Another one for the same contest.
--------
“Whiskey, rum or vodka?” Sam asked.
“Vod-ka ille stupid. It is ‘Vaud-ka’” Prabhu corrected him.
“Oh!.. I got it. What ka?” Mokka-Venkat couldn’t resist passing the opportunity.
“Hmm… Avarekka!” quipped a voice from behind them. They turned in unison.
The class teacher was tapping her feet, eye glowering.
----------------
Showing posts with label short story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label short story. Show all posts
Monday, June 7, 2010
[55 Fiction] The Other half
This was written for a contest in our internal blogging site. The total number of words is not supposed to go beyond 55 words, and must convey a story.So here goes..
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She was asking me to join her. She was so very near, but I couldn’t reach her. It seemed like she would go farther away, if I passed this opportunity. The distance would be too great.
“Come. We’ll be together again” She said, smiling as ever.
--
The wails began. Father was a great man.
---------------------------
----------------------------
She was asking me to join her. She was so very near, but I couldn’t reach her. It seemed like she would go farther away, if I passed this opportunity. The distance would be too great.
“Come. We’ll be together again” She said, smiling as ever.
--
The wails began. Father was a great man.
---------------------------
Monday, September 21, 2009
I'm an actor! (Short story)
Sometimes life is strange! I just can't understand it. You feel you'll never make it anywhere, and suddenly you get an opportunity to make it big. Right there, out of nowhere that faint ray of hope enlarges into a big tunnel to your ambitions. And then when you have travelled a long way, with a lot of hope and happiness, you find out that the tunnel actually ends in a cliff! A very deep cliff! That is where I'm right now! At the edge, on the verge of falling into this abyss! All my hard work and effort are going to go down the drain. Aaaaargh! I can't believe it! How can this happen to me! And why should it happen to me at all?
In the beginning I wasn't making it. I knew that. I was nowhere in this wide ocean, and was swimming against the tide. I was a mere drop in the vast ocean. But you have to agree, I worked on it. I worked like hell on everything, right from my face, to my body language, accent, on every damn part of me, till I got it right! Till I could be called a decent actor! And I did make it big, didn't I! Weren't there papers that called me the next face of cinema?!
But now.. now that my fourth movie didn't make money, they want to blame it on me? What about the faulty script? The drab screenplay? Who the hell is that critic to blame it on me? What the hell does he know about acting, anyway??Does he know the grueling practice sessions, the acting school hardships? All he knows is to watch movies for free, happily sitting in a special couch and write the crap that he is asked to, depending on the amount he is paid by you-know-who! Critic he calls himself! Bah!
Acting! Acting is an art! I know.. I know it is the most clichéd line, but you have to accept it, that it is a fact! Acting Is an Art! Period!!
It is not just wearing the grease paint and going there and enacting the part given to you. You have to understand the soul of the character. You have to get under the skin of the character. Understand the layers of role. The emotions, the reactions.. everything. You have to keep digging into it, until.. until you just become the character! Yes! That is it! You just start living the role! If he laughs, you feel happy, if he is sad, you cry! If he has OCD, you wash your hands 5 times. If he gets hurt, it pains you. Yes, it is no longer him. He is you! An actor lives so many lives in his lifetime, people don't understand. It is difficult for others to understand. You stand on the stage with the limelight on you, hundreds of faces turned towards you, looking at each move, and then you understand what it is to be an actor!
What do people know?
And now.. now it pains. It is like some acid that is trickling down my throat. I can feel it burning every cell that it comes in contact with. My whole body is aching. It is like some poison running through my veins. I can feel its course over my body. Slowly it is spreading all over. Slowly.. very slowly. My eyes.. they are getting hazy. Eyelids are heavy.... My whole body is on fire. I cannot.. cannot take it anymore..
******
"Hey! Where is Vaibhav?"
"That weirdo? He said he was going to do a final rehearsal. Look in that room, he must be mumbling to himself.. it was a monologue."
"Ah.. there he is! Some rehearsal lying on the floor! Idiot!"
Monday, December 29, 2008
The Cliffside lawn
“I’m sorry!”
Sniffing and between sobs “It’s okay. Thank you!”
“Is there something you want to tell us? Something that comes to your mind now, that you did not think of before?”
“No, Inspector. I’m really sorry. I just can’t think of anything now.”
Inspector Lankins was baffled. This was the fourth one now. The stories that his Native gardener had been spreading were starting to make more sense that the investigation. He had nothing even this time. Nothing at all!
Mrs. Lindersworth was seventy two, crippled and only had a German Shepherd for company. She lived alone in her seaside villa. It was picturesque with a breathtaking view of the sea from the Cliffside lawn. The lawn was the main attraction of the villa, and the main reason that Mr.Lindersworth bought it. There were no barriers and barricades at the Cliffside lawn that opened out to a rocky cliff opening out to the sea at 300ft above sea level. Mr.Lindersworth had wanted it that way. And that is where four people lost their lives! One of them just yesterday!
Their only son had died of a car accident two years ago and they had no relatives. At least, none that the Inspector could find. He said it reminded him of the mystery of life.
The sweet old lady who used to sing to her dog everyday while the maid cleaned about the house, would never have thought that her house was going to be the site for four deaths. The strangest thing about the deaths were that each was completely different. Each of the victims was of a different age, differently built and sane in all respects! The only link was that they were linked to the crippled lady in one way or another. Miss Evangeline was like a second child to Mrs. Lindersworth. She had been the shoulder and ears to this old woman after she lost her husband and son. Cute little Madeline was almost like a grandchild to her. The little neighbor kept her company when Miss Evangeline was away. Mr. Kimberly, her lawyer and long-lasting friend. And now it was Mr. Smith, her tea-time mate. Each of the families of the victims sure had problems at home, yes! But none that would send them, jumping off cliffs. But if it was to be counted as murders, there was no motive, no eye-witnesses and the worst no evidence at all! Exasperating was not even beginning to describe it.
***
Suspect I : The maid
Eccentric. Never liked people around the house, especially those close to the old lady. Snobbish at most times. Said to be rude on the day of the death also.
Suspect II: The gardener
Had mowed the lawn on each of the days that the deaths occurred. Was known to be a drunkard. Abused his wife when drunk. Had been convicted twice for drunken driving.
Suspect III: The Old lady
Crippled. Moved on a wheelchair. Spent the time in the house only. Was known to be a very sweet lady. Very attached to each of the victims.
***
I sat curled up near her feet. She was sobbing quietly. The police had left long back. Maria left after she cleaned up after dinner. Slowly she stopped sobbing and started talking to me. What she talked I could not comprehend, but she felt better when she talked to me, I knew that and that was all I wanted. I also felt sad when she was upset. I whined when she fell asleep and licked her feet when she wept. The previous day the old chap and she were having a great time. I thought she would fall off her chair laughing. Grrr..
After laughing and chatting and having tea, they both went to the lawn. I followed her. They didn’t seem to want to stop at all. She was going in wide circles in the wheelchair laughing like a small child, while the old man laughed along. A rabbit was trying to grab my attention as well. But I was alert for different reasons. She was always like this when ... Then suddenly she looked at me and cried “Timmy, lick him!” That did it!
I lost it. I growled, snarled bared all my teeth and charged towards him. He was already on the edge of the cliff. He lost balance and fell into the depths of the cliff. I still couldn’t control myself and bounded to the woods nearby. She always did that to those she liked a lot. I’m happy she kicks me sometimes with her spare legs.
***
Sniffing and between sobs “It’s okay. Thank you!”
“Is there something you want to tell us? Something that comes to your mind now, that you did not think of before?”
“No, Inspector. I’m really sorry. I just can’t think of anything now.”
Inspector Lankins was baffled. This was the fourth one now. The stories that his Native gardener had been spreading were starting to make more sense that the investigation. He had nothing even this time. Nothing at all!
Mrs. Lindersworth was seventy two, crippled and only had a German Shepherd for company. She lived alone in her seaside villa. It was picturesque with a breathtaking view of the sea from the Cliffside lawn. The lawn was the main attraction of the villa, and the main reason that Mr.Lindersworth bought it. There were no barriers and barricades at the Cliffside lawn that opened out to a rocky cliff opening out to the sea at 300ft above sea level. Mr.Lindersworth had wanted it that way. And that is where four people lost their lives! One of them just yesterday!
Their only son had died of a car accident two years ago and they had no relatives. At least, none that the Inspector could find. He said it reminded him of the mystery of life.
The sweet old lady who used to sing to her dog everyday while the maid cleaned about the house, would never have thought that her house was going to be the site for four deaths. The strangest thing about the deaths were that each was completely different. Each of the victims was of a different age, differently built and sane in all respects! The only link was that they were linked to the crippled lady in one way or another. Miss Evangeline was like a second child to Mrs. Lindersworth. She had been the shoulder and ears to this old woman after she lost her husband and son. Cute little Madeline was almost like a grandchild to her. The little neighbor kept her company when Miss Evangeline was away. Mr. Kimberly, her lawyer and long-lasting friend. And now it was Mr. Smith, her tea-time mate. Each of the families of the victims sure had problems at home, yes! But none that would send them, jumping off cliffs. But if it was to be counted as murders, there was no motive, no eye-witnesses and the worst no evidence at all! Exasperating was not even beginning to describe it.
***
Suspect I : The maid
Eccentric. Never liked people around the house, especially those close to the old lady. Snobbish at most times. Said to be rude on the day of the death also.
Suspect II: The gardener
Had mowed the lawn on each of the days that the deaths occurred. Was known to be a drunkard. Abused his wife when drunk. Had been convicted twice for drunken driving.
Suspect III: The Old lady
Crippled. Moved on a wheelchair. Spent the time in the house only. Was known to be a very sweet lady. Very attached to each of the victims.
***
I sat curled up near her feet. She was sobbing quietly. The police had left long back. Maria left after she cleaned up after dinner. Slowly she stopped sobbing and started talking to me. What she talked I could not comprehend, but she felt better when she talked to me, I knew that and that was all I wanted. I also felt sad when she was upset. I whined when she fell asleep and licked her feet when she wept. The previous day the old chap and she were having a great time. I thought she would fall off her chair laughing. Grrr..
After laughing and chatting and having tea, they both went to the lawn. I followed her. They didn’t seem to want to stop at all. She was going in wide circles in the wheelchair laughing like a small child, while the old man laughed along. A rabbit was trying to grab my attention as well. But I was alert for different reasons. She was always like this when ... Then suddenly she looked at me and cried “Timmy, lick him!” That did it!
I lost it. I growled, snarled bared all my teeth and charged towards him. He was already on the edge of the cliff. He lost balance and fell into the depths of the cliff. I still couldn’t control myself and bounded to the woods nearby. She always did that to those she liked a lot. I’m happy she kicks me sometimes with her spare legs.
***
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