Sunday, February 28, 2010

And They part their ways...





What began as a customary night for Jake and Ellen was turning out to be an eventful one and that too on a gloomy side. They were a few miles out of the downtown in a private lawn traditionally owned by Jake’s family. Ellen was standing there alternately staring and avoiding Jakes baffled eyes. At last gaining some strength she broke at the top of her voice.

“Screw you” clearly disgusted this evening was nowhere near the way she expected it to be rather say wanted it to be (deep down she probably knew this was coming).
“Hey chill Ellen why so serious honey “said Jake fabricating a giggle on an attempt to mitigate the scene on this grave heavy night.
“Do you ever take anything seriously? Jakes it’s not only your life this time. How long do you plan to drag it” said Ellen with tears hanging loose by her eyelashes?
“Ellen You know I love you what else do we need? “Said Jake keeping his voice as polite and as low as if a small kid talking to his angry mother.
“God damn it that’s not enough we won’t be in college forever. What after once we move out” said Ellen breathing heavily and her words breaking in between.
“Well there are still a few months to it we can work it all out. Trust me honey. You’ve gotta trust me” said Jake pleadingly to calm Ellen down.

“ Well I think you don’t remember you said the same thing a week ago than a week prior to that and so on. It’s been like this for months now Jake I am not a kid and I don’t like the feeling that I am taken for granted. Every time you say it so easily , every time I believe you blindly, believing against all the odds that you will really think about us this time.  You will at least think God damn it. I am tired Jake. Tired of hoping against all hopes. You don’t know but you have gone too far away from me in your search for something that’s probably more important than the two of us. Naah, most probably more important than me. All you think about is you and your dreams. And I don’t find myself fitting in anywhere.” Said Ellen trying hard to control her tears and disbelief to what all was happening.

“Give me a last chance please, for God’s sake Listen to me “

“Its over Jake”

“Between you and me we should better move on with our lives and please if you ever loved me or considered me as a good friend dont follow me or try to call me. I am gone, I have taken my decision and I am not going to change it. Please leave my life please…” and she broke into tears no matter how hard she tried to convince herself this was not going well with her. She turned her face away from Jake and ran to her car with turning back even once and next moment she went driving downtown, tears flooding from her eyes but none the less she had taken her decision, Jake was past.

Jake was standing there 3 miles out of town amid chilly western wind that was blowing his hair sideways but more than that, it had a few moments ago blown his heart away. He was unable to feel his own body.  He was feeling as if he was slammed in the gut and a large portion of his soul was torn apart. For the first time in life he felt a complete loss of sense everything seemed ominous and utterly meaningless. All that had happened was so ridiculously illogical (as it seemed to him that very moment). To put it in one word the feeling was abysmally abject.

Everything was so perfect a few hours ago. How the hell could this happen to him? But was it really perfect? Or he was just fool feeding his own beliefs of perfection, a fake pride, a fake hope and a fake sense of security to himself. At about the same time and at the same place and exactly a week ago, Jake and Ellen were lying on the garden floor staring at the endless sky with twinkling stars as if diamonds were struck in a coal mine.  Their hands were tightly entangled, fingers gripping each other in a zigzag pattern. This was something they had been doing every alternate weekend since a year and a half ago, the time they confessed their feelings to each other.

“This is so beautiful and is as alluring as it can be every time we come her. It just does’t seem to loose its charm, you remember how long we have been doing this but its always so refreshing and romantic.” Said Ellen mesmerized by the beauty of that clear cloudless night.
“Yeah honey I can just lie down here and gaze these stars till eternity” said Jake attempting a cheesy line.
“Hmm ha don’t try these lines on me “said Ellen poking Jake by her elbow (why he always speaks for himself couldn’t he for just once talk about us).
“Ouch! That hurts honey” said Jake “I plan to make this a star gazing resort “and he laughed on his own joke.
“What happened sweets “asked Jake casually noticing the disinterest of Ellen?

“Hmm nothing I was just thinking about something” said Ellen in a slightly disappointed way in the years they have been together what all they have talked about was Jake’s feats his plans ideas his philosophies on life. She was searching herself in this for more than a year. And with every passing day these feelings began dominating her thoughts. Was she even required in his life? Did she have a place there? Was her life supposed to be like a Doll of a successful guy? Was she loosing her own identity in Jakes wandering future?

“Hey tell me honey what’s that bothering you?” asked Jake for the first time sincerely.
“It was just that” she paused for a moment “honey, college will be over soon, its just a matter of few months, then what? “  asked Ellen more to herself than to Jake.
“Hmm well we will enjoy our life for a while, then get a job and secure future etc” said Jake plainly.
“That’s it? That’s all that we will do?” asked Ellen, conforming the same unemotional and stoic remarks she was used to hear from Jake.
“What else are we supposed to do “said Jake (I m just not ready for it right now).

“Well I think you know what I mean but you don’t want to realize it, not to me but to yourself” said Ellen more disappointed than irritated for she has known him for years and he has always been like this.

“ I need sometime to think Ellen, I mean we are just going to finish our studies. Life is just beginning and you know I Love you“said Jake assuring Ellen something that he has been doing for quite sometime now.

“I knew you will say it, this is what you have been saying since I started thinking about the future of our relationship. But its time you give a serious thought to it, please Jake at least think upon this for us “pleaded Ellen.
“Oh k I would honey, definitely“ said Jake to lighten the scene and cuddled Ellen in order to wipe out all that has just happened.

The stills of that night were flashing like a live video in front of Jake’s eyes. He felt a sensation on his thighs (Damn! Even my senses are playing games with me). The sensation continued for few moments that’s when he noticed fireflies in his pants. Someone was calling him.

‘BILLY CALLING…”


...To Be Continued
Mayank Rajput
27th feb 2010

Friday, February 12, 2010

I Love a Liar


“Hey! How are you, sweets?” I asked.
“Hi!  Honey I am fine, But I am really busy, can we talk after sometime?” said she.
“Yeah sure hon“  I said, and she hung up the receiver on my heart.

Hmm! She must be busy in some meeting with some of her company’s clients or maybe her friends must be teasing her with my name. That’s why she hung up in rush (Ha! Who are you trying to fool brother? She must be having fun with him). Naah! That’s not a possibility she won’t lie to me.

“John!” shouted someone.
“Yeah, Boss? “
“Well we have a very important client waiting for us in the Malabar café. Go there and snatch the deal for us my boy”
“Yeah sure boss, you can bet on me “said I (just three more months and I’ll be off to Hawaii with my sweetheart and will start my own business).

I reached Malabar café in 10 minutes. Doesn’t matter how itchy your company is but moving out in company sponsored Lamborghini surely gives your ego a boost. Malabar café was a large spread out place with all glass walls. You can see everything from inside out. There, on a table at one corner of the Café sat a young man with a briefcase. Frankly speaking, if he was that “Very Important” client, then hats off to him, Maahn. In my career as the Marketing Head, he was undoubtedly the Youngest “Very Important “client. The only one who wasn’t twice my age, but in fact a few years younger than me.

“Hi! Mr. Andrews, if I am right?” I said, quite skeptically.
“Yeah Maahn! So you must be that energetic marketing head your Boss boasts about.”
“Hmm... Maybe “(Wow I never knew that).
“So let’s talk business straight away “I said, as I was in no mood to waste time (in fact my mind was not in work that day). 
And then I saw through the glass wall a hummer stopped in front of the McDonald’s (didn’t I mention there was a Mac D right in front of Malabar café?). A gal in velvet Pink top and blue denims Jumped off the Hummer. My Angel... I can recognize her from a mile’s distance.
“ So you want to strike a Deal right away, Great Mr. marketing head Don’t u believe in customer relations ?” Humored Mr. Andrews   (It sounds absurd calling him Mr. Andrews).
“ Ha! I was just kidding sir “(who cares about your deal and that company I want to stare at my gal all day long) 

A man in jaded green cargo and ragged brown jacket jumped of the driver’s seat of the Hummer
 And took the pink gal’s hand in his hand they went in Mac D giggling and gingering each other (Ha! You moron you can recognize her from a mile’s distance, what a bluff, did you forget she is busy in a meeting?).

“So how long have u been working, John?” asked Mr. Andrews to relieve my troubled mind.
“Hmm I think for past 4 years” (Nah! She wasn’t Jenny)
   “Wow! John man you have reached great heights in just four years. Impressive!” Said Mr. Andrews
“And you have climbed mile stones vertically a Young Turk Youth icon at such a young age” said I and I don’t know why, but I meant it. (Her noisy work mates must be teasing her a lot. I hate them).

“Hmm Nah! I am just a guy born with a silver spoon in his mouth to a multimillionaire father who died of heartache a few months ago. Bing! The only son got in charge of business. I’m a Chairman who cannot make any decisions. My advisors make them for me instead. They think that your advertising company is best suited for branding needs. So to meet you is just a formality. That’s why I tried some arbitrary conversations to keep this meeting going” said Andrew (all the respect for Mr. “Very Important client” was gone in a flash. In fact I felt pity for poor fellow).
“ Oh! Great then! It means the deal is virtually struck” I enquired to confirm what I heard.
“Hmm yeah give me the papers” said Andrews, the multimillionaire looser.

I offered him the contract papers (part of me still looking out of the glass walls. I wanted to get out of this place and make a call as soon as possible).
He signed them and returned them to me. Before I could get up and leave, he did it and left Malabar café. I came out of the café with a massive victory. I had just made my company proud by signing a multi million dollar deal (Hmm I think I should have felt happy! I guess I must have).

“Hey honey, free now?” I couldn’t curb the urge of calling her.
“Hey who’s that? Loser again? “ Said someone in background.
“Hey Darling, that’s David. You know he is jealous of you, chuck him. Tell me, how’s my baby?” she said. Every word was dipped in honey.
“Your baby is kicking asses, honey. Just signed a multimillion dollar deal. Yeeha! “(Phew! It was just that David idiot. I get worked up unnecessarily)
“Oh that’s awesome, honey. So, where am I getting treat for this one?“ I could sense a wink with this one. I love her for her cuteness.
“Don’t lie to that Idiot, Jenny “again that noisy David from the background I am surely going to kill him the next time we meet.
“Would you please keep quite I am putting it down in a minute” 
“Hey sweetheart, David is behaving really weird today. I will talk to you later. First thing I am going to do is kick him tight. Take care, sweets. Catch you soon” and she hung up on my heart, again.



“Hey Jenny, I left my bag in your home. Can you call that idiot and make him bring that bag for me? I left it near your bed. If I get any late, I’ll miss the flight. Your chit chatting has already made me quite a bit late.”
“Don’t call him idiot all the time and I can’t call him just to get a bag for me”
“Huh! Idiot? He is a loser. And he will do anything if you’ll say just once”
“Ok wait. I’ll try. But I won’t force him”

“Hey Honey, there is an important client and I forgot the contract papers at home in a bag near our bed. Is it possible that you can bring that bag for me? No problem if you can’t, though. I’ll manage somehow”
“Oh sure, sweets. I’ll go get them soon”
“I love you. I love you. I love you. “ and kisses showered from the other side of the phone.
“Meet me at the airport I will explain to you later. Love you honey, you are the best“ and she delicately put my heart off before hanging the receiver on it once again.
“Hey Boss, I need to go “
“John, just a minute son. We will be having a conference with the officials in head office. You may get promoted for the good work “and he winked at me.
“Boss, I really need to go. Tell them that I am ill“
“Chances like this don’t come daily, son” Neither did she ask me for something daily.
“Not a problem, Boss. I am young and opportunities will continue to come “said I and winked at boss. Next second I was in my Lamborghini and the next, I was in my home with the bag in my hand. Soon I was hopping my Lamb again, now on the road towards the Airport. 


“Behave in front of him for god’s sake. I beg you this time”
“I‘ll try baby, but you never know. Losers inspire me to rip their ass”

I parked my Lamb in the airport and started my eternity long journey through the airport security. They think everyone has a plan to highjack a Boing 747. Just as I crossed the last hurdle I saw Jenny through a glass pane. She was there in Tight denims and Pink velvet top and she was standing with that “client” in jaded green cargo and ragged brown jacket. (What a coincidence god really does play funny games). I walked towards them forgot to lift the bag from the security. I tried my best possible smile but it was just not clicking. I wondered what’s wrong with me. What will Jenny think if I go with this face? Smile Damn It!

“Hi Jen! Missed you a lot” I said, smiling.
“Hey where is the bag?“ said ‘DAVID’.
“Oh sorry. I forgot it at the security. Wait, I’ll get it“ I said.
“Hey, don’t worry honey. I’ll get it” said jenny.
“STOP! STOP RIGHT THERE KNEEL DOWN ON THE FLOOR OR I’LL SHOOT”

What in the world is happening? The security personals surrounded us from all the side. All of them pointing their guns at us.

“What did we do?“ asked Jenny, panicked.
“You did nothing. This guy did“ said a 6 feet tall bulldog faced policeman pointing his thick fingers at me. What in the world did I do? Is striking a deal with a multimillionaire loser a crime?
“His bag has 5 Kg Opium in it” barked that dog
“What!”  I said, flabbergasted, “It couldn’t be.“ Was I trapped?
“No, it’s not his bag“ Jenny said, tears rolling down her pink cheeks .

Before anyone could do anything, David snatched a gun out of the 6 feet tall policeman and grabbed Jenny by the neck, pointing the gun straight at her skull.
“If anyone moves, I’ll blow her head off! Give me the bag and let me leave if you want her to live” roared David.
“Hey! Please don’t do that. Leave Jenny! Don’t drag her into this“ I shouted (or rather, I tried to shout).
He shot a bullet right through my left leg. For moments I didn’t feel anything, then a screaming pain ran through every neuron of my body. It felt liked my leg was dipped in molten lava.
“Noooooooooh!” screamed Jenny at the top of her voice and setting herself free from that monster, she ran towards me.

Amazed and bewildered by her reaction, David pointed his gun straight at her back and opened fire.
1…2 bullets went pass my left shoulder …3…4 through my abdomen …5 though the center of my heart piercing a life long hole through it. Before the empty magazine could make its sound, numerous bullets holed David’s body. I saw him falling down through my closing eyes. I was there, falling on my knees in slow motion right between David’s sieved corpse and Jenny’s flooding eyes. She caught me from behind and laid me on the floor.

“Why did you do all this for me? You never deserved this. Why? Why? “And she cried I don’t know why but I loved to see her cry. “I don’t deserve to live. you should have let me being killed “
I adored her crying face for the last moments, before I closed my eyes finally.
“Why damn it! Why? Don’t leave me like this! Please!!“ Her gorgeous face dropped a few tears on my withered face. Unfortunately, I couldn’t feel it. I was getting numb by every passing moment.
“Speak up for god’s sake Please!”.
I raised my finger to shut her lips. I touched her whole face with my numb hand. Unfortunately I couldn’t feel this as well.

“It’s because I love you

I gave her a last smile. This time from my heart and finally closed my eyes.


 “I know a lot of gals
‘Who would have said ‘yes’, had I proposed to them?
 But being a fool that I am
 I fell for the most ignorant one”

 Mayank Rajput
12th Feb 2010