Humane

The Nebula of Stars
In the Dark Constellation
Amidst the Black Holes
Twinkling,
Humane ...... !!!


Utpal kant Mishra
Mumbai

P.S: This write is linked to Half Marathon 2016 by Blog Chatter. This Poetry is for the Last Day of Half Marathon Day 15  #DailyChatter It has been a great journey and through this I have got an opportunity to go through some fantastic works.

The New Dawn (Concludes - Part 6)

“You were never out of my life Amaay but you need to understand at least now that you have to live many lives in one life and for this you need to take decisions within time frame” She said in a very calm tone and continued “We are all like the ethereal azure sky. It has no existence but it exists. Sometimes it is shadowed by the clouds and sometimes it is shiny blue. Few years back we had no existence and few years hence, we will have no existence, but we exist. Memories do exist and with memories we, our emotions and our relationships exist. The memories are sometimes shadowed by the clouds and sometimes they are clear and we continue to exist in stories which are sometimes told and sometimes remembered in perfect solitude”. I kept on listening to her completely mesmerised.

The gravest problem with curiosity does not lie in the information that one gathers but it actually lies in processing that information with an opinionated perception. All these years I had my opinion about Nisha as an immature and impulsive woman. All my perception shattered within flash of a second.

“Your husband and your baby didn’t come with you?” I asked just to change the topic as I had started feeling somewhat guilty.

“Hmm” she sensed my feeling and allowed me the space I needed badly at that moment.

“How are they?”

“They can’t be any better!”

The entire gang knew about our relationship and so they had left us alone.

“I have heard that you had an accident sometime back?”

“Yes. It was a car accident.”

“Hope you didn’t get hurt much.”

“How is your job doing?” She changed the topic.

“That is going great and I got three promotions in two years.”

“Nisha, why don’t you come over to my place with your husband and baby on some weekend? We will have a great time together.”

I learnt another lesson which is going to be with me for my entire lifetime and that is, not to form any opinion about anybody or anything.

I was dragging my body inside the aircraft. I don’t remember how and when I completed the formalities of boarding. I was awake but I was not. I was in some trance which I was not able to understand. The aircraft was taxiing now but I was still in the bar, standing numb and my ears resonating constantly -

“That accident!” after a deep pause she continued “My husband and my baby” and with a sight she concluded “I lit their pyre…….” 

I had my earphone plugged in and I could listen to the song, as if it were coming from some far away….

People, all around

You stand alone….. !

Feeling, life around

You stand alone…. ! 

Un hun … hmm .. hun un

Sha ka la ka

Come along live us together

Till we breathe, till we are live

Come on

Egos! on the shelf

“I” ness shredded around

Come on! Live! Till we are live

Humans! we are

Let us realize ………. !

Un hun … hmm .. hun un

Utpal Kant Mishra

Mumbai

P.S. This write is linked to Half Marathon 2016 by Blog Chatter. This write is a work of Fiction and this part is the ending part of this short story. Day 14  #DailyChatter

The New Dawn (Continues - Part 5)

Nisha moved a little ahead of the group and was standing alone, sipping her drink.

“I could see a lot of change in you. You were so energetic and bubbly just four years back and now look at you, you are sounding like a mature person.” I reached her and by now I had decided to talk directly with her without any formalities and hesitation.

“I am still energetic and probably I am now more energetic and trust you me on this” She smiled.

“How could I know this, but I trust you”. I sounded comfortable. 

“I must say you have matured” I continued with my eyes twirling as I tried to tease her this time.

There was silence for a few minutes that made me think that this was not a proper statement. 

“In - fact we all have matured” I tried to loosen up the supposed stressful situation.

“We have matured? Or we have aged?” She was still smiling and with small sigh put her point calmly.

This sentence hit me hard in my heart and I realised how meaningful this small statement is. It’s true; maturity has no linkage with age. 

This is the first time today that my eyes got fixed on her face for a few minutes. I realised that this is not the same Nisha I had been with or she was always the same but I never noticed when we were together. She is more mature and with the right side of things than I have ever thought. 

“If you were this mature all the time, why did you take that kind of decision and for God’s sake, you understand what I am talking about. A little more time could have kept me in your life.” There was an unfamiliar anxiety in my voice while saying this to her.

Utpal Kant Mishra

Mumbai

(To be continued)

PS: This write is linked to Half Marathon 2016 by Blog Chatter. This story is a work of Fiction. Day 13  #DailyChatter

The New Dawn (Continues)

“Hey Amaay!” multiple voices greeted me together.

I was so happy to see my batchmates after four years and for a change all were dressed up as gentlemen. 

“It is so good to see you after such a long time” They all moved towards me and spontaneously I moved towards them to hug each one.

The warmth of love from old friends is incomparable.

“Thanks for coming” Akash hugged me saying this.

“Oh ho! So here is the most gentlemanly groom, guys. He has learnt being formal with buddies.” I teased him.

All laughed and we again hugged one another.

“Where are others?” I asked on seeing only ten of us present.

“They couldn’t make it Amaay. The distance and preoccupations made them change their plans” Akash answered smilingly. 

“Yes, distance matters” I tried to convince myself in a grunted voice.

“Leave this entire thing buddy; it’s time to hit the bar. You guys make yourself comfortable” Akash changed the topic to enliven our mood.

“You don’t worry Mr. Groom. We will look after ourselves. You be with your family and wish you happy martyring” somebody cracked a joke and we all laughed.

“Hey! Here comes Nisha. What a wonderful surprise” with all warmth and surprise, they moved forward to welcome Nisha.

I turned back and glanced at Nisha. In multi embellished grey and white combinational wide border with ethnic prints georgette saree complemented with gold jewelry and high heels; she was looking stunningly gorgeous. With her hair open and a white bindiya on her forehead she made most of the heads turn towards her for a moment. 

All the batchmates walked towards her and greeted her. She hugged Akash and wished him. 

“Welcome Nisha and thank you for making my marriage memorable. Please make yourself comfortable with the gang. I shall join you guys after the rituals.”

“Yes Akash and do not worry about us. We will be comfortable together. Best of luck and stay blessed.” Nisha made Akash comfortable.

“Let’s go to the bar Nisha” someone from the gang requested.

“Yes Sure!”

“What would you like to have Nisha?”

“I will pick a Pina colada”

“What! Pina - Colada? Come on Nisha; catch up at-least with the beer”

Nisha smiled and asked politely for Pina Colada again. 

“You have become so serious and formal Nisha. I hope all is good.”

“Couldn’t have been better and motherhood brings metamorphic changes in women guys.”

“That is one stroke in a million. We surrender.” Saying this Harish ordered for a Pina - Colada for her.

I took up a large of Laphroaig with a dash of water and non- stirred. By now I was feeling smoky and I just wanted to taste smoke.

Utpal Kant Mishra

Mumbai

P.S: This write is linked to Half Marathon 2016 by Blog Chatter. This story is a work of Fiction. Day 12   #DailyChatter

The New Dawn (Continues)

It was my turn now for the counter and I was mechanically doing the formalities while mentally I was thinking about our last days together. I was in a hurry to catch up with her and have some talks. I was curious to know about her past four years. 

I now knew that curiosity never ends, it simply changes the subject to keep us engaged with it.

She was sipping coffee at café coffee day when I entered the boarding lounge. I went over to the counter and helped myself with a Latte while she coldly watched me.

There were so many things I wanted to talk about but suddenly I was groping even for the first greeting word.

It sounds easy but it is really difficult to accept sudden changes and it is even more difficult to change one to adjust in the new way of life. 

“Hi!” with great difficulty I could greet her with this only.

“Hi!” 

“Bengaluru?”

“Yes” she smiled. 

“What’s your seat number?”

“6 C!”

“Yours?"

“16 A!”

The boarding announcement flashed and she picked up her hand bag.

“See you!”

I realised that eight line conversation has taken approximately thirty odd minutes and just four years back in these many minutes we used to talk almost half a novel’s volume. I was sure that now I don’t have a chance of in flight conversation so I took my seat with all my curiosity standing inside my mind.

Humans by nature are curious without knowing that curiosity is contagious at times and surely at all the times when this curiosity is about your Ex. It keeps on pestering you till its quench is satiated.

Two hours and forty minutes passed like a decade when the aircraft landed at Bengaluru. It took me three hours to meander through the maddening traffic of Bengaluru in a taxi to reach The Zuri Whitefield. I sighed in relief that I do not have to be in traffic after this ride as both marriage and reception was in this hotel itself. By the time I reached hotel I needed a hot water bath before doing anything. I freshened up and dressed myself in single breasted cummerbund Tuxedo and headed for the marriage hall.

Utpal Kant Mishra

Mumbai

P.S: This write is linked to Half Marathon 2016 by Blog Chatter. This story is work of Fiction. Day 11 #DailyChatter

The New Dawn (Continues)

In the month of June we had our convocation and on the same evening we had our farewell party. This was the last day I met Nisha and that too like strangers.

It was still dawn when I stepped out of the cab and walked towards the entry gate of the Delhi airport. The early morning February air was pleasantly cold.

I was travelling to Bengaluru to attend a college friend’s wedding. It had been four years since we graduated from the same college. This wedding was also going to be a reunion of our batchmates. But what I didn't know was that the reunion would begin much ahead of time; right in the queue in front of the airline counter. 

I was almost sure it was she. Same height! Same long hair! Same complexion! Curiosity had my eyes glued to her. And then about 60-odd seconds later, when she turned, she proved me right. My ex- girlfriend stood two places ahead of me in that queue. We had never met after the college farewell.

Our eyes met again but this time it was all different. When she was not an Ex, whenever our eyes met we felt livelier but today our eye contact has given me a cold feet. 

We kept standing frozen for a few minutes trying to compose ourselves.

“Excuse me” the person behind Nisha murmured. 

We were not yet composed enough to notice the movement of the queue. The person ahead of Nisha had already cleared his formalities and it was now Nisha’s turn.

“Oh Yes! I am sorry” Nisha murmured and moved towards the counter.

“Oh shit! I was almost sure and not fully! It was just four years back when I could have recognised her from anywhere. Is this me?” I was musing, surprised, while she cleared her formalities. 

“Times change so fast” I was thinking “It is true that with time feelings do change”. I had heard this lot many times but this was the first time that I have realised this. 

I had never been philosophical ever in my life but I don’t know why I was becoming like one, at this moment. “Is it really the time that changes or is it us who do?” 

Utpal Kant Mishra
Mumbai

P.S: This write is linked to Half Marathon 2016 by Blog Chatter, This story is a work of Fiction. In this part lines from "It was still dawn ..." to "We had never met ...." was the prompt of the author on which this story has been written. Day 10 #Blog Chatter

The New Dawn

I entered the Café Coffee Day outlet at Barakhambha Road in Delhi. This is a quiet place despite being situated at one of the busiest roads of Delhi. The first thing I noticed; as soon as I entered the shop; that it was having nicely maintained room temperature which was extremely comforting during an afternoon of May. As soon as the glass door of the outlet shut hydraulically, the outlet became free from outside noise. It was a nicely decorated outlet with pictures and posters depicting the theme – ‘History of coffee’ on the wall. The outlet is more in length than in width which is spaciously decorated with small round tables with three to four chairs around each table to accommodate the patrons. On the right hand side were two three seater sofas with rectangular tables and on the other side of the table were two chairs each for accommodating a larger group. During this time, the outlet is relatively having very few patrons inside and I noticed Nisha sitting at one of the right hand side sofas.

“Hi! Is everything good with you? I am just worried. Why have you called me here?” So many questions I hurled at her before I could sit on the chair in front of her.

“What would you have?” She asked me directly.

I gazed at her in surprise “What happened? You are sounding cold.”

She kept silent so I just went to the counter and ordered a Latte for myself.

“Today one year is over,” She plainly said.

“One year! One year of what?” I exclaimed in surprise. 

“So you forgot and this is what I was expecting” she said in a firm voice and continued “I have to hear from you what you have decided about our relationship. We had decided to talk about it after one year and so today is that date.”

I was wondering how meticulous females are in remembering the dates.

“Nisha! You know my family background. I need to settle down in my life first and then only I can marry. Can’t you wait till that time?”

“Define your notion of settlement and how long is this going to take?”

I was answerless.

“Amaay! I can’t keep on waiting for an undefined time. I also have a family and a background. I waited for your answer for one year after having discussions with you and you forgot that discussion also. I have been with you from past five years and you have still not made up your mind! We both have job offers and our convocation is due next month. What else can make you feel settled?”

“Nisha! I just need some more time. That’s all I am asking for.”

“A year before you had to say this only Amaay”

“I need time, Nisha”

“I don’t have, Amaay”

There is a deep silence.

“Amaay! I can’t give it more time. Let us move on.” She said tearfully in broken voice and stood up.

“Please don’t go …….. “ I said in a husky voice.

 We left separately with tears in our eyes. 

(To Be Continued)

Utpal Kant Mishra

Mumbai

P.S: This write is linked to Half Marathon 2016 by Blog Chatter. This is the first part of the story and the story will continue. This story has been written on the prompt of another author and it is a work of Fiction. Day 9 #DailyChatter