Anokhi The water, the wing and the fiery red. Perfect. As perfect as the bright warm sun at the foothill. Anokhi, her grandmother and his cousin, Alok enjoyed the serene and solitude of the evening. Standing on the wooden protruded bridge, they witnessed the return of the birds, flow of the river and bloom of the spring. It used to be fascinating but no more. Perfection was a crime and so, more than enjoying the sparkling clear water flowing along the edges of mountain, Anokhi wanted to trudge away down the rocky paths buried beneath green mosses and unwanted twigs. Recently, she had wondered about the big dark standing monster more than she had about the responsibilities she had to carry on as the next tribal leader. It was important for the flowers to bloom red or the red feathery creatures to go home at the same time following the same route. It was a hoax because anybody could observe that. Then, why, Anokhi? Especially with those weapons, Alok held close to himself. It wasn’t the simple weather check and she needed to know that smoky solid veiled monster's mysteries and mischiefs. And today was the day. Any instant now, her grandmother would be returning when she would ask for some alone time there. She was ready. Every other thing needed for this adventure could be found somewhere hidden underneath her clothes.
“Anokhi, come child. It’s time for conducting evening prayer,” her grandmother said as she turned to return.
It was the time.
“Umm…grandma, I want to spend some …”
“Listen! Young lady,” Her grandmother cut her in between. “No one visits this place without a company and of course, you’re no exception.”
“But…”
“We’re expected at the temple and you don’t have the luxury to be late,” her grandmother continued.
She looked at Alok who shrugged and indicated her to follow the grandmother who had already set on her path. Deep inside, Anokhi knew he was right. There was no meaning of this dual. She would lose in the end.
ANOKHI!
Anokhi flinched. She had been listening to this roar from last five years. The strange part was that only she heard it. While striding forward behind another stubborn lady, she was determined no more evening visits. Today, she would meet those dark creatures in night. Either way, she had heard darkness was their best friend. #wca #wcss #ray #review
“Anokhi, come child. It’s time for conducting evening prayer,” her grandmother said as she turned to return.
It was the time.
“Umm…grandma, I want to spend some …”
“Listen! Young lady,” Her grandmother cut her in between. “No one visits this place without a company and of course, you’re no exception.”
“But…”
“We’re expected at the temple and you don’t have the luxury to be late,” her grandmother continued.
She looked at Alok who shrugged and indicated her to follow the grandmother who had already set on her path. Deep inside, Anokhi knew he was right. There was no meaning of this dual. She would lose in the end.
ANOKHI!
Anokhi flinched. She had been listening to this roar from last five years. The strange part was that only she heard it. While striding forward behind another stubborn lady, she was determined no more evening visits. Today, she would meet those dark creatures in night. Either way, she had heard darkness was their best friend. #wca #wcss #ray #review
It hurts. It hurts so damn much. I saw your lifeless body. Damn me! But you never said I can’t. I tried. I tried so damn much. But I saw only myself. Tired, exhausted, lost, fatigued, peaceful. Wake up. Open your eyes and I could go on pretending again, I don’t know you, Manav. You were love. I grew up watching you. The sky is full of stars and you are no where. You said till the sky is full of the stars you would be there but you lied. You didn’t tell. You were cornered. I didn’t care. You were hurting. Now, I am hurting. Its been three days and my headache won’t stop. Each time, I go to eat, I remember you would never eat again. I broke down in front of my mother. Might be the first time I cried in front of my mother. I cant help it. You were not just a person on the screen. You were me. Full of life, full of dreams. I am opening my book and I close it. What should I do so I never meet those people? What should I do so no more dreams are crushed? I can’t believe yet. Four suicides aren’t coincidence but I cant neglect your situation. You were hurting. You took your life or someone else did it. I don’t care. I just want to tell you, you weren’t you. You were we. You were kind and compassionate. You were full of sympathy and empathy. Oh, how much I hate myself for not telling you how much I loved you. If I had told you I love you each day, would it had made a difference? Would you have been here? Among us. Curse me! I didn’t even know you lived so close to my house. I didn’t even know I walked those streets each day. How many of such lives I walk out of everyday and live in ignorance. You are one against the million, you know that, don’t you? I don’t even know what should I do now? In this world of hatred and violence, should I extend a hand of love and compassion? But how? How should I tell somebody you aren’t alone? I will love you, believe in you, walk along you and fight for you. How should I let anybody know? Why didn’t anybody teach me? Why did everybody embraced me when I laughed and bullied me when I cried? Why did everybody gave attention when I was angry and frustrated when I was sulking? Why I was a coward when I was sweet and brave when I fought? How do I tell someone embrace me even when I cry, give me attention even if I sulk, pat my back even if I am sweet? If you did, I will still be your brave, worthy, son or brother or husband. Don’t take care of my food or clothes or my room, take care of me. Tell me, it’s okay to lose. Its okay to back down. It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to feel. Tell us, it’s okay to live. It’s okay to breathe.
#scribble #ray #review
#scribble #ray #review
Anokhi Part 2
Anokhi could feel the raw hard wooden protruded bridge under her feet. There was no big monster standing and challenging her in front of her. It was just darkness. In the rush, she had forgotten she would be needing something to light her path or was it just her inexperience in exploring this part only during the dusk. Yet, she was confident, it was the place where she had needed to jump. She fastened her gown and checked on her knives. Everything was in place. A throne should never be left empty. Its heir should always accompany it. Anokhi was that heir. After five days, she had to sit on that as their new leader. Tomorrow had to be the day when they would be starting the proceedings. She would be back by the dawn but if she couldn’t, her grandma and Alok would be there to lead the people like they always. Same as they did when her Father went missing one day.
As Anokhi jumped into the water, cold, soft surface inhaled her inside. It was chilling and comforting. The more she dived deeper, more it relieved her. She didn’t know what she needed to let go. She just knew it was perhaps first time in a very long time when she had left her cozy, warm, comforts and decided to choose a road which wouldn’t be a possibility if she complied for even one more day.
As she reached the other side, she got hold of a branch and climbed it up. When she listened to the sound of her gown getting torn amidst the little thorny twigs, she couldn’t resist a smile. She was there. She wondered if the big bad mountain was still smoky or it was fueled with something else at the midnight. Holding onto the branches and keeping in mind the mosses and cruel stones, she started climbing the mountain. Even though her eyes weren’t a help, yet she marched forward. Getting lost wasn’t in the agenda. More than her face, she had stared at this monster. She could forget herself but not the big dark thing she was climbing upon.
Yet, she was lost. She might have conquered the mountain from one side but she had no idea how did it look like from the other side. While sitting beside a cave, Anokhi assembled few stones and lit up a torch made up of branches and leaves. Looking around, she decided to explore the cave first.
Grasses and moistures disappeared and rough and dry stones appeared and as she went further inside, she was stunned with another green civilization. She kept walking. It was a world inside its own and she wanted to know where it would end. Before long, she discovered her torch wasn’t enough to light up the whole cave and it was something else. Another source of light. Her pace increased. But as she kept walking, she could listen to the sounds before she saw the source of white light coming through a door which was half open and half closed. She thought it was perhaps the other side of the mountain. She quietly approached the door and once she was there, she peeked through the stone entrance whose down side was closed and upper part was open. It was pouring outside. The sound must be coming from the collision of the water from the stone. Even though it was raining, the day was as bright as the Sun. Her gaze ran towards the Sun. A man had held an umbrella on to it. It was such a mesmerizing view that Anokhi didn’t know when did she climbed upon that half-closed stone door and jumped at the other side. But once she was on the other side, Sunlight disappeared and so did her consciousness.
#wca #wcpp #review #ray
Anokhi could feel the raw hard wooden protruded bridge under her feet. There was no big monster standing and challenging her in front of her. It was just darkness. In the rush, she had forgotten she would be needing something to light her path or was it just her inexperience in exploring this part only during the dusk. Yet, she was confident, it was the place where she had needed to jump. She fastened her gown and checked on her knives. Everything was in place. A throne should never be left empty. Its heir should always accompany it. Anokhi was that heir. After five days, she had to sit on that as their new leader. Tomorrow had to be the day when they would be starting the proceedings. She would be back by the dawn but if she couldn’t, her grandma and Alok would be there to lead the people like they always. Same as they did when her Father went missing one day.
As Anokhi jumped into the water, cold, soft surface inhaled her inside. It was chilling and comforting. The more she dived deeper, more it relieved her. She didn’t know what she needed to let go. She just knew it was perhaps first time in a very long time when she had left her cozy, warm, comforts and decided to choose a road which wouldn’t be a possibility if she complied for even one more day.
As she reached the other side, she got hold of a branch and climbed it up. When she listened to the sound of her gown getting torn amidst the little thorny twigs, she couldn’t resist a smile. She was there. She wondered if the big bad mountain was still smoky or it was fueled with something else at the midnight. Holding onto the branches and keeping in mind the mosses and cruel stones, she started climbing the mountain. Even though her eyes weren’t a help, yet she marched forward. Getting lost wasn’t in the agenda. More than her face, she had stared at this monster. She could forget herself but not the big dark thing she was climbing upon.
Yet, she was lost. She might have conquered the mountain from one side but she had no idea how did it look like from the other side. While sitting beside a cave, Anokhi assembled few stones and lit up a torch made up of branches and leaves. Looking around, she decided to explore the cave first.
Grasses and moistures disappeared and rough and dry stones appeared and as she went further inside, she was stunned with another green civilization. She kept walking. It was a world inside its own and she wanted to know where it would end. Before long, she discovered her torch wasn’t enough to light up the whole cave and it was something else. Another source of light. Her pace increased. But as she kept walking, she could listen to the sounds before she saw the source of white light coming through a door which was half open and half closed. She thought it was perhaps the other side of the mountain. She quietly approached the door and once she was there, she peeked through the stone entrance whose down side was closed and upper part was open. It was pouring outside. The sound must be coming from the collision of the water from the stone. Even though it was raining, the day was as bright as the Sun. Her gaze ran towards the Sun. A man had held an umbrella on to it. It was such a mesmerizing view that Anokhi didn’t know when did she climbed upon that half-closed stone door and jumped at the other side. But once she was on the other side, Sunlight disappeared and so did her consciousness.
#wca #wcpp #review #ray