The underground library (TheTelegraphicTales)

This story goes back to the year 2010, in the month of february when I was in eleventh standard. Every weekend I used to go to south extension, Delhi, Aakash institute for medical coaching. You must have heard about its extensive market. One fine day an underground library caught my eyes and after my classes were over I went there. Aaahhh the inside was so mesmerizing that I felt high as if someone pushed my type of drug directly into my veins. Being a teenager I went upto the romance section to check out the old classics but a boxed set of Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” made me stop. It was so beautiful that I felt the need to buy it immediately yet somehow I controlled my thirst for another day and planned how to trick my mother to come along with me the next day. My plans worked sequentially to bring mum for dropping me at the centre saying that the class started early, which on reaching she saw there’s still time so we decided to go strolling around the place and happened to find an underground library. So finally I played my trump card that my birthday was in another 6 days and how about she buy me a gift here only. As pleasing as I sounded she agreed too since it was a reasonable point. After a few minutes, I held the boxed set in my arms happily like a new born baby with tears of joy in my eyes and greed of when I would start reading it.
Suddenly I fell down to the earth after being on cloud nine for a while. You know you cant trick mothers they have an inbuilt basic instinct of catching every possible mischief that you intend to do. She took the box and gave me the first book saying I can have one for now but the remaining I shall get on my birthday. Still being satisfied I agreed as just one book was so thick it would anyhow take me 4-5 days to finish reading.
Soon I was captured in the maze of words created by the author and like its vampire character craved to read more and more and more. Sleepless & hungry like a beast I was coming towards the end of the book after approximate 20hrs of buying so I eagerly started searching for the other books wondering where can mother hide them. The search mission was a bliss when I found the beautiful box lying at the bottom-most shelf of an almirah in the store room where apparently she thought it was wise to hide. Well I too being her daughter had my share of victory but to also respect her decision, somewhat indirectly as my childish brain could think, I kept back the first novel and took the second one of the series for I knew she would only count the number of novels in the box rather than reading the names. Genius! wasn’t I ? hahaha..yes ofcourse..and so it happened that in a span of 5 days I had finished all the four novels of the series when finally on the 6th day, which was my birthday she gifted me the remaining ones.
I told her the truth about this just few weeks back when I was home, cleaning my inhouse-library, when I remembered those times I used to secretly read books especially at night in the torch light, expecting some scoldings to my surprise all she did was laugh and there came out those three little words "I always knew!". I sheepishly smiled watching her face which was filled with so much love.
Mothers are so unpredictable. This story is like one those beautiful memories we shared and the ones yet to come.
Sayonara friends.
©Auldrin❤

As strangers we met, as strangers we left!

I woke up early that day though I actually never slept through the night. But it was going to be a hectic one, I had a train to catch in the noon and it was raining outside, heavily, umbrella was of no use so I was wondering to self, I would be spared if only the cab could pick me up from my hostel room not even the gate!

After going through the jamming streets of Kolkata (the city I love actually) I reached the station, with drenched clothes, exhaustively heavy luggage and then finally to my train. There, my angry face came out, furious at my brother for the seats he had booked, in 3AC coach that too side upper! The seat I hated the most (then), actually I already knew, but we are humans bound to overreact at times. I brought my laptop fully charged, carried an extra cell phone in case my lumia battery dies, lets just say I was fully prepared, yet I was sure it was some kind of revenge from him, on top of it came my co-passenger allotted the lower birth. A young man(Mr. X for later references), in his early 30's with a ring in his hand so definitely married, I sighed because I was wondering to lure him into exchanging the seats. I prefer lower seats, it's not that I can't climb up but I stumble so don't feel like becoming a clown for people to laugh at. (Hide that grin I know you want to laugh too).

I am a talker though not with strangers but Mr. X suddenly started talking and to my surprise that conversation we had led to some deep meaningful talks. Our neighbours joined us as well. A politician travelling along giving his high value lectures was interrupted too by Mr. X with a question..Do you like black colour? Everyone replied with a YES! I myself added black is a dominating colour. To which his next question came..Do you like black complexion? Well..to be honest even I took a pause before answering, leave the rest. I was not about the colour but simply how do people really think.
Next he picked up a topic about NaMo (Ab ki baar, Modi sarkaar) how he his doing brilliant work and would flourish one day. Just as I was about to put on my earphones to leave the discussion he stopped me, I told him I am not a politics fan. To which he scolded me, YES, literally scolded, he said most of the people are living the definition of 'I Me Myself' no one wants to talk about 'Our We Us', if the youth won't take interest in such matters how does one expect India to become a developed nation, after all it's for the betterment of "Our" country. He mentioned a statement Modi Ji quoted..If you ask someone about that story of a glass half-full/half-empty, you can differentiate between an optimist & a pessimist, but he added a point to it, that the glass is completely full..half with water and half with moisture or air. We all need to have such positive approach in our lives, good hopes and faith!

We had a lot of talks that day if I start thinking deep I won't stop typing. Personally, I myself realised something that day..its easy to blame others but one doesn’t think to improve self or take up a stand for something he needs a change for, and if you think hard 'It's True'...
Slowly the train came to a halt, that was it, We both met as strangers, no details exchanged but only words. Words which meant a lot and on completing our 21hr journey (including approx 16hrs of conversations) We again left as strangers...