A Long Wait

Savera misses her childhood friend, Vivaan and each day she visits the lonely island where they first met. She thinks of every moment spent together with Vivaan. She talks to the plants and the winds as if they were messengers and wishes to remind Vivaan of all the lovely days spent together.  She conjures the universe to send back her Vivaan, the one for whom she pines every day, every moment.

Savera's soliloquy:

I know not the worldly ways nor do I wish to, all want to know and remember are the meadows where we, as kids, ran, kissed the dew drops on the petals and chased the colorful butterflies. Those fun filled days when we would play hide and seek and hide behind the trees and you would scare me, I would scream and you would laugh loudly! Remember how wonderful it felt, when we would lie on our back, on the bed of soft grass and watch the azure sky for hours and play the game of guessing clouds?  I still remember how we gently plucked the small flowers and sucked nectar and I laugh thinking, how we ate mangoes, not bothered about staining our clothes and how delectably we licked our mango pulp smeared fingers.

Time literally flied. I still remember that day The day when the meadows were luxuriant with soft greenery.  It was still dawn, we ran in the fields with joy to reach the swing that was laden with creepers and sweet roses and you reached the swing first. How much you teased me and then we both swayed on that beautiful swing. It was so windy, and when the winds tousled my hair you came close to smoothen them back and suddenly some strange desire rose within us and you bent forward to caress me. The soft winds and the rustling of trees were like music in the air. The picture enlivens when I am reminded of the way you smiled and softly whispered those lovely words in my ears and how we both blushed for the first time in life. 

Remember how we rolled in the meadows and the passion that swathed us, the first time that we realized ourselves as man and woman. What bliss, what an exploration of ourselves, which we didn't realize all the while. How blessed we felt when the soft sun arose and radiated its warmth and graced our precious day bestowing on us its holy light. Have you forgotten it all, all those lovely and divine moments?

 Don't you even remember the little sapling that we sowed together? I see it grow day by day into a tiny tree, which will grow strong and sturdy one day. I rest on its trunk and find you close to me. I roam in the meadows, yes the same soft green meadows, but now all alone.   The swing still sways teasing me and the leaves of the trees rustle to make me happy, so many seasons have passed, but you show no sign. Sometimes the wait is so long that it seems it might take eons for you to be mine.

I drown in the dreams of desire, the longing grows stronger and stronger and every moment appears to be a thousand years.  All this while, I wander in my dreamland and unite with you each day. I miss those days of togetherness, the companionship, to be very honest, I miss you. I wait everyday hoping that someday, you would return. I anticipate an inexplicable excitement for the days of reunion.

Spellbound am I, with my desires, trapped am I in my dreams; is it a time warp that I am living in?

A Unique Love Affair

When the night falls and the moon softly touches the sea, there is some restlessness in the waters of the sea. Its waves peel from it, spreading its arms to embrace the moon but the moon mischievously hides behind the cloud only to leave the helpless waves to shrink back in the sea.

"Ah, Sea you are too bold, have you ever seen women proposing men?" questions the moon.

Oh! He hardly sees my generosity, murmurs the Sea.

Then the Moon peeks again from the cloud and the Sea spreads its arms again to hold it but the distance is so much that its energy fades and shrinks

The Moon continues to tease the Sea by playing hide and seek from behind the cloud but the Sea smirks and says, "The clouds that you are hiding behind are also mine."

"Huh!" the Moon says, "Then why those tides?"

The sea winks and replies "Darling, these are just my ways to entice."

"Hah! Entice the one who itself is so mystical?" says Moon, with pride.

"Darling, why so much pride? It is my faith in you that makes you so mystical," replies the Sea.

"Hmm, you are right, what would my brilliance do if you did not have faith in me? You have so beautifully broken the pride in me!" confesses the Moon.

"Now, why do you make me yearn so much and keep disappearing behind the clouds?" questions the Sea.

"I am just trying to feel you, through a part of you?the clouds!" winks the Moon.

Smiling, the Sea says, "It's your wit and brilliance that always wins me and makes my waves throb for you."

"And it is the charisma of your melodious music and your dancing tides that fascinate me and invoke me every night to come and meet you" rejoins the moon.

"When the whole world is asleep, I am overjoyed to see you welcome me with your scintillating tunes and ballet. And then it is just so difficult for me to resist a single moment and with the strike of twilight. I come stealthily just to meet you" sighs the Moon.

"And I spend all day banging against the boulders and rocks in desperation, especially when I see lovers sitting by my shores; I become impatient and ebb and flow on the shores. How much I wait for the night, you will never know!" says the Sea.

"I know it all dear, had I not been the captive of the centripetal and centrifugal forces, I would have come straight down to embrace you and live with you forever" sadly states the Moon.

"Yes, and had I not been the captive of gravity, I would have flowed straight up to you and wrap you with all my love and care" utters the Sea desolately and smiles.

"I wonder when will we get out of this time warp or the curse and meet forever"

"Don't worry darling" replies the Moon and suddenly the sky gets darker and clouds begin to clear, leaving the moon alone in the sky. And then the Moon spreads a silvery hue on the sea as if embracing it. Then gently it caresses the Sea with its reflection. There is a wild ecstasy with this unique reunion and then the lovers dance in unison. It all appears awesome!

So lost are they in each others arms that everyday when the Sun comes, it winks at the Moon and says, "Time's up Buddy!"

And then farewell the lovers bid, promising to meet again. The Moon diminishes in the clouds and stillness in the sea dwells. And they eagerly wait for another night to fall, and then again they start with the rhapsody of their unique love affair!

-Shilpa

Audrey Hepburn the beautiful actress who starred in ‘My Fair Lady’ wrote when asked to share her ‘beauty tips.’

It was read at her funeral years later.

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.