[Short Story] An Unsafe Bet - Chapter 5

This is continued from here:

• An Unsafe Bet - Chapter 1
• An Unsafe Bet - Chapter 2
• An Unsafe Bet - Chapter 3
• An Unsafe Bet - Chapter 4

We inched closer at 20 feet away from the tree we stopped. Gopal - "Do we want to take this risk?" "

Yes, let's abort. This is not worth it. We can create story from here as well", I said hoping to turn back and walk as fast as we can. But Ravi said, "We are close to principal's office and now we cannot turn back. Let's do this." Gopal agreed and I had no choice but to go ahead with them as walking back alone is just as dangerous as going forward with these guys. 

Time seemed to stop still. We were now right beside the tree and were moving quickly crossing the tree with our heads down. A voice called out - "What are you doing?" in a coarse thick accented voice. We froze as the sound pierced the silence of the heartbeats and the rustle of the leaves. We looked at each other as none of us were sure. 

In the distance we saw a lone hunched figure. Nothing else could be figured out in the moonlight. The sound again bellowed - "What are you doing?"

"Guess he is must be one of the farmers" - Ravi said. Gopal replied back to the figure pointing to me- "We are going to the college ahead to look for a book this guy lost"

Moving closer we could say he was dressed in traditional farmer's attire. 

"Why at this time of the night?" - He asked.

 Gopal again replied - "He wants to read today as he has to answer questions from it."  

"I thought we were going there to piss on principal's desk" - I muttered.

"What? What did he say?"

"Nothing he just said it was mighty important to him to answer the questions and thus the book" - Gopal replied looking at me with contempt.

"Do you know you are not allowed here at this point of time?" he bellowed again. 

"No, we didn't know. Why?" Gopal replied.

"Gopal - This is not your graphics lecturer that you are asking questions to impress him" - I muttered again.

"It's a long story and I don't have time for it. But since you are here, I have something to give you boys", he replied.

"What is it?" - Our only brave spokesman asked.

"You are the curious one. Come closer I will show you."

Ravi lips moved after what seemed an eternity - "No Gopal."

"What is it?" - He again asked.

"Come closer." saying, he opened his palm showing the gift.

Gopal started moving towards him and we followed. 

"Yes closer, please".

We strained our necks to decipher the item as we went closer. We were within 5 feet of him when I got a glimpse of what he was holding. Before I could react Ravi let out a scream and he started running.  I looked again and Gopal was already running away from both the guy. Then Ravi called again - "Run" and that was only I heard before I saw all three of us running towards the college. We heard two other screams - "Come here, motherf***ers!" from the guy and one loud wail drowning all other noises.

None of us looked back and we ran. We saw the lights from the campus but we kept on running towards not daring to look back until we were under the bright lights of college campus. Looking back, we did not see anyone or anything following. Relieved, we slumped on the damp grass but still shivering.

We waited for another 10-15 minutes to be sure nothing was following us. "We did it" - Gopal exclaimed. "F***er, we just saved our lives. I saw what it was in that guy's hand." - I said. 

"I can't believe it. I was closer to him but I couldn't see", Gopal said. 

"You have glasses and yet you couldn't see.  I could make out it was the bunch of hair and you were the chosen one and with you we would have also got the hair and before I could respond he screamed" pointing towards Ravi.

"What happened, Ravi? Your scream saved us." - Gopal questioned Ravi.

Ravi was still shivering when he said - "I saw the girl right above Gopal." 

"Let's go back through the main road" - I said and got up to walk. 

Gopal replied - "But before that let's at least do what we came for."

"Are you serious? After all this we went through, you want to pee at Principal's desk!" - Ravi exclaimed.

"You only gave the idea. Let's do it" But I disagreed.

We looked at each other for a moment and then it happened in all its glory.

One after the other, Gopal, me and finally shivering Ravi peed at the door of the principal's office.

PS: That's the end of this series. This was my first attempt at writing a story. Please let me know through your comments your thoughts on this. All the links are given below:

1. An Unsafe Bet - Chapter 1
2. An Unsafe Bet - Chapter 2
3. An Unsafe Bet - Chapter 3
4. An Unsafe Bet - Chapter 4
5. An Unsafe Bet - Chapter 5

[Short Story] An Unsafe Bet - Chapter 3

This is continued from here:

• An Unsafe Bet - Chapter 1
• An Unsafe Bet - Chapter 2

We froze. Eyes opened further and a dark figure was seen moving towards us. "Should we run?" - I murmured. No response. Meanwhile the figure continued to walk towards us at a brisk pace. We stood there as if under a spell. The figure just moved ahead as if it had not noticed us. As it neared, Gopal turned to give way. We followed him with six eyes staring at the lone figure. It came and went away with none of its features distinguishable.

A collective sigh went out once it was no longer visible to us. "He must be a villager" - Gopal said once he left. We were again left alone with our thoughts and tobacco fields. We moved ahead with a little more confidence now. The passing of figure had given some courage to our spirits and our pace increased albeit slightly. 

"Why would a villager walk through these fields at this point of time?”, asked Ravi. 

"I think the same question can be asked of us”, Gopal quipped. A nervous laughter followed. This was the first time we all smiled after embarking the journey and now it felt that it was a matter of time before we would reach college and discharge some of our precious bodily fluid at principal's desk. 

My mind had quietened now and was focussed on getting ahead. Ravi too had relaxed as he started bitching about Maacha. "He was a fool not to come with us. He is the only son and he was pampered a lot by his parents. He can't even go to a bookstore to buy a pen for himself. He needs escort all the time”, said Ravi. Changing the topic, I asked Ravi - "Do you know why the banyan tree is considered to be haunted?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes, tell Ravi. I like a good story.I am getting bored with the silence", said Gopal. Ravi then regaled the story. 

Next Chapter - [Short Story] An Unsafe Bet - Chapter 4

So Gaya Yeh Jahan!

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 31; the thirty-first edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. The theme for the month is 'Strangers in the Night'

Cab at 0030 hrs is never fun. You are alone and work will still be pending. Roads are empty with occasional bright lights from 24 hours open ATM. And when the radio sings "So gaya yeh jahan.." the cocktail of happiness and loneliness shroud you. Yet he saw today another soul from the opposite sex today. His heart did skip few beats but he was aware of the protocol that follow in such situations. You get into the cab, she pulls out a mobile and there she goes with whatsapp or gtalk or music. You again are left with the radio singing "So gaya yeh jahaan" and remain strangers in the night.

Image Courtesy

As he approached the figure, pending work on his mind was replaced with the conflict happening between unpromising hope and anticipated disappointment. She was brighter than the lights at 24-hour ATMs. The slightly higher cheek bones and the beautiful smile accentuated the brightness. He was blinded in the dim parking light. Yet when she was assigned to the same cab and when she followed him into the cab he felt hopes rising within him. "Where to?” she asked. The question evoked more than an answer. Conversation flowed. His jokes were were getting the laughs. The radio was asked to keep quiet. As the cab sped away, her head swayed in sync with the song played by wheels on the rain-made contours in the road. Yet the smiled remained and his tiredness banished to deserted island of his mind. The rains were there to add the effects for him. He could feel the creaking of his wheel of fortune that had gathered dust making an effort to move. A slight push and he knew he would get the jackpot. 

All he wanted now was a traffic jam. He know it can happen and it has happened with the blessings of rains. It was raining But it never happens when you want it. Roads were emptier than life in a dried out stream. The only thing that he had were the passing moments. Every passing moment was both an unforgettable memory and a rising fear of separation. Every single moment was precious though precious little he could do to hold on to it. 

His eyes became like prisoner’s eyes close to his escape. But she laughed as gaily as a flower that has just bloomed in first rays of sunlight. "Bhaiyya, aage side me laga do". The voice sounded the death knell for him. It was expected, yet his heart had hoped every inch against it. Few moments were all that he had. It could mark a new beginning or a make it a sweet dream. The new beginning was what he craved for. The cab stopped. She started to get down. His eyes fell on her speaking his heart out. Her smile remained steady. He did not want to leave that gaze. The gaze only disturbed by a police siren coming closer. His mind was resolute in ignoring it, for his heart yearned for the gaze. Then the words came out from her beautiful lips - "tereko nahin uthna to alarm kyon lagata hain!"

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. Introduced By: Shilpa Garg, Participation Count: 03

When Journey Meant More Than Destination

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 25; the Silver Edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. The topic for this month is 'When Journey Meant More Than Destination'.

(Image Courtesy)

It has been a tough last 3 weeks for him. Ever since the quarterly results were announced, the stakeholders have been baying for his blood. Today their wish will be fulfilled. Fortunately, for him there was no news of possiblity of CEO firing yet. It is much easier to face family after getting fired rather than have uncertainty looming over the family. He had given his best and had introduced initiatives which in any other situation would have given great results every quarter. But 2008 recession and now the uncertainty over Europe ruined his plans.Instead, the company has been posting losses for four straight quarters. His predecessor was lucky. He rode on the IT boom and now people want him back. 

In the rear-view he saw his 13 year old son coming in his school. Ever since they moved to Mumbai, he had always dropped him at his school, no matter what the situation was. He had always prided himself on this short drive. But he was afraid whether he will be able to drop him to school tomorrow with the words "Failed" written all over him. "Hi Dad!, he greeted. His family knew things were not rosy for him and they had been supportive all the while. "How was your game yesterday, son?"

The car moved forward.

"We lost.", he said. "Well, how did you fare?" 

"Dad"

"Yes"

"I missed the penalty that sent us packing", with no remorse in his voice.

"I can understand. Penalty kick is like a lottery and", his son cut him short.

"Dad, it's fine. I know I messed up. But I am a fighter. Just like you. Wait till the next game and I will fire right into that top right corner!"

The car stopped. "Have a nice day, Dad!"

"Bye"

He again started the car and turned on the radio. But the words - "I am a fighter. Just like you" resonated through his body giving him goosebumps. Yeah, he was a fighter. He had forgotten and his 13 year old taught him that again. His heart lightened and a smile escaped after an eon. He cried out - "Wait till the next game!" and sped off.

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

Not an Insane Thought!

There is a thin line separating sanity from insanity, he thought. But the picture of saneness just appeared with two weights called "sane thoughts" and "insane thoughts" suspended by a pulley in his mind. He was on his way home and the train gave a perfect surrounding where he can calmly contemplate on his theory of insanity. Yet he knew, there was more that would drive a person on the paths to insanity. There was circumstance on which  many of the origins of insanity is attributed. However, he somehow could not include circumstances in his "Insanity Model" of saneness suspended by weights. Moreover, circumstances have limitations. Similar circumstances evoke different reactions in different people. So whether circumstances should be there in the model is a question in itself.

Jolted out of his reverie by the halting train, he realized he has reached his destination. He had just enough time to dump his open book into his bag and rush out before train started moving. Later he recalled, the only thing he remembered during this getting down was a smiling grey-haired gentleman with a baggage as big as his.

Once on the platform, a walk of 2 minutes he knew was where his home was and he had ennui for company. So he decided to go back to his thoughts but was interrupted by a hand asking for ticket. It was not in his pockets. His started looking into his bag which had remained open from the time he alighted. Fortunately he remembered his latest bookmark which was his ticket and proceeded to retrieve for it. A glint of metal caught his eye before falling in to his open bag. He jumped for it and before he knew in his hand he had a pistol . 

The metal was cold and it sat heavily in his hand. A feeling of being powerful swept through and he simply pointed the gun at the person who had dropped it. The ticket examiner (T.T.E) a portly fellow terrified, started screaming "Terrorists Terrorists". The gun owner was standing calmly. He now had both ennui and the gun for company. Still he wanted to explain, but the screaming remained unabated. A shot followed. Silence. A single hole in the middle of the forehead with blood trickling out and policemen running towards him was all he could remember. Probably boredom must be added as a factor to his pulley model, he thought sitting in the lonely cell. The only challenge now is how?

PS: Trying my hand at story-writing....hopefully it comes out sane :P

55 Fiction ~ 5 Micro-short stories!!

55 Fiction - Fitting a story within 55 words. Call it the micro-short story which you can fit in twitter's 140 character limit if you use the the chat language. But would not advise to do so ;) . So the blog turning a new leaf here with my first attempt at short stories.. ;)

A journey cut short…

He boarded the bus and saw a girl covered in scarf waving at him. As usual he could not remember her. The girl was still waving. He was still clueless. So he gave a smile and moved towards her. The waving became frantic. He broadened his smile. The conductor shouted – “Ladies only bus, Sir”

************************************************************************************************************

We, the people

Looking across the street, he saw a nervous group of people – all looking up. This was Mumbai and he was a cop. So approaching the crowd, he saw dimly-lit place with a screen. Moving closer he caught the glimpse of the screen – It said - To win, India need 2 runs in 2 balls.

************************************************************************************************************

The Hunter

He felt hungrier today which made him come here. Right he was. For in front of him a little ahead he saw the little creature moving. He swam towards the kill, and caught it between his teeth. Suddenly, his body was lifted up and the last thing he heard was – Mom, I got another one.

************************************************************************************************************

The Six

1 run to win. Yes he will hit the winning runs with her looking. Her darling kitten which he hated was also looking from the balcony. He had decided this will be six and nothing less. The heavy tennis ball came and he smashed it out of the colony right into her darling kitten’s face.

************************************************************************************************************

World Cup Final

The world-cup final. The tournament had gone well. But people will remember him for what he does today. But nothing was happening. Both teams were playing safe. Tackle by the man who has won the golden boot before the final. This was his moment. Slowly from his back pocket, he pulled out the Red card.

************************************************************************************************************
 
PS: With the rains coming, at least one story should have had rain as a theme. Anyways, will take it up next time :)