DARK…

As dark as the shadow was the night. The ever running sight caught nothing but the darkness, the darkness behind closed eyes and then a lightning in the wink of an eye. I listened to my breath and nothing else. The night was mute. The stars rested miles away behind the clouds; they were not seen, even in dribs and drabs. Where is the moon? “She’s been crowned by millions of stars behind the clouds, yes it was a full moon day without a moon”.

The darkness is no miniature. She can climb up the skies, she can pull you down. Can she kill you?

I stood up on the peaceful terrace. I didn’t realize it was so dark while I climbed the stairs. Now that I was on the top, I didn’t want to come back. I was trying to find something I had lost. But it was too dark. I hoped someone would help me out of this deep doo-doo. I heard a voice which was loud and rough. The breeze blew slowly.
“Who are you?” I said.
“I’m DARK” replied gently, “Do you need help? Come close to me.”

I was horror-struck, I moved away towards the gate which was left ajar. It was now closed. “Come to me, I’m here for you” the voice kept yelling. “Why did you close the gate?”, I asked terrified. “Who are you? Go away…” I was running all over the space. The voice got much scary with the darkness embracing all over. The voice never stopped. The constant noise in the DARK wasn’t enough, for thunderstorm made its cameo. At that point I thought darkness had taken me in its arms and I forgot what I was searching in the dark. I wanted to save myself in a jiffy!

I could have jumped out of the terrace hoping I would still be alive, I could have tried opening the gate hoping the darkness wouldn’t kill me or I could have killed the voice and relaxed. Before I made a decision, something got me descended. I fell down to witness a large brick on the floor. Before it’s too late, I declared “Get yourself out of here, else you’ll die in a split second”. I caught hold of the brick and tried reaching the voice. Yes, the voice still didn’t stop, it kept clasping. From a tight spot, I flung the brick and knocked down the voices of darkness. It was a huge blast which raced a current through my nerve. Something broke down heavily followed by a long pause…

I started walking down towards the spot and screamed out of pain for pieces of glass from the broken mirror had stuck my feet.

"Don’t run away from yourself in darkness.
Darkness comes, darkness goes.
Listen to your soul when it’s DARK."

[Now it’s been years since this DARK scary night turned out. I’ve now realized its substance. There was no one on the terrace, but a mirror (a self-reflection). My inner voice wanted to talk to me and help me. I had climbed the ladder of success and overlooked my'self'. The darkness had done the damage.

The DARK night has to come and go. Let it just go, don’t fret!!! ]

My Last Journey...

“It had started, finally”, everyone was relieved that the bus started to move after a long wait. One could not stop smiling, looking at the awesome western ghats which captured eyes of all. One such evidence was the little blind girl seated next to me who saw the beauty of tailored mountain flowers in her own way when she exclaimed “Hey, these are jasmine flowers to my left”. Evidently happy was her mother. “I’ll record the videos and store them forever” claimed a teenage boy looking at the thin line of water between the hills miles away. Little did the newly wed couple know that “their first journey was also their last!?”

I sat relaxed, not exactly enjoying the beauty of setting Sun. I was unhappy with the latest developments in life. There seemed to be no end to the long-existing problems which feared insecurities and worries. They kept haunting me even in the arms of Mother Nature. “Enough, now I really need a break”, I told my wife and departed, deciding to go on vacation all alone. I hardly knew minutes away, miles away all problems would no more haunt me… I would no more be there to worry about anything! Death was starving …

“... two more miles”, shouted the horrified voice of the driver which spread like a shock wave in the nerves. “Brakes have broken down!”

I could see people briskly taking their last few breaths. Such is the velocity of scare, death brings with it. The bus never slowed down from there, leaving no room for anyone to get out of it. Glued to their seats people were screaming at the top of their voices. A few, like me were horror-struck and dumb-founded!!

I closed my eyes gently recollecting what had made me choose the route to death! Was I unhappy to the extent that I parted ways with someone I had loved to be all through my life!? Wasn’t I harsh when I said, “I won’t be back in your life … never again”?
Tears flowed, hands trembled, heart battled. The dry lips were locked tight, but I opened my eyes to see the last few trees and hills before the bus would slip down!

Would there be a life after life? Deep down inside the jungle, is there someone who can save my life and take me back to my home? What would happen to all that hard-earned property? Who would console my loved ones and who can fill in the gap; won’t I miss them, would I even know I’m missing them? When will I know I’m no more!!!

We don’t have answers to such questions, nor do we know which our last journey is. Then what is it that we are fighting for? May be, a politician who fights so hard for his seat has all answers!!!

It can’t get more ironical…