An Everlasting Love

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Their memories of an earlier life had started fading with time, one before commitments and responsibilities, before their children and grandchildren came along. There were days when he forgot where he had kept his reading glasses and she forgot whether she had taken her medication or not, but together they always stumbled their way towards each other. 

That night as she sat combing her hair in front of their bedroom mirror, he got a glimpse of the woman who had won over his heart many years ago, on a night just like this one. He closed his eyes and pictured the way she had looked then, the memory still fresh in his mind if he concentrated hard enough. She had smelt of wild roses and tasted like honey, but the twinkle in her eyes had refused to fade even with time.

This post is written for Five sentence fiction for Fresh at Lillie McFerrin Writes.

Y - Yesterday

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I have learnt from yesterday

Just like the challenges undertaken today

I have hope, faith and belief 

That we are going to emerge winners tomorrow

April has been a memorable month gone by us

One that I stepped into with uncertainties a lot

There have been friends who had my back 

And some new made along the path 

Today I'm a little sad

The journey comes to an end tomorrow

It doesn't have to be so 

We shall continue to walk hand in hand

So many lessons learned

Writing has been grueling on some days 

We never gave up, continued at our own stride

And tomorrow we shall hold victory in our hands...

P.S. Am I the only one feeling this way? The challenge shall surely come to an end tomorrow but our journey doesn't have to. 

Linking this post to the A to Z Challenge. 

V - Voyage

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Life is a voyage and we are all tiny vessels

Sailing against the wind called time 

The current may be rocky, sometimes smooth

But the trick is to maneuver, to remain steady

The journey is bound to be filled with adventure

We may have to sacrifice some in order to gain some

In the end all that matters is the journey 

Take in those sunsets and sunrises

Drink in all those sights along 

The sound of water lapping

Tiny fishes swimming afloat 

Never give up hope, have faith

There are unseen hands at play

Those dark and stormy nights

Won't last forever, they too shall pass

For the voyage must go on...

Linking this post to the A to Z Challenge. 

T - Twenty-six

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On August 9, 2014, I turned the number that I have been dreading. Twenty-six. Yes, I'm was one of those people who were terrified at the thought of growing old and wrinkly. Like I read somewhere, I was officially on the 'uncool' side of twenties. Till I reached my twenties, I was someone who looked forward to growing older. Ageing gracefully? What did that even mean? However, life had different plans for me. Here are some things that has made me embrace my twenty-six year old self. Things that I have learnt in the last year that I haven't in the previous twenty five years of my life. 

> Nothing lasts forever. Not even the bad times. You will get up, dust yourself and carry forward. 

> It is never too late to learn something new. Try your hand at something different, break some rules. Live life on your own terms. 

> There shall ALWAYS be people who criticize you no matter how hard you try. Quit trying to impress them. The only person that you need to make happy is yourself. Owe it to only yourself. 

> Follow your passion. There maybe days when you feel like giving up, frustration may set it. But when inspiration strikes, it shall always be worth the struggle. 

> There are only a handful of people in your life who want the best for you. Treasure them. 

> You never know when you will have to say goodbye to a loved one. So spend as much time with those people you can't dream of living without. 

> When you let go of some of the people in your life, you will always find other kindred souls in their place. 

> Age is just another number. What matters most is how many of those years you spent on living and not just surviving. 

> Read all those books that have been piling on your shelf. Stop feeling guilty in abandoning a book halfway if it's not your cup of tea. 

> And lastly, don't ever lose hope or faith. The two go hand in hand :) 

So now, I can confidently say, the twenty-sixth year of my life has been a turning point in ways more than one. I have a couple more months for remaining twenty-six in my hands and intend to enjoy each and every moment to the fullest, doing the things that I love and relishing the things makes me happy. As for ageing gracefully, I may not be there yet, but I'm certainly on the right path :)

Linking this post to the A to Z Challenge. 

P - Poetry

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Poetry, food for my soul

Words tumbling out at random

Sometimes it may rhyme 

And at times it may not

Poetry helps me jot down 

Thoughts scattered 

In an order that looks 

So good on paper 

Spilled ink in the form of words

Creating a rhythm all of their own

You nurture me in ways 

I cannot describe 

Ruffling of feathers,

Scratch of pencil against paper,

Dew drops on my face

Poetry, food for my soul...

Linking this post to the A to Z Challenge. 

G - Gouri

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I'm caught between the past and the present; a place that's between the earth and the heavens. I am Gouri. I can feel the wounds inflicted on my skin, the marks already wedged deep beneath my skin. The caked, dried blood on me reminds me that though I can't feel anything, I'm badly hurt. 

That's when I see him. My warrior. Fighting for my life and his. Even lying here I can't help but gaze at him. He wields his sword in quick, deft strikes, killing one opponent after another. His face is masked by the iron helmet he wears, leaving only his eyes unguarded. As soon as the last opponent falls down, he rushes to my side. 

"Gouri... Don't go. Stay with me..." His words are a soothing lullaby. I want to tell him to not to hold me so close, that it's hurting me, and him too from the pain in his voice. I can feel my eyes closing. I smile. I'm finally safe. He is here. 

"Gouri.. Gouri! Wake up!" I can hear a voice calling me from a place far away. 

I open my eyes. 

Standing by my bed with an exasperated sigh on her face, my mother tells me "It's past eight in the morning. You simply have to stay up late each night of the vacations, don't you!"

"Hurry up and get dressed. And come have your breakfast." Saying that she leaves the room. The smell of coffee lingers in the air in her wake. 

I'm harshly brought back  to reality. Had I simply dreamt it all? The remnants of the dream are quickly starting to evaporate like hot vapors. I can feel something twisting inside me. Why couldn't I have woken up after seeing his face? My warrior's. All I'm left with is a pair of kind brown eyes that had so much of love. So much of warmth in them. Strangely, they remind me of glowing embers. There was something else about him. Something that I had missed as I opened my eyes. Something that I couldn't put my finger on. Not yet. 

I will myself to fall back to sleep. But as always, it deludes me when I need it the most. Refusing me another step back into the dream. I finally give up and throw back the covers and get up. 

Looking in the bathroom mirror, I'm startled to see my bloodshot eyes. There are dried tear stains on my cheeks. My whole body aches. As I look down at the stabbing pain on my left arm, I'm shocked to see a thin trail of blood flow down my elbow. The wound is not deep, but sharp and thin enough to pierce my skin, as though made by the graze of something sharp, like a sword. 

I feel a chill go down my spine. What have I gotten myself into? 

To be continued... 

Linking this post to the A to Z Challenge. 

A - Addiction

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Aravind closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was an office party; a social event that was inevitable. He had shied away from such gatherings since the past couple of years. Gatherings where the booze flowed aplenty, where people would have a slip of tongue after a drink or two. But that was part of the fun. Only that people hid their embarrassment behind well concealed smiles and shrugs the next day. 

He remembered only too clearly how he had been one of them. Though he had always a social drinker, the occasional drink slowly turned into a regular habit. In the beginning, there were always an excuse to have a drink in the evenings, just before dinner. A way to wind down after a stressful day. To celebrate a promotion. To mark the arrival of a new member in the family. 

And before he realized it, he started looking for reasons to drink. The sight of the golden liquid swirling amongst the ice cubes set his spirits roaring. It gave him such a high that when the losses started happening right before his eyes, he turned a blind eye towards it. 

"Papa..." The voice of his daughter broke Aravind from his reverie. 

Seeing the sight of her in the baby pink dress he smiled. The net floating around gave her the appearance of a cherubic angel. She was the reason he had curbed his addiction. Seeing her frightened eyes when he came home drunk one night left something broken inside him. Was it her disappointment? Or the fact that he was missing out on those most precious moments of her life? 

All he knew then was that if he did not make a conscious effort himself, there was no way to break from its clutches. Losing is daughter was not a risk he was prepared to take. No matter what the cost. He wanted to be the best father for his little girl. He still enjoyed the occasional drink or two, in the comfort of his home. But no longer does he allow it to define who he is. He felt the small fingers of his daughter wrap around his. Looking down, he realized that it was her innocent laughter that had always been his high. 

Linking this post to the A to Z Challenge. 

Love over Coffee

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The smell of coffee lingers in the air

Voices in the background reminds her of 

Lives that moving ahead at a fast pace 

Not stopping, always in a rush to get somewhere

Yet, she waits in the cafe

Knowing that she may be greeted with disappointment

But she has faith in herself 

Firmly believing that dreams do come true

Some days she loses all hope

Other days she sips her coffee 

And maybe a blueberry muffin or two

All the while her eyes searching, not knowing 

Uncertainty grips her strong heart

She knows she is in this alone 

Day by day she stares at the blank page in front of her

Waiting for her muse to come by

Then on a Monday morning at her usual cafe

The fog lifted and things finally made sense

Characters were conceived and born

Word by word she wrote till she could no more...

Linking to Poetry Jam. 

Also, linking this post to Write Tribe Pro Blogger Challenge. 

The other side of the fence

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We are worlds apart, I can never be hers. Yet, I wait, patiently for the Saturday evenings to see her. She comes faithfully, with utmost devotion to see me on those days. We stand across the fence, looking into each other's eyes, her big brown ones into my black. When her Dad holds her hand to take her back to the warmth of her home, she looks back wistfully thinking, I wish Midnight was mine.

This post is written for Five sentence fiction for Fenced at Lillie McFerrin Writes.