Best Wishes

Cheer up, you dear

A dawn is so near

No more sweat

And no more fret

A King’s call, it’s

To wake you up from

A deep slumber

Here’s a message that

The shadows will fade

To bow to my face

No fear, you dear

It’s not a prison

Come hither, Free you be

To breathe a jealous air

It’s not time

For a woeful ballad

It’s too short

To explore into each heart

Forget the past, when

Today calls

You sing a song

That history talks

Of a soft, weak king

Yet so handsome, he’s

‘Taken pains to woo

A smart baby….

So goes the story.

Leviathan in the Pacific

… Hello, can you hear me?... yeah, the evacuation is on at Shimoda. Any news from the other side? …. The giant waves are hitting the white beach…. Everything is under control. (The communication of the police over wireless is on)

(at hotel Kona Besso)

… It is NHK World. It’s news hour. The Pacific Tsunamic warning centre has issued warnings for people in Tokyo. The coastal communities have been cautioned against going into the sea for the next 48 hours (it continues….)

Rostislav (Duke): Why are you in a hurry?

Chiyo: Haven’t you heard the news?

Sakura: Shoo… (whispers) Don’t talk louder in front of the duke

Reika: What will happen?

Sakura: Anything (in a hushed tone) might happen

Rostislav: Tsubaki, Tsu… come here

Chiyo: Shall I move, sir?

Rostislav: You shut up. Oh, Tsubaki… Don’t you hear me, love?

Chiyo: (confused) Let me go now. I’ll send Tsu here.

Sakura: Chiyo doesn’t know how to be polite with the duke.

Reika: I’m curious

Sakura: Time ‘ll teach you the rest.

…. It is NHK World. The reason for Tsunami is being found out. Fire-breathing sea monster is seen in the Pacific Ocean. His eyes send a radiating flash, which men can’t stand for a second. Nobody dares to see him close by. The smoke billows from his nose and the flames from his mouth…. No words could express how destructive he is!

… Timur, Semyon, Artyom, the three men of valour are on their way to meet Leviathan

(continues)

Chiyo: See, what will they do?

Rostislav: Yakov… (start yelling) hey, where are you?

Chiyo: Will he be ready?

Rostislav: (irritated) won’t you stop now?

Chiyo: Let me go now

Rostislav: No (shout at a high pitch).. please be here (voice lower down to husky tone)

…. Anxiety-filled air welcomes you all. Timur tries to pull the Leviathan with a fishhook. It’s ridiculous to see how Artyom tries to tie down the tongue with a rope. Semyon has a sword in hand (it goes on)

Who is going to kill the Leviathan? An unanswered question wakes me up.

The Pie in the Sky

A gentle breeze caresses my skin,

A kiss on lashes closes the horizon

'Enjoy the eternal bliss' says torpor

A delight, it’s to traverse the hills

A whiff of Eucalyptus permeates thro’ air

‘So sweet’ I inhale the buds & herbs

A swish of grass plays a magic on stage

‘Soulful tune’ leaves ye long in trance

The birds in disarray 'r a sight to behold

Where is the creator?

A pang, I feel so deep in heart,

Nature awaits to catch ye all

Hark, a burning ball in the sky

So high, he marches on a chariot

Is it a plea to kiss and embrace?

Behind my Silhouette

Om Sivoham, Sri Viswanatham Bajeham:

So high I levitate to glimpse at Shaiva saints,

A spiritual climate opens up a new turf,

Forget ‘self in the divine aura;

So queer it’s to stoke the butterflies in tummy,

‘Wiggly eyes’ take refuge at a gloomy mutt,

A gathered guts makes way into the dome.

A plateful of sweets and fruits send a closer look;

So mysterious they seem I think,

Closing the doors to make a retreat.

On the Ganges, I sit, haystack on my lap,

Alas! No grit to have a firm hold on;

A hue and cry, I hear, from the water,

On toes, I’m to escape the nasty gaze.

So magnetic it’s to draw to a boy,

‘Will ye help find my way back’, I ask

A smile and a kiss assure in turn,

‘Go fast’, a voice cautions time again;

Uf! A man trips on puddles so hard,

A happy, congested, large-hearted hamlets,

So friendly they ‘r to meet and greet;

‘Eat dis’, says a granny in head towel wrap,

Wonderstruck I’m at the magnanimity;

So confused to trust the empty words.

‘Om Kali’ chanting mesmerizes to hold attention,

A woman in trance dances to the drums’ beat

So pious, ye ‘r to see them in droves

‘stop them throwing eggs on’ as offering

A voice, I hear, from the back

Me! …. Who ‘m I to question a belief?

Oh, God, How powerless I’m left!

Whimpering Willows

Faces light up to hear a cry of a new born;

A welcome cheer dissipates with the news of a baby gal,

A second labour pain for the mother starts.

The gleaming babe unawares the thorn eddying in air;

‘ye are a gal’, voices caution at each step,

Escorts her till their last breath.

No thrill in life she cries her heart out;

Nor the walls echo her sobbing tales,

The inner embers struggle to find an identity.

A relief sought to breathe a fresh air in job;

A hard reality strikes with the ogling male,

Trying to paw at; sms-ing double entenders.

Emancipation of women, a placard laughs at a rally;

Waiting in wings under the shade of a nubile nude poster,

‘Getting hitched’, would be ideal, the mom says.

A forced dreams push down to the Prince charm;

It’s too late to settle; her anxiety grows,

Will the rose never wither in a gale?

The closed windows open with a thud;

Bumpy ride is ahead, be prepared, they say,

In a kitschy world, her Kismet is

To fight against odds in every stage.

Crazy wimps gawk at the svelte figure;

‘World is your oyster’, quips to brainwash,

Encomiums heaped upon her acts,

Paeons paid to worm his way into heart.

‘Smile and smile and be a villain’,

Shakespeare’s words entrench so deep in heart;

‘Am I a fool’, a simmering rage takes no exit point,

‘Docile’ no more, a voice whispers within.

Ye ‘r not a jewel for sale, cautions louder;

Each has a role to play on the stage,

Ye fall no prey to the vile eyes, waiting to mint.

No more ‘weaker sex’ ye ‘r hereafter,

More Power to your shoulders to march ahead,

To stamp out vice-like grip of Mammonism,

‘Arise, Awake and Stop not’, till ye ‘be free.

A wake-up call takes me back to the ugly reality.

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

… This is NTV news broadcasting from Moscowe. Our anxiety soars high, as we are very close to the 20^th Presidential Election. There is a debate between Norman, the Secular Party nominee and Cara, New Justice Party nominee. Soon you’ll have a live telecast from ‘town hall’ at Ostozhenka Street.

On a decorated stage, Norman sits on the left and Cara is on the right. The young Norman is admired for his Charismatic and Charming personality. The flaw is his arrogance. Cara is praised for her dignity, diplomacy and work-o-holic traits. Many feel that she lacks a sense of humour.

At the lectern

Norman: Ladies and Gentlemen! This is the moment, you have all been waiting for. A Renaissance, of course. Our government will give you a clean environment. A stability in job is assured of. Old Age Security Pension has got a place in our election manifesto.

NBC Reporter: What type of approach do you have?

Norman: Carrot and Stick approach.

ABC Reporter: Can you suggest the methods to carry out our aim?

Norman: Of course, yes. Adopt all types of manipulations (pulling the leg, back stabbing)

CNN reporter: Lately, you have erected a Buddha statue in the garden of your palatial house at Severn Road….

Norman: Don’t dig into somebody’s privacy.

NBC reporter: Your opinion on the New Justice Party nominee..

Norman: They have more rhetoric than substance.

(At the lectern)

Cara: Good morning Moscowe. The moment has come to wave a ‘bye’ to the past and say ‘hello’ to a new chapter. I promise that I’ll create one million jobs in my period. Justice is my objective. It echoes, wherever you go. I work for revamping educational system.

Job opportunities will be  given only on merit basis. I act against terrorism and I need your support in bringing peace and harmony in the state.

CNN : How will you handle a situation?

Cara: A kid-glove approach.

ABC: What is your vision as a politician?

Cara: Utopia

NBC: Can you define the term?

Cara: Unity under an umbrella identity

ABC: on Norman

Cara: Pusillanimous

CNN to Norman: What is your ideology?

Norman: Mammonism

ABC to Cara: Where will you go strong?

Cara: In creating a corruption-free state, child benefits and of course no bed room tax.

NBC to Norman: Elite, working and middle class – who is your primary concern?

Norman: Of course, elite.

…. The most awaited Presidential election result will be announced shortly. NTV takes immense pride in being the first to give a live courage on the swearing-in ceremony. It is an anxious moment to know, who is going to hold public office.

… 3, 2, 1, …. Yea, it is Cara who has won the election. She has catapulted into glory with a sweeping majority. There are photo-ops ahead of. All the channels vie with each other as Cara is going to make her first victory speech. A huge gathering waits to hear from Cara.

(At the Kensington Palace)

Cara: Good Evening, Moscowe, I stand before you to thank those, who have rendered their support. Thank you, Mr. Norman and others who stood opposite me. It is indeed a great responsibility on our shoulders to lead our Nation to a prosperous condition.

It is a dream-come-true moment. Of course a collective dream. It is not an individual’s victory. It’s ours. We stand together in our nation building. We will neither feel proud of our success nor get discouraged from our failure. Both winning and losing are the two sides of the same coin.

(Cheers, applause)

It is our duty to teach everybody not to get deceived in our mundane life. My thanks are due to those, who live a life of a hermit. Without them, how do we know, whether we are right or wrong.

(Cheers)

We all know that the life on earth is not going to be a roller-coaster ride. Yet there is a hope in each one of us…, in our blood, in our bones and in our kids. It is in our destiny that we will win in future and it is a full-fledged one. Let us pledge together as to find ‘Justice Everywhere’.

( I wave my hand to the gathering)

“Land of Hope and Glory,

Mother of the Free

How shall we extol thee,
who are born of thee?”

I hear the song in praise of our Nation and it wakes me up. Is it a dream? … A disappointment envelopes me.

Monday Matinees

…. Porters load the baggages on a trolley and push it to the ground floor at the terminal, where water taxis wait to transfer you across the lagoon to the Hotel Bala del Mar. It is on the front of the beach Lido di Venezia. There are bars, shops, restaurants and of course a nice swimming pool in the garden. You can catch a glimpse of the sea, from the balcony. The Hollywood movies are often being shot here for its scenic background. The elders and kids immerse so keen on watching the film shooting.

-         Benedict (Assistant Director): ‘Picture is up!’ ‘quiet, everyone!’

I wear a dab of make-up and am ready for a shoot.

- Benedict calls ‘roll sound’ ‘sound speed’

The clapper board calls ‘Marker!’ and slaps it shut in front of me.

-         Benedict: ‘action background!’

-         Quinton (Director): ‘action!’

-         Benedict: ‘action!’

-         Cara (heroine): Why are you dragging me?

-      Kerri (a stranger): Please, come with me; Let me show you what happens over there.

I am being led to a huge apartment. In the 1st floor, there are thirty families living. As we go there, many men and women gather round in a circle and ask for story books one after the other. To my astonishment, I see many books on my hand. As we come out, the talk starts;

- Kerri: You have seen my husband Nikolay. He is good, but these people are cunningly playing against him. Don’t trust them.

- Cara: Which has brought you here? I don’t make a head or tail of it.

- Kerri: Nobody will be as innocent as you on earth. My hubby doesn’t have any health problem. We have two kids. Please help me.

- Cara: Please, Leave me alone. Let me find some peace.

(At the temple)

-         Vaccilici (stranger): Hi Cara, How are you?

-         Cara: May I know you? I’m sorry.

-      Vaccilici: I’m the wife of Norman. I’m from a poor family. When she is about to talk something… she faints.

-         Cara: Oh, God, what has happened to her? Does she suffer from epilepsy?

The struggle takes just a few seconds and now she recovers slowly.

-         Cara: How do you feel now?

-         Vaccilici: Quite well now. You know, I don’t have kids. If I were not from a poor family….

I could guess from ‘the pause’ that she is not happy with her family life.

-         Cara: I’m sorry (an interruption prevents me from talking)

-         Quinton (Director): ‘Cut!’, ‘Stop action!’

(At the house)

-         Nikolay: Let me invest a hefty sum for what you are doing now.

-         Cara: I don’t expect anything from anybody.

-         Nikolay: Don’t hesitate to accept my offer. Feel free to be here.

-         Cara: (I see Kerri at the back of Nikolay. There is a dark circle around her eyes. Her hair is let loose on her back)

I grow suspicious. Why does he make an offer? He has got a family to support.

- Nikolay: See my son Charles and daughter Sarah, he introduces them to me.

- Cara: (My heart really goes to the smart boy) I try to cradle him in arms, and say; He is so cute, sir.

- Kerry: My kids are so close to you. I’m lucky that I’ve got you. Will you please rear them up?

- Cara: What? I don’t understand!

- Kerri: Please, do. Keep them, as your friend’s kids. Will you?

(she whispers) I’m confused at her words. I come out of their house, but while parting;

-         Nikolay: If my wife were not succumbed to cancer… (tears well up his eyes)

-         Kerry: I’m dumbstruck.

…. There are 8 switchbacks on a 40 degree slope. Lombard street is one way. Approach from Hyde street. The flowers add fragrance to the spring season. It is quite thrilling to watch people drive down the crooked, one-block section. They all squeal in delight, while driving down. There is a car chasing scene to be shot at a few blocks uphill from Ghirardelli Square.

Benedict (Asst. Director): ‘action!’

Cara: (inside a car on the driving seat) How long have I been waiting for this moment? (I say it to myself)

Jason: (drives a car) Let me avail of this opportunity. Ha, ha, ha… (holding his hanky over his mouth to muffle his voice)

Cara: I’m going to push him down the slope.

Jason: Revenge is my destination.

Benedict and Quinton are so confused at the way, we drive on the hill. Oh God, Look at it… an accident! Steep indeed. ‘In the game of Love’ is shot, yet the real police inquiry starts.

I wake up with a great relief.