Abhishek's Musings

                            THE PROMPOSAL                  INT.  SCOT AND POOJA’S SCHOOL BIOLOGY LAB.  DAY   Late in the afternoon in an elite school in downtown Abbey Road, sounds of young students moving around and talking in low whispers are heard. Pooja sitting in the lab finds her thoughts drifting towards that boy in her class, Scott. The sound of a soothing voice wakes her up from her reverie.                                               Yes?                                                SCOTT Scott his forehead sweating and mouth going dry shyly approaches Pooja. Beads ...

  THE KAJUKHALI INCIDENT On the marshy swamps of planet Mars, in the interiors is the village settlement of Kajukhali. This village has been keeping the media's pots boiling for the last two months. It so happened that a group of Enforcement Department officials from the capital Helhi descended on Kajukhali on a spaceship to investigate alleged wrongdoings of a group of henchmen of the ruling party. They belonged to the Kirpura community of Martians led by their leader Kosh. But supporters of Kosh and the Kirpura Martian community turned violent and attacked the ED officials with sticks, stones, knives, and batons. The ED officials were outnumbered and were badly beaten up. They managed to escape somehow on the spaceship and had to be rushed to a nearby Martian dispensary to receive emergency treatment. Three ED officials had major injuries including a cracked skull, broken legs, and stab wounds on the stomach. Since then Kajukhali has been witness to incidents of sporadic violence...

  THE CALL “Good afternoon ma’am. I’m Scott calling from Smokin Pizzas. Am I speaking with Gertrude?” “Yes. How are you?” “I’m fine ma’am. Would you like to order some Smokin Pizzas from us? We have some amazing varieties on offer. We would be delighted to serve you. Would you be interested?” “Well, actually I have a bulk order in mind. I am an elderly woman, living alone.” “Oh! And what will that be? How can I be of assistance to you?” “You have an interesting voice. How old are you?” “Ma’am I’m in my forties. We have cheese and corn pizza, the veggie delight...” “Ah, that’s interesting. Where do you put up?” “Ma’am I put up at Park Street, though my office is at Parliament Street. So, what will your order be?” “Yes, but are you married? What do you do in your free time?” “Yes, Ma’am I’m married. You know, you sound like my aunt. Can I call you Aunt Gertrude?” “Yes, I’d love that. But tell me what are your hobbies?” “Aunt Gertrude I love reading and watching movies in my free time...

  THE BOY Once upon a time, there was a boy who was oh-so-cool, That he was sometimes taken to be a fool. But he kept  himself aloof And made room for their doubting mood.   With his deep voice that had a boom He spelled out for his detractors their doom. For if he wished he could fly away to the moon And let the naysayers sing the blues.   His friends from the media tried to get the latest scoop Of the boy in full bloom. He invited them over for some food And some fiery booze.   They filled his room Promising to give his career a boost. He requested them to be fair and give the boot To those who abused him no end and always gave him bamboo.   His esteemed friends from the press promised to expose them with proof In their latest scoop. To give the cartoons A taste of their impending doom. And a lot of oops! They said the boy’s aura was so smooth His enemies were bound to stoop.   So the boy closed the conversation loop With some Thanksgiving ...

  THE MYRIAD TUNNELS   Ronnie was reminiscing about his college football days when he suddenly remembered that he had a big box of memorabilia tucked away in the basement. So late that afternoon he made his way to the basement of his house.   The basement was quite dark at that time of the day and emitted a damp smell. As Ronnie groped around in the darkness trying to locate his elusive box, his hands suddenly fell on the pale outline of a hidden door. The door was clearly out of plain sight and it was nothing but a miracle that Ronnie stumbled upon it. Intrigued by this discovery his curiosity was aroused. He could not help but wonder how such a door could exist there without any apparent knowledge of his family.   He eagerly pushed open the door to find an elaborate labyrinth of tunnels. Each tunnel led in a different direction. As it was quite dark, Ronnie rushed back upstairs to his room and grabbed a flashlight. Armed with the flashlight he reentered the ba...

  HAPPINESS  On the eve of Valentine’s-day this year I try to form an image of happiness Something I can relate to, and feel, See it before my eyes, remember its smell, And something I could hear from a distance And not just crave it.   Back home from work, in my study, as I sit and Contemplate, it suddenly dawns on me that how  Lately, happiness for me is like a bottle of Kama Sutra deodorant generously sprayed after a shower All over the skin like a second layer.   It is that sporadic sipping of that can of beer That had been brewed and fermented from The starches of rich and luxurious maize cereal grains.   Happiness is the soothing sound of a female tenor That has a palatable timbre, singing the different  Notes of a lullaby comfortably inducing a deep slumber.   Happiness is swimming in a blanket of joy and ecstasy All day and night long, dreaming sweet dreams.   And the sight of the heavenly Drew Barrymore Flashing her shy grin on the b...

  THE MUSEUM OF ILLUSIONS  Sometime last year Gopal was enjoying a drive around New Delhi on the weekend with his wife and young son. He drove to the heart of the city- Connaught Place. He parked his car in the parking lot and they decided to take a walk in the inner circle of Connaught Place. As they casually strolled by, his son happened to chance upon a museum bang in the middle of the inner circle. The signboard outside suggested that it was the Museum of Illusions.   Intrigued by it and his son's constant urging, they decided to explore it. Shelling out a neat amount: Rs 650 each for two adults and Rs 520 for his son under the age of 8, for the tickets, they entered the museum with a great deal of anticipation. Gopal was filled with a sense of amazement. Stories of wizardry and sleight of hand flashed through his mind. The scientific allure of the museum also intrigued him and he braced himself to be bombarded out of his senses.   Once inside the museum, they we...

  THE SCOTLAND OF THE EAST Just three hours drive from Guwahati is the picturesque city of Shillong known as “The Scotland of The East”. It is the capital of Meghalaya. Meghalaya whose literal meaning is: “the abode of the clouds”. And living up to its name the weather here is generally wet and cloudy. Three major tribes inhabit the state of Meghalaya: Khasi’s, Garo’s, and Jaintia’s.    The city of Shillong is as pretty as a postcard. The imposing peaks and rocky highlands add to the splendor of this city. The city is dotted with pine trees and pine cones are found lying around in every nook and corner of its winding streets. Pineapple is a ubiquitous fruit and is sold everywhere in Shillong. Mellifluous sounds of music are heard from all over the city. The people of this city are famous for their love of music. Strains of soft rock, blues, country music, and carols during Christmas time come from the resplendent houses. Some of the grand houses of this city are made of w...

  ERIC’S ROOM Songs sing in her head, the world brightens up, her heart pounds and her mouth goes dry whenever Mary is privy to catch a glimpse of her crush Eric’s room. Everything about Eric reeks of artistry and grace. Mary could not help but gush at the sign of tell-tale signs of Eric’s creativity and genius in every nook and corner of his room. Books of Art, literature, poems, and poetry and the mesmerizing sound of music and movies emanated from Eric’s abode. Though some stuff was strewn around the room, Eric knew where every item was placed in his room and how it was arranged. The variety of tasteful attires in his wardrobe was a clear indication of his connoisseur style. The table where Eric sat every day and wrote and practiced his songs was made of rich mahogany wood. His favorite chair was in the royal green color. Though the room was small it was heavenly and all anybody could ever ask for. It radiated a godly brilliance and royal taste. This is the nest where Eric dream...

  THE BEDROOM The bedroom at the third-floor apartment of the possible suspect was cozy but a bit messy and disorganized. A cot lay on one side of the room with a small side table containing some books and a small writing notepad. A photograph probably of the suspect's parents, and an image of a deity hung on the wall above the cot. On the opposite end of the cot stood a study table with a table lamp on it. A few books, files, and writing materials were stacked on one corner of the table. Also on the table was an Apple Macbook and a box containing its charger. A window faced the table. A planner, an image of Jesus and Mary, and a laminated print of the poem “If” by Rudyard Kipling hung from the metal railings of the window. A room blower stood at the foot of the table. On the right of the study table was a dressing table and a long mirror. Half the mirror was covered by the table that doubled up as a shoe rack. FBI agent Frank Miller could see sports shoes, sneakers, flip-flop...

  THE SHADOW   A woman awakes in the early morning to see her shadow sneaking out the bedroom door. She follows. The shadow jumps on the walls of her apartment and dances on the floor. The woman Marie tries to keep up. Her shadow acting weirdly gives her the creeps but she is curious as to what could be behind this strange phenomenon. Marie’s shadow quietly steps out of the apartment and spills onto the street. Rushing past lanes and by-lanes the shadow continues its relentless journey. Determined not to lose track of it, Marie follows in hot pursuit. Across bridges, alleys, and narrow-winding lanes her shadow leads her to many places. Marie’s mind races as she tries desperately to unravel the mystery. Finally, at the fag-end of town at a deserted cemetery, the shadow comes to a halt. It quickly lays down on the dry earth in the cemetery. Suddenly Marie is aware that her shadow is again attached to her body. But she finds that she is lying there cold in the cemetery. The wails...

  THE INDISPENSABLE CELL-PHONE A cell phone is the ability to face any situation without fear But has the uncanny knack of ringing when you are  amid something important     It breaks down distances and barriers between souls It boosts your imagination and dreams It keeps you entertained for endless hours     It brings the world to your fingertips It is a medium of communication It broadens your horizons   It gives you the correct time It wakes you up at odd hours It calculates difficult sums for you     It gives you the weather forecast It gives you the latest news and music It also plays movies, videos, and documentaries   It can keep silent It can take on flight mode or vibrate It also acts as a torch-light in the dark   It drives away loneliness It keeps you engaged It is a source of endless chat and banter   But alas! It is addictive It imprisons the person too much attached to it So use it with discretion and caution! ...

  FRIENDSHIP Friendship is a bird It has a beak It has a peck It has a song   It is warm-blooded It has feathers It can walk, hop, and swim It has wings It can soar and scale heights And of course, it is ready to take flight!  

  CAFÉ   Café means bonding and camaraderie It has inviting comfortable sitting stools and tables Café has the sound of music emanating The café smells like fresh coffee beans, yummy sandwiches  and delectable fish and chips The Café hosts, listens, entertains, and serves It listens to your conversations. It learns about you.     Café sometimes laughs as it also occasionally cries with you It is the first thing that comes to mind When memorable evenings spent are recalled Its ambiance and smell stay with you And entices you back for more pleasurable family outings!