Falling Leaves

Falling Leaves

Week #3.5

Somewhere in between yesterday and tomorrow - exists today, it continues to bleed like a wound that refuses to heal. 

Have you ever seen falling leaves that drop off tress, soon after they burn the brightest shade of ember from vivid greens? Severed off that anchor, they scatter through the winds; withered, crumpled and eventually die. 

Just like Paro who has drifted far away from the shore and continues to do so; away from family, friends and mythical butterflies. Ironically, her only friend is the one who’s seemingly destroyed her world. But she has no clue that he’s kept vigil even as he’s swept her deeper into the very eye of that storm. But unlike real storms, there will be no rain to wash away the pain or an immediate catharsis to dispel her fright. A scared, scarred, defeated and broken Paro and her worst nightmare are now all set to enter his colorless world. Will his darkness engulf her soul or is she ray of light that will eventually light up his world?

At this point, happiness is a far cry, hope is but a vague memory,  death simply refuses to take her in and her life has been stripped of all joy. What tomorrow may hold doesn’t matter because today’s been a living hell. And yes, the winter is fast approaching but the damn autumn refuses to go by. 

Yet if she can survive the cold, spring awaits with promises of a thousand flowers and a brighter summer on the other side.

Strings of Autumn

Strings of Autumn

(#3.1)

In the wee hours, a caravan snails across the sands till the sun shines through and lights up its path. In it men, both young and old walk towards home, in happy thoughts oblivious to the impending doom. Some dream of love, some dream of riches, some of glory, some hide lies while others weave simple little dreams of everyday togetherness. 

But he has plans. And in that deceptive quiet of dawn, he plays a song; a song that sears her soul, rips her heart, clips her wings and leaves her to die, all alone. Except, death, her unlikely friend continues its game of hide and seek, "I'll take away everything you hold dear, will you survive?" He asks as he flies away.

Paro stands in muted horror as the bloodshed ensues. Why couldn't his name been an alias of yours?' she had asked only a day ago. Even as she stands face to face, the fierce one, Rudra, she is completely unaware. Is he the one, just like she is for him?

But at what price? 

They stand at opposites separated by an ocean of loss - of lives, of dreams and of promises that will forever remain incomplete, and a rain of bullets that's knocked out tomorrow before it was even born.

And yet incredibly, in a moment of truth before prejudice takes over, You can't possibly shoot me?' Her eyes ask of him; he stands stunned and watches her fall.

In a matter of minutes, everything's changed, from a subtle and serene to the utterly harsh. From a rich green to a fleeting bright flame thats died too soon. Short lived summer thats given away to a never ending dull, an ache thats bound to spread.

Why is happiness her enemy and death her friend? It eludes her when she desperately wants it to embrace her instead.

If only yesterday had been longer and tomorrow had never come.

Road to Nowhere?

Week #2

While there is a bigger game being played between men who stand on the opposite ends determined to get their way, little known Birpur which is at the center of this struggle is caught up in an orphan's wedding celebrations unaware of the approaching sandstorm. A once a year event organized by the Thakur himself where the baaratis come trudging through the harsh desert from a foreign land and whisk the girl away into the dreamy sunset. And the newly weds live happily ever after in oblivion... if only... if only  this was some fairytale., not a village held captive in some time warp. Things rarely go to plan, and Paro's life has never been easy and by all counts is about to get messier!

The reality that lies hidden within the confines of the Haveli and shielded by the cover of the night is as troubling as it can possibly be. If exposed it will unleash hell upon the most unsuspecting of men. The latest to get caught in its whirlwind was the unsuspecting Binduria or as they call her lovingly, Bindi. Concerned with the safety of her good friend after she sees the Baaratis assembling the guns in one of dark rooms of the Thakur's haveli, she runs to the one person who she knows can actually help. Except, she has no idea she is running to the devil himself who doesn't bat an eye-lid as he throws her mercilessly into the jaws of a hungry crocodile, and Bindi becomes yet another victim of Thakur's misplaced dreams. And just like that, a happy flame gets submerged into darkness. Will anyone ever come to know her fate? 

Even as his man, Kesari is caught by the BSD who is closing in with each passing minute, the Thakur calmly prepones the wedding before the BSD spoil his party. He is prepared to fight with all he's got, losing is not an option for this man. "Your well being is my responsibility" he says to an unsuspecting crowd.

But not everyone is convinced, may be its the missing Bindi or the preponed wedding or just the general air and Thakur's demeneour Paro seems unsure as she walks to the fire. Is this how she envisioned her wedding? Without her friend and in the dead of the night? Is this really the man, Bholenath has chosen for her? 

Is this wedding nothing but a precursor to nothingness, a road to nowhere for Paro? Not a doorway to a happier life but a straight drop into the pits of hell, where Paro will feel orphaned yet again and this time, there will be no Rukmini or dreams of tomorrow to comfort her. It will shatter all her dreams, shred all her innocence, steal all her smiles and take away everyone she has ever come to love. 

Or is it?, does providence know otherwise? 

Ride to Birpur 1/2

Padam Singh Tejawat, be warned, the BSD has been spying on you. And thats not the worst part, either they have your latest pictures from when you made the announcement of Paro's wedding or you have just one pair of ceremonial clothes. Either way, you are in trouble. Or Nautanki leaked/tweeted your pics to the BSD, in any case you are bound to get screwed. 

Padam Singh nah, I'm going to stick to Thakurji, has a cell phone and instructs his cronies to do the needful. The plan to smuggle weapons is well underway as is the plan to ship Paro off to a land she knows nothing of yet. Whose side is Naagdev really on?

Mirror mirror on the stall, who's the happiest bride of them all? Who is he? Oh crap

, Kesari Ram, another accomplice in the crime... wary of the looming BSD shoos the girls away before anything.

How come Paro doesn't get sun burnt walking around like that?

Her Rudra motors along the road to Birpur and not surprisingly the first ray of the fiery sun strikes the clueless Paro. The entire Kailash has been sending her signals not tiny ping-pong sized signals but big soccer ball sized ones, sigh, Paro is no Khushi. She feels no acidity. 

Never hitchhike on a lonely road esp. ones that lead to nowhere like Birpur, there is no such thing like a free lunch Paro. No surprises, the danger strikes and Paro is left struggling to save herself. 

Don't fear Paro, you don't have the Rudraskh but Rudra is lurking around courtesy his bike that decides to go on a well deserved strike at the right moment. The bike is obviously filmi. 

Enough of riding already! Is Rudra's bike too slow or the Tuk Tuk too fast? It takes forever for him to get there.

Not Cool Mr.BSD, you motor along while the girl gets molested. Not cool. Just so that you can make a grand entry? Not cool at all. 

He does the needful, stylish late entry - check, dishum-dishum-check, dodging bullets - check, letting the goons get away - check, customary roll on a flat plane - check, the all important eye lock - double check.

Rudra saves his Paro. And finally the mirror has answered her call, she sees his reflection, Thats him!! screams Mahadev in frustration from Mount Kailash, Paro is still clueless.

Thakur ji will not be pleased.

The Stage is Set 1/1

A sinister plan awaits for the most important cog in its wheel and a bride is chosen in the most pious of places. Another marriage, another bride that will sustain the same old fire, the same fire that fuels the hatred and keeps innocence at bay. The stage is set, the pawns chosen but "he" has other ideas? 

A bride is chosen in the most pious of places, is it destined? Or does Mahadev have his own plans weaved around these two? Even as the crowd erupts in rapturous joy, a young girl stills as it dawns on her that - its time. This is it. Is that a hint of fear in her eyes even amidst all the happy thoughts? 

A simple man full of love in his heart is what she seeks.

A complex man with a heart full of hatred is what awaits her.

She seeks a poet, a good natured man who wouldn't even hurt an ant.

He kills ruthlessly, walks over land strewn with bodies and bathed in blood.

You may run, you may hide yourself in darkness but you won't be able to shield yourself from the sun that will light up your life. And when he rises, you will be found, says Maamisa. Paro is unsure. Is that what the heart wants?

He is set to return to the land that froze his young heart, will love melt it?

The Harbinger of Change 1

Yet again, she finds herself caught in the middle of an all familiar blazing inferno starring at the faceless intruder of her dreams; the nemesis who sparked the fire that consumed her lifeline and scarred her soul. The all consuming void that stole her sleep years ago and continues to rob her peace of mind everyday. Step by step she loses to that form which emerges out of the fire. It’s death, its the enemy, or so she has been conditioned to believe. She is not alone in this hatred, for many have lost like she has - each one alive to speak of their nightmares which have dragged on for years, dragging along their bedrugged lives along its spiteful path fueled by the false claims of Thakur and his men; innocence burns in the fire of their making. But truth invaribly finds ways of catching up. Maamisa tells that fire has different forms, not always the all consuming destructive force that leaves behind a trail of ashes but its also the same fire that lights up the havan kund or gives warmth on a cold winter days, or the sun that lights up our lives. 

Paro, a simple girl who lives with a recurring nightmare finally dares to dream of starting a new life with an unknown man in a land so far away, it could very well be just a mirage for all she knows. But such is her innoncent and naievity that, its real. 

Life it seems has other plans for Paro. Just when you think, the groom is headed her way it brings in Rudra instead. Riding along the barren landscape, its hard to differentiate which is more dry his heart or the arid lands! True to his name, he carries within this all consuming rage that too like the fire, consumnes everything that comes in his way. 

Just like Paro, Rudra had a difficult childhood. But unlike Paro, the light was snatched away from his rudely leaving behind this void that soaked in all the darkness.

Paro dreams of a simple man with a kind heard. Destiny brings forward a complex man with a frozen heart. And in the whirlwind that ensues, amidst the plotting and the planning, they find themselves at the opposite ends of the warring factions. 

She is siding with the enemy, for weapons were being smuggled in the guise of her wedding. He is the enemy, for he is part of the BSD. The same that has haunted her ever since that fateful day when two funeral pyres were set to fire.