And it was Diwali that night, entire country was celebrating the festival of lights. When Aryan, was sitting in a dark corner under a candle light and was watching at the luminously celebrating sky through the windows. As usual, the dark space beside him was filled with cigarettes packets and butts smoked till the last drag. There were also pens lying there along with syringes and scribbled papers scattered around the room. He just finished writing a poem about the way he used to get pampered in his childhood days. The way he would celebrate Diwali continuously for seven days by telling lying and convincing his loving Mom for money to buy more crackers.
After 10 odd years, Aryan was alone now and was struggling with a confused state of mind whether to join his late Mom’s compensation job in the Indian Railways, as a grade – 3 employee, probably as a ticket collector or a guard. Now, a Central Government job sounded quiet promising to everyone whom Aryan consulted regarding his confusion of joining the job. He was confused, as he badly wanted to get out of his hometown, wherein he was tempted to have all kind of toxins and sedatives to calm down his depressions. Moreover, he had some different plans and ambition in his mind. He wanted to explore his favorite city Bangalore and try out his chances in the media world, as a Writer/Poet or maybe a Guitarist. One thing is for sure, Aryan never forgot all the commitments he made to his Mom of becoming well established and being a socially respected gentleman. He promised his Mom that he would become something more bigger than his separated IITian Father, as his Mom had to carry Aryan and run away from his Dad’s brutality when he was merely 8 months old.
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The night before Aryan had to join the railways with his joining letter in hand, he called up one of his old friend Rox; who was staying in Bangalore. He was the same old friend whom Aryan’s Mom trusted back during high school days. Further, Aryan and Rox were sent to Bangalore together to give their individual integrated law and hotel management entrances, so that they could get into a good and reputed college in Bangalore. Those days, Aryan’s aim was to get a seat in NLSIU, Bangalore and nobody had any idea regarding the college, Rox was looking for.
After initial chatting of 15 mins with questions like, ‘how are you? Where are you? And what you are doing these days?’ Aryan expressed his heart out to Rox. He told him that he did not want to take the Railway job. Moreover, he did not want to stay at his hometown, as the good old memories kept haunting him and gives him sleepless nights. He said to Rox,’Bro, I wanna explore my life in Bangalore, I have realized suffering is inevitable. So, I have decided to co-operate with my pain and agonies of life and would use them creatively, either by pouring them into poems or songs of my own’.
There was silence in the air, Rox broke the nervous silence with, ‘Oh! Common Aryan, don’t you know that you still have a family amid your friends. We are like a family buddy, so pack your bags and carry your qualification documents and get your tickets done for the next train to Bangalore. Many friends are waiting for you and Dude, please do not forget to get some good stash from our home town. It’s been really long since we have smoked the local junk together’.
“To Buy her Soul a Happy World.”
Can hear the crackers bursting,
And somewhere,
She also celebrates; in the skies.
Like an empty money bag she was,
Strangely lost usually,
Used to lose and,
Trying to buy her soul a happy world.
I can see the flowers blossoming here,
And she could smell the purple haze there;
Somewhere in the distant lands.
With no shares;
Of her own rights.
Life was full of thorns for her,
When she was alive;
Brutally painful,
Pricked always;
And pinned her to suffering for years.
But her righteousness was never sold,
And finally In the Garden of Eden she found her Gold;
To buy her soul a happy world.
She is slumbering in the graves now,
But her spirit still rekindles me.
Shielding me from all my worst’s,
Protecting me against all new odds.
She still wraps me,
In that blanket of compassion,
Softly whispering and wiping my dried tears,
Singing the same endless lullaby,
Rescuing me from all these;
Dark and creepy sleepless nights.
Ooh..! Mother, as u were when alive,
So you are, When not.
Forgive me, please,
If I ever cannot….
But never assume that I forgot,
To buy your soul a happy world.
Walking Dead
Alcatraz Dey
