Shalini was sitting in the bus, watching the world move. There was a chill in the air. She had her neck stuck out the window to allow the full force of the wind to hit her face. This moment, she decided, was why she was alive. To live in that moment, to cherish it, and to have all such moments strung together on a rope which would lead her across the river. It was all about experiences, after all. Nobody remembers the late nights they were stuck at work preparing for a meeting that never happened, but nobody forgets that gorgeous sunset they happened to witness on the way back from work, or the night they spent making merry with friends. She thought back to the last three days. Zuber and Arjun had made plans to meet again for the weekend, without hesitation, she had agreed and booked her tickets. In her excitement, she made the wrong bookings. Twice. The trip was almost called off until she had finally managed to get her head straight and book good tickets for herself. She smiled thinking about all the teasing that was headed her way for the next many years.
She had collected so many moments in those three days, pushing herself to do things she would never have imagined doing before. It still horrified her that she had karaoked in front of a crowd of unknowns. Arjun had had to step in to save her the embarrassment, she had been that bad. She had felt a rush of affection for him at that moment, knowing how lucky she was to have friends like them in her life. No matter how drunk the three of them were, she doubted any one would forget the cheesiness that night brought with it. The three of them had spent most of the weekend exploring movies on the telly in Zuber's room. They had stepped out to eat at exotic places they wouldn't have dreamt of stepping into under normal circumstances. They had spent an entire afternoon idling away at an amusement park, grabbing a few drinks at the end of the day. The laid back vacation was life's way of telling her to take it easy, to allow each moment to sink in, to revel in them. She knew life was long and the only way to live it, was to sleep happy at the end of each day. With that thought in her head, she stepped out of the bus which had come to a standstill, and walked to her office for the last time ever. It was time to move on to another experience.
Showing posts with label fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fiction. Show all posts
Friday, 12 December 2014
A Working Title - Part III
Tuesday, 30 September 2014
A Boy Named Billy Jones
I just found a bucket load of my old writing! This one was written in 2003 for some contest which wanted to encourage physical activity among teenagers. There is loads of other stuff lying about which needs to be worked on. Will post it if I deem it appropriate any time in the future.
A Boy Named Billy Jones
Here was a boy named Billy Jones
Who
never ever moved his bones
And
because he never moved
This
is what happened to him-
One
fine morning he found that he
Was
completely paralyzed, physically.
Too
fat to move, too fat to budge
He
started to panic, he was really het up
He
sat on his bed like a huge block
And
blubbered on the phone-“Please help me doc.”
The
doctor came, looking quite grim
“Let’s
face it son, you’re not very trim.
You
have more fat than you can bear
And
soon you’ll have no clothes to wear.
Your
body’s in a terrible state
Your
heart will collapse from all that weight
Now
you’ll feel about eighty-eight
But
soon you’ll be Billy Jones- The Late”
There
was a boy, name of Billy
Who
thought the doctor’s advice was silly
And
reached out for another cream roll
And
we’re here today to pray for his departed soul.
Tuesday, 2 September 2014
A Working Title - Part II
For Part I, click here.
A week had passed since Shalini had walked out of the office and driven off. After hours of mindless wandering, she had finally gone home. She had called one of her oldest friends from college and poured her heart out. The next day, there were return tickets in her inbox for a holiday at a beach side town, with only two words of explanation, "Let's meet." She had not needed a second invitation. It was time to make the leap. She had two days to plan. She did not tell her family about the trip, she was sure there would be objections. "It is unsafe", or "where and how will you stay?" or, "how can you travel without any female companions, what will the world say?". She did not think she could handle all of that and still make it to the vacation feeling upbeat. So she took the easy way out, and just forgot to mention the plan to her family. And here she was today, with two of her closest friends, feeling the most peaceful she had felt in years. It had finally stopped raining. They were at the beach, absorbing the weak sun and enjoying each others' companies without uttering a single word, each content in the knowledge that they did not need to fill the space with needless banter. The waves were making that blessed sound that you can only hear if you're near a shore. The breeze was gentle, ruffling through her uncombed hair, tangling it up even more than was normal. A gang of boys had arrived to play a game of cricket, they had been setting up the pitch for the past ten minutes. Zuber had just been invited to join the game. As he got up to join in, Shalini smiled and thought how good life was, and how, at that moment, all time had ceased. The three of them had spent the last four days doing nothing, just driving around and taking in the new city, trying not to get drenched by that ghastly rain that refused to give them a break. At the back of her mind though, she knew the moment she stepped out of there, the clock would restart, with a vengeance. Body and soul would once again separate, the brain and heart would be in a dilemma. But at that moment, she was one. At peace with the Earth, the wind, the water and the sky.
She lay her head on the sand and closed her eyes. With a smile on her face and the ocean in her ears she thought, right now, this is eternity.
A week had passed since Shalini had walked out of the office and driven off. After hours of mindless wandering, she had finally gone home. She had called one of her oldest friends from college and poured her heart out. The next day, there were return tickets in her inbox for a holiday at a beach side town, with only two words of explanation, "Let's meet." She had not needed a second invitation. It was time to make the leap. She had two days to plan. She did not tell her family about the trip, she was sure there would be objections. "It is unsafe", or "where and how will you stay?" or, "how can you travel without any female companions, what will the world say?". She did not think she could handle all of that and still make it to the vacation feeling upbeat. So she took the easy way out, and just forgot to mention the plan to her family. And here she was today, with two of her closest friends, feeling the most peaceful she had felt in years. It had finally stopped raining. They were at the beach, absorbing the weak sun and enjoying each others' companies without uttering a single word, each content in the knowledge that they did not need to fill the space with needless banter. The waves were making that blessed sound that you can only hear if you're near a shore. The breeze was gentle, ruffling through her uncombed hair, tangling it up even more than was normal. A gang of boys had arrived to play a game of cricket, they had been setting up the pitch for the past ten minutes. Zuber had just been invited to join the game. As he got up to join in, Shalini smiled and thought how good life was, and how, at that moment, all time had ceased. The three of them had spent the last four days doing nothing, just driving around and taking in the new city, trying not to get drenched by that ghastly rain that refused to give them a break. At the back of her mind though, she knew the moment she stepped out of there, the clock would restart, with a vengeance. Body and soul would once again separate, the brain and heart would be in a dilemma. But at that moment, she was one. At peace with the Earth, the wind, the water and the sky.
She lay her head on the sand and closed her eyes. With a smile on her face and the ocean in her ears she thought, right now, this is eternity.
END OF PART II
Wednesday, 6 August 2014
A Working Title
There are days you look forward to, and then there are days. Lately, there had been more of the latter. Every day was the same. Shalini would wake up, get dressed, and go to work. There, she would sit all day, staring out the window, waiting for something to happen. If it were a good day, the girl from the next cubicle would stop by for a chat. If not, well, there was always something happening outside the window. Once in a while, her boss would summon her, and hand her some mundane task to keep her occupied. At times, it involved doing an inventory check, which was dull and took up all day in a dark basement, at other times, it involved interacting with some of the other juniors in the team, which took up just a few hours. The past few weeks, she hasn't been handed any work at all. She sighed. The street was deserted outside today. She wondered if the boss had forgotten she was still there. And then she wondered if there was anyone who remembered she was there. At that thought, she slumped into her chair. Was it supposed to be like this? In her quest to earn a living, was she supposed to forget living? She looked around her, and realized there wasn't a single person in the room that she cared about. Nobody whose presence had made an ounce of difference in her life. Nobody who she looked forward to seeing every day. Did she really want to spend all her life among strangers, pretending to be alive?
It occurred to her how truly unhappy she really was. It was close to evening, and she hasn't spoken all day. There had been no one to speak with. Oh, wait, she had spoken with her mother on the phone. The thought comforted her a bit. She wished she could crawl into her mother's lap and weep right now. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She checked the time, gathered her things and walked up to the boss. He was leaning over a paper list, marking things off with his pen.
"Arjun?"
He looked up at her with a look of mild surprise.
"Umm..can I take the rest of the day off? I don't feel too good."
A look of relief passed across his face. "Sure, if you're not feeling too good by tomorrow, don't worry about coming in. Things are anyway quite slow here. I am sure one of the others can fill in for you."
For some reason, the last words made her feel worse than what she had been feeling earlier. There was probably nothing worse in life than being made to realize how completely and wholly replaceable you are in other people's lives. She quietly nodded her head as Arjun went back to his list and walked out of there.
The moment she stepped out, a gust of hot wind hit her in the face. It was sweltering outside. No wonder the streets were empty. She took another deep breath, and started walking away from the building. One step at a time. After she had covered sufficient distance, a kind of dread came over her. What next? Go home and do what? There wasn't much to do. She couldn't bear the thought of lying in bed staring at the ceiling. It was then that the first tears started rolling down her cheeks. She felt miserable. She wished she could run away from it all, and start fresh. Maybe, take the path less traveled. She wished she had taken the time to think about her next step before jumping into this job, so melancholy, and so far from everyone. She had reached her car, she got in and closed the door. It was a second hand hatchback, something her father had got for her when she moved out of the house. It was the only saving grace for her in the city. It allowed her the kind of mobility and freedom she needed right then. She drove out of the parking lot, into the blue nowhere. She had no idea where she was headed, she just knew she wasn't going home yet.
It occurred to her how truly unhappy she really was. It was close to evening, and she hasn't spoken all day. There had been no one to speak with. Oh, wait, she had spoken with her mother on the phone. The thought comforted her a bit. She wished she could crawl into her mother's lap and weep right now. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She checked the time, gathered her things and walked up to the boss. He was leaning over a paper list, marking things off with his pen.
"Arjun?"
He looked up at her with a look of mild surprise.
"Umm..can I take the rest of the day off? I don't feel too good."
A look of relief passed across his face. "Sure, if you're not feeling too good by tomorrow, don't worry about coming in. Things are anyway quite slow here. I am sure one of the others can fill in for you."
For some reason, the last words made her feel worse than what she had been feeling earlier. There was probably nothing worse in life than being made to realize how completely and wholly replaceable you are in other people's lives. She quietly nodded her head as Arjun went back to his list and walked out of there.
The moment she stepped out, a gust of hot wind hit her in the face. It was sweltering outside. No wonder the streets were empty. She took another deep breath, and started walking away from the building. One step at a time. After she had covered sufficient distance, a kind of dread came over her. What next? Go home and do what? There wasn't much to do. She couldn't bear the thought of lying in bed staring at the ceiling. It was then that the first tears started rolling down her cheeks. She felt miserable. She wished she could run away from it all, and start fresh. Maybe, take the path less traveled. She wished she had taken the time to think about her next step before jumping into this job, so melancholy, and so far from everyone. She had reached her car, she got in and closed the door. It was a second hand hatchback, something her father had got for her when she moved out of the house. It was the only saving grace for her in the city. It allowed her the kind of mobility and freedom she needed right then. She drove out of the parking lot, into the blue nowhere. She had no idea where she was headed, she just knew she wasn't going home yet.
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
The Wait
I looked at my watch. It was 4.30. Nikhil had said he would reach at 5. Stupid flight, why did it have to reach early? I couldn't wait to meet him again. It had been eight months since we last saw each other. The distance had taken every ounce of our good will to keep things going smoothly. He was always busy. Sometimes, it would be early morning by the time he got to sleep. I smiled thinking about the next four days. We had all the time in the world.
I looked around for a place to sit and wait. I spotted a small café right outside the gates of the airport. I heaved my bag onto my shoulder and stepped out into the evening. Though the sun was still high in the sky, a cool breeze was making my skin tingle. I smiled with delight. I bent down and rolled up my jeans to my knees. What were a pair of skinny legs around shirtless men and bikini clad women. I was free to walk around in skimpy clothes here. I was free. I walked into the café and found myself a seat by the window. A little woman came and handed me a menu. I ordered a caramel frappé with two helpings of whipped crème. She smiled and asked if I would like a biscotti with it. I shook my head and smiled back at her. This much sugar would be enough to keep me up all night. While I waited for my coffee to arrive, I texted Nikhil to let him know where to find me. After staring at the screen for ten seconds, I switched the screen off and sat back. A big man was sitting across the room from me, engrossed in a book. I could not see what he was reading from where I sat, but I suddenly wished I had brought something of my own to read. I resigned myself to nothingness, and let my mind wander. I thought about the past few months. Things had been really tensed between Nikhil and me. He would be tired from all the work, and I would be crabby because we hardly got to talk. When we did get the time, I would be all cool and aloof, because it made me mad that we hardly spoke. Sometimes, I really don't understand how the female mind works. I mean, I know he is busy, I know he isn't doing it deliberately, and I know I shouldn't be mad at him for it. Yet, there I was, being a jerk. It reminded me of the time when we were kids, before we got involved. The time when we were "just friends". It was an unspoken rule, that we would start texting each other the moment we got home from college. And if ever there was a day when he was busy, and was unable to text, or respond...well, I had no right to be mad at him, but I could express myself in other, less flattering ways. I would go all Brit on him, and pretend like I was too cool to care. It amazed me how, even after all these years, I was still capable of getting angry over something so ridiculous.
The lady brought me my coffee, the big man got up and left, I checked my phone.
Nikhil: See you in a bit!
I couldn't help but smile. Hurry! I replied. I couldn't contain my excitement.
I picked up my frappé, licked a part of the whipped crème off. Bliss! If Nikhil were here, he would have grabbed up the glass and licked up all the whipped crème, holding me off of him with one arm. I would have been left with just the coffee and a broken heart. I figured if I was fast enough, I could get to the bottom of the glass before he arrived. I took a few more sips and put my glass down, wishing time would move faster. I looked around listlessly, humming a random tune. The guy behind the counter was leaning back against the wall, his arms crossed across his chest, his left foot vibrating to the tune of boredom. I like that, tune of boredom. I suddenly realised my own left foot was shaking. But mine was shaking to the tune of excitement. Ta da da, ta- ta ta da. Dee daa. Ta dee da. I caught myself in the middle of shaking my head to the made up tune. This won't do. I was, after all, sitting in a public place. I looked down at my watch. Gah! He was late. Again. The idiot. I picked up my coffee again, and finished it all up in one big gulp. I picked up the phone and sent a whiny "Where aaaare youuuuuu" to Nikhil. I had just pressed sent, when I spotted him from my window. Jogging across the parking lot, looking for a small café outside the airport. Tingles. He found it! He looked into the café, saw me standing at the window, and his face lit up to reflect my expression. As he strode into the café, I came around the table, calm and composed, but with a big buffoon like grin on my face. He rushed into me, and caught me in his arms. I nuzzled my face in his chest, taking in all the warmth of his body, feeling his heart thumping against my chin. I felt him loosen his grip on me, grab the coffee glass from behind me, and finish off the last dollop of whipped crème that was left in my glass.
I smiled, I was home.
I looked around for a place to sit and wait. I spotted a small café right outside the gates of the airport. I heaved my bag onto my shoulder and stepped out into the evening. Though the sun was still high in the sky, a cool breeze was making my skin tingle. I smiled with delight. I bent down and rolled up my jeans to my knees. What were a pair of skinny legs around shirtless men and bikini clad women. I was free to walk around in skimpy clothes here. I was free. I walked into the café and found myself a seat by the window. A little woman came and handed me a menu. I ordered a caramel frappé with two helpings of whipped crème. She smiled and asked if I would like a biscotti with it. I shook my head and smiled back at her. This much sugar would be enough to keep me up all night. While I waited for my coffee to arrive, I texted Nikhil to let him know where to find me. After staring at the screen for ten seconds, I switched the screen off and sat back. A big man was sitting across the room from me, engrossed in a book. I could not see what he was reading from where I sat, but I suddenly wished I had brought something of my own to read. I resigned myself to nothingness, and let my mind wander. I thought about the past few months. Things had been really tensed between Nikhil and me. He would be tired from all the work, and I would be crabby because we hardly got to talk. When we did get the time, I would be all cool and aloof, because it made me mad that we hardly spoke. Sometimes, I really don't understand how the female mind works. I mean, I know he is busy, I know he isn't doing it deliberately, and I know I shouldn't be mad at him for it. Yet, there I was, being a jerk. It reminded me of the time when we were kids, before we got involved. The time when we were "just friends". It was an unspoken rule, that we would start texting each other the moment we got home from college. And if ever there was a day when he was busy, and was unable to text, or respond...well, I had no right to be mad at him, but I could express myself in other, less flattering ways. I would go all Brit on him, and pretend like I was too cool to care. It amazed me how, even after all these years, I was still capable of getting angry over something so ridiculous.
The lady brought me my coffee, the big man got up and left, I checked my phone.
Nikhil: See you in a bit!
I couldn't help but smile. Hurry! I replied. I couldn't contain my excitement.
I picked up my frappé, licked a part of the whipped crème off. Bliss! If Nikhil were here, he would have grabbed up the glass and licked up all the whipped crème, holding me off of him with one arm. I would have been left with just the coffee and a broken heart. I figured if I was fast enough, I could get to the bottom of the glass before he arrived. I took a few more sips and put my glass down, wishing time would move faster. I looked around listlessly, humming a random tune. The guy behind the counter was leaning back against the wall, his arms crossed across his chest, his left foot vibrating to the tune of boredom. I like that, tune of boredom. I suddenly realised my own left foot was shaking. But mine was shaking to the tune of excitement. Ta da da, ta- ta ta da. Dee daa. Ta dee da. I caught myself in the middle of shaking my head to the made up tune. This won't do. I was, after all, sitting in a public place. I looked down at my watch. Gah! He was late. Again. The idiot. I picked up my coffee again, and finished it all up in one big gulp. I picked up the phone and sent a whiny "Where aaaare youuuuuu" to Nikhil. I had just pressed sent, when I spotted him from my window. Jogging across the parking lot, looking for a small café outside the airport. Tingles. He found it! He looked into the café, saw me standing at the window, and his face lit up to reflect my expression. As he strode into the café, I came around the table, calm and composed, but with a big buffoon like grin on my face. He rushed into me, and caught me in his arms. I nuzzled my face in his chest, taking in all the warmth of his body, feeling his heart thumping against my chin. I felt him loosen his grip on me, grab the coffee glass from behind me, and finish off the last dollop of whipped crème that was left in my glass.
I smiled, I was home.
Wednesday, 16 July 2014
The Coup de Grace
His eyes followed her around the room. She was flitting around like a butterfly, laughing and giggling all the way. Her hair was beginning to come undone. Her eyes looked tired. Her dress looked shabby. Yet, she laughed without a care in the world, oblivious to his attentions.To his eyes, she was perfect. He was overcome by a mad desire to confront her, to speak with her, to have her smile for him. He felt he could not leave the party till he had made that happen. He wanted to hold her attention, dazzle her and possess her. Yet, how could he? He had no premise to spark a conversation with her, she was unknown to him. He was just another person at a big party. He shook his head and ordered another glass of wine.
While sipping on his wine, he saw the man at the next table staring at her, smiling to himself. He felt a sudden surge of anger towards this stranger. His only wish at that moment was to tear the man's face away from her, and punch his teeth out. The stranger caught him staring, they smiled at each other and looked away. He was puzzled by this sudden rush of emotions. He knew nothing about the girl, he had never spoken with her, had never even laid eyes on her before. How could he, a grown man, fall so hard? Maybe he was drunk. Something at the back of his head told him he wasn't.
She had decided to put her unfinished glass away and try her luck with some food. She was not getting anywhere with that either. She had begun talking animatedly with a nerdy looking toad. The toad leaned in closer, trying to hear what she said. The butterfly and the toad, he thought bitterly. She suddenly looked up at him and caught his eye. With a gesture of her head that was almost non existent, she blushed a deep red and smiled at him. His heart went wild, his stomach churned. He didn't know if he could keep standing any longer. He managed to smile back at her weakly. She was still red when she looked away to focus her attentions back on the toad. She was no longer herself, she was painfully aware of him. He smiled to himself. He had all he needed now. He walked up to her, looked her in the eye, and asked the toad if he would mind excusing her for a while. She looked amused and scared, all at the same time. For some reason, that pleased him. He had her undivided attention now. He wasn't letting it go.
He held out his hand to her, she took it.
"Amer."
"Anya."
Awkward smiles. They were both acutely aware of the other, neither had spoken another word. To him it felt like he had known her all his life, she was not a stranger, but a lover, a friend, a companion. She was everything. None of it made any sense, so he stopped trying to see sense. All he wanted to do now was to hold her close, hear her talk and watch her laugh. But she looked like a squirrel, alert, ready to run at the first sign of trouble. He would not give her the chance. So he waited. She took a deep breath, then beckoned to him with the nod of her head towards the door. He followed her through it. It opened out into a small courtyard, dimly lit up by lanterns. She looked ravishing in the light. His heart was pounding. At that moment, he felt complete. Nothing but her presence could bring relief to his aching self. Everything in the world was just as it should be. He touched her arm and pulled her close. He could smell her breath, feel her hair brush against his face. Her skin was soft. If only he could have her by his side forever..
Suddenly, there was darkness all around. He could see the stars. She withdrew from the embrace. She looked up at him, and smiled, ever so sweetly. She was no longer blushing. He looked on her face in mild surprise. There was no longer any pain. He looked down at his chest, where her head had been, there was now a dark stain, growing in size. It came from within, the stain. He knew he should be angry, he should at least feel cheated, but he only felt love. She had released him from his misery, he was free. As he caught sight of the silver in her hand, he smiled and thought, at least she is still here with me.
***
A little about the origin of this piece: The title of the post came to me first, the story followed. I am not sure if I have been able to convey the darkness the way I meant to, but I do hope it leaves you a little unsettled. As per Soumyashree's reactions (she gave all the right ones), my words came through. Please leave some comments behind so I may know what is good, and what isn't. I have no idea how this piece is. I just fell in love with the title when I started off. If I remember correctly, I first read about a coup de grace back in school, there was this rather nice and saddening story about two boys caught in a war. One delivered mercy to the other, only to discover *major spoiler*.
And FYI, if anybody is, in fact, following the blog, I am caught up between work and study at this stage, expect delays in posts!
Looking forward to some feedback, however bad (or good), here is me, wishing you a Good Night.
Naina
Sunday, 11 May 2014
Creak! - Edited
Made some minor changes to the original post, in the hope that it reads less like something a five year old would have thought up.
With a word she can get what she came for.
With a word she can get what she came for.
Creak!
Mira winced as the door creaked in the still of the night. Surely, it would have woken up someone? She stood listening to the slightest sound. None. She gently slid into Aliya's office and closed the door behind her. Slipping into Aliya's chair, she switched on her laptop and waited. When the log in screen appeared she promptly typed in Aliya's password and waited for the machine to boot.
Five seconds passed…waiting…ten…still waiting. She checked her watch. Twenty seconds...hurry up!
Thirty…ah! Finally. Aliya needed a new one. Maybe something with a better security as well…
Mira quickly pulled out a CD from inside its case. It gleamed in the glow of the laptop screen. She smiled as she loaded it. Thankfully, the laptop took lesser time to load the CD than it had taken for it to boot. Mira was already getting nauseous with anxiety.
This CD was by far, her favorite piece of work. Designed to work on every system, it had managed to decrypt a whole lot of complex passwords in the past. But she wasn't expecting any complications with this one...Aliya was too trusting. Besides, she didn't really know the importance of what she had on her hands.
OK, enough dawdling, she had better get down to work. She scanned Aliya's computer to find what she was looking for. What that was exactly, even she had no idea. But she knew it was there.
She scanned folder after folder having mundane names. Her legs were bobbing up and down with impatience. Just when she was deep into one of the directories, she found it. There.
That could be it, that had to be it. Double clicking the folder, her doubts were removed when she was prompted for a password. She set her software to work and watched as character after character was scanned in search for the correct one.
She checked her watch. 2 a.m. she thought of the morning when she would present the new program to her boss. How he would smile and say, I knew you would be the one to find the solution…
Mira winced as the door creaked in the still of the night. Surely, it would have woken up someone? She stood listening to the slightest sound. None. She gently slid into Aliya's office and closed the door behind her. Slipping into Aliya's chair, she switched on her laptop and waited. When the log in screen appeared she promptly typed in Aliya's password and waited for the machine to boot.
Five seconds passed…waiting…ten…still waiting. She checked her watch. Twenty seconds...hurry up!
Thirty…ah! Finally. Aliya needed a new one. Maybe something with a better security as well…
Mira quickly pulled out a CD from inside its case. It gleamed in the glow of the laptop screen. She smiled as she loaded it. Thankfully, the laptop took lesser time to load the CD than it had taken for it to boot. Mira was already getting nauseous with anxiety.
This CD was by far, her favorite piece of work. Designed to work on every system, it had managed to decrypt a whole lot of complex passwords in the past. But she wasn't expecting any complications with this one...Aliya was too trusting. Besides, she didn't really know the importance of what she had on her hands.
OK, enough dawdling, she had better get down to work. She scanned Aliya's computer to find what she was looking for. What that was exactly, even she had no idea. But she knew it was there.
She scanned folder after folder having mundane names. Her legs were bobbing up and down with impatience. Just when she was deep into one of the directories, she found it. There.
That could be it, that had to be it. Double clicking the folder, her doubts were removed when she was prompted for a password. She set her software to work and watched as character after character was scanned in search for the correct one.
She checked her watch. 2 a.m. she thought of the morning when she would present the new program to her boss. How he would smile and say, I knew you would be the one to find the solution…
"Mira?"
Mira looked up, remembering where she was with a jolt. She was now staring into Aliya's face, tired and questioning.
"What are you doing here?" She asked as she strode up to her desk and joined Mira to face the screen. Mira saw her face redden, first with anger and then with sadness. Not trusting herself to say anything, Mira pulled her gaze away from her face and stared back at the screen. The last character was being hunted up.
MiraMia.
She thought back to the time her sister had trouble pronouncing her name. She felt a lump form in her throat as her dream burned away. She looked up at her sister just as she looked down at her. Something passed between them.
"Good night Mia".
She closed the door after she had left the room.
Mira looked up, remembering where she was with a jolt. She was now staring into Aliya's face, tired and questioning.
"What are you doing here?" She asked as she strode up to her desk and joined Mira to face the screen. Mira saw her face redden, first with anger and then with sadness. Not trusting herself to say anything, Mira pulled her gaze away from her face and stared back at the screen. The last character was being hunted up.
MiraMia.
She thought back to the time her sister had trouble pronouncing her name. She felt a lump form in her throat as her dream burned away. She looked up at her sister just as she looked down at her. Something passed between them.
"Good night Mia".
She closed the door after she had left the room.
Saturday, 3 May 2014
Creak
NOTE: If you're here for the first time, I suggest you read the edited version of this post first. It definitely reads better. You can find it here.
I wrote this piece long back, before Lisbeth Salander came onto the scene, mind you. It may appear a little juvenile. I have not made any changes to it. I would like to, here and there. But some other time.
Thanks for this, Lala!
Thanks for this, Lala!
With a word she can get what she came for.
Creak!
Mira winced as the door creaked in the still of the night. Surely, it would have woken up someone? She stood listening to the slightest sound. None. She gently slid into Aliya's office and closed the door behind her. Slipping into Aliya's chair, she switched on her laptop and waited. When the log in screen appeared she promptly typed in Aliya's password and waited for the machine to boot.
Five seconds passed…waiting…ten…still waiting. She checked her watch. Twenty seconds...hurry up!
Thirty…ah! Finally. Aliya needed a new one. Maybe something with a better security as well…
Mira quickly pulled out a CD from inside its case. It gleamed in the glow of the laptop screen. She smiled as she loaded it. Thankfully, the laptop took lesser time to load the CD than it had taken for it to boot. Mira was already getting nauseous with anxiety.
This CD was by far, her favorite piece of work. Designed to work on every system, it could retrieve the longest passwords within minutes.
Hmm…maybe she could try NASA's site next…
OK, enough dreaming, she had better get down to work. She scanned Aliya's computer to find what she was looking for. What that was exactly, even she had no idea. But she knew it was there.
Music...pictures...mail…
OFFICE! Yes, that could be it, that had to be it. Double clicking the folder, her doubts were removed when she was prompted for a password. She set her hacking masterpiece to work and watched as character after character was scanned in search for the correct one.
She checked her watch. 2 a.m. she thought of the morning when she would present the new program to her boss. How he would smile and say, I knew you would be the one to find the solution…
Mira winced as the door creaked in the still of the night. Surely, it would have woken up someone? She stood listening to the slightest sound. None. She gently slid into Aliya's office and closed the door behind her. Slipping into Aliya's chair, she switched on her laptop and waited. When the log in screen appeared she promptly typed in Aliya's password and waited for the machine to boot.
Five seconds passed…waiting…ten…still waiting. She checked her watch. Twenty seconds...hurry up!
Thirty…ah! Finally. Aliya needed a new one. Maybe something with a better security as well…
Mira quickly pulled out a CD from inside its case. It gleamed in the glow of the laptop screen. She smiled as she loaded it. Thankfully, the laptop took lesser time to load the CD than it had taken for it to boot. Mira was already getting nauseous with anxiety.
This CD was by far, her favorite piece of work. Designed to work on every system, it could retrieve the longest passwords within minutes.
Hmm…maybe she could try NASA's site next…
OK, enough dreaming, she had better get down to work. She scanned Aliya's computer to find what she was looking for. What that was exactly, even she had no idea. But she knew it was there.
Music...pictures...mail…
OFFICE! Yes, that could be it, that had to be it. Double clicking the folder, her doubts were removed when she was prompted for a password. She set her hacking masterpiece to work and watched as character after character was scanned in search for the correct one.
She checked her watch. 2 a.m. she thought of the morning when she would present the new program to her boss. How he would smile and say, I knew you would be the one to find the solution…
"Mira?"
Mira looked up, remembering where she was with a jolt. She was now staring into Aliya's face, tired and questioning.
"What are you doing here?" She asked as she strode up to her desk and joined Mira to face the screen. Mira saw her face redden, first with anger and then with sadness. Not trusting herself to say anything, Mira pulled her gaze away from her face and stared back at the screen. The last character was being hunted up.
MiraMia.
She thought back to the time her sister had trouble pronouncing her name. She felt a lump form in her throat as her dream burned away. She looked up at her sister just as she looked down at her. Something passed between them.
"Good night Mia".
She closed the door after she had left the room.
Mira looked up, remembering where she was with a jolt. She was now staring into Aliya's face, tired and questioning.
"What are you doing here?" She asked as she strode up to her desk and joined Mira to face the screen. Mira saw her face redden, first with anger and then with sadness. Not trusting herself to say anything, Mira pulled her gaze away from her face and stared back at the screen. The last character was being hunted up.
MiraMia.
She thought back to the time her sister had trouble pronouncing her name. She felt a lump form in her throat as her dream burned away. She looked up at her sister just as she looked down at her. Something passed between them.
"Good night Mia".
She closed the door after she had left the room.
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