FranKophone

“First class ac. 4 tickets” . “Waiting list.” “Will get confirmed I guess ? " “Oh sure ! This is the first time I get “waiting” in ac berths.” XXXXXXXXX “ Waiting. 17,18,19,20. No room. No seats.” “Standing for 4 hours ! Okay, will manage.” Four hours later….. The family got ample space since most passengers left at this particular station. “ Sir, I wrote “no room” on your tickets.” “So ? " “You show this tickets at your station. Say you have not travelled. They will refund you. 2000 in cash. My share 1000.I’ll take it outside the compartment.” “ Ok. I get 2000. Give you 1000. Fine.” “Yes !” “ So I get 1000 bucks there. Wait ! Here are 4 tickets. Take them, get 2000 rupees from the Head Office there. Keep your share….Now I get my 1000. Here itself. " “Surely you must be joking Sir ! " “No, I am serious. Less trouble.” Needless to say the transaction never happened. The TTE could never get a bribe. And the gentleman and his family roa...

Even if you sacrifice yourself, place yourself on a gold platter and offer yourself for common good, someone would always complain - "The platter is not clean." Your sacrifice goes waste. So never sacrifice. Live. Because you are not born to die.

Imprints of love they are Deep and ruddy. Peeping into my soul - I find it untouched, Unloved.

Remember our first date ? I walked to you in that lilac dress – with apprehension. You later told me that you fell for me then. I had noticed your jaw almost dropping  but never mentioned it to you. In one of our later dates, I caught you staring at that anorexic female with garish make-up. I was a fool then (Yes, I am a lot wiser now ). I tried to lose weight, use make-up. All proved futile. The next time we met you almost laughed at the sight of me. Visibly thinner, under inches of God-knows-what powdered on cheeks. Creepily lined eyes. After a few seconds, I realized you were laughing at me. I tried going away, crying. You stopped me. By that time, my eyes were streaming with tears. You looked straight into them and said “You do not need a mask . You’re beautiful.” I stopped crying. You hugged me. There were times you needed me. For telling how badly your Dad thinks of you. How you miss your Mom. I just listened. And yet you told me it comforted you. To be with me. And then on...