Waiting For LOVE....

Devanshi stared at the invitation kept on her desk. It was for a new restaurant's opening, just a few blocks away from Devanshi's office. It had been a long time since she had stopped going out and meeting people. Devanshi could have just thrown it away had it been some usual invitation. But there was something different about this. The name of the owner had brought back all those memories which she had so tightly locked inside her.

 It has been five years since that incident now, but every picture was still clear in Devanshi's mind. She and Bhupesh were studying law at the college then. She had known Bhupesh since her school days but had starting dating him just recently. Other than Bhupesh she never spoke to any other person other than a few girls in the college. The reason being that Bhupesh didn't like her talking to other boys and girls. Not only that but there were a lot of other things that she was not allowed to do. In the beginning she had problems adjusting with him but somehow she managed. Her parents also knew Bhupesh and Devanshi knew that they would never believe her if she said anything wrong about him. She had no other choice but to try and make that relationship work.

   Just outside their college campus was a restaurant where Bhupesh usually took her for dinner. Even Devanshi was always eager to go back to that restaurant. It was not because the food or ambiance but because of Prakash. 

Prakash was the waiter at that restaurant.  Everytime they went there Prakash used to serve them. Devanshi was instantly attracted to him. There was warmth in his eyes whenever he looked at her. He used to just take their orders and never spoke any extra word. Prakash was a gorgeous man. He was tall and fair. Any women would be attracted to this guy, Devanshi thought. 

Devanshi always ignored that attraction she felt. It had been three years now and Devanshi had been going to that restaurant regularly. But other than his name Devanshi knew nothing about Prakash. That day after their last exam everyone was preparing to go back home for the holidays. After finishing all the packing Bhupesh took Devanshi for dinner at the same restaurant. This one year with Bhupesh had been really difficult for Devanshi, but now that she was going home she was happy.

Bhupesh had said that he had planned something special for Devanshi that day. Devanshi was wearing a black velvet dress and had bothered to put a light make up. She looked pretty. But Bhupesh didn't seem to notice it. As they entered the restaurant the manager greeted them at the main gate. He said a formal hello and led them to their table.

"The waiter will take your order in a short while. But may I also say that ma'am you look really pretty today." said the manager and smiled.

"Thank you", Devanshi said and managed a small smile. But all this got wrong with Bhupesh somewhere.

Just as the manager left Bhupesh started shouting at Devanshi. She was caught ofgaurd and almost jumped at his voice. She had never expected him to do any such thing. According to Bhupesh Devanshi had intentionally worn such a dress to attract other men's attention. Devanshi was on the verge of crying. She could not bring herself to say something. All the guests in the restaurant were staring at them but Bhupesh continued shouting.

When the manager saw a scene being created he immediately went to their table to stop him but Bhupesh pushed him back and he fell on the floor.

"Bhupesh.." Devanshi tried to stop him but he turned around and raised his hand to slap her. Devanshi was scared and she closed her eyes tightly with her hand covering her cheeks. But even after two seconds she felt nothing. She opened her eyes to find Prakash standing between her and Bhupesh holding Bhupesh's arm. If Prakash would not have been there Bhupesh would have really slapped her. 

Prakash's eyes were filled with rage. He pushed Bhupesh back and called the security guards. He was thrown out of the restaurant immediately. Bhupesh tried his best to break free but nothing helped. Devanshi looked up at Prakash with tears in her eyes and before she could say something she ran out of the restaurant crying.

Bhupesh had embarrassed her to no extend today and on top of that he tried to hit her. Devanshi had never thought that he would go to such an extend. 

"Devanshi stop", Prakash called back from behind.

Devanshi stopped in her tracks. She turned behind to find Prakash running towards her. Within seconds he was standing next to her. Devanshi was still crying. Her eyes were red and she was shivering.

"Its late and you should not be walking alone. I am also going that  side. Mind if I join you?" Prakash asked.

Devanshi just managed a small nod and they started walking towards her hostel.

Devanshi somehow managed to stop those tears and wiped her face with her hands. "Thanks for all that you did today", Devanshi said.

"Don't mention it. I was just doing my job. And he needed that. Well anyways its good for you. now you don't need to worry about him running your life", Prakash said.

Devanshi looked at him, confused. How did he know about all  this?

As if reading her mind Prakash said,"I just guessed by the way he always gives your order also at the restaurant and you never speak much when you are with him."

Devanshi didn't wanted to think about all that now and tried to change the topic.

"So how long have you been working at the restaurant?" Devanshi asked.

"I've been working here for the past two years. I completed my graduation last year. I wish to open my own restaurant one day. I am just waiting for the right opportunity and some investors who would be ready to help me." Prakash replied smiling.

Devanshi looked at him surprised. "But why work at the restaurant. You could have done something else?"

"I am the only working member in my family. I have to support my parents and sisters. I started working here to so that i could cover my college fees and after college it was better to have some income rather than sitting and waiting for investors."

Not only was he smart and good looking but was also aware of his responsibilities and was focused in life. Devanshi respected him for this.

They had reached her hostel. Devanshi thanked him and started walking towards the gate. Prakash lightly touched her arm to stop her. Devanshi turned around and looked at Prakash. There was that same warmth in his eyes. 

"You looked beautiful today", he said and smiled.

For two seconds all Devanshi could do was stand there and look at him. Then she did something she had never done. She rose on her toes and kissed him on his cheeks. She said goodnight and ran inside the hostel. By the time she reached her room she was blushing. It was then that she realised that she was in love with Prakash. But she also knew that his focus right now was his family. A little heart broken she went to bed that day. After that she changed her college and moved back with her parents. 

    Until today she had lost all hopes of meeting Prakash again. But now Prakash was opening his own restaurant and she was also invited. Probably now it was time that she gave her love another chance....

 

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Llewellyn

Llewellyn worldwide

DEATH & AFTERLIFE

DREAMS

PROMISE

A Promise is very hard to keep. But when, Rahul promised his newly married wife, Ragini a happy home. He seemed obviously right, because he is a very cool and tempered person. He thinks a little more than his younger wife. Since he married against the wishes of his mother, who already started looking for a suitable match for her only son. But Rahul met Ragini, nearly five years back and they liked each other from the beginning. Rahul also brought Ragini, many times home and she tried her best to match up with her would be mother-in-law. Ragini was also of a similar nature girl, cool and introvert. Before Rahul’s marriage, Ragini was a favorite to his mother but after, the total situation turned topsy turvy. Specially, Rahul’s mother was somewhat influenced by one of his far-off related aunt. During her stay in the interim period of marriage, she would always try to find flaws in Ragini’s behavior. After her arrival, as bride Ragini went through tremendous mental torture, mostly from this so called aunt. But unfortunately her mother-in-law has completely lost control of the house and this aunt is ruling the roost. She tried to influence everybody, even Rahul was not out of it, but poor Rahul could hardly protect his wife. He is very much overburdened with his job as a web writer and his freelancing assignments. He could hardly give time to Ragini, but a soft person like him could hardly bear this for long! One night, as Ragini came almost exhausted from household chores, he just looked at her. After a few moments as she was preparing to sleep, Rahul knelt down before Ragini and sought to seek her pardon. Ragini’s eyes covered with tears got hold of her husband and embraced him in silence. Through this silence she conveyed to Rahul that she expected these things to happen. She has no qualms against Rahul or her mother because this was totally unexpected for her and this was in her fate. Rahul said he completely failed in his promise of giving a relevant peaceful life after marriage. But Ragini felt that her Rahul loves her more than before marriage and she have no complaint against her husband. One day, she revealed quite surprisingly that her mother-in-law would embrace her and they would both cry in the absence of that treacherous and naughty aunt. Ragini said that this changed behavior of her mother-in-law is being noticed for the last few days and she is showing signs of repentance. She is also trying to protect her daughter-in-law from the clutches of that so called witch. She is trying her best to clear the house from this mysterious woman.

            At last they felt relieved when Rahul’s mysterious aunt received a call of immediately returning at her home due to some problems being created by some of her relatives. Within a day or two she rushed out, one morning and the house gradually turned peaceful. But for some days after her departure, she used to call on her sister (Rahul’s mother) and enquire about the affairs. But Rahul’s mother, Rita cleverly skirted out the issue in order to protect her daughter-in-law from any imminent problems. If any time, Ragini accidentally picks up the phone she would silently hand over it to her husband or her mother-in-law. After some days, when that aunt felt she was not given much attention these days, she stopped calling them. That was the day they all waited with anxious breath and they celebrated the day as if, happiness has again returned to their house. With a few days, Rahul took about two weeks leave from work and with his mother and wife set out for Hardwar. In the peaceful and tranquil ambience of Mother Nature, they discovered themselves a new. There on the footsteps of a small Shiva temple, they met a Sadhu with a glowing face; every one of the pilgrims was calling him as ‘Sadhubaba’. On their return from the temple premises after having a look at the presiding deity, they would meet the holy man. The Sadhu, having a look at Rita’s face called her with affection and after taking a look at Ragini, he said ‘Mother’ you are very much privileged to get such a nice daughter-in-law. Your son is also very caring to both of you and he is striking a fine balance between both of you. Rita agreed with the Sadhu and asked him if his son would be happy in life? He said financial happiness may not be according to expectation but Rahul would be very much in mental happiness. He would be a very much happy family man. The Holy man said, ‘ see, Mother, money cannot buy happiness and peace, see that chaiwala, who hardly earns a hundred rupees a day but he is more happy than an executive in an M.N.C getting about more than six figures salary a month. The holy man quiet surprisingly revealed the secret word that Rahul gave to Ragini that ‘I promise to bring happiness in our married life’. This mesmerized the three of them about the yogic powers of this, somewhat unknown Sadhu. He turned to Rahul and said that,’ Beta in future you may again visit this place, I will be no more, you will remember me within your heart. Do not blame anyone for your sorrows, try to be complacent. Try to help your near and dear ones in their hour of need. At least provide some mental support, when you are not capable of giving them money and your time. Always take your family in confidence, specially your wife and mother as long she is beside you. A crowd gathered in the vicinity, to hear the teachings of some basic moral science. After some time they left the place, seeking the blessings of the holy man. After visiting Rishikesh and Kedarnath they started on their return journey for Siliguri. On the way, they only talked about that Holy man and his spiritual powers and his knowledge of knowing about their long ago kept ‘Promise’.

Copyright © 2011 PRO WRITERS

An Expedition At Night

    It was 1942. The swadeshi movement was going with great guns and the fight for independence had gripped the entire country. Chaos and nuisance was common everywhere. And often enough you might be stepping out of your house for some purpose only to end up joining some gathering, instigating people to take up arms against the govt. Zamindari system prevailed under the British Raj and on the ground level. It was the zamindars who had immense power and control over the junta. In short they were the immediate bosses of the people. The Zamindars kept themselves aloof from the masses and they had their officers who looked in to every affair of their administration. Corruption was rampant during this period and when people took up arms, the immediate target was the zamindars.

      Our story dates back to such a period, in Bengal. About 200- 250 kms away from Kolkata, is Burdwan, where conditions were pretty much the same. Ananda Mohan Bannerjee, an affluent zamindar in that area bore the same burnt as others. His ancestors previously had been shrewd bankers to the East India Company and had acquired huge masses of wealth with which they had later on bought the Burdwan zamindari. A man himself a shrewd businessman had invested in many businesses including the indigo business which at one point was the point of contention in rural Bengal. Ananda was not much of a family man. Married twice, he had 2 sons from the first marriage and a son and a daughter from the second marriage. Though he was not fond of children much, his little daughter Aleya was a darling to him.

    

       Since her birth he felt a strange inclination towards her and had been very particular about her upbringing. Aleya herself was also very much fond of her father. At the age of eleven, she was not like other girls of her age. While other girls were fond of playing with dolls and other indoor games, Aleya thought that these games were boring and there was absolutely no sense in wasting time playing these games. What fascinated her was adventure. She often dreamt of running through the rice fields in to the forest areas which her father owned and exploring what life could be in those forests. Ananda had bought this forest which was on the bank of the river Ganga and stretched for about three miles. The forest was rich in high quality teak and mahogany wood and that’s what attracted Ananda. Aleya since her young age used to stand in the balcony all day long gazing at the forest which could be seen from her room. At night in the bright moon light the forest had a different appeal to her. It seemed to her as if the forest might be calling out her name- Aleya, Aleya. When the gentle breeze blew across the forest she used to feel a strange sensation of joy in her heart. Somewhere distant she could hear an owl crying. The light of the oil lamps which the fishermen used to lit up in their boats before going to sleep could be seen. She used to imagine how romantic it was for the fishermen to spend the entire night in their boats in the lap of the river under the moonlit night and a sky full of stars. The shadow of the moon shivering as the silent waves dashed against each other. The clouds moving across the sky as if in a hurry to deliver some message to some place far off. How beautiful nature was at night. As if nature attains a new avatar. She used to think of what might be going on inside the forest. She had heard from her father that the forest was a home to all sorts of wild animals- tigers, lions, jackals and poisonous snakes in large numbers. Often enough her father used to tell her stories about incidents when a tiger had attacked a fisherman in his boat or a farmer sleeping under his shed in the fields while guarding his fields from jackals. But she didn’t believe these stories. She had heard jackals crying in the fields. But tigers? Not possible. She had always wanted to explore the forest on her own. But that was impossible and she knew it. Her father would not allow that under any circumstance. At least not in this birth. She wasn’t even allowed to step out of the house alone. The Zamindars and their family throughout Bengal were targets of common people. Someone would always accompany her even in the day light. But as the moon rose up in the sky, the forest had an appeal of its own which she couldn’t resist. Sometimes she thought of asking her elder brothers to take her out at night. But that was like asking for trouble. Already her brothers were jealous of the fact that their father did not pay as much attention to them as to her. Moreover asking for help from them, that too on an issue that serious was suicidal.

      So one night she decided to explore her world all by herself. That would be fun. Something she had always wanted to do. But how to step out of her house? There were guards always guarding the house. They would not let even a mosquito slip out of their nose. So she decided to take the help of her play mate, Anju, a girl of her age who used to work at their house. She was the one with whom Aleya shared all her books, toys and even her feelings. She was the one who was closest to her in all respects. When she told her about her intention she had no hesitation in saying no. But Aleya was a stubborn girl. She was persistent in her demands and finally she gave in. They decided to drug the food of the guards. After everybody that evening had their dinner and had gone to bed, she decided to step out. By the time the gong struck eleven she was ready for her maiden adventure. Anju wanted to accompany her. She knew of the dangers. If someone noticed that would create trouble. Even if no one noticed, the forest was not a safe place to be in. that too at that hour of the night. Moreover social conditions were also not good. But Aleya would not listen. She always had dreamt of stepping out alone in to the forest. That would be fun- she thought. Finally she stepped out of the house.

      A strange feeling of elation filled her mind. As if it was her victory. A victory so big that everyone would have wanted to achieve. And at that hour of the night, when the whole world was in deep slumber, she stepped out in a new world to explore it. She walked past the gates easily as the guards lay asleep in intoxication. She walked past the fields taking the road by the river. It was dark as far as one could see. Only the light of the kerosene lamps which the farmers lit up in their sheds to keep animals away from the fields could be seen. A sense of adventure mixed with fear overwhelmed her. After walking through several stretches of the field she finally came to the edge, from where the forest began. She looked back towards her house which appeared no more than a mere shadow. For once she thought if it was right to step in to the jungle. What if her father was right? What if the forest really had tigers and lions? Even if presence of tigers and lions are remote, chances of encountering a poisonous snake can’t be ruled out. For the first time in her entire journey she felt fear overpowering her. Her hands and feet turned cold and numb. What hour of the clock could it be? She thought. Might be past midnight. A girl of eleven, alone at that time in the forest, what was lying ahead of her?

      But that was what she had been waiting for so long. And then when it was a reality it might be foolish to back off. She finally decided to carry on. As soon as she set her first foot in she felt something strange. She had not experienced such a kind of feeling inside her before. Was it from the heart? Or from the guts? Or the stomach? Well no point in thinking these things. She moved on. Tall trees standing on all sides greeted her. They were so tall as if they were competing against each other to reach the sky. It did not seem to her before that the trees would be so tall. From her balcony it seemed so different. There was no specific road inside the forest. You have to make your own way through the tall trees and the bushes which came your way. Even the wild grasses were tall enough to make her journey difficult. The breeze as usual was blowing across the forest. As she made her way forward she repented for the first time about the decision made by her. It was foolish. Really a foolish decision. She could easily be a victim of some poisonous snake waiting for her inside the tall grasses. But she carried on. For once she looked up towards the sky. But the tall trees had formed a canopy that prevented even the moonlight to enter in to the forest. There were trees all around. She could hear the jackals crying in a group. But that sound was different from the one she used to listen from her bed room. It was louder and even more painful. Do jackals eat small children? She thought. She had heard stories in the past where jackals come and pick up children who do not obey their parents.

      She wandered about in the forest for another hour or so trying to find out a way out. She knew that crossing the jungle and reaching the other end of it was impossible. And then she made a big decision. She turned back and made her backward journey. But was she taking the correct path? Because it was difficult to remember from which direction she had come. Everywhere she looked at seemed the same. But she had no other choice. She repented about not bringing her friend along with her. At least two would have been better than one. But it was useless crying over spilled milk. She walked for another half an hour when she realized that she might be in a wrong direction. Now what to do she thought. What would happen if she could not find her way back out. What would her father’s reaction be when he would learn that her darling daughter was absent. She felt sorry for her father who loved her so dearly. Even the night showed no sign of ending. But she did not loose hope. She decided to go ahead wherever her two eyes and two legs took her. She felt like hearing strange sounds which she had never heard before. Were these sounds of some animals? Or was it her imagination. No point in thinking all these things, she thought. She could feel cold sweat on her forehead. After much beating round the bush she finally came to the edge of the jungle.

     

      But where was she? It was not the place from where she had entered the jungle? Was she lost for the second time in the night? She could only see rice fields all around. But not the ones which she knew. Anyways in those days girls were not allowed to step out of their houses. Even if they did some elder in the family or servant accompanied them. That was why she did not get any chance to know any other routes except the ones which could be seen from her house. She was helpless. She felt like crying. But that would not help her. The only encouraging sign for her was that she could see the river and realized if she took the correct direction she had a faint chance of reaching her house as her house was also on the bank of the river. She decided to move on. She was now exhausted. Her legs were now giving up. Never in her life had she traveled so far on foot. Very often she could hear a loud noise coming from the field. She remembered that her father had once told that it was of the farmers who made the sound by beating tin drums to keep wild pigs and jackals away. She looked up in the sky. Stars were still visible as usual. But the location of the moon had changed, she felt. It seemed to her that even the heavenly bodies were taking pleasure on her. She imagined how nice it would have been had she not stepped out of her room. She was missing the warmth of her bed. She could see grey lines in the eastern sky. She realized that it was the sign of the dawn. Little time was left for her to make her return. Or else every body would know about the escapade. Although she was tired, this gave her a new dose of energy. Her tired feet started working.

      After walking some quarter of a kilometer she could finally see the glimpse of her home at some distance. She could not believe her eyes. Was this a dream? She thought. Even if it was it was a pleasant one indeed. Tears came rolling down her cheeks. She began running with all the energy she had and stopped only when she reached the gate of her house. The guards still lay asleep as they were. She ran through the veranda straight into the house to her bed room. When she reached her room, she was panting. She went near the window only to have another glimpse of the forest. It was the same forest that she had seen through her window in the past. It was the same she had visited the previous night. The only difference was that it did not appear romantic to her anymore.

A Sunday With Nature From Dawn Conveyed Life’s Important Lessons

to nature in the form of animals and plants that convey a lot of important lessons I have always appreciated going out for walks in nature in dawn with nature always seeming so perfect, balanced and efficient. Then I am reminded of the Chinese proverb, “Whoever loves and understands a garden will find contentment within” as I express my kudos to improve the lifestyle of the modern man. A Sunday to be spent leisurely, but not in my life made all these lessons dawn upon me.

My Sunday morning as usual started at dawn with a leisurely walk in the nearby park with observing the dew on the grass. It seemed so nice to be alive and in this beautiful atmosphere. Observing the barking of dogs on the road and fresh green plants going about their work made me realize that we as human beings were causing harm to the ecological balance of nature by deforestation and eating meat. It was true that it suddenly dawned upon me that the order of things also meant that each human being played a vital role in society and had positive attributes irrespective of his occupation and social status in life.

Deeply engrossed in my thoughts, I suddenly realized that dawn had given way to the first rays of the sunlight. It was wonderful to observe the plants rejoicing and bending towards the sunlight that was the source of life and food for them. My thoughts got diverted, I suddenly realized bitterness, jealousy, hatred, anger and other negative feelings were rotting our roots of health, happiness and success in today’s modern society. The first rays of light dawned spiritual sunlight upon me that it was only love, peace, laughter, harmony and being in communion with the Lord that could make us soar high and be happy.

I realized soon that the giving away of dawn, with the dewy grass turning dry, made more important life lessons to dawn upon me. I did feel sad to see some once green trees shedding their leaves and looking so bald. However realization dawned upon me that changes were a part of nature and all of us with age and change of circumstances. However most of us tend to blame others for everything that goes wrong. I realized that instead we all need to take full responsibility for our own life and accept adaptability with creative changes in our lifestyle.

The day was getting brighter and I remembered breakfast had to be made for my family. Walking back home my sight drifted to broken tree with worms feeding on them. It dawned upon me that the tree was dying, with nature gracefully accepting this loss. But I could see new life in the form of baby plants under the same tree. So it was true that someone took over from the dead also. Yes the philosophy of life had dawned upon me; old gave way to new, and losses gave birth to new opportunities that seemed like seedlings.

Observing and ruminating over the dying tree with worms feeding on it conveyed to me the thoughts and actions of noble people. These people like green trees gave help to the needy like the shelter of trees; they gave counsel or shade in summer and motivation to the dejected like the oxygen and fresh air that trees gave us. It was also true that at death they left fond memories and experiences for all to follow with some donating their body parts to give life and hope to the living.

Opening the gate to go up to my apartment made me appreciate those colorful flowers in the place of seedlings that I had planted just a month back. I had watered, nurtured, talked to these plants and protected from the trampling of my pet dog Tofu. Like dawn flashed the thought, my patience and nurturing were responsible for these beautiful colored flowers. So it was true that good and happy things came with patience and nurturing; we needed to sow and nurture ideas, thoughts and deeds and wait patiently for them to give beautiful flowers of happiness and success.

Preparing a good and sumptuous breakfast made it dawn upon me that my lessons of life had also grown sumptuously. As I called my family to the breakfast table, I realized everything in life grows, for I had seen my pet dog Tofu and my son Vijay grow and found that growth was inevitable for happiness and success in life. Getting independent like most of us do was also essential like small plants slowly going away from big trees and baby animals leaving the mother. It dawned like lightening that we all need to grow spiritually, mentally and physically and realize our dreams in life as the 75 year old uncle got his MBA two months before his death.

Tofu got restless at the breakfast table for he missed me this morning during my solitary communion with nature. He wagged his tail and licked me all over. His unconditional love in spite of my disappointing him made me wonder where the aspect of unconditional love had gone in our world of humans. Circumstance had made us all so selfish, with love and favors based on conditions. It dawned upon me that we had turned into machines and could not ensure or experience the free flowing of a basic human want as love, affection and feeling of being wanted.

I had planned to click on my laptop as I had some work to be completed during the weekend, but Tofu and my son communicated their want to spend some quality time with me. Light dawned upon me that they were my priorities in life too. Animals also enjoyed themselves as also plants by running about and swaying in the breeze leisurely, I thought. It was a delightful experience playing around and having fun with my husband also joining in the fun. I could already feel so energetic, making me feel it was true that a balance in life was essential for happiness and good health; don’t we want to be free of lifestyle diseases like high blood pressure, cholesterol and heart disease.

The realization that I had not prepared lunch dawned on me as hunger pangs took over all of us, with Vijay suggesting that we order pizza for lunch. Then our thoughts were suddenly diverted to a news item on TV that pets became obese due to faulty food habits of their masters. My son sprung up to the idea that if Tofu needed quality food; we also needed it and could not just yield to the taste of the tongue and convenience. We also needed to be healthy with eating natural foods, fruits and vegetables and get the right balance of B vitamins, certain minerals and essential fatty acids.

Vijay helped me cook a good and nutritious lunch for the first time that Sunday, with all of us wanting to relax after a 6 days workweek. I wanted to catch up on my work, but seeing Tofu already dozing made me realize that all of us needed short naps from time to time to feel good and refreshed. Most of us have forgotten the way to relax; we always wanted to be busy to feel good. The light dawned on me at the right time that rest made us more energetic and enthusiastic; we surely needed to nurture ourselves.

We had just about finished a short nap when we were disturbed by a rat’s squeaking sound outside the window. It was trying to escape from the clutches of the cat and crying out in pain. It dawned like air in my life that animals were so free in expressing their feelings like joys, sorrows and pains. We had forgotten the art of expressing ourselves and lived more on artificial terms in society. This was probably the reason for many of the misunderstandings and wrong communication in life.

My thoughts were interrupted with Tofu’s happiness with the wagging of his tail. He had my umbrella that I had lost 2 days back.  The glee in his eyes told me that he was happy and proud of himself. I just stroked him in appreciation as he stood stiff and strong. The new dawn of thoughts was had we humans lost the skill of being proud of our small achievements? Did we only bother more about our insufficiencies and failures?

It was time to take Tofu for his evening walk and I thought I had to give him his Sunday treat of spending some quality time alone with him. My sight suddenly went to a chameleon in the park; it was planning its action and suddenly sprung on an insect and ate it. What dawned upon me was significant; wild animals worked hard and found ways and means to get their food, but difficult circumstances throw humans into depression. Was it not true that changing an adversity into an opportunity was very essential? In addition, we needed to teach our children to turn independent and tackle life’s challenges.

My beautiful Sunday lived from dawn to dusk made real life’s lessons dawn upon me. My laptop lay where I had left it on Saturday evening. Yet I was happy, as various life lessons had dawned upon me and I had realized that accepting the flow of things and living in the present moment as nature did was the best solution for living life king style. 

Copyright © 2011 PRO WRITERS

TRUTH UNTOLD

Parimal woke up surrounded in a fog of gloom...for a minute he was not sure why till he heard the sounds below...his mother-in-law’s penetratingly shrill voice! Wanting to cover his head and pretend that yesterday never happened, when his mother-in-law came to spend the week, Parimal forced himself out of the bed.

Making his way downstairs, his sense of foreboding increased when he saw mom-in-law cooking breakfast. He had started having acute stomach cramps ever since yesterday’s lunch, cooked by her – maybe she was putting the wrong masalas or maybe she wasn’t cooking the food properly, whatever the reason, her cooking just didn’t suit him. Today he must tell Nina, his wife that she should cook his food and not her mother but what reason could he give without hurting her feelings?

Smiling politely, Parimal forced himself to eat the breakfast again, ignoring the incessant chattering between mother and daughter. Excusing himself, he readied himself for work when the acute stomach cramps started yet again. Swallowing medicines just wasn’t working, as he valiantly fought the pains, deciding to go to his childhood doctor friend – Madhav, right away. Calling in sick at work, Parimal drove to Madhav’s clinic and explained the symptoms to him. Examining his stomach and surrounding areas, Madhav took some ultrasound tests and blood tests, seeming perplexed at the normal results from the ultrasounds. “Let’s wait for the blood test results,” said Madhav sending Parimal home with some innocuous anti-cramping medicines. Nina saw him doubled over with pain in the bedroom and immediately called her mother. For a second Parimal was sure he saw an almost malicious gleam of satisfaction in the elderly woman’s eyes but dismissed it almost immediately as an over-working imagination clouded with pain.

Parimal knew his mother-in-law was temperamental and anti-men personality but thinking she would be happy at his suffering was going a bit too far. Mom-in-law had lost her mother almost at birth and had been brought up by a distant, indifferent father who was always immersed in his business and travel. Grief-stricken at losing his wife, he had scarcely paid any attention to his daughter or was always autocratic, dictatorial and denied her any companions or friends. Mother-in-law grew in a lonely, gloomy atmosphere – servants and solitude being her only companions. Pushed into an arranged marriage at the tender age of 18 years, her life was spent looking after a husband who matched her father’s temperament in every way. Bearing him three children – three daughters, Nina was the youngest – further worsened the relationship with her husband and the abusive, unhappy marriage ended with her husband’s death three years ago. Mother-in-law now spent her time in between her daughters’ home – Nina was the only married one and Parimal suspected that he being the only male member in the family did not go down well with her. The sisters-in-law showed equal rigidity and animosity as the mother but Thank God, Nina was different. More outgoing, charming and pretty she had left home for hostel-living very early and had grown up in a more ‘normal’ atmosphere, not witnessing as many domestic violent acts and fights as her sisters had. “Oh well, she will just have to accept that I am a man and Nina loves me, I am sure with time, she will be fine,” thought Parimal fighting another wave of nausea and cramps.

That evening, Madhav called up and said in a very strange voice, “Parimal, I don’t know how to say this but the blood tests showed some very strange results...there are traces of a poisonous substance in your fluids..I will not bother you with the medical terminologies but what I can say is they are harmful and can have very serious consequences if consumed any more, in fact fatal if continued even for a few days. Uh, Parimal are you still there...Parimal talk to me, hello, hello”, shouted Madhav when he heard no voice from the other end. “Yes, I am still here”, said Parimal in a strangulated whisper, his voice sounding as if coming from faraway. “Why will I have poison in my stomach, I have just been eating home cooked food”, he asked puzzled and very disturbed. “Even I am very surprised, the traces are very less so seems to be a recent phenomena but the point is they are there...who has been cooking at home?” asked his friend. “Well it’s mostly Nina but ever since mother-in-law has come, she has been....,”trailed off Parimal.

“You know I never did like your mother-in-law and the doctor in me always thought there was something not right about her mentally”, said Madhav. “But this seems really bizarre even by her standards”, continued Madhav. “I think I will tell Nina to cook for a while, bizarre or not bizarre, I am not taking any chances. She has always hated me for invading her all-woman bastion but this is carrying things too far”, said Parimal in a strong voice. “Do that and come back to me after a week for more tests. Make sure your mother-in-law does not cook”, warned Madhav signing off.

“Are you crazy, you don’t know what you are saying, how can you accuse mother of such horrible deeds”, screamed Nina predictably when Parimal told her his suspicions that night. “You can keep thinking what you want, I don’t care, either you start cooking again for me or I will be eating all my meals out everyday”, declared Parimal and turned over to sleep. The next thing he knew, his wife was shaking him hard and saying soothingly, “Wake up, Parimal, wake up. You are having a bad dream. Please wake up...here, have some water.” Parimal woke up sweating profusely and shaking. “What was I saying, I had the most horrible dream that I was being poisoned,” he admitted in between sips of water. “Well it was all a bad dream, it’s almost morning now and Mama is cooking us a nice breakfast, ummmm, I can smell it”, said Nina sniffing appreciatively.  

Parimal got dressed, laughing silently at his silly dream and suspicions, looking forward to the breakfast as he entered the dining room. Wishing his mother-in-law a cheery good morning, he bent his head to eat and so missed the malicious gleam of evil intent in her eyes as she served him more food!

Copyright © 2011 PRO WRITERS

THREE TIME SINNER

THE SECRET GLORY

THE TERROR BY ARTHUR MACHEN

The Day I Broke The Rules

Prithika noticed that her hands were shaking. Her stomach churned like a giant cement mixer. She felt like all her muscles were turning into water and she would fall to the ground any second now. After all, it was not every day that you received a note from the school principal, calling you for a ‘special’ meeting! “What’s the big deal?” said her son, Abhinav unabashedly.  “He will probably just have something mean to say about me and scold you about my marks etc. etc. You know, Mom, how to handle him...Bye”, said the wise one, waving her a cheery goodbye, no doubt relieved at handing over the wretched note.

“Yea, yea, you are a fine one to talk...no worries, no concerns, Mom will handle everything”,  Prithika mumbled to herself, tightening her nightgown belt and settling down to read the morning newspaper for the ten minutes that she got in between three children being readied for school like a relay race! Unable to concentrate even on her favourite cartoons and Bollywood gossip, she finally admitted she was very worried. Abhinav was a “high-spirited boy”, as his music teacher put it diplomatically and the not-so-diplomatic teachers just called him misbehaved and a trouble-maker. She had not really taken these comments very seriously at the Parent-Teacher meetings but a meeting with the Principal was something to be scared about.

Breathing in deeply and wiping her sweating palms, an hour later, Prithika knocked at the Principal’s door.  From the minute she stepped into the hallowed chambers to the moment she stepped out, more than an hour later, Prithika was struck by only one thought – “what in heaven’s name made me seek admission in this school”?

As anticipated, the school authorities were extremely disturbed by Abhinav’s behaviour. The teachers had not minced words when complaining to the Principal – “he doesn’t study nor let others study, he doesn’t do his home-work, he is failing in a few subjects, he is always teasing the girls, and he never sits still...blah, blah, blah”. Yet, the one remark that really hit a raw nerve and made Prithika say what she never imagined she would, was “Mam, do you think your son may be mentally disturbed, Uh...you know have you got him checked, uh, I mean his mental state”.

That did it! Prithika gathered her tattered dignity together and said, “I am very proud of all my kids, particularly so of Abhinav. He is very loving towards his siblings, very useful around the house and takes care of me as well. Obviously, your school has not seen this side of him nor wanted to...if you had known that he is a talented piano player and a budding cricketer, maybe you would not be so dismissive. Anyway, I will not be sending Abhinav to your school anymore...not because of these comments but more importantly due to the CANNING he received from your teachers!  If anything your teachers need a mental health check-up. Very conveniently, this is probably one aspect that your teachers have not bothered to brief you on. Good day, Mr Principal and I hope you find it appropriate to walk out from your ivory tower and see what is really happening in your school.” Leaving the open-mouthed, shocked Principal, Prithika collected the now-subdued Abhinav and came home.

“Son, I want you to know that the school was wrong to have allowed the teachers to hit you so mercilessly for a crime no bigger than being a high-energy child. Innocent mischief from a ten-year old does not deserve anything more than a scolding, yet your teachers canned you not once but thrice in three different classes,” reassured Prithika gently but firmly.

Thus began the journey of finding a suitable school where energetic, talkative and curious-minded children were not considered an anathema but a boon.  In the highly conservative schools of Chennai where  studious and docile children were the rule, Abhinav’s repeated questioning, his search for logic or reasoning from the teacher, was found as an aberration. No one wanted go beyond the books to answer Abhinav’s difficult questions and found his restlessness a threat to class discipline. In despair, Prithika went to her favourite family temple to pray and talk to the wise and old priest who had seen her grow up.  “Kanna (child), why don’t you teach Abhinav yourself. You are a trained teacher yourself and earn your living through home tuitions. Is it not possible to consider Abhinav as another student and make some time out for him as well”, advised the old priest in Tamil. “But Amma, who will take me teaching my son seriously, how he will appear in boards and all other such exams”, asked a distraught Prithika from her mother that evening. “Maybe there is a way out, why don’t you meet the authorities and find out,” said Amma.  

“This has never happened in the history of Chennai schools, how we can allow this, this is highly unconventional...”, so went on the arguments between Prithika and the Chennai state authorities. Emboldened by her lawyer who cited laws that allowed a child to appear for any state examination as long as the studies were being conducted using appropriate board textbooks, Prithika fought back.  After almost of a month of battle, the committee members finally relented and allowed Abhinav to appear for his school examinations without the need for regular attendance in class.

Going back to the now-chastened Principal with the committee’s orders, Prithika led Abhinav proudly down the corridors of the school towards the staff room where the teachers were having their lunch break. “I would just like to say one thing to all of you who have dared to lift a finger at my son and other poor, scared children...obviously you don’t have even a shroud of humanity in you and have become mechanised robots. The teacher teaches not from books but from the stories of life. I may have created a body but I entrusted the task of creating a human being with you all. However, now before you make a criminal out of him, I would like to take him far away from the likes of you!”

Copyright © 2011 PRO WRITERS

CECIL BEATON

FORE-EDGE PAINTINGS

TEMPTRESS BY JACK WOODFORD

The New Family

It’s a freezing cold night. I find a homeless family on my doorstep and invite them into my home to sleep. But in the morning, the family doesn’t leave the house and I find them sitting on lawn, talking to each other and for the very first time, I notice a kind of worried expression on the face of the elder member of this family. I go near them and find two kids, along with their mother and father, shuddering with cold, wearing ragged attires with roughed skin, looking here and there with shattered hopes as they don’t know where they have to land now to get food and shelter. I go near to the kids-their face are oval and pale and eyes have a vacant look as they didn’t get proper food for a long days. My hands automatically go on their heads, ruffling and caressing gently and there is a kind of self contentment I feel for  the first time.

“What is you name,” I ask to elder child.

“Sir, Rahul,” he replies in very hopeless tone.

“And your,” I turn to younger one.

“Sir, Pankaj,” he replies feebly as he gets fear of something.

“Nice names,” I turn to their parents.

And their eyes stick with mine fathoming the intimacy I have shown for these lovely kids.

“Sir,” the very feeble voice of mother engulfs in surroundings calling me.

“Hmmm,” I look at her.

Her pale eyes gets a gleam of hope and she comes closer to me.

“Sir can you provide us some work so we can arrange food for these kids,” she asks arranging her tattered sari.

“We can do anything you provide us,” cheerless voice of father tells.

Their conditions make me helpless and for a fraction of second my mind slips into abyss of thought wandering to my past and I think about my childhood, how hard life it was for me. it was a hectic crucial journey through I passed. My childhood was not different from these kids as my poor parents was not able to provide me the kind of happiness I was poor and helpless that time but tmy parents provided me the right direction and motivation to move on the craggy path of life and just because of their caring, today I am here possessing a very good position in a reputed company, getting a handsome salary and remuneration but it really is hard for me to forget those all worse days and the sacrifice, my parents did for me.

“Sir, don’t worry if you can’t then we can look for another house,” mother’s voice breaks my chain of thought and my eyes again hang on those children who are looking mockingly at me.

For another fraction of second, I thought about their future, ‘What will happen to them if they manage the same way of life wandering here and there in search of food and shelter? Are they born just to be loser like this?’

And a heavy stupor clouds in my mind.

‘Is this not a responsibility of mine to give them the right direction so they can lead a successful life?’ I thought, ‘Being poor is not a crime and they also deserve a respectable place in this civic society.’

A gust of very cool breeze passes through the lawn making them more shuddering and I see children hiding their face into the lap of their mother.

“Move into the corner room first, the cold is unbearable,” I direct them.

The very dark eyes of father swing open with amazement as he doesn’t trust on his ears. He looks very affectionately at me as he wants to reconfirmation of my directions.

“You should move on first,” I again instruct them.

They follow me leading to the corner room. The room is hot and clean and the family seems more relaxed being there.

“Okay have your proper breakfast and lunch here, I will see you at evening,” I leave instructing them.

I go to my office but my mind still wanders thinking about the future of those children and as being a generous human being, I firmly decide to do something for their betterment.

At evening, when I get in, I find children sleeping on the bare cold floor and their parents were weeding the lawn. I slowly go near to them staring at their shining faces and finally call to their parents.

For the first time in my life I am going to do something I can get real bliss, my heart encourages me.

“you will take care of the kitchen,” I point finger at mother, “and you will help caring of this house, okay.” I give instructions to their father.

A beam of twinkling hope I can see clearly in their eyes.

“Sir I don’t know how will I repay your gratitude,” father came near to me with moisten and spilling eyes.

“Ohhh,” I heave a huge breath, “there is a way to repay my gratitude.” I tell.

“What sir?” Their eyes stick with mine.

“You have to send your children to school”

“Sir,” intervenes very affectionate voice of mother.

“Don’t worry for anything, I will take care of them.” I tell.

They come near to me as they want to touch my feet. I saunter backward instructing them for their work.

Next day, I go along with those children to a school of my nearby locality to get them admitted.

And this way life moves on. At evening, I daily use to help them to their study. It is a good way for me to entertain my self.

Days passes and new month of calendar welcomes us. Now life becomes so miraculous as I got something, the missing part of my life. Within very few days they all seem as the member of my new family. They care me the best way they can think for. These children are very talented and I also properly take care of them so they can manage to live a very glorious life ahead.

Copyright © 2011 PRO WRITERS

The Brave Officer

Dinner was over and Meena was in the process of cleaning the
dishes.The children had already finished their dinner and were off to
their cousin’s house which was next door to spend the night.

Suddenly she could hear a frightened shriek.Meena realized that it was
her husband vivek’s voice. Sensing that something was wrong she ran
towards the bedroom . She found vivek in a state of intense agitation
looking towards the ceiling. She looked up to see a bat hanging from
the ceiling.

The creature flapped its wings as if to planning to move . Vivek let
out a shout and ran out of the room closing the door behind him.Meena
could hear his voice from outside .” “Meena , don’t open the door. I
am going to call the emergency numbers to get some help.
I think that bat is going to bite. It looks dangerous “

Meena was not sure what to think or say for some time.In his panic
vivek did not seem to realize that she was inside the room with that
creature and the bedroom door could not be  opened from inside even if
she wanted to.

She looked fearfully at the creature which was hanging upside down
from the ceiling.It looked as if he was planning to settle down there
for the night.She started remembering all the horror stories which
invariably included bats in them.

What if this is vampire bat? She thought with a sinking feeling. It
seems that they could drink the blood of the victim human or animal,
without even waking them up from sleep.She had read that they had a
chemical called Draculin in their saliva which prevented the blood
from coagulating.

Is that how Dracula got his name ? or is it the other way round?

Meena decided to rein in her thoughts.She was getting too carried
away. She told herself firmly that there were no vampire bats anywhere
in the world except Latin America.This must be a fruit eating variety
. She tried to call Vivek to tell him this info and calm him down but
he seemed to be out of hearing range.

She was in fact extremely surprised to see vivek’s  panicky behaviour.
Of course bats were not very nice creatures to look at but for a
fighter pilot who was used to dangerous flying such a phobia seemed to
be out of place.

Looking at him now , nobody would think that he was a part of many a
high risk bombing missions of the India Air Force and was considered
very capable by his colleagues and peers.
She had often wondered at his courage when he narrated certain
instances where things had gone wrong during the flight. S he in fact
had been very worried when she was newly married but had got used to
it now.


She remembered the incident which had happened two years back.Vivek
and his friend
Colonel Sanjay had been  on  duty that day.They were flying high and
were approaching the target. They could see the beautiful vales and
streams of Kashmir from where they were. Suddenly the fighter plane
encountered enemy fire  was losing height very fast . Both the pilots
had to eject .But Sanjay’s Girdle was struck and he was unable to free
himself .

The plane had hit a mine field by then and set off a mine.The wingtips
caught fire.
Vivek had by then descended .Quickly composing himself he ran towards
he smouldering aircraft even as onlookers warned him that it would
blow up any moment.

After struggling with the pilot’s straps he finally managed to
extricate him from the plane and dragged him to a distance even as the
plane caught fire. Sanjay’s leg had been badly injured and they
managed to get him to the hospital for treatment.

Vivek had been  awarded a bravery medal after that incident.

She found herself laughing at the irony of the situation.She would
love  to take a photograph of vivek  now  and put  it up in the
drawing room next to all those medals.

She decided to do something about this creature.Ofcourse she could not
be locked in this room till morning.

She looked to see if the window was open.The window on the north side
was indeed open.She looked behind the almirah and found vivek’s golf
kit. She took one stick and slowly and gently raised it towards the
bat. The bat moved to another spot.Meena relentlessly changed it for
some time till the bat went outside the window.

She then banged the door till vivek opened it.

Copyright © 2011 PRO WRITERS

The Future Me

Namit a 12th standard student from Ryan International School, Mumbai had just reached Bangalore to visit his parents during summer holidays. After a hearty welcome and a good supper he woke up the next morning and while having breakfast with his family, Mr. Gautam Das, Namit’s father asked what plans he had post completing his studies? Namit answered instantly, I want to become a writer or a journalist, Namit’s father a well know businessmen in the city of Bangalore was not very happy with his son’s aspiration to become a writer. We have a business empire to run and you are my only offspring, therefore, you have to opt for a career in Finance or Business Administration my son. No further discussions happened on the subject as Namit had to go out to meet a childhood friend of his. As he moved out of the house, Mrs. Das, Namit's mother requested him to return a couple of books that she had brought from the city library. Ok said Namit and drove out in his father’s car towards the library. Namit entered and walked straight towards the librarian. Good morning sir, he wished and it was while handing over the books that he realized something strange about the man, wait a minute, Namit thought, this man looks exactly like me. Nothing like this had ever happened with Namit, he could not believe his eyes and kept staring at this gentlemen, who himself seemed to have been surprised, but more than his pale face the man looked scared and tried avoiding Namit by walking away from him. Namit by now had all kinds of thoughts coming to him, speaking to him-self he thought may be his mother had an affair at one time and the librarian is his real father. Coming back to his senses he realized that the librarian was no more there but could see him walk out the corridor, he ran towards him and once besides him, asked, excuse me sir, may I know your name? After few more tries, when there was no response, Namit just walked faster and stood in front of the librarian, thus stopping him the very instance. May I know your name? Namit repeated. I cannot mentioned a thing, actually I am not even suppose to talk to you, please leave me alone, but Namit was too curious and kept asking the same question. OK! I will tell you with one condition, you will not discuss this with anyone or else there will be a disastrous outcome, I will not discuss this with anyone, said Namit, eagerly waiting for the man to speak. I am no one else but you from the future, Namit just stared at him dumbfounded, ok, go on. The librarian said he was Namit the same person, only that he was from the future, 30 years from that day where they were. By now Namit was numb in his head, but managed to murmur few words, how all of this was possible?

Let me explain said the librarian, the time from where I come, technology has so evolved that people can travel to different times, in the future as well as in the past. I am right now in the past with you. Namit could not control his curiosity, as now he was aware this man can tell him about his future. So what am I 30 years from now? Writer, an actor, let me know. There was a moment of silence, post which the librarian spoke, the terms to time travel is that we cannot reveal any information about the future. Please, just answer one question and I will not trouble you anymore. Ok, fire, came the reply, do I become a Hollywood actor or a writer as I have always dreamed of, none came the reply once again, you do not, you become an entrepreneur like your dad, in fact a bigger businessmen than what your father is. How is that possible? I have never thought of becoming a businessman, never, and I don’t like the idea. Well, that’s what the truth is said the librarian and started walking once again while telling Namit not to follow him as he had answered one question of his. Goodbye Future-Namit, said Namit and he too started walking towards his car that was parked in the basement.

As he drove towards his friends place, he kept thinking about what the librarian had told about him becoming an entrepreneur. Maybe I should spend more time with my dad in his office. While still deep in thoughts, he saw his childhood friend Rashid standing outside his house gate ready to welcome Namit whom he was meeting after 2 long years. As Namit came out of his car they both hugged each other and started walking towards the house. It was already quite a day for Namit, so he just kept silent throughout the lunch speaking only few words and thinking about his future and his future buddy whom he just bid goodbye.

Copyright © 2011 PRO WRITERS

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CIARA IN DISTRESS

"I didn't do anything. Please let me go", cried Ciara. But that black figure was walking as if he hadn't heard her talk. He raised his axe, "no...", shouted Ciara. 

"Whats wrong?" Lilly her roommate rushed to her bed. It took Ciara only two minutes to realise that it was just another nightmare like the other nights. 

Ciara was breathing heavily and finished the glass of water that Lilly had given her in one go.

"Another bad dream?" a sleepy Lilly asked, with concern visible in her eyes. Ciara could only nod at that. She had been having such nightmares ever since her parents died in an accident. Theirs was a happy family. But that accident had completely shattered Ciara. Her father was a rich businessman and had left all his property for Ciara. She could have led a carefree life. But everything changed when she was sent to stay with her maternal relatives. 

       In the beginning everything seemed good. Ciara was happy that there was somebody to look after her and would help her live her dreams. Everybody was really nice to her.Although Ciara missed her parents a lot but still she was happy staying with hr relatives.

   But within a few months their attitude towards Ciara changed completely. Nobody spoke to her. She was not allowed to go to school and was made to do all the household chores. 

Ciara lost all interest in life. She would stay locked in her room staring in the dark and crying. The ultimate shock came when Ciara's relative sent her to mental asylum saying she was insane. Ciara shouted, she cried but there was no one who could hear her cries. Nobody came for her help and neither did people believe her when she said that she was not crazy.

Her relatives had taken her in just for her property.

as soon as they got access to all her funds they falsely accused her of being insane and sent her to the asylum. Since she had been sent to their place after a long legal procedure, sending her to an orphanage could raise suspicions.

   This past one week had been really difficult for Ciara. Life in the asylum was a complete torture for her. There was no proper food and she had to take all those disgusting medicines. And worst of all she was treated like an insane there. The only time she felt relaxed was when she was with Lilly. Lilly had been in the asylum for the past two years now. She had gone through exactly what Ciara was now going through.

"Ciara are you listening?" Lilly's voice pulled her back to reality.

"Lets just run away from here. There are a number of NGO's that would take up your case and help you." Lilly said.

"But how?" The next two days both of them planned how they were going to run from the asylum. As it turned out, it was rather easy for them. During the lunch hour they quietly sneaked out. And they were just lucky that the watchman was not there. They made sure that there is no one watching them and ran away from there. The main gate was closed but they managed to climb over and got away. They ran at full speed without looking behind. 

Finally after covering a long distance did they stop. Both of them panting from all the running. They had successfully got away from the asylum but had no idea as to where to go now. Ciara had a friend in school Sia, to whom she was really close. They decided to go to her place. With great difficulty they reached there. Her mother was generous enough to let them in. They were shocked to hear all that had happened with Ciara.

At once they decided to help them. The next day Ciara and Lilly went to a NGO along with Sia and her family. The people from the NGO decided o take up their case. 

It took long for everything to get over but soon Ciara got all her property back and her relatives were behind the bars. Through all of this Ciara and Lilly stayed with Sia's family. On the day of the final hearing Sia's parents announced that were going to adopt Ciara and Lilly. They'll take care of them and when they turn eighteen they can move on with their life as they want.

Life couldn't had been better.

Copyright © 2011 PRO WRITERS

 

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