One Last Time (FPFS ~ Day 5)

“I have thought about it, Aditya. It won’t work anymore.” Neha said over the phone, her own words jabbing her heart. She couldn’t believe that she is talking about a break up, but she wouldn’t have if there was some other way.

The way she and Aditya fought over the last few months was pushing her to the abyss of depression. She had tried every possible thing to avoid those arguments,  but only the Supreme knows, what transpires suddenly that she and Aditya starts behaving like foes, or rather each other’s tormentors. 

“Hmm. Can we meet tomorrow one last time in front of that house, where we met for the first time?” Aditya said after a few seconds.

Neha replied with an affirmation, her heart agonizing with the fact that Aditya didn’t oppose to her decision.

“Hey, listen. When we meet tomorrow, can you give me a small thing?”

“What?”

“On a piece of paper, just write the 3 things that you dislike about me which led to this break up and the 3 things you liked about me.”

“You write the same for me, then.” Neha said and disconnected the phone.

**

That night, Neha found herself trapped. She easily wrote the 3 things that she hated about Aditya but when she started writing the things she liked about him, she couldn’t restrict to 3 things…the list continued…and she knew she was in a big trouble when the 3 things enhanced to 10 things. At the end of writing 10 things that she like about Aditya, the bittersweet realization dawned on her.

I still love him. I like him so much. Then, why for the 3 things which I dislike about him, I am heading towards a breakup? Oh, it’s too late now! He too wants the same from me.

**

Aditya looked somber when he met Neha at their old, nostalgic place. Neha could hardly smile as she regretted her decision badly. They gave each other the piece of paper without uttering a word.

Neha’s heart sank down as she took the piece of paper from Aditya. However, when she started reading it, her eyes widened. She looked at Aditya with a question mark, who by now was smiling at her after reading her list.

“Yes, Neha. Last night, I started writing the things I like about you. The space in the paper finished but my list didn’t. As I wrote, I realized how much I love you. I forgot if there is anything that I dislike in you.”

Neha smiled at that revelation and embraced Aditya. It was exactly her words which he had echoed.

There were some dark clouds that had engulfed their relationship which obstructed them to appreciate each other. Therefore, they focused on the things they disliked about each other rather than the large amount of things they liked about each other.

Both of them were glad that the grey clouds had finally gone away.

I have been tagged by my friend Kiran and my brother Sachin to take part in the Five photos Five stories challenge (FPFS) which is- Post a picture for 5 consecutive days and attach a post to it fiction, poem or short write-up. It can be anything to suit your taste.

Finally today I finish my challenge and I tag my friend Simran on Day 5.

You can read my previous posts of FPFS if you liked this post:

1. The Evening Sky (Poetry)
2. The young girl and her mother (Short Story)
3. Petrichor (Poetry)
4. Books, my most persistant companions (Poetry)
5. One Last Time (Short Story)

Books, my most persistant companions (FPFS ~ Day 4)

When I was five,

I went running to Mom;

Complaining and whining

I don’t have enough friends.

That was exactly when

Mom introduced me to the enchanting world of books;

With the first tender handshake,

Books have been my most persistent companions till date.

I grew up with magical fairy tales

Till poetry lured me with its captivating verses;

Within novels and short stories

I found my secret, small paradise.

The aroma of books

Reminded me I am never alone;

Cute and funny fictitious beings

Ensured my day never end without smiles and laughter.

I left myself a little

In every book that I read;

During times of adversity

They came back to me as my loyal savior.

Books made me wiser

And made life a lot easier;

For me, a life without books

Is no less than a body without soul.

Happy World Book Day to all the bibliophiles out there!

I have been tagged by my friend Kiran and my brother Sachin to take part in the Five photos Five stories challenge (FPFS) which is- Post a picture for 5 consecutive days and attach a post to it fiction, poem or short write-up. It can be anything to suit your taste.

I am tagging my friend Sonia Kundra Singh on Day 4 and as a part of the challenge, I will tag a new person on Day Five.

Petrichor (FPFS~Day 3)

As I sip my coffee

Complaining about the unbearable heat;

A mollifying breeze caressed me

With a secret, silent promise.

I looked outside the window

Grey clouds had embellished the sky;

Will it rain finally?

Will there be a pinch of respite from the heat?

A loud thunder affirmed my words

I immediately pined for some showers;

Soon, the wind was agile

Gracefully taking the form of a thunder storm.

I marveled at the storm

Though there was no rain;

I took delight in the thunder

And the rustic wind that rustled my hair mercilessly.

Finally, my patience paid off

As I heard the chiming sound of drizzles;

The storm slowly ebbed down

As the rain took over it in all its valor.

The aroma of the damp mud

Captivated my senses;

The ambrosial green of the rain-washed plants

Appeased my soul and heart.

After an hour of endless pouring

The rain stopped abruptly;

Leaving behind many happy pluviophiles,

A contented earth and the deep lingering petrichor.

I have been tagged by my friend Kiran and my brother Sachin to take part in the Five photos Five stories challenge (FPFS) which is- Post a picture for 5 consecutive days and attach a post to it fiction, poem or short write-up. It can be anything to suit your taste.

 

I am tagging my friend Ankit who pens down wonderful poems on Day Three and as a part of challenge, I will tag a new person on Day Four.

The young girl and her mother (FPFS~Day 2)

I like long train journeys, but not when the train is announced late by more than three hours. It was during my last vacation when I was travelling. As I cursed the late system of everything in India sitting in the train, my eyes fell on my co passengers who were sitting in front of me, cheerful and happy unlike me. 

I was too busy to notice them last night. I had comfortably got into the upper bunker and spend the entire night chatting with my friends and listening to music until slumber took over me. 

Now, in the early morning I finally saw my neighbors: a girl of about twelve and her parents. The girl sat in the window seat opposite to mine beside her mother. She had an effervescent aura around her. With a cute ponytail and bright twinkling eyes, she looked full of energy and life. Whenever our eyes met, she gave me a warm smile which was so genuine and pleasant that I couldn’t help smiling at her back, despite my distasteful mood.

The young girl’s vivacity couldn’t restrain me from looking at her. As I had nothing to do, I looked at her and her mother for a long time. At first, I wondered why her mother was silent all the while, albeit she was smiling whenever her daughter was telling her how beautiful the meadows looked or the river outside the train looked. 

It was as if the young girl was having an uncanny conversation with her mother. Some people might call it a one sided conversation, but it was exactly not so. Her mother was as much involved in the conversation as much was the little girl. The uncanny part was that one person was communicating through words while the other person was communicating through body language and feelings. 

Finally after some time, I could comprehend that the mother of the girl was totally speech impaired. She was dumb but her lovely daughter made it sure to communicate with her about every single thing that caught her interest. Although her speech was impaired, she could effortlessly communicate with her daughter through her smile and body language.

I couldn’t help but smile as I looked at the mother-daughter duo. Despite some void and imperfections in their lives, their lives looked so beautiful filled with love and tranquility. They were not annoyed by the train being late or the hawkers shouting incessantly. They were perfectly content in their own world.

Life is really beautiful. It is up to us to find beauty out of ugliness, peace out of the cauldron and harmony out of disharmony. 

Suddenly, the petty things stopped bothering me and I looked outside the window of the train to admire life in a new way. 

I have been tagged by my friend Kiran and my brother Sachin to take part in the Five photos Five stories challenge (FPFS) which is- Post a picture for 5 consecutive days and attach a post to it fiction, poem or short write-up. It can be anything to suit your taste.

I am tagging my friend Maniparna whose poems and stories always leave a mark on my mind on Day Two and as a part of challenge, I will tag a new person on Day Three.