Enthralling Trails

Guppy was a Shark pup, it was born akin to a dog pup from the stomach of Helena the shark. Helena wasn’t overjoyed to  have Guppy as her Shark pup, because  it was one of the many Shark pups she  had borne. She had sometimes seen her whole spawn of eggs eaten by whales or other large fishes in the ocean  in spite of the care taken. It taught her lessons of detachment and  mysticism. Guppy was sensitive and loved the other shark pups. Within days of its birth, it saw the whole family disperse in their own ways, but Guppy held on to the seaweeds. It loved the fishes here, the place was a muddle of marine and freshwater fishes due to the concoction of  river water and sea water. It was a congregation of Cuttlefish, Eel, Catla, Snubnose Dart, Dolphin, flying fish, Crab, Herring, Jew fish, and many more, but Guppy loved the magnificence of the blue whale. The blue whale had kind eyes, but Guppy had blinds that could be drawn on its eyes when it slept. ...

“ He who has conquered his own coward spirit has conquered the whole outward world - Thomas Hughes   It was  late  in the evening, in the month of September, the month when  festivities  begin with a charm  for  Lord Ganesha, it drew  little Chetan closer to the Lord just  as the happiness felt  in  the spring.  The festival brought gaiety, it preceded other festivals like Navratras, Dusshera and Diwali.  Every nook and corner had a Shamiyana, and a name attached to the locale. The customs and traditions during the celebration differs from  place to place. While  the people in Andhra Pradesh take a pride in revealing the beautiful idol of Lord Ganesha, in Maharashtra the idol is brought blindfolded  with a figment of mystery for the Lord and his followers. In South India the idol is placed snugly in a shopping bag, while in Maharashtra the idol is seated on a raised platform. The crowd utt...

Nationalism is a shared feeling of being one in spite of the  odds in a society like poverty, creed, beliefs, social and economic conditions. Nationalism is well preached  as patriotism well before elections prioritizing  a secular spirit, sovereignty and fairness to bond people. Who would prefer not to be a Nationalist in a country like India , which is known for its rich heritage and ethnicity at the brink of the trustworthiness of people.   Rekha sat down and rested her back to the wall of the railing, cold wind gushed through the openings making her shiver, and  she felt clumsier than ever in the uniform given by the educational institution.  She yearned for the warmth of her saree. She bent to  have a look at herself, she was wearing the hard leather like, boys shoes,  a navy blue pant and a striped shirt. It was the uniform of the institution where she worked. The dress was introduced as a mark of respect, and to make the maids look m...

The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation. Corrie Ten Boom Neela looked at her daughter lovingly, the baby had an attractive smile. She kept gazing at her contented smile as she caressed her hair backwards. The child was a stout baby, the sparse hair on her head was just enough to cover the bald head, and then her eyes focussed the cleft lip. She nev er wanted the little girl to get what she had found the most difficult in life to cope with. Neela loved the fact that her daughter Naina was healthy,  she had  the most beautiful eyes and so the name, ‘Naina’ was the most pertinent. However, the neighbours and family who had come for the naming ceremony, failed to notice the large eyes with the dark eyeballs. They only pitied Neela for having given birth to a look-alike daughter who they felt would find it difficult getting a handsome husband. Neela had a cleft lip, but was the most charming woman who could cook, dance, sing and keep the...

“It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.”   ―   Mother Teresa ‘ A ayi ’  refers to m other in Marathi, but Lakshmi had graduated from a mother, to a grandmother. Her daughter and her grandchildren loved calling her ‘Aayi’ in Konkani.  She was a native of the lush green Konkan. Aayi began her life with ‘ abu ’ Jagannath in the city of warangal in Andhra Pradesh. She was a tall, healthy lady and Jaggnath a good looking, lean and handsome man. Together they made a handsome couple not only looks wis e, but also mannerism wise. Lakshmi’s family was a large one consisting of seven sisters and the youngest one was the much awaited sibling brother. Her parents were ecstatic over the birth of a boy after seven sisters. The sisters treasured their kid brother. Lakshmi and her sisters got married early owing to the social norms and customs. Lakshmi was blessed with a daughter and a son. The daughter was a replica of Jagannath, the same chisel...

‘Only that day dawns to which we are awake-Thoreau It lay still in my palm, I shook it, patted it gently, and then moved it vigorously just as one moves his head after a hair wash to sprinkle the water around. Water did spill out of  its body, but the buzz was missing. The best turkey towel was pulled out to wipe it, as it lay smiling in the pink backdrop, its black body glistened spotless. I gently enfolded it in its cover and started it all over again. I prayed fervently for its life, and to my delight, it glowed and came alive, but its voice box remained choked. I wondered whether it was a common cold, and whether I would have to visit the mobile doctor. Well, I needed a mobile doctor, not a movable one, but the technician, a mobile doctor who could bring my Mobile Phone back to  the way of life. Moto G belonged to the Motorola family and came home when Flipkart the online store announced a pre-launch offer.  I don’t remember the  special occasion w...