children

All this while the child was looking into a mirror which only reflected its true self inside out. The starry gaze was mainly because the glass was an unknown substance which shone in a peculiar way. The mother refused to believe that the 8 month old could even recognise anything by looking into it. She broke the glass with her fist and metallic bangles to deny herself the narcissistic pleasure of being watched by her only child. When her husband walked into the room all he saw was orange pieces and little sparkles of mercurial life. The baby giggled at its mother’s antic. The mother had a satisfied yet a fearful look on her face. When her man pleaded to know what was going on the only answer he got was the trickle of water from her eyes and the wild gaze from his child. He put his hands around his wife and tried to comfort her. He knew she was boiling underneath. Yet, he stroked her hair and slowly walked her out of the room and made her sit on the sofa in the living room. He went inside again and lifted the baby off its tiny bed and brought it to its mother. He poured a glass of orange juice and drank a sip. He extended his hand in offer to his wife who looked at him blank. Undeterred by her look he made her drink slowly sip by sip. Her zombie like appearance and the baby’s gurgle brought him back to reality. He begged forgiveness to the lord for his foolish behaviour. The lord pushed the white button to keep him from running away. He stayed. Later, he strayed. His wife estranged herself from him and the child too. She had decided to live on. Her now ex-husband loved her decision. He wished her well. He married the woman he really loved and took good care of the child. The child grew up to be an actor. He shot to fame. He was shot by his mom. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

‘Oh! My god! Hi Karthik’

‘Hey Mira, are you alive or what? So good to see you’

‘So, how’s the gang? Are you guys still practicing? ‘

‘Uh...eh...well no… not really.’

‘Why? How come?’

‘Ha, the usual stuff, well you see my dad passed away last month..’

‘I am so sorry’

‘Yeah, well so you see I can’t make it to the practices any more’

‘O! I see’

‘I got to take up a job ‘cause my mom resigned long back and she’s not keeping so well these days’

‘Hey why don’t you and I sit in that coffee shop? Maybe we can talk’

‘No, I have to go. Besides your friend is waiting for you there’

‘Hmmm well I hope to catch up with you soon. Take care’

‘Thanks. Bye’

‘Good morning, Helpdesk. May I help you?’

‘You sure can. You see I still haven’t received my order and…’

‘May I have your order No. sir?’

‘XY112233’

‘Hold a minute sir while I check’

‘Sir, your order was due on Feb 14 05 right?’

‘Well I could have told that myself son’

‘Sorry Sir, the computer says the order was delivered on the same day’

‘You’re right but it was a wrong parcel and the store promised to send me the right one on the same day’

‘I’m sorry sir, there are no such comments here sir’

‘Are you guys idiots to be on the helpdesk or what? You gave us information we already know’

‘Si….r’

‘You have not only messed up my special day but charged me for that. I am going to sue you’

‘S….hello! Hello!’

 

‘Karthik, Karthik….hey wake up….the van is going to be here anytime’

‘Mmmmmm….amma I don’t want to go to work today’

‘Ennada, ipdi cholre…veleki po mataya?’

‘Illema…I am fed up of taking crap from everybody. I think I am going to take a break’

‘Aiyyo, don’t talk like this kanne. Take leave today if you want. We will talk this out’

(Mother hugs her son. Karthik is sobbing on her lap).

 

Mira dial’s her friend Maha’s number.

‘Hello’

‘Hey Maha are you coming to the movies with me today?’

‘Yup. Only if it isthe 3.30 show. I can’t make it earlier than that’

‘OK. I will buy the tickets and waitfor you at the entrance’

‘Wow! Look at the crowd. How did you manage the tickets?’

‘Lucky me. A guy was stood up by his GF and he dumped the tickets with me. Imagine I didn’t even pay for these.’

‘Unbelievable! But cool.’

 

‘I’m hungry. Come let’s eat Killer cone at Yummies.’

 

‘Delicious! Good they have these nice chairs here. My energy level is rather low today’

‘Hey Mira, tell me what happened to your nice friend we bumped into the other day’

‘O Maha! It’s a long story but the guy is in rehab for doping big time. He was trying to do himself in’

‘Shucks. What happened? He had a well paying job right?’

‘True but it was something he never wanted to do. All his life he wanted to make it big as the best hard rock guitarist and life had something else in store for him’

‘Well so what? It’s the same for all of us. We learn to live. It’s not so bad after all’

‘Do you really believe that or have you accepted things the way they are? It’s not so easy for everyone, you know?’

‘I guess so but no point in being bitter. You know about my life. I never felt cared for but it didn’t bother me enough from doing what I wanted to’

‘I know. You are an inspiration to me when I hit the bottom.’

 

‘Good morning, May I come in Sir?’

‘Yes Raghu. Come in. In fact I wanted to buzz you just now’

‘Sir, this is our best year. Our profits have gone up by a whopping 65%. Thanks to the new VP from…..’

‘Go ahead Raghu...I know I picked this guy from a small time winding up company but I could see fire burning inside of him. He had stuff all through. He maybe a little moody at times but he sure has his head and heart in the right place.’

‘Yes sir. It is hard to predict who is what. Life takes its own course in time’

 

‘Mira this is me Karthik. I am organising a dinner for the gang this Saturday. You have to be there’

‘Great. That will be awesome. It’s been ages since I met everyone’

 

‘Hi Ganesh Hi Mohan Hey Suni…Hello dear…Wow Sandy?? Hey all…mmm where’s Karthik?’

‘Hi Mira. Great. You made it’

‘Tell me big man how are you doing? Heard you are doing great in your new job’

‘Well to be my modest self I am the best. Otherwise things couldn’t be better. I am doing marvellously fine dear. How’s your writing going? Who’s the new man in your life?’

‘All that later my friend. I was thinking now that you have done so well for yourself I can’t wait to hear you play those wonderful strings’

‘Strings? What strings?’

‘The guitar stupid. Your eternal dream.’

‘O that. Those youthful idiocies deserted my good senses long back. I am more realistic and happier now. I don’t even listen to trash any more.I have taken a liking towards carnatic now. Moreover Lakshmi has a lovely voice’

‘Lakshmi?’

‘My wife. It was a quite simple ceremony as my mother was in her death bed and wanted to see me settle in life’

 

‘Aunty how did this happen? I am coming over right now. Please give me the ward no.’

‘AUTO! St. Stephen’s hospital’

‘Which is the way to Ward No.101?

 

‘Aunty when did this happen? I was there till last night’

‘About 6 in the morning when I went to the room with the morning coffee’

‘O my! Exams were starting from today right?’

‘Yes but that should have been no reason to ………..such a hard working person’

‘Don’t cry aunty. What did the doctor say?’

‘The chances are real low. We came in late he says. The attempt had happened by midnight’

‘I cannot believe this myself. Such an example of true courage…or was it all a facade?’

‘Her father and I have spent all our lives just thinking the best for her. We may have never been expressive about our affections but that was just to make her tougher to face this world’

‘This is indeed life at its best. Is it me or the mysteries cornering me into a room of contradictions?’