Anamika...

 I used to love train journeys. Be it a short or a long-distance journey, I always prefer trains over airways, provided I have no urgency. Never I have thought that I'll be able to travel the length and breadth of the nation so frequently. I worked as a relationship manager of one of the leading construction companies in the capital city of India. The company was young, so its employees. We had a team of highly energetic people who always prioritize their work over anything else in the world. 

But I was a bit different. 

I loved my job not because of the team or the company, but because of my profile. I had the freedom to approach clients on behalf of my organization and fetch the deals. It involved lots and lots of traveling. So every fortnight, I had to travel to different cities of the various states of the country.

Did I tell you that I love train journeys?

Until that day...

It was mid of march and I was traveling from Delhi to Amritsar. It was an evening train I caught from Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway station. I didn't get a reservation. So I had a word with the Ticket checker who allotted me a seat in the second AC coach. 

The coach was almost vacant until Panipat. There, around six or seven people boarded the train. I was reading the recently purchased copy of The Alchemist when she entered my compartment.

'Berth number 3' she pointed towards the seat I was sitting on. 

I quickly stood up and sat on the seat opposite her. I was happy that I got beautiful company for the rest of the journey. I smiled at her but her stoned face was unturned and unreceptive. And with all the things I have learned in my life, the best one is Minding my own business.

We spend an hour or so in utmost silence when this gentleman came to ask whether we'll have vegetarian food or non-vegetarian. We both opted for Vegetarian and after twenty minutes, we both received shiny containers of Rice and gravy, served in an age-old red tray. 

She sat numb for some time. I don't know why but that silence between us was disturbing me. I didn't feel like opening the packaged food and start eating alone.

'Shall we start?' I asked her out of courtesy.

It looked like she came out of some distant thinking. She didn't reply but started opening her container in a hurry. I didn't mind that, at least I could have my dinner in peace.

She was gulping her food very quickly, without chewing. I was finding all that quite awkward. Her face was tensed and sweaty, provided March's nights are not that hot. She was wearing an embroidered black suit with a white dupatta and looked like someone who comes from a very decent background. 

Suddenly something got stuck down her throat and she started coughing. I quickly gave her my water bottle and she quickly gulped some water. It gave her some relief. She gave my bottle back, without saying thank you, of course. She kept her leftover aside and went to the washroom. 

After a couple of minutes, she came back and sat cross-legged on her seat. She was looking directly into my eyes without any particular emotion. That was scary and disturbing. I was wondering to change my seat, but again, I find it a bit rude. 

I tried again to start a conversation.

'So where are you heading to, Ma'am?'

After a disturbing silence, she said 

'I have no idea where I'm heading to'.

End of conversation. There was nothing left to say anymore. 

As time passed, I was feeling a little sleepy. So I stretched my legs on my seat and I don't know when I went into a deep slumber. I opened my eyes once or twice in between. I saw her writing something on a ruled notebook. But whenever I used to look at her, she used to stop writing and looked at me again with that stone face. Every time I chose to close my eyes again. After an hour or so, I woke up and saw her still writing. I wore my shoes, took my Jacket and went to Washroom. I had this urge to smoke after dinner. Though It is not allowed to lit a cigarette on the train, I went near the washbasin, open the coach's door, and lit the cigarette. I was completely lost in my world when someone tapped lightly on my shoulder. My cabin mate was standing there.

'do you mind if I take a puff?'

I took out another cigarette but she quickly snatched the lit cigarette from my hand, closed her eyes, and started taking slow puffs.

'I was in college when I smoked last.' she more or less talked to herself.

I stood silently, looking at her face.

'What's your name?' I asked.

'I have no name.' she said.

After an awkward silence, she said 'Anamika, the one who has no name.'

'Avinash' I said 'The one who can't be destroyed.'

'So you are the unfortunate one.' she smiled the first time since I saw her. 'You have to destroy yourself to end all the pain, all the troubles, all the miseries'

I smiled, looking at her moist eyes. I could sense pain. 

'What's your story?' I asked.

'Oh it's a tragic one.' she smiled again

'I'm not sleepy at all' I looked directly at her.

'Umm it has a very happy beginning, a disturbing middle, but a beautiful end.' she said.

I folded my arms and started listening to her story.

'I met him in my college and I knew that he is the one. We started dating and got married after a couple of years.' she said looking into the void outside the coach's gate.

'First few months were good but he tortured me mentally after that. He blackmailed me and told me to bring Money from my Dad or he'll do all that which can't be expressed in words. Neither I can tell you, nor you can listen to that. My Father, who was already a Cancer patient, died a month back as he couldn't afford good treatment. He was handing most of his pension money to my husband. That's my friend is the disturbing middle of the story.' she smiled. I could see a cold sweat rolling down her face.

I wanted to comfort her. I want her to vomit out whatever was disturbing her. I was making sure not to sympathize with her, not to judge her, but listen to her. That's what, according to me, is the best way to comfort anyone.

After a long silence, she came towards the washbasin and started washing her face. I came a little backward, balancing myself so that I don't fall on her. 

She asked for another cigarette. I gave her the second last cigarette I had. She kept her between her lips. I lit the cigarette for her.

'And what's the beautiful end to the story? ' I asked her, hoping to see some light at the end of the tunnel. 

She smiled and gave me a piece of paper she was holding in her left hand.

'You'll see it yourself Avinash, the beautiful ending to my story.' she said.

I unfolded the paper and saw a line neatly written on it.

I gave full blame for my death to my husband Aakash, who tortured me, physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

-Anamika

I wasn't expecting that. When I looked at her, she was standing near the gate. I ran a step forward and tried to hold her arm. But she took a step backward, looking directly into my eyes. Her eyes were moist again. 

And that face still haunts me. 

Everything happened in a fraction of a second. But for me, it became a lifelong haunting.

I shouted at the highest pitch of my voice. I sat near the washbasin, keeping hands on my ears, and cried like a little kid.

That might be the beautiful end of her story but a tragic end to the happiness of my life.

I hate train journeys, did I tell you that before?

HRN

The Art Of Racing In The Rain - by Garth Stein - Not a Book Review

 Bliss.

 I've come across this word many times. Be it in ted talk or various spiritual videos, they talk a lot about bliss. And it's a cool word to use in your day to day life. 

The closest encounter I had with this feeling is when tears are rolling from your eyes and you are still smiling.

And when this book was coming to an end, I could feel my eyes moist and a little smile on my face.

Bliss.

I read about this book called 'The Art of Racing in the Rain' by Garth Stein in another Book called 'i came upon a lighthouse' which I have read a couple of weeks back. 

The book is narrated by a Dog whose name is Enzo. He expresses whatever he sees, whatever he feels, with such a perfection that he'll make you his friend from the very first page of the book. His master, Denny, who is a gifted Car Racer/Grand Tourer (GT) takes care of Enzo with utmost dedication. His life is filled with ups and downs. A beautiful and loving wife, Eve who is not doing well. A little girl Zoë who loves Enzo as much as his Dad.

Eve is diagnosed with something which is taking her life slowly. She is hospitalised once and after that, She decides to be at her parent's house for better care. She is slowly losing her health. In her last months, she develops a loving relationship with Enzo.

After she dies, her parents demand custody of their granddaughter and put false allegations on Denny to get the custody.

The book is filled with lots and lots of ups and downs, and what remained constant and unchanged was Enzo and his love for his family.

The story is simple. Just pick up a newspaper and you see innumerable columns filled with lots of these kinds of articles and clippings. Just pick up those novels with tragic endings, and you'll see many stories like this. But what makes it special is the narrative of a dog. The world looks so different from his eyes. His compassion, his generosity is contagious. His way of dealing with things is so loving. He uses his heart more than his mind. And That's what makes a Dog, A DOG.

A human, when pops out on the planet and gains a certain amount of maturity, tries to unlearn the over usage of his mind and tries to operate from one's heart. And it takes a lot of years for Humans to accomplish that. And most of us even fail in accomplishing that.

But Dogs know that art from the moment they take their first breath on this planet. That's why they come here for such a short period.

This book is for those who love animals and care for them. This book is for those who love that thrill of care race and like knowing the minute things of a car race. This book is for those who love long walks when it drizzles. This book is for... Everyone.

So Here I'm sharing the link to the book. Do let me know your views about it.

Thanks for reading.

Shall I tell you a secret? in Mongolia, they say that when a dog dies, he or she reincarnates as a human. What? You don't believe me? Read it yourself in the book

Love

HRN

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The Dancing Ghost - The Adventures of Hunny Bunny

 In the middle of the evening market, there Is a little shop which sells different things in different seasons. In summers, they serve flavored Soda, Squashes, and ice creams. And in winters, they generally rely on Boiled eggs and omelets. The owner of the shop is a middle-aged Sikh gentleman, called Manjeet Singh. He was famous for his fresh soda, delicious omelets, and funny anecdotes. His shop was quite popular among students who go to tuition classes and among those who bunk classes frequently.

Their daily Customers were Hunny and Bunny. If we talk about Hunny, his build doesn't look like a fourteen-year-old kid. He looked more like a grown-up man. His chest was naturally broad, and his arms were big. On the other hand, he is known for using his strength more than his mind.

Bunny was small, but a sharp guy. He analyzes things before taking any decision. He never flows with the emotions and knows when to start and when to stop.

They both were special customers of Manjeet and they always get flavored soda, irrespective of the season.

One thing which is common between them is their differences, which make their bond so strong.

And yes, they both are ultimate pranksters.

Just a week before, bunny talked to one of his classmates on phone for more than one hour in a girl's voice. That poor guy brought a bunch of red roses for a girl studying in another section. And no points for guessing, the principal called his parents to see her in her office. No one knows who did that prank, but yes, they are very good at it.

Sitting on the bench inside Manjeet's shop, and holding glasses of orange-flavored soda, they both were discussing the last night's match. 

'You know Dada wears a piece of elephant tooth around his neck to perform well in every match.' Hunny said while folding the arm of his t-shirt.

'From where do you get this cheesy news, you dumbass?' Bunny said while poking his finger on his belly.

'Arey! I listened to it on the radio last night.' he took out his brand-new yellow color Walkman from his bag.

'From where did you get this?' Bunny asked.

'I bought it from my pocket money he said while taking out earphones from his bag.

'Pocket Money? How much can you save from the two rupees you get every day? If you have that much money, at least clear Manjeet Paaji's balance amount.' he raised his voice so that Manjeet could listen to their conversation.

'You know what, keeping an elephant's tooth is a black magic trick. You can't imagine how dangerous these black magic tricks are. ' Manjeet said without giving attention to monetary discussions they were having.

'Oh, Paaji how do you know all this?' Hunny said, relieved that Manjeet didn't ask for a month-old pending balance.

'Arey, I was in Himachal for more than ten years. I have seen all these things from my own eyes. I have encountered Chudails, Pishach, and many other demons on the hills. These things are not new for me.'

Hunny was less excited and more afraid listening to all this. But Bunny was chilled out, more eager to listen to the details. 

'Oh then? What did you do?' Hunny asked again.

'I Didn't run away, never. I faced that lady in white, whose feet were backward. My eyes got red and she couldn't face my anger. She ran away like a kid. They only attack weak souls and I belong to the family of truck drivers. Anger is our trademark.' Manjeet's voice was raised. People who were busy with their grocery shopping started peeping inside the shop, thinking that an argument is going on.

'You are so brave Manjeet Paaji, just like our Taara Paaji. He was also a truck driver, you know. He went all the way to Pakistan to get her wife back.' Hunny said with a twinkle in his eyes.

But Bunny was silent. Something was tickling him from inside.

He stood up and gestured to Hunny that it's time to go home.

'What are you thinking Hunny?' 

'He didn't even ask money for the soda we just had' 

Bunny spanked hard on Hunny's back and both of them walked towards their home, which was very near to the evening market.

......................................................................................................................

The power cuts were common those days. In January, when the whole city was freezing, power cuts made less difference to anyone. 

It was 9.40 PM when Bunny called Hunny on their landline phone and called him outside of his house. 

After twenty minutes or so, Hunny came out with Walkman in his hands, without hands-free cable. He was listening to a remix version of an old song called Kaanta Laga.

'You know Bunny, the girl in the video of this song died because she made a tattoo on her arm. These needles cause cancer, you know.' Hunny said.

They start walking towards the gate of the street. Hunny was talking continuously but Bunny was revising the plan he made in his mind. He couldn't afford to make any mistake. He gave a washed handkerchief to Hunny and told him to tie it around his face.

'But what in the world you are trying to do?' he asked while tying up the handkerchief.

'You want to dance?' he asked

'Of course, I would love to. You know I learned that famous step, you want to see?'

He crisscrossed his feet and started jumping

'Aae Mere Dil Tu Gaye jaa

Hey aa Hey aa oh aa hey yaa' 

He sang and danced, trying to imitate a Hindi film star.

'Stop jumping like a maniac you dumb ass' Bunny pushed him to walk faster.

They both hid behind a little wall near the street's gate.

'Hunny! Listen to me very carefully. Wear the Cap of your hoodie and don't remove the handkerchief, no matter what will happen.' he explained to Hunny in a mere whisper.

'When I'll tell you to dance, dance like a maniac. When I'll tell you to run, run like a maniac, do you understand?'

'Yes brother, but why the hell will we dance in the middle of the street, in the middle of the night? It's freezing man, and you want to dance.' Hunny complained.

'Don't use your mind so much, your knees will start aching. just do what I tell you to do.' 

Hunny held his knees and nodded.

Bunny was looking at his radiant, digital watch again and again. And suddenly, the voice of an old scooter's engine was audible to them.

'Wear your cap and follow me' he said 

Bunny started walking more like a zombie in the middle of the street. And behind him, Hunny, who looked like a mountain, started dancing like a monkey. The man on the scooter reduced his speed as he came nearer to them. Now Bunny started making strange metallic voices, which was so creepy that even the dancing Hunny was shivering. 

The man left his scooter on the road and ran backward for a while. Bunny started running behind him. The man, who was wearing a blanket around his shoulders, removed it and threw it on the ground, and ran for his life. He was shouting for help at the top of his voice. 

Bunny stopped as he listened to the gates opening of various houses on the other side of the road. He ran behind the parked cars and scooters before anyone could see him. He looked for Hunny behind the street's gate. 

A cold sweat moved from his forehead to his cheek when he saw Hunny still dancing like a maniac in the middle of the street.

He threw an empty plastic water bottle towards him to catch his attention. And it worked. Hunny stopped dancing and hid near Bunny, behind a white color Maruti 800.

Bunny punched hard in his belly when he felt something rock solid under his Hoodie.

'Kaanta Laga

Haye Laga

Bangle ke pichhe'

His Walkman, which he was hiding under his Hoodie, came to life and started playing that retro-Remix song, whose model died because she made a tattoo on her arm. 

'Hunny close this shit and run for your life, you dumb ass'.

They ran without looking back, and thankfully, no one saw them.

'Who was that Man? And why you did this to him?' Hunny asked him.

'You didn't recognize him? He was Manjeet Paaji. He came to ask for the money for the soda we had in the evening.' 

'You little devil, why you did this to him? And why the hell you made me dance like shit in front of him?' he said holding Bunny's neck tightly in his arms.

' Didn't you see how afraid he was? I wanted to see the bloodshot eyes of the proud offspring of the Truck driver's family.' Bunny was laughing and catching his breath, trying hard to come out of the reach of the strong arms of Hunny.

They both were sitting on Parked scooters in the middle of the night near their homes. 

'I can't forget your dance till the last breath of my life, you dumbass.' Bunny lied on the scooter, laughing like a maniac.

Hunny was embarrassed for a moment and then joined him in the laughter. 

Bunny punched hard on his belly again.

'Bangle ke pichhe

Teri beri ke niche'

They both sat on the floor, enjoying the uncontrollable laugh and ReMix Version of the song playing on Hunny's Walkman.

......................................................................................................................

The next evening they both went to Manjeet's shop to see him and to drink lemon soda.

'What happened Paaji? Are you sick? You are looking weak.' Hunny asked in uncontrollable excitement.

Bunny poked his elbow in his belly, gesturing him to shut his mouth.

'Arey Hunny Bhai, you won't believe what I saw last night. As a daily routine, I was going to feed leftovers of eggs and bread crumbs to the stray dogs near the main road, when I saw two deadly ghosts walking on the road. I understood the situation very well and parked my scooter near the park. I ran behind them with my bloodshot eyes. They both ran away. But you know ghosts suck up your energy from distance. If they had caught some weaker guy like Bunny, they would have made Keema of him.' Manjeet said in a single breath.

They both control their laughter.

'I was down with a little fever last night, but now I'm perfectly fine. What will you have? Lemon or orange?'

'Paaji you are so brave, just like Taara Paaji. Long live Manjeet Paaji. Long live Taara Paaji.' Hunny said lifting his fist in the air.

Manjeet was smiling. He was happy with the delicious pudding served to his ego. But something made his smile fade. It was the real incident that happened last night.

They both sat on the bench, enjoying their respective sodas. For a change, they paid money and started leaving from there.

'Hunny Bhai, you both must be very careful. There's a big fat ghost in your locality, who is known for dancing like a maniac on the middle of the road.' Manjeet said with a sense of care in his voice.

'Sure Paaji, we'll take care of it' Bunny replied.

They were laughing like hell to their home.

......................................................................................................................

That night, they both were sitting on Parked scooters in front of Hunny's house. He was holding a torchlight and told Bunny to bring his bicycle. They attached the torchlight in front of his bicycle to have a better vision in the dark.

Hunny was riding and Bunny was sitting silently on the carrier behind him. Hunny was whistling and Bunny was smiling, remembering the prank they did last night. 

Suddenly Hunny applied brakes with all the force he had. Bunny slapped his back and told him to ride. But Hunny was all numb. Bunny tried to see the situation when he saw two figures in all white right in the middle of the road. The bigger one was dancing, spreading his arms in the air. The smaller one was dragging his feet and slowly coming towards them. They couldn't move for a while. It was Bunny who dragged Hunny from the Bicycle and they both ran for their life, screaming at the top of their voices, leaving their torchlight attached bicycle on the road.