Abhishek's Musings

  THE LETTER FROM A MONSTER   My dearest love,   Do you remember the boy who once sat beside you beneath the old native tree weaving dreams and magic in the air? Do you remember how we envisioned our future amongst the stars, believing they were a part of us? Do you remember the infinite time we thought we had, and how time belonged to us? I was that boy. And yet, I was not.   I write to you from a place you are not accustomed to and cannot even fathom, where shadows bark my name and fire dances upon my skin as if it has found an abode. I am the boy you once loved, but I have endured trials and tribulations that no man should endure. The devil saw, tricked, and kept me bound to a fate far more sinister than I had ever imagined. I was conned, my soul inked into a contract of despair, my head crowned in hellfire, whenever the devil decides to make use of my services.   I tried to fight back, but the fire ebbed away the life I once knew. My friends turned away, and...

  A RIGMAROLE OF TWO DEFENDERS: FROM STRANGERS TO TEAMMATES   The France Football magazine features two images of entirely unconnected players, but destiny brought them together.   2017:  We picked up the timeline for the year 2017 when Victor Lindelof arrived at Manchester United from Benefica. He was fascinated with the stories he had heard about the United veteran Jonny Evans, who had recently moved to West Bromwich, Albion. At team meetings, strategy sessions, and conferences, the coaches would go gaga over Evan’s superb defensive and positioning skills.   2018-2023:  During this period, Lindelof cemented his position as a United defence stalwart while Evans made heads turn with his skills in Leister city. They found themselves face-to-face with opposite teams in the Premier League clashes and developed a mutual admiration and respect for each other’s style of play in their on-field battles.   SUMMER OF 2023:   In a move that was somewhat...

  COSMOS NESTLES ALIEN PET FROM VENUS   The cockpit wheezed as Cosmos placed his frosty palms against the steel metal, pulse racing. Zeta, the grey alien’s fluorescent skin, glowed with a hallowed blue light, casting ominous shadows across the crowded shuttle cockpit compartment. Space Ship X buzzed beneath them, Elon Musk’s latest offering connecting the vast chasm between Venus and Earth.   “You’ll be safe,” Cosmos whispered, his breath foggy. He chewed on his Wrigley’s chewing gum, his teeth grinding. Looking out of the window, he whispered, “I promise.”   Zeta, the grey alien from planet Venus, was a novelty he had never seen before. Her body was limpid, almost lucid, with ringlets that moved like fluid vapours. When she spoke, there was no audible sound but a kaleidoscope of compound colours that changed every minute, giving him a picture of the colourful hues of the rainbow, which somehow translated into his mind.   The danger she transmitted, her form cha...

  ODE TO GUNS N ROSES   Riffs of steel and Axl's cry,  Slash's guitar reaching for the sky, Welcome to the Jungle's wild refrain,  Guns N' Roses, rock's eternal flame.     Sunset Strip, where legends rise, Appetite for Destruction lights the skies, Axl's wail and Slash's electric sound,  Where rock and rebellion are both found.     Sweet Child O' Mine rings loud and clear,  Strings that tremble notes that sear,  Paradise City, with its thundering beat,  Where hard rock's passion makes hearts repeat.     From Los Angeles to the worldwide stage,  Their music burns on every page,  Guns N' Roses, rebels of their time,  Eternal rockers in passionate rhyme.  

  A SOCCER SPORTSCASTER’S COMMENTARY   “Good evening, folks! We have a stimulating atmosphere here at Brew’s Oasis Coffee Shop Stadium. We are witnessing an unanticipated skirmish between Team Dino and Team Jessica, and oh boy, it’s a blazing clash!”   “Let’s pick up the action live… Dino steps up, looking unruffled but under strain. He opens with an unsettling statement. “Jessica, I’ve had it.” Oh, that’s a daring move right there. He’s breaking up with her bang in the middle of the crowded café. Perilous strategy, Roy, let’s see if he pulls it off.”   “Jessica, however, is not taking this sitting down. She launches a counterattack, questioning Dino’s capability, honesty, and integrity. She’s been coached well by her coach, who came out of retirement to formulate her team’s gameplan.”You’re serious! Right here? In a coffee shop?” A splendid rhetoric strike from Jessica.”   “Dino attempts to regain control, going for the definitive defensive tactic. “It’s not yo...

  JENNY THE BARISTA'S POV   Another day at Brew Oasis, fixing lattes and mopping up floors after people who seem to think coffee shops are free unloading rooms. The afternoon was still young as far as my shift was concerned when they strolled in, another run-of-the-mill couple on the verge of exploding. I was right.   “Jessica, this is it,” the guy- Dino, I think, said in a voice that sparked curiosity all around the shop. Medium built, wiry, and with the practised air of someone who had rehearsed his lines a thousand times the previous night and all morning.   Jessica, of course, went ballistic. She was the picture of a drama queen with dramatic hand gestures and broad eyes as if she were camping with a herd of wild elephants all night. “You’re serious? Do you want to break up with me right here? In this darned coffee shop?   Now, this unfolding scene was attracting the full attention of customers pretending to be half-interested but not eavesdropping.   I...