The Silent View

Day 1

It’s been exactly 25 days since I stopped talking with my family members. I can’t talk or move anymore. That’s my condition but I can sense whatever is happening around me.

I never knew my son Venkat was like this. I thought he was a god-fearing and disciplined boy.

During the times I worked for PAS Motors, I used to wake him up early in the morning for him to prepare for his exams. He was never an 80-90 scorer. I felt he worked hard but could never convert his hard work into big scores.

I even had a good opinion of his friends Murali, Prakash, Ameen and Kumar. Yes, they were his ‘group-study’ mates.

But today these 23-year olds are sitting right in front of me and boozing. And this so called silent boy Murali, who has spoken nothing but the words ‘Hello Uncle’ in front of me, is now annoyed that the pickle is not spicy.

That’s laughable but still annoying!

Ooh no! Kumar just vomited on the 5000-rupee teakwood table that I had bought with my bonus amount.

The language these guys are using is incredible. I’m shocked to see my son behave like this.
But who cares about what I feel?


Day 5

Here comes Lalitha, my sweet little daughter.
What is she doing here at this hour? She should be in her office.
Oh no, is there a strike in the city or is the weather very bad outside?
What has made my beautiful princess get back home at this time?
I can’t even make her a cup of coffee.

Oh hang on, there is a friend coming in with her.
Who’s that?
My goodness, that’s a guy.

I’ve never seen Lalitha speak to guys but this is strange.
We come from a very orthodox family and I raised my girl in a very conservative way.
I thought even she was happy about that.

Aaaaah! It’s totally dark now; the lights are on but the guy has put his jacket on me. Why the hell did he remove his jacket? I can hear them moving to the bedroom. They’ve locked the door.

No! Lalitha, this is definitely wrong; you can’t do this before your marriage.

But, is there a point in me grumbling?


Day 10
It’s 11 AM now. My house is usually silent during daytime as everyone goes to work but I can hear footsteps climbing the stairs now.

Who is going to surprise me today?

Ah, here he comes, my dear brother, Gopal. He used to come here twice a week to visit me but I don’t see him often these days. We grew up together and were very affectionate towards each other.

But what is he doing here when no one is around?
By the way, how did he get in? No, I don’t have an answer.

My goodness, he has got a duplicate key to my safe.
This is unbelievable!
This is a farcical world.


Day 12
You know something; I’m really pissed off. My wife has always been courteous but today she behaved in a way that makes me feel very bad but I’m helpless and I feel like crying.

That’s my situation.

She threw away the flower garland that had been hanging around for a month.
It was reeking but thank God she finally had the time to throw it away.
No, I’m not dreaming to get a new one. She definitely wouldn’t get it.

I think she is upset about the money that was stolen from our safe.
How much was it? I think it was around 25,000 Rs.
Too big an amount to be inconspicuous, is it not?

I can’t say I’ve been good all my life but I’ve never seen these people behave so strangely.

Now I realize that all I wanted was this silent view to understand this strange world.

Oh I was talking about the garland, wasn’t I? You may be wondering why.

I died last month in a car accident and now I am talking to you from my garland less portrait.

Theft on 9096

Theft on 9096

Munnuswamy – Beggar

March 20^th, 8.25 am

Munnuswamy was a regular on 9096. He traveled ticketless to Nechikuppam daily on this train with only one purpose – to entreat money from the commuters. But today he was witness to a special event - a theft. Munnuswamy, with his unclean brown beard and a torn dhoti would watch every individual who boards his compartment. He wondered why so many people traveled daily but realized soon that he wouldn’t even get a penny if no one traveled. As the train started to move from Jenjikuppam, he suddenly heard people in the compartment scream. A man went past him in a flash and while passing, he stamped Munnuswamy’s right hand. Munnuswamy chided him with a not-to-be-spoken bad word but the man never heard what Munnuwamy said. The next second, Munnuswamy heard a loud cry and saw the man lying on the floor. Another man in khaki dress was tying him. As Munnuswamy watched in awe, the man in khaki dress pulled the other man to a seat nearby.

Sasikala Natrajan – Homemaker

March 20^th, 8.10 am

Sasikala boarded 9096 to reach Nechikuppam. The train was crowded and the weather was hot but she had no choice but to travel on 9096. Natrajan was in urgent need of big money, seven lakhs to be precise, and she was taking that with her. She could have booked a cab for her travel but she was totally out of her mind and her blood pressure had shot up after receiving Natrajan’s call that morning. She had five lakhs in her bank and managed to get the remaining two from her friend, Bhanu. Sasikala was wondering why Natrajan needed such a big amount but she knew she wouldn’t get an answer for that. Sasikala thought why people involved themselves in an earning spree but soon remembered Natarajan reminding her that she wouldn’t be enjoying her expensive clothes and flashy jewels if he didn’t do that.

The hurry and tension made her forget to zip her bag properly. Thinking about her hubby, she closed her eyes and went into a trance. After a while, she dreamt like somebody snatching her bag and woke up in a flash to find her bag missing and the man, who was sitting opposite to her, running away.

Rajesh Moorthy – Bike mechanic

March 20^th, 8.15 am

Rajesh Moorthy, a bike mechanic, was a hard working individual. He was poor but led a simple and disciplined life. He worked over-time to meet his family needs and father’s medical expenses. He was late for 9096 but somehow managed to board it while it was on the move. He walked to his seat 63 and found that a lady, clad in a red sari, was seated in the seat opposite to his. He was traveling to Nechikuppam to meet his friend. He got news from his family that his father was admitted to a local hospital as he had got a mild heart attack. Rajesh was in need of money and was rushing to meet Mani to ask for money. He was wondering whether Mani would be able to lend him something which sounded like his own name (Mani ~ money). He laughed at his own wit but he knew that even Mani, a software engineer, wouldn’t be able to help him with such a big amount. He needed four lakhs, but was annoyed at the thought that nobody would help him at this dire state. That’s when he saw a 500-rupee bundle kept overtly in the bag near the lady.

Sundara Vadivel – Police constable

March 20^th, 8.05 am

Sundara Vadivel was traveling to Nechikuppam to hand over some important documents to an inspector there. This was not his routine job but there was nobody to do this today and hence he boarded 9096. He seated himself comfortably and started reading a daily. As he folded his paper, he saw a man, clad in a grey shirt and pant, going past him. He understood that the man was worried about something from his looks. After drinking a cup of tea he bought from one of the train vendors, Sundar rose to visit the restroom. He couldn’t stand the toilet stench but somehow managed to empty his bladder. As he zipped his pant and came out, he saw the man in grey shirt running towards the exit door. The people behind him were shouting ‘Thief, thief, catch him’. Sundar was pretty agile and threw his stick in the path of the running man when he neared him. The man stumbled upon the stick and fell down to the floor. The fall was horrible and the pain was excruciating. Sundar picked his handcuffs and tied the man before he could escape. With one of the hand cuffs’ links tied to his hand, Sundar moved the man back to where he was seated. He gave away the moneybag to the lady and received her thanks with a broad smile.

He had to lock the guy though the crime didn’t happen under his jurisdiction as this was a day light robbery. Sundar wondered why people involved themselves in these activities and at the same time thought he would be jobless if no one committed any crime. As he saw the relieved face of the lady, he laid back and closed his eyes.

Chaturvasi – Retired English lecturer

March 21^st, 7.10 am

Chaturvasi was an expert on word play. He always had the feeling that humans were more complex than words. During his lecture days, he would tell his students that even names like Combernoux, Lebowski and Llewellyn weren’t complex but the people who pronounced these made them look so.

Anagrammatizing Eva Gear to Average, Clean Veer to Relevance and thinking of the words abracadabra, preponderancy and verisimilitude, he smeared his forehead with some sacred ash, went to his balcony and unfolded his easy chair. As he savored his strong, sugar-less, morning coffee, he read the headline of the daily “The Newsking”.

TRAIN 9096 DERAILED. NO SURVIVORS. 136 VICTIMS IDENTIFIED.

The End

The Surreal Suspicion

Chapter 1 – Shalini Jain and the bouquet shop

Shalini Jain, on any other day, would have bargained for this rose-bouquet but today she was in no mood for that as she was buying this for her loved one. She paid the amount in cash and entered her red car.

Chapter 2 – The Cinema theatre

“Shalini will make a good wife for Robin”. That’s what one of their friends said to another when they had gone to watch this Spanish movie ‘ENOSI’.

Chapter 3 – The Shopping

Shalini always loved to shop things for her home. From fancy curtains to tissue papers, she always felt she selected the right brand. She took good care of her husband and son.

Chapter 4 – The Beach

Sanjay was waiting for her. It’s been 2 hours but still he was in no mood to go home alone. He badly wanted to see her. Finally, there was a smile in his face. He was happy to hear that loud “Hi” from Shalini.

Chapter 5 – The Suspicion

The neighbors of Shalini Jain in DEEL RAM apartments always scowled at her and Sanjay; they felt there was something wrong about this couple. This was their opinion.

Chapter 6 – The Child

It was 8 AM on a bright Sunday morning. Shalini Jain was enjoying her cup of tea and suddenly she thought of her son.

Chapter 7 – The Trip

She was going to settle in Mumbai; a new job, too, was awaiting her. As she found her place in M21, the number allocated for her seat in this airbus, she made herself comfortable and leaned on Sanjay’s shoulder.

Chapter 8 – The Gym

Robin was very particular about his fitness. He maintained his weight at 72.5 kgs, the right weight for his height, and followed a strict diet to maintain his brawny figure.

Chapter 9 – The Internet

Shalini was not very beautiful but she always uploaded her best-look photos in this social networking site. Though she was looking at guys’ profiles furtively, she was never a flirt. She always had the banner ‘DON’T SCRAP ME IF YOU DON’T KNOW ME’. But she was interested in this particular profile. The guy looked really smart and muscular.

Chapter 10 – The Tennis court

Shalini was exhausted, the scorching sun had sucked her body fluids. She found a shady place and drank lemonade. The only solace at this hour was the win she brought over Manjula. Her coach, Sanjay, was happy.

Chapter 11 - The Bookshop

After three months, they finally agreed to meet each other at the bookshop, Sydoyes. Both were avid book readers and they spent 5 hours discussing about books. Before they parted, she did what she had come for. She proposed and was happy to see a smile in his face.

Chapter 12 – The Accident

The weather was windy and the visibility was poor. He had to apply his brakes suddenly as he saw a kid crossing the road. He hit his car’s front and realized that his seat belt was not on.

Chapter 13 – The Marriage

The bride looked recovered and simple, and only her mother and uncle attended the marriage. Nobody attended it from Sanjay’s side. The bride’s mother wanted her daughter to be happy and felt that her marriage was the only answer. Sanjay agreed to this.

Chapter 14 – The Shock

Shalini Mishra was aghast after she heard the news. She felt like she had lost her sense.

Chapter 15 – The Love

Shalini had known him only for 3 days but she felt that there was something magnetic about this guy, whom she had never met but knew only from his online profile. This was love at first sight. She read thro his interests and felt that they exactly matched hers but hardly 50% of them actually matched hers. She didn’t mind changing hers.

Chapter 16 – The Asylum

Shalini Mishra, clad in her green uniform, was looking at the ceiling. Though she was mentally ill, the tears from her eyes never ceased to drop. She was worried about something.

Chapter 17 – The Thought

She remembered her child after 3 years. She suddenly felt out of place in this posh flat and immediately rushed to her mom’s residence in Goa.

Chapter 18 – The Cry

Shalini placed the bouquet down and wept as she read the sign.

Robin Mishra

Born: 10-1-1965

Died: 11-2-1999

Chapter 19 – The Meet

‘Hey Shalu, this is Sanjay Jain, my close friend and a tennis pro’, said Robin Mishra to his beloved wife, Shalini Mishra.

Chapter 20 – The Help

Shalini was recovering from her illness, thanks to Sanjay’s help. Sanjay never realized before now that Shalini was so beautiful. He closed his eyes and rested on the easy chair.

Irreversible YROTS

Chapter 1 – The Hospital Bed

The pain was excruciating for Kapeed when he suddenly woke up from his trance. He couldn’t stand the smell of the bed he was lying on, which had the faintest odor of urine. The fact that his old jeans and expensive t-shirt were still on his body for the third day was adding fuel to the ‘smell’ fire. He slowly touched his head, only to find a reddish-brown bandage, which was white in color before it was wrapped on his head.

Chapter 2 – The Park

Ujar was wondering how strange life is. He felt that every individual thinks the same but he still can’t comprehend the dire consequence of one of his stupid acts. He was worried but, at the same time, was feeling helpless.

Chapter3 – The Admittance

Ujar heard Kapeed shout and in the next 10 minutes, he was rushing to the hospital near the mall. He couldn’t believe what had happened. He had never seen so much blood in his life.

Chapter 4 – The Fall

Kapeed returned the good-bye kiss to his girl friend and came out of Atsirab, where he had spent about 3 hours, drinking coffee with her. He was happy that he had met her after 15 days. But, he liked nothing about this shop Yawbus and had a feeling that the shop, situated in the third floor, was out of place in a posh mall, which housed the coffee shop, Atsirab. Whenever he crossed it, he cursed it and today was just another cursing day but what he didn’t notice was an open sandwich with sour-dip cream strewn on the floor. He stepped on it and the next thing he saw was the black and white flooring of the ground floor.

Chapter 5 – The Act

The sandwich was tasty; he always liked the potato stuffed, toasted and extra-spicy sandwich with sour-dip cream, and he was enjoying it today until he found this trap-door spider in it. The next moment, the sandwich was lying on the walkway of the mall, thanks to Ujar’s reflex action.

Chapter 6 – The Cause

Ujar was frustrated that he couldn’t get this Atoyot’s project for his company. He had prepared himself to do this presentation for three months but now, he had failed. But, even at this time of grief, he was struck by one of nature’s acts, hunger, and so he entered his favorite shop.

Chapter 7 – The Entry

The spider had no place to go but to the inside of the sandwich as the temperature of the toaster was on the rise. Luckily for it, the sandwich was removed in 23 seconds, the time set by Reehaz to toast it.

Chapter 8 – The Source

Reehaz’s boss warned him to close the only window in the shop. His boss did this always. The place outside the window was moist and hosted a wide variety of spiders, beetles, ants and crickets. Reehaz opened it whenever he wanted to inhale fresh air as he detested the A/C smell combined with the scent of bakery foods. He closed it at his boss’s insistence but what he never noticed was the trap-door spider that slid into the toaster thro the window.