home. The broadband connection in my home has been having a lot of problems lately and I have not been able to tweet or to blog regularly because of that. I have registered a complaint and I think that those BSNL guys will take a couple of days to look into the problem. I will be offline till then. Really funny things have been happening lately and I do have a lot of smiles to spill to you guys and will do so once I come back online. :):)


Until then.


Cheers….


muthu

Me, Myself and horror movies - the deadly fiasco...

The snap -





I love seeing quality horror movies, movies like the ring, 1408, the silence of the lambs, saw part 1 (the other parts lacked the good screenplay and descended into mere blood and gore). But I have one problem – I cannot, I repeat I cannot watch these movies alone. I need company to hold hands and get scared with. To shrug at each other and laugh it off once the movies is over.

Usually when I see movies or do something that I am interested in, my external sensory perception abandons me and I get sucked into the vortex of what I am doing. And in the case of movies, I get so into them, that I can get jolted for simple surprises.

Like in Jurassic park movie series, of course I know that some creepy looking reptile is going to jump on the guys from any side now, especially when they put that really creepy music and it’s going to chase them with the protagonists escaping within hair’s breath of a distance. Absolutely predictable. Really... absolutely predictable. Nothing new. But I can’t help it anyway, my mind goes haywire calculating the possibilities of the reptile emerging from every nook and corner of the screen that when the animal finally arrives, I literally jump out of my seat sweating like anything.

And this anxiety of mine easily creeps up to those around me and people watching horror movies with me usually have their worst times and best scares. Paradoxical but also memorable are those moments. Man I still remembered the way I and Ram (a friend of mine) freaked out seeing the movie sixth sense (esp the girl ghost with the noodles like stuff flowing out of her mouth), the movie “saw – part 1” when I almost went through a death and rebirth phase when that guy in that weird white mask comes to kidnap people (By the way, both are absolutely good horror movies).

I can really freak the shit out of myself and out of the people who are watching horror movies with me.


-------And now I have had this 1408 horror movie with me for a long time (for almost a year)and I never saw it for I did not get any company to watch the movie in my home(My sister hates horror genre and father and mother aren’t really into English movies). I avoided watching the movie at all costs almost till then but I couldn’t quite bring myself to delete the movie. Having heard from my friends that it’s one good scare and a meaningful scare at that (a horror movie with a good plot), I was too damn curious to just scrap and delete the movie. So I kept it.

And every time, I came across that movie folder in my PC, it would silently mock me and I would just put my head down and would try to ignore it pretty much like the way we people ignore the politicians kicking up each other’s dust and disasters during the pre – election campaigns.

But then on one fateful day, I was too damn bored to care about anything. I was too reckless if I remember exactly. I started to see the movie alone.

I steeled myself. I had to see the movie someday I reasoned. No use, postponing the inevitable. I had to do it. I must confront my fears. Face what has to be faced. I have the guts to do it and I am going to do it. Yeah, in a way I think talked myself into it.

And the movie started. It was completely wicked. With every passing scene, as the tension and the complexity to the plot increased layer by layer, I started to sweat around my neck. My grip on the arm rests on my chair tightened a bit. The idea of the story was so evil that all my insides were slowly quivering scared for the hero. I just wanted to stop the movie, shut my PC down and get outside into the sun but I was held rapt by what was happening on the screen that I could hardly move.

But somehow this time, though I was watching alone; I was determined not to lose my cool. That is... my exterior cool. I am a grown guy and I am going to take it like a man. But the movie was challenging my solidarity.

Each and every twist was so evil and cruel, that each time I consoled myself that the movie couldn’t get any possibly worse, it outdid itself. It was like trying to run away from a horrifying ghost, only to find that the more I ran, the more the ghost got closer to me. And the climax was even more twisted when the last knot of the story was unveiled at the funeral of the hero. It was like finding that until now I have been running on a treadmill whose remote has always been in the hands of the ghost that was pursuing me.


The funeral of the hero - Hurrah. I have finished watching the movie. Oh yeah, I have finished watching the movie. The statement was so dense that I had to repeat it to myself to fully understand it. Fully comprehend the meaning of it. I have just finished watching the movie. And that too alone. I did not need company to watch the horror movie and nor will I anymore. Oh…. Yeah. I am the man.

I relaxed. Took a deep breath. Loosened my grip on the arm holds. I was having those thoughts of proud self appreciation and bravery, which guys usually display on completing some task of heavy challenge or mortal risk.

And then it happened.


How can I forget it? How could I have let my guard down? The ghost always comes back for one last scare. My quick euphoria on my completing the movie without getting jolted must have gotten to my head.


Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.





The last and the final scare got to me. I was severely jarred and visibly shaken. I was left speechless.


I think I am going to need company when watching my next horror movie.





Author's note:

Guys, I just returned from Coimbatore.

A few highlights of my travel, if you ask me - it would be - 2 haiku s, 1 poem(I always write while traveling - will post them later), drank a lovely glass of mulam palzham* juice (*Tamil for musk melon, in Hindi - kharbuja); the drink was so lovely, I am salivating just thinking about it, and I realized I am slowly getting addicted to blogging. :D


Cheers then. Until later.

Muthu.

The thread - A poem

The Snap -




The thread - The Poem.



Sacred and Scattered;
Along and across the long lonely nights
Spent pinning,

Are the blossoms of my dreams,
Of you my love; of whom I love -
With all my heart; my soul apart,

And of from those blossoms and buds that lie;
Lie across a million miles,
A million miles across my heart -

To garnish a garland for you, my queen,
A beauty, even moon cringes to face -
And wanes away into the night -
Wading away with shame at it's plight;



I search a thread to thread my love,
From blossoms, blooms, flowers & shoots;
Of a million miles -
A zillion times....

But fail and falter;
Every time;
Every attempt.
The more i try the more i fail;
Remorse rains, remains & drains
My pain, failing to find a worthy thread;

A worthy thread to thread my love,
As flowers and dreams it lies scattered,
My love for you.



In your eyes, then i see....
A strand of light,
A twine of delight,
As the embers of your eyes sparkle when you laugh,

Oh.... I stare mesmerized
And hypnotized,
With rejoice and joy infinite,
I stare.....



At your love, my dove;
Your love for me
That spindles threads out for me...

As the line of light
In your sight....
That jumps and twinkles out of your eyes.....


I love you.


Author's note -


Guys I usually write poetry in my native tongue Tamil in which I am spontaneous. The above poem - The thread is my first full length poem in English. The idea of the poem is based on tamil poem of the same name that i penned a year ago. I have posted the tamil poem as an image for you guys who know tamil. I would love to have your comments on my venture into English poetry.


The tamil version of the poem -




Tamil is a beautiful language that was tailor made for poetry. It is the soul of my inspiration as a writer. You need not think in tamil, words will flow in tamil. I love my language with a passion so fierce that when i write about it, I am overwhelmed with love for my language - tamil. I dedicate this poem to my mother - mother tongue - Tamil. May all praise go to her for seeding in me the germ of poetry.


PS -

Guys, If you liked this poem of mine, then do check out the other poems of mine here. Hope you enjoy them. Cheers.

Something to die for – A 55 fiction.

The snap -





The Story -



“If I am death, will you embrace me…?” She asked.

“Things may go wrong, our parents may curse, make things horrible for us, our relatives will downcast us, the society will cook us into gossip, we may have no support in life tomorrow, may be we will suffer the worse.” She paused and said in a strong decided tone “But I love you.”

She stood there waiting for his reply. His brown eyes were unfocused lost in thought.


Please say yes… She thought...... Please say yes….. please say yes….. please…. Her insides were shaking... What is he thinking? What is there to think? I am ready to take the leap. Please let him just say the word. I love him, love him more than I ever loved myself. Does he know that? I love him. love him. Love him. Love him. Please I beg you god, let him say yes…. Let him jus... And then her thoughts hit a wall and her mind went blank.

He had hugged her………. hard.



Note –

Guys, I thought that the original i wrote first spontaneously was good and did not have the heart to cut it down to 55 words. So I left the story as it was though i have labeled it 55 fiction. (all the bloggers were writing something mushy, chronic writer, hopeless romantic - after reading their posts, i got inspired and wrote my own contribution to the mushy fest.)

PS -

Guys, while i was searching for images of couples hugging, the pictures i found at pro.corbis.com were so good; I felt like i suddenly needed a hug in the middle of the night. Pity I didn't get one. [:P]. I chose the snap that best resonated with the story.

The link of the snap - http://pro.corbis.com/search/searchFrame.aspx?txt=%22Arm+around%22+%22Hugging%22+%22Romance%22