A Cup of Love

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She was woken by the clatter of utensils, the opening and closing of cabinets and the sound of water gushing out from the tap. She headed towards the kitchen rubbing away sleep from her eyes and suppressing a yawn, surprised that someone else in the house had risen before her. 

She was touched beyond measure when a pair of tiny hands handed her a steaming mug of tea and warm buttered toast, wishing her a happy birthday. As she took a sip of the gift from her son, she realized with a smile that he had forgotten to add sugar. However, she relished her morning cuppa to the last drop which was sweetened by his love for her.

This piece of Five Sentence Fiction was penned for the topic Forgotten at Lillie McFerrin Writes

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The Memory Box

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Tucked away within the powdery dust

of layered thoughts recent and crusted,

lies a memory box with secrets locked

by a promise ancient yet trusted.

A whiff of its dark air deeply perfumed

by a cherished childhood complete,

takes me back to days bygone

through objects that seem obsolete.

Its hesitant creak upon my touch

sends forth ripples of innocent laughter

from carefree days lived to the brim

with no worry of what came after.

I caress its contents treasured-

feathers dyed, leaves dried,

letters inked, stones that winked,

coiled cones bequeathed by the tide.

Cradled deep within my memory box

is a handful of special red seeds

and brown ones with silken white tufts

wedged between luck-bringing weeds.

The broken red of bangles, bright

as the untouched bits of a heart forsaken

Faded petals, dry and brittle

once crimson with the love I’d taken.

Inside my little memory box

that mirrors a life of perfection

I seek refuge on rainy days

to see a sunny smile on my reflection.

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The Scarlet Prophecy

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She smeared vermilion along the thin line of scalp that gleamed, furrowing backwards from her forehead.  Her long wet tresses sought refuge within the spirals of her towel wound carefully into a bun at the nape of her neck. She plucked the safety pin lodged between her teeth and secured the obedient pleats of her starched cotton sari, slipped on a few red bangles that chorused in ecstasy at her touch and bridged her brows with a red dot. Her eyes shaped like a lotus petal, were lined with black kohl that smudged at the corners, adding to her charm.

It had been their wedding the previous day and this was her first day in her new home.  She looked at herself in the mirror, surprised at how a ring on her finger and a new mark on her forehead could turn her world upside down. In her naiveté she had consented without second thoughts, to tie the knot with someone she barely knew. She had known no other options. This was what all the women in her family had done and they were all happy, at least that was what they told her.  As she gently touched her reflection, she felt something was amiss but could not settle on what it was. Was it her innocence? Her dreams? Desires? Or was it the twinkle of hope in her and the smile on her lips that was missing?

Memories of her nuptial night which by now had swollen into a tidal wave, lashed uncontrollably across her eyes, spilling over its kohl rimmed beauty. Her shyness, exaggerated by her excitement over blossoming love and anxiety about first impressions, were soon replaced by shock, pain and fear. She remembered with deep remorse the way he ate into her spirit like a savage animal caring the least about the tenderness within her that he was butchering.

This was least expected, not the kind of romance she had seen in movies or heard from her friends. In her mind she begged him to stop but her thoughts refused to form words; when they did, they tied themselves into a stubborn knot at her throat. With a bruised body and a heart pierced by the shards of her shattered dreams, she waited for sunrise. She hoped against hope that the rays of the new day would brighten up her life as well.

Wiping her tears, she walked across to the window and watched her surroundings burst into a riot of colours with a green backdrop. The garden was still moist from the early morning dew that adorned the leaves, grass and cobwebs. They glistened in the morning sun like precious jewels. Her eyes searched for the lone hibiscus that had blushed along with her when she stood at the threshold of the house as a bride. Draped like her in the hues of a bride, the blossom awaited with nectar in her heart, the touch of a hovering bee. She had imagined only hours before, that its scarlet petals prophesied the consummation of her marriage like the vermilion on her forehead. But today it lay shrivelled, devoid of colour on the damp earth.

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Before I Kick the Bucket

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Dreams, I feel fuel life, a well lived life. Being the planned person I am, listing out things I like to do gives me a sense of purpose in life. I believe in doing things that I love to do, whether it appeals to others or not, follows trends of society or not. I have a really long bucket list ready and I keep going back to it, crossing out what I have already achieved and experienced, sometimes adding new ones to the list. This list of mine includes the simplest of things that give immense joy (like watching the sun rise above the horizon as I sip tea with my husband, making a sand castle in a beach) as well as other things like travel that require serious planning. Whatever be the case, each one is special and important to me and so I found it really difficult to pick just five from them.But here they are and they pretty much define what kind of a person I am. So here they are:

To be an urban farmer and having a small organic farm or garden without doubt tops my bucket list. I’m a passionate over of all things green and natural, and dream of living amidst greenery. I would love to experience the joy of picking fresh, home grown, chemical-free produce for my kitchen. I have inherited the green thumb from my dad and even with the severe space constraints I’m faced with presently, I manage to have a really small organic terrace garden. I would love to have a green patch of land (that seems a luxury these days) to unwind with my family.

Working for underprivileged children is something I feel is one of my missions in life. I want to contribute to society with the skills that I possess, most importantly my passion for teaching and interacting with children. The two years I worked as a teacher at an NGO, I can easily say has been the best part of my career that taught me valuable lessons. I wish to take it forward and dedicate the rest of my career to this cause. Some things just cannot be bought with money. It is absolutely true in the case of the satisfaction I get by teaching children from deprived backgrounds. I wish to continue to make a difference in others' lives by doing something meaningful. This will also help me realize another dream of mine, which is to be a lifelong learner.

A Jungle safari and a camp in the wild are next on my list. I would love to experience the thrill of being in the wilderness. Living in a tent, hiking, staying in tree houses, spotting wild animals and the like really appeal to me. I would love to explore North East India, savouring its unspoiled beauty.

Someday, I wish to experience rural life. I certainly have plans to experience the charming simplicity of life in rural India. I am a big fan of all things simple, so I dream of spending a few weeks in a mud house tucked away in a village, befriending the locals and learning a thing or two from them. I want to taste a life with minimal needs, away from busy city life, being in touch with nature, having all the time in the world to chat with neighbours, sleep under a starry sky and maybe, fly kites and climb trees.

For this last one I know I have miles to go, but I sincerely hope one day I have at least a book to my credit. My journey as a blogger has just begun, but I’m dreaming big. I intend to write a book that people will hold close to their heart- a book with words that make my readers smile, laugh and cry from the heart. 

Written for Indiblogger (Indi Happy Hours) in association with IDBI Federal Lifesurance Whole Life - Befikar Umar Bhar 

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In love

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Dear Me,

I wish you a Happy Valentine's Day!

Love is in the air says the blushing rose

and the young couple striking a pose.

So this is the time for me to say

that I love you for whatever you are;

I'll gather your dreams in full embrace

and say that I love you in many ways.

In darkness I'll be your brightest star-

this is a promise for a whole lifetime

of true love, pure, forgiving, unselfish

that I bring you, and I fervently wish

you find truth in this heartfelt rhyme.

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you. Whether you believe in it or not, isn't it nice to have an excuse to express and spread love?! Cheers to falling in love with oneself and then to invite others to share the love and happiness of being complete :)

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