One quiet afternoon

"Bowled!” shouted the boy, raising his finger above his head and running to grab the bat from his brother. “Darn!” exclaimed the brother, looking at the fallen stumps behind him. He threw the bat to the ground and marched to pick the ball. “I’ll score a century now”, claimed the brother whose turn it was to bat. “You’ll get out at the next ball”, said the bowler throwing the ball to the batsman. Whack! “Four”, yelled the batsman as his brother ran to fetch the ball. “Keep your voice down or you’ll wake up mother”, chided the brother. On hot, dusty summers like this, the ladies in the colony usually enjoyed a quiet afternoon siesta. A truck drew up and parked near the gate of the house opposite to theirs. Four men jumped out, pushed the gate open and pulled out a key. Opening the door, they walked into the Sharma’s house. “Oh, the Sharmas are shifting too?” wondered the younger boy as they watched two of the men lifting the sofa out of the house and into the truck. People in the colony were constantly shifting when the menfolk got transferred. “Maybe”, replied the brother, “I heard Mrs. Sharma tell mother that they were going to Dehradun for their summer vacation. Father will know where they are moving to.” One of the men hopped onto the back of the truck and pushed the sofa into the recesses. He shouted out some instructions to his mate who went back into the house. The other two men walked to the truck carrying the dining table, while the third man came out again with a chair in each hand. “I’ll work in a bank too”, said the younger boy, watching the men work as a team, “then I’ll get to see new places every time I’m transferred.” “Come, let’s continue the game”, said the brother. The boys continued playing cricket while the men dumped the furniture and appliances in the truck. An hour passed by. The boys took a break and sat on the bench near the gate of their house. “Hey”, called out one of the men, “can I get some water to drink?” The younger boy nodded his head and went into the house. He brought a jug of water and a glass and handed it to the man. The man gulped down the water and wiped his brow. He passed the water around to the other men who joined him. All the furniture had been loaded onto the truck. “Can I get a matchbox?” asked another man sticking a beedi between his teeth. The other boy ran in and brought a matchbox. “Where are you transporting this?” asked the older boy. “Jaipur”, replied the man, lighting up. “Let’s go in”, said the boy to his younger brother glancing at the empty living room of the Sharmas through the bare window. They walked into their house clutching the water jug, glass and matchbox. Mother was still asleep. The boys began a game of snake and ladders and all the goings-on of the noon were forgotten.
Three days later, the Sharma family arrived from their holiday to find that their house had been completely robbed of every single thing they owned, the only witnesses to the incident being the boys next door aged six and four.

Reflections...

... by the windowsill....

The early rays of the sun casting clear reflections on the still lagoon waters. In contrast the sea looks dull and gray in the background against the blue sky.

Awakening

She could sense movement around her, as she was slowly gained consciousness. She stirred, though outwardly she did not move an inch. She could now hear sounds…. or voices. They were talking softly among themselves… her mother, aunts… she could hear each of their distinctive tones. She wanted to call out to them…. but her voice barely reached her own ears. She did not panic, it was the effect of the anesthesia. She felt someone sit gently beside her. Instinctively she knew it was her husband. She could feel his breath on her face, as he gently moved away the hair from her forehead. I'm here, he whispered softly. She smiled or tried to, but didn't feel her lips move. She wanted to tell him she could hear him, she felt alright and was ready to go home from the hospital. But her lips did not move and she spoke those words in her head only. She deliriously willed her eyes to open, her fingers to move but her body lay obdurate in its stillness. Suddenly, she was overwhelmed when again she felt his hand rest softly on her forehead. A silent reassurance that he was with her. A simple gesture that spoke a million words. Her heart was at peace now. She drifted into a slumber.

The truth behind the book...?

(Click on picture to read the article.)

In the newspapers here two days after I read this.

Book: Amok by Krystian Bala

A new day

Awakening to a bright, warm morning, clear blue sky, tree in bloom and crisp cool air.

First impressions of London.

(Picture taken at six in the morning at Kingsbury, London.)

Leisure

(by W.H.Davies)

WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?—
No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

(Picture taken at Warwick Castle, UK)
Do we really have the time to marvel this beauty?

Advice to the Ladies

After long I was cleaning out my mailbox and came across this forward "Advice to the Ladies". Here it is...

If you want someone who will bring you the paper without first tearing it apart to remove the sports section. Buy a dog.
If you want someone willing to make a fool of himself simply over the joy of seeing you Buy a dog.
If you want someone who will eat whatever you put in front of him and never says its not quite as good as his mother made it Buy a dog.
If you want someone always willing to go out, at any hour, for as long and wherever you want Buy a dog.
If you want someone who will never touch the remote, doesn't care about football, and can sit next to you as you watch romantic movies Buy a dog.
If you want someone who is content to get up on your bed just to warm your feet and whom you can push off if he snores Buy a dog.
If you want someone who never criticizes what you do, doesn't care if you are pretty or ugly, fat or thin, young or old, who acts as if every word you say is especially worthy of listening to, and loves you unconditionally, perpetually Buy a dog.
But, on the other hand, If you want someone who will never come when you call, ignores you totally when you come home, leaves hair all over the place, walks all over you, runs around all night and only comes home to eat and sleep, and acts as if your entire existence is solely to ensure his happiness... Then................
Buy a cat!
(You thought I was talking about a man didn't you?)