The Dove and the Eagle

“Why shouldn’t I cut someone else’s throat to snatch what I deserve? Why shouldn’t I be blatant about my needs? Why shouldn’t I cut the crap of decency and get straight to the point instead? Why shouldn’t I simply be a predator? Why shouldn’t I push the other in the crowd to get to my prize? Tell me mom, why shouldn’t I?

His mother thought for a while and then replied, “Have you ever seen an eagle?” The boy nodded. “Have you ever seen a dove?” The boy frowned but nodded again. His mother continued, “An eagle can fly much higher than a dove. Much higher! It’s fiercer than a dove too. Anytime! And being an eagle may surely help you fly higher than high in your life but in the end, my son, people only admire a dove. For - doesn’t matter its limitations - it’s a dove that inspires love in the hearts of people. And it’s the image of a dove that stays on, in a pleasant way, long after it’s gone.”

By: NovoneeL ChakrabortY

GUILT

Gopi was destiny’s illegitimate child. And apart from his distant dreams he only had a father who, presently, needed an urgent heart operation.

Gopi, in his quest for some money, knocked at Mr. Sharma’s house where his father worked as a gardener. He, in his own sugar coated words, denied to give any money. Gopi was upset but the moment his eyes fell on the exquisite flower vase kept on a table beside the couch his desperation peaked. He asked for a glass of water. The moment Mr. Sharma disappeared into the kitchen Gopi went straight in and grabbed the vase. He wanted to put it inside his bag when Madhuri appeared in the room.

She was Mr. Sharma’s only child and, perhaps, used to live elsewhere for Gopi had seen her only once before. She was sitting by a window and he was working with his father in the garden. And one look at her made him connect to that portion of his soul where all the will to fight life lay.

Gopi was taken aback seeing Madhuri in the room. He didn’t know she was there at home else he would have never attempted such a mindless act. He immediately loosened his grip and kept the vase back on the table in haste. Gopi didn’t even dare to look into her eyes. He simply dashed out of the house dressed in utter shame. From now on, his within hollered, his first love would know him as the boy who tried to steal her vase. As a thief!

Seconds after Gopi went away, with the snake of guilt around his conscience, Madhuri called out to her father, “Papa, would you please bring me my dark glasses and the stick. I want to go out for a walk.”

By: NovoneeL ChakrabortY

Just A Thought

Little Mickie was with his best friend, Chickie. It was evening time and instead of playing cricket outside they were in his room playing Scotland Yard (a detective board game).

“Hey,” Mickie said, “yesterday I saw my dad shouting at grandpa.”

“Really? Your grandpa means your dad’s dad, right?

“Ya.”

“God! I don’t think I’ll ever be able to shout at my dad.”

“Same here. I couldn’t believe it.”

They continued with their game. Outside the room Mickie’s dad, sitting idly on the couch, happened to overhear the conversation. As a child even he used to shudder in front of his dad. Perhaps more than his own son did in front of him.

Looking out pensively at the evening Sun, through the window, he realized: nobody dares to eye a noon Sun. But when the Sun is half into the lap of horizon…

A shadow of remorse, soon, blanketed his conscience.

By: NovoneeL ChakrabortY

RACE

Officially N wasn’t racing with C but unofficially they wanted to beat each other. Both were on their top gear and no streak of time witnessed either of them going past the other.

As they approached yet another traffic signal N slowed down seeing an old woman cross the road while C recklessly zoomed past her.

By the time N picked up his speed the signal had already turned red. He reluctantly slowed down, again, watching C drive away showing him a thumbs-down.

The speed was almost the same…my concern was justified but still I got stuck at the red signal and he…N sighed with disgust.

Waiting for the signal to turn green he wondered, “Does the colour of the signal, in the end, decide the outcome of every race?”

By: NovoneeL ChakrabortY

HAPPY NEW YEAR

“Students, its new year!” the teacher said, “And I want all of you to write down five blessings that according to you would help you live this year to the fullest.”

The teacher, next, observed the students open their notebooks with intent. But as time passed half of them didn’t have a clue and the others, scratching their head from time to time, kept thinking. By the end of the class only two students came up with a complete list.

Little Danny’s list:

1.) Our new i-10 car.

2.) My X-Box.

3.) My pet dog Sammy.

4.) Dad has increased my pocket money by 300 bucks.

5.) My Adidas shoes.

Little Johnny’s list:

1.) Two hands.

2.) Two legs.

3.) Two eyes.

4.) Will power.

5.) A dream. (I want to stand first in class this year)

By: NovoneeL ChakrabortY

Escalator

Day before yesterday I was standing on the second floor of a shopping mall with my friend. We were discussing nothing and everything.

Sometime during the discussion my friend suddenly pointed towards the first floor. I looked down and saw a middle aged man trying to get onto the stairs of an escalator. The funny thing was the stairs were moving down towards the base floor whereas he was trying to move up to the second floor. Yes, I did laugh along with my friend and so did all the others witnessing the bizarre attempt. But the public attitude didn’t deter the man from changing his intention. He kept on trying. It was comic – the scene – but only till the moment he climbed the downward-moving stairs, successfully, and reached his destination; the second floor.

While he was passing by us my friend cared to stop him. “You could have taken the other escalator. The one which-”

“I know.” The man cut him short. “Actually, all these years I never took on life. Every time my dreams urged me to climb up I found the stairs of my life moving down. And, each time, assuming it all to be impossible, out of fashion and something that’s not normal I, in the end, allowed my conviction to die. But today, in my own way, I wanted to kill the guilt inside. I know what I did just now is stupid prima facie but…”

“Never mind” my friend said, “We got the point.”

By: NovoneeL ChakrabortY

Love Story

They were the most insignificant creatures around. Probably. But still, when they saw each other, the most significant thing happened. The male ant fell in love with the female ant.

On their first date they shared a cube of sugar and got bonded forever. Life, living in one corner of the house, was tough. They were forced to feast on the leftovers. Yet they were happy for their point of alacrity was not the food but each other’s presence while having it. Then came a time when even the leftovers stopped coming.

“But I have to go. There is no other option.” The male ant tried to explain his restless lover.

“Then take me also with you.”

“Try to understand, please. Some places might not be secured for you.”

“Why did God do this to us? We were so happy together.”

“Don’t worry. When I come back we’ll live together till eternity.” And so the male ant went away in search of food.

Dawn to dusk the female ant kept waiting for her lover to return. But there was no sign of him. If an ant was missing for more than two days, history said, only the inauspicious could be the reason. Though the male ant had already gone for five days still she chose not to get affected by the thought. Not even when she started starving.At times when she closed her eyes she was convinced they won’t open again but at the slightest of noise the strength returned.

This went on till the seventh day when the male ant appeared with five cubes of sugar. She couldn’t believe her eyes.

“I missed you like anything.” The female ant hugged him tight. “You know, no matter how much history haunted me, not for a single second did I believe you could die before me. My love for you gave my faith a vision.”

“Even I” The male ant took over, “While traversing the unknown territories, in search of food, was skeptic at every step. My parents had taught me not to cross the line ever. But I did it this time … and in doing so realized your love for me helped me reach not only the food required for our survival but it also allowed me to dare my fears and while coming back something important haloed my conscience. I not only covered the distance to the food alone but, for once, also the distance between me and myself. Even human beings fail at that throughout their lives!

They kissed and then started feasting on one of the sugar cubes, just like old times.

By: NovoneeL ChakrabortY