The Treasure Hunt

Amy was happy to see what she finally had in her hands.

It was the map that would help to solve all her problems.

Photo Prompt- Kent Bonham

It was exactly what she had dreamt!

She had simply followed all the instructions.

The Final Sacrifice

Twenty years ago, a letter from a village in Himachal Pradesh arrived at the Ministry of Defence. The writer was a school teacher, and his request was as follows. 

He asked, "If possible, could my wife and I be granted permission to see the place where our only son died a heroic death in the Kargil war, on the day of his first death, his memorial day, on 07/07/2000? It's okay if you can't. If it is against national security, I will withdraw my application".

The Department Officer who read the letter, said, "It does not matter what the cost of their visit is, I will pay it from my salary, if the department is unwilling to and I will bring the teacher and his wife to the place where their only boy died" and he issued an order.

Tourist Information

Richy felt totally lost.

The signboards did not help.

She could not understand the local language.

Richy could not blame anyone.

The decision to visit this foreign city was entirely hers.

She thought she would see and learn new things.

But, this was such a challenging exercise...

Photo Prompt- Lori Wilson

And then she remembered!

The Sign of The Soul

While on a long car journey, little Chiku was impressed with the signboards.

There were quite a number.

Photo Prompt - Dale Rogerson

He was excited to read them aloud.

When their car stopped to make way for a gaggle of geese on the road, he read- 'Art Gallery.'

Photo Prompt - Jennifer Pendergast

The Missing Girl

Taani was missing.

Her family had last seen her in her own room.

They were sure that Taani had not gone out of their home.

-x-

Taani was working very hard on her college-assignment.

She had not slept the night before.

All she wanted was to complete her work and then take a break.

New Wine And Old Bottle

That Wine Cellar was very famous.

Every tourist visited.

The happy place witnessed the first dirty fight.

Photo Prompt- Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

A lady hit her fiancé's head with a wine-bottle. 

While a doctor attended to him, cops interrogated the lady.

"Tell us whatever happened. Why did you smash the bottle on his head?"

Make Hay While The Sun Shines

"It's you, again!" the border security-officer encountered Raunaq.

It was Raunaq's fifth cross-border trip via his truck that month.

 

Photo Prompt- Sandra Crook

"Am sure you are smuggling something inside this stack of hay”.

"Please check, officer. I’ll wait." Raunaq confidently said just like he had said before. 

The border-force checked.

They even used metal-detectors.

Up To Date

He liked her.
He never could muster enough courage to tell her that.
The college picnic was in a hill-station.
The ambience was perfect.
That day he had decided to share his feelings.
But, a youth came in his vehicle and she went away with him.

It was the last time he saw her in his college.
She was gone...

Queen In Quicksand

Gia remembered her childhood visits to the much-awarded Chess Grandmaster's home.

He taught her moves and played with her.

Not just using the Chess-board...

PHOTO PROMPT © Jeff Arnold

When Gia won the under-10 Chess Championship, he had kissed her and forced himself on her saying, "You're my Queen."

Gia felt trapped in quicksand.
She never played Chess ever again in her life.

Interesting Inside

"And this is the impressive Innstone Palace. You can click photographs from outside as cameras are not allowed inside," the tour-guide said.

As the tourist group clicked pictures of the imposing well-maintained architecture nestled in a picturesque European valley, Sasha walked like a girl possessed.

"Won't you take us to the lake with the spherical rock sculptures?" she asked.

PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook

Just A Red Rose

Some said he was enamoured by my beauty.

Some others felt he loved my youth that was blossoming.

Some others warned that he was fascinated by my sensual smell.

He spent a lot of time with me.

I was sure that I had his complete care and attention....

Then, she entered into his life.

I felt she was the thorn in our relationship.

PHOTO PROMPT © Marie Gail Stratford

Fresh Foreigner

"It is just not possible," an elderly man said shaking his head.

"But, this is the reality!", the onlookers stated.

"How did this happen? It has never occurred before!", the senior-most members of the village were puzzled.

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

Model Traffic Jam

She honked though she knew that the chances of her car's movement depended on the movement of the vehicles that seemed to be stationary before her car...

Twenty minutes had passed and her car hadn't moved an inch.

She couldn't afford to be a victim of the terrible traffic jam that day.

She soon realized the reason of the jam- Elina, the hottest model in town, who featured on the newest advertisement on the huge billboard on that road. 

The public was totally enamoured by Elina's advertisement and didn't want to budge!

"Why did they have to put this up at this signal?" she thought.

She was getting late for the annual function at her school.

She came out of her car.

No one gave her a second look.

The public continued to stare at the billboard.

The Alien Guest

She rechecked.

It was really him with another woman.

She was furious.

How could he do this to her?

He had no right to play with her trust.

She followed them secretly across the wilderness oblivious to the happenings in the world...

PHOTO PROMPT© Jan Wayne Fields

A spaceship had landed some hours ago.

The police was in search of a missing alien.

Seeing her with a binocular, they inquired if she had spotted the alien.

She nodded and pointed towards the tent...

The media interviewed her for 'Breaking News'.

No one knew the reality- the alien had randomly selected his form; thus totally resembled him...


Any clue what happens next? Do share in the comments below.

100 Words Story

Linking with Friday Fictioneers 

IndiSpire Edition-184- Do you have that one person who was once your best companion but now a complete stranger? What changed? #Friend2Stranger

ABC Wednesday- G for Guest

Repeat The Stories

“The old typewriter had a mind of its own.”

Photo by Barbara W. Beacham; PhotoPrompt- Mondays Finish The Story

"Oh really?" the little girl opened her eyes and mouth wide as her grandfather told her yet another story, while her granny fed her.

Granny's Story

Both my Granny & Grandma are responsible for shaping the story-teller in me as they told me many real-life stories about people they had personally interacted with.

One story of my Granny was about a woman who loved to eat 'Pakoras' (fried snacks) a lot and every evening, she would buy lots of Pakoras from the neighborhood shop.

Pakoras

Tattoo Love Story

It was the first day of work for him,
As an archaeologist, he found her there.

He was dumbstruck by her beauty.
Her face, complexion, figure, her hair...

How would he focus on the 'site'?
When he was treated to beauty so rare...

There was an unmistakable familiarity,
He wanted to caress her cheeks & her hair...

The wind blew as if taking a cue to play,
The tattoo on her neck peeped with flair!

He had seen that tattoo before! 
If only he could remember where.

He couldn't sleep the whole night,
When he did, he dreamt of a fair...

There was an old Temple by the sea,
The merry fair was taking place there... 

Someone was calling... His room-mate!
"Hey! Get Ready! Not a minute to spare!

Soul Sisters

"Tera Mujhse Hai Pehle Ka Naata Koi, Yuhi Nahi Dil Lubhaata Koi,
Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Maane Tu Ya Maane Na..."
-Lyrics of a Hindi Song from the Film- 'Aa Gale Lag Ja' that mean- 
"You must have a previous bond/relationship with me, One can't touch the heart just like that…
Either you know or you don't know, Either you believe or you don't believe..."

Life presents many pains & blisters…
Not to worry coz I have my Soul Sisters!
When they appear like stars in my sky,
It’s no longer tough to walk, I’m ready to fly!
Their friendship is precious to me.
They fill me with joys and ecstasy...
Can’t pick just one Soul Sister for this piece,
Would so like to share many of their stories…

Twitter Handles of some of my Soul Sisters:

@cityslicker_me – One of my good Twitter friends, previously she had her Twitter name as ‘Bumblebee’. We connect well and chat happily. In the initial stages of our friendship, I logged on to Twitter just to hear from her! As she is friends with all, I thought the best name for her would be ‘Miss Congeniality’. You won’t believe how surprised I was to see her new name set as per my thoughts the very next day! I shared with her that even I was thinking that it would be a befitting name for her! This was another proof for me that our minds are indeed connected! Just yesterday, I learnt her real name…

@lacimou – Fatima & I met on Twitter owing to our love for Hindi films and for ShahRukh Khan! Fatima stays in Belgium, yet loves all things Indian. What was amazing for me is that crossing International Borders is as easy as A-B-C! When we wish one another on special days, we know we share a special bond…

@iShilpa_ - One fine day we became friends & then all seems fine! Shilpa’s warm personality touches me. Must mention the counseling sessions I’ve had with her! She sets interesting Twitter Names- ApniFavorite, Miss ChittarChatter…now PancakeMix! Yummy!

@goolmohar – Rach as she named herself, is a bubbly girl. She recently changed her name to Rachh, said it was trying to get lucky! That’s when I asked her if her name was Rachna! We took part in a Travel contest & then I was confirmed! Rach misses me when I am not on Twitter!

@MiniSunami – I found Sunakshi posting very profound & heavy tweets. That time her handle was @KhaaliBrain. I tweeted to her that she did not deserve that handle! Such insights are of a very wise person! She had asked me to check out her Blog months ago. When I finally did, I found that she had posted a story that eerily completed the story that I had posted! Her Blog had the first half of the story, while mine had the second half. We completed the story together!

Time is short and I cannot possibly name all my Twitter friends with whom I have connected pretty well…It may be noted that I have many Soul Sisters! The following is my dedication to all:

All the Wonderful Girls & Ladies & Women – whom I have encountered in so many places. You have touched me with your smile, your gesture, your sacrifice, your trials…your touch…everything is worthwhile. Thankyou! I am grateful for the experience. That one or more moments that we have connected, you have touched my Soul…You are all my Soul Sisters…

What matters is that I know that I have a bond.
And I love their ways and style- Yes, I'm very fond!
An instant connection, a subject of great fascination.
Baffles my imagination as some belong to different nations!
Faces unseen, yet look familiar, I feel strongly about them...
They sparkle in my thoughts & reality like polished gems...
Remembered all my Soul Sisters; but have not wished them on Friendship Day
Many Happy 'Friendship Day' Wishes & Blessings- for a lifetime everyday!



 

Visit: contest page



I am writing this as part of Soul Sisters Contest - A Friendship Day Contest
Thanks to Women's Web & zivame.com

My Do Right Stories

Many Do Right Stories waiting to be told...

Stories that have their weight in Gold!

Tata Capital & BlogAdda's Do Right initiative

Is sure to make us learn, grow & relive. 

For me this was a childhood self-discovery trip,

Like gathering nectar from the pool to sip! 
Sharing some true stories with Honesty,
Respect, Kindness, Compassion, Integrity...!

When I was a kid, I had been invited to a Birthday Party. When my Mom went to pick me up, my friend’s mother told her, “Your kid is so well-behaved! She did not jump on the bed or on the Sofa like the others! Rather, she asked everyone to stop jumping by saying, “Ganda hojayega, Aunty ko jyada kaam padega” (It’ll get dirty and Aunty has to do extra work) Back at home, my Mom had hugged me & told me how proud she was of me. I had actually thought in the other person's shoes and had deeply felt and shared how tough it would be for her. That's Compassion- when we walk ahead of our selfish interests and think of other's needs or problems. Jumping on the bed would give us a high, but would make Aunty sigh! My Mom always cited this proudly to everyone. Now when I think of this, I give the credit to my parents for my upbringing. 

When I was in school, I was thrilled when my first story was published in Tinkle magazine. I earned a princely sum of Rs 80 for that! It was great to start 'earning' thanks to Uncle Pai, who had started accepting most of my stories, after sending me a series of rejection letters, rather 'motivation' letters with stories about the King and the Spider! 'Never Quit' has always been my mantra. My Papa opened a bank account for me where he deposited  all my earnings that arrived by cheques and Money Orders! Thereafter, I won Rs 500 when my film-review of the film 'Mohra' was published in Filmfare magazine. Everyone demanded a treat from me as I was a rich lady! Then, on a serious note, they asked me how I was going to spend all the money I had earned. I informed that I planned to donate it to the organization, CRY- Child Relief and You. Listening to this, my Mom had tears in her eyes... When I asked her, she said that Kindness always has such a touching effect. That was yet another reason for her to feel proud of me! To fulfill my wish, my Papa dispatched a cheque to CRY by contributing an extra amount on his behalf so as to make the total amount substantive; also he loves round figures! 

One afternoon, when I was in Std-IV, my Uncle (Mamaji-my Mom's younger brother)  visited our home. We had just had our lunch a short while ago and my Mom had gone for her afternoon siesta. Neither I nor my Uncle wished to disturb her sleep. It was lunch-time and I sensed that my Uncle must be hungry. Then, I actually went to the kitchen and did something that I had never done before...I served food! As I had never done it previously in my life, it was an adventure for me! My Mom had prepared extra quantity that I neatly served on a plate for him. Boy! Was he impressed! He had finished eating, when Mom entered the scene and learnt about the 'great task' I had accomplished! I had demonstrated my Respect for both of them. Even today my Uncle proudly cites this incident as an example to all!

My Honesty has earned me many titles & certificates from friends in School! They used to call me ‘Raja Harischandra’ & ‘Yudhisthir’ ! On the last day of School, our English Ma'am, one of our strictest teachers, asked a question to the Class- “What change would you like to see in me?” We all knew what change we wanted in her, but no one really dared to express. Just when I was planning to actually share my views as she was so keen to know, she actually called out my name to do so- “Anita, You tell me!” I said, “Ma’am, we would like you to smile a lot more everyday!” The whole class cheered and we got to see Ma’am’s smile for the first time ever! Just imagine Ma’am picking only me out of the whole class…She was a great teacher to have identified her students' character traits! I reflect on this incident with great pride that my reputation has always reeked of honesty! I have always earned everyone's trust for the right judgement and honest opinions.That is a precious treasure...

When I was in Std-V, I was selected for an inter-school sports event. I was to represent my school in the 100 metres and 200 metres running race. There were 3 groups as per the Class we studied in- GroupA- Classes 1-IV, GroupB- Classes V-VIII & GroupC- Classes IX-X. I was eligible for GroupB. However, seeing the tough competition with the higher Class girls of other participating schools in the same group as me, one of my teachers suggested that I fake my Class and write Class-IV instead of Class-V...and compete in GroupA. That would give me a better chance to win the races. I felt very uneasy with the idea and did not oblige at that stage. I had my Integrity at stake even at that age! I filled up my correct details and did the right thing. I ran the races in my right category. No, I did not win... Our School had missed certificates. The same teacher asked me why I hadn't listened to her....Isn't everything fair in love and war? As I always was tall and ran very fast, I could have easily won in GroupA. But, there are some races that we feel we have won even after losing them! I still give myself a pat for this! For me, I am always the winner of every race as even my name Anita means 'grace'!

"Be Proud of who you are,
Respect who you have been &
Be grateful for who you are yet to become.
This journey is yours to learn from & grow through."
- @EvergreenQuotes on Twitter

"My mission in life is not to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, compassion, humour, and some style."
-M.Angelou

I am sharing my Do RIght Stories at BlogAdda.com in association with Tata Capital.

 

Your views are most welcome!