My Anchor

I had good days and I had bad days. But towards the end of the day, I always came back to him. He was my anchor. He was there holding my hand when the doctors' reports came back saying I would never be a mother. And he was there with me when I held our son for the first time.

Linking this to Five sentence fiction for Anchor at Lillie McFerrin Writes.

The betrayal

Theirs was a love marriage. He had wooed her with flowers and her favorite Swiss chocolates. The first year of marriage was blissful even. Till his eyes started straying. Till the day he came smelling of another woman. 

She had thought that a child would change the equation. That he would turn over a new leaf once their baby arrived.

Packing her bags three years later, with her child in tow, she wished she knew then what she knew now. 

Linking this to Write tribe's 100 words on a Saturday.

My blog, my salvation

Dearest blog of mine,

Thanks for preserving my sanity in these stressful times. Thanks for listening to my rantings and not complaining. Thanks for being my salvation. You are sometimes, my only hope!
Did I tell you that I missed you? Yes, you have started becoming a part of me and for that I am eternally grateful. 

This post might not make sense to anyone else and it doesn't matter. It does to you and me and that's all that matters. For now. 

I shall always be thankful to you for reminding of the small joys that life bestows upon me. And tonight I shall go to sleep with a lighter heart. 

Forever Yours,
A

An empty cradle

                                                           
                                                    (Image Courtesy: Google)

The pain ripped her apart
Like a thousand knives
Twisting into her womb
Suffocating, blinding pain.

It was true that she did not want 
This child, who was now a part of her
This tiny being who grew inside her
Like a poisonous cancer.

Whose very existence she had cursed.
Till the day she felt a tiny kick.
Deep in her belly.
This child who gave her a reason to live.

Was that her own voice screaming?
Or was it all in her head?
The last thing she remembered seeing
Before falling into a dreamless sleep
Was the empty cradle
That stood in the corner of the room
Mocking her. 

The girl in the red dress

                                                               
                                                (Image courtesy: Google)

I saw her first on my way to work. My car was stuck in the heavy traffic block that was not uncommon in the area where I lived. I was mindlessly drumming my fingers against the dashboard when I saw her standing near the window of the local guest house. Something about her caught my eye. Yes. It was the bright red dress that she was wearing that made me look at her twice. That and the cigarette in her hand. As much as my city claims to be a metropolitan, a girl smoking and that too during the bright morning hours was something that was still looked down upon. 

She stood, leaning over the balcony, smoking. Wearing a bold halter neck dress, she was someone you would look at twice. Perhaps she felt me staring and turned her head in my direction. For a moment, I felt like a kid caught doing mischief. She looked pissed off at my intrusion but smiled at me a while later, all the time continuing to blow smoke rings at me. 

A part of me wished to freeze time, then and there. It was like life around us had paused as we stare at each other. A logical side of me sent warning bells in my head. This girl was not one to be messed around with. This girl in the red dress and with an almost finished cigarette in her left hand. This girl whose eyes spoke a thousand stories. Of waking up terrified at midnight. Of screams that went unheard. Scared. Alone. 

I could picture her in my arms, I could visualize taking her out to dinner. Holding her hand while we sipped wine together. On a full moon night. Walking with her along the beach as the waves formed lacy curls around our ankles. Of taking her back home and making love to her all night. Of waking up next to her and drinking scalding hot coffee and warm buttery toast with her in bed. I want to tell her how much she means to me. And that I want her to be mine. Forever.

My dream was broken as a middle aged balding man came from inside the room came and stood next to her in the balcony. He put his hands around her casually. He had a pot belly and the mere sight of him near her disgusted me. My betrayal must have shown on my face as she snubbed out her cigarette butt with her heels. Gave me an apologetic smile, took the man's hand and took him inside. The traffic started clearing and it was time for me to move on. 

Someone like you

                                                  (Image courtesy: Google)


I have spent my whole life
Searching for someone like you
I have spent every waking moment
Dreaming for someone like you

I wanted someone who would laugh like you
Someone who would hold me like you
Kissed me like there was no tomorrow 
Someone who would grasp my hands like you

On a moonless night as I gaze out
Into a deep dark abyss 
I realize that there can never be
Anyone like you

Book Review- Bookends by Jane Green

As much as I hate the term 'chick-lit', which I personally feel is a very sexist way of labeling a book, Jane Green is an author who weaves beautiful stories often around wonderful women. Bookends is a feel good book that you can relate to very easily. Especially if you are a woman who loves this genre of writing. Bookends is narrated in the first person by Catherine Warner, known as Cath among her friends. The story revolves around her and her bunch of friends. Simon or Si as he is known, is her best friend despite being total opposites. But one thing that's common between them is that they are yet to find Mr. Right. 

The title of the book had me all curious when I started reading it as the book promised to be very interesting. And I was not disappointed to say the least. The story progresses further to show how Cath's love for books soon turns into a career choice when her friend Lucy proposes to open a bookshop cum cafe. Along with Lucy's help in cooking and her passion for books and in the hopes of achieving a life long dream, Cath soon quits her job in the advertising agency to pursue her dream. 

Josh and Lucy are married with a devil spawn child Max and his terrifying Swedish nanny Ingrid, adds to the drama that is maintained throughout the story. And being a lover of drama, I just had to love this one! In a series of flashback, it is revealed that Josh, Si and Cath were all together during college along with their queen bee Portia. Beautiful, smart Portia, who was best friends with Cath and who breaks all of their hearts one collective night. 

And when she reappears into their lives one fine day, she changes the lives of the four friends as their friendship goes for a toss. Also, playing Cath's confidant and budding crush is the gorgeous James, the real estate agent who also happens to be a talented artist, who seems more than happy to turn up on Cath's doorstep unannounced. 

Bookends is a story of friendship, marriages, relationships, trust and growing up. The book also tackles some serious issues such as the awareness of AIDS and the awareness of being a HIV positive in our society. Though the tone is light and her writing captivating as always, the book does address some serious issues that needs to be brought to light. 

There is something about Jane Green's writing that makes you wrapped up in her words and just lose yourself in it. I have loved all the few books of hers that I have read so far and Bookends is more the so appealing if you are a bibliophile! A definite five on five stars for me. Go, give this one a read and I am sure you won't be able to stop till you turn the last page. Happy Reading!