55 Word Story!

This is where I am going to update all my '#55WordStory' entries. What does that mean? Here once again -

#55WordStory is a concept started by Vivek Tejuja (@vivekisms on Twitter). Anyone can participate by sending in a story of 55 words or less. The theme for each day is tweeted by Vivek every morning. The participants send their stories to Vivek's email id and he goes through each one of them before posting them on http://55words.blogspot.in/ every night. Isn't that amazing?

My Twitter handle is @JaaTeri. I have written on quite a few themes for the #55WordStory. Some were good, some were average and some... okay, let's not talk about it! Here are the stories (latest ones on top):

SLEEP
I’m a night person. Every night I plan to sleep early. I go to bed early, only literally. Then the thoughts keep pouring in. I ponder. I read. There’s a world online. Phone Call. Messages. And then, even as the sun rises every morning, I want to sleep a little more. Story of my life!

MISUNDERSTOOD
"Vineeta ma'am doesn't have the keys," I was panting.
"Idiot, I told you to get it from Vineeta, the secretary, not the teacher," screamed the class teacher, "Why can't you follow simple instructions?"
"I wish you could give simple instructions!" I wanted to say. "Sorry ma'am. I misunderstood," I said looking at untied shoe laces.
 

TOUCH

"Something was different," he thought. "It was not like other times. She held my hand. She hugged me. She touched me! This feels special. Has she fallen for me finally?"

After a while he blurted out, "I must stop thinking too much."

He hurried out of the room as people turned to look at him.

END

"My journey began with holy shrines. I went to every place of worship in the country. In the end, I bathed in the Ganga. Now I am free of all sins. A pure soul," said the preacher. "Clapp!" he clapped, killing a fly that had been bugging him all through his speech. End of sins?

STRANGERS

He despised pavements and zebra crossings. He walked on the road. He didn’t care that a vehicle could knock him down. He didn’t care because he trusted strangers. He knew they are waiting for him. Waiting to hurl abuses with ‘strangerly affection’ and still do everything to avoid hitting him. He was a proud jaywalker.

NOISE

He began his act. No song played. Only faint music could be heard. At a corner stood his guru, thumping foot and clapping to convey the music to the child. Moved, the audience stood and applauded with watery eyes. One man's music can be another's noise. For this deaf kid, it was neither.

REVENGE

Blood dripped from the tip of the knife. He went for another strike, cutting the wound deeper. He seemed so pleased at seeing blood oozing out of the body, he didn’t care if it was dead already. He cut the body into pieces. Today, his revenge was complete. The dog that bit him was dead.

SEX

We were into a discussion on designing a questionnaire.
"In the profiling section, we should replace 'Gender' with 'Sex' and provide options as 'Had' and 'Never Had'", I joked.
"Sorry, I didn't get that. Speak louder," said the smart girl.
"Sex. HAD or NEVER HAD," I repeated.
"Oh. Had. Had," she blurted out.

FAKE

He: “I broke up. It’s all about us from now.”

She: “How did you tell her about us?”

He: “I didn’t. I just said she was all fake.”

She: “Fake? But she is your boss too.”

He: “She was until she switched her job. I can’t use her anymore. No more love for her."

FETISH

Husband: “I just hit the mouse with a shoe. I didn’t mean to kill it.”

Wife: “You know how much I loved it?”

Husband: “I am sorry. Poor soul...”

Wife: “Sole? You have spoiled the shoe.”

Husband: “Oh. Hah! I mean… Let’s go shopping!”

Wife: “Two pairs. I would have 350 pairs then!”

Husband: “Done.”

PRIVACY

Actor: "Look at those homeless people. They live and die on the street. They are like me."

Secretary: "Mam, the interview is..."

Actor: "No privacy. The magazines, the TV, it's all out there. You know what makes us different?"

Secretary: "You are the best in.."

Actor: "They can live without a care for the world."

SIN

Killer: Didnt I tell you last time, I wouldn't murder anymore. I want to live with respect.

Agent: I will pay you double of what you got last time.

Killer: Okay. This would be my last contract.

In the path of sin, change is not easy.

MOUTH

The bear was a prized possession. Her husband had gifted it when he had proposed her.

One day, she found the toy destroyed. She fumed with anger.

But, when she found that her dog had mouthed the soft toy, she smiled and patted the culprit.

The love for dogs scored over all. Even the husband!

:-P

FIRE

Reporter: “Scientists have been hugely successful in artificially creating human life on Mars. According to them, in another 5 years, Mars will become a ‘second Earth’ and the most peaceful planet.”

Scientist: “Yes. We have already fired Emo-Missiles at Mars. Each missile will stimulate emotions and human skills. We have left out greed and jealousy.”

MYSTERY

"Where am I?" I thought. I was scared as hell.

The road was too narrow to drive with plants and bushes around. It felt unusually cold.

Suddenly, a man with a cloth wrapped around his waist appeared from nowhere. "Go back. You can't drive into a cemetery after midnight."

"Cemetery!" Wrong turn. Mystery solved.

MAP

It was a perfect plan. He lived as a banker - a fake identity - for months. Nobody doubted that he master-minded the fraud. A master of disguise, in the past he had been a professor, doctor and IT officer. And now that the ‘banker’ was dead, it was time to map out a new career.

WOO

"I wasn't ready to run away from home."

"Then?"

"In the next two days your dad did everythng to woo me back. He turned up disguised as a milkman, electrician and a professor! I had to agree. We kissed. That night, we eloped. You listening?"

"ZZzzzz"

"Love marriage! Parents didn't understand. Children won't listen. Sigh."

SILENCE

The contestants sang. Every performance ended with applause.

Now it was her turn. The little girl smiled. Music started playing. She didnt sing! She rose her arms in stead. She gestured. Her movements 'sang'.

They paused before applauding.
A pause when they stopped to think, "Her silence can speak louder than our words."

MAGIC

"Abracadabra!" the magician raised his wand again. The egg had transformed into beautiful flowers. The grown-ups seemed disinterested. The kids were excited. They clapped, jeered & laughed. Later, the magician - all of 11, went around asking for 'rewards'. "Hey you! Don't disturb the passengers," the TC shouted. Smiling, the magician left. Another day another train.

EPIPHANY

"Life cannot exist without Foxygen and Swater. Only our planet has these," said the scientist.

"So, where did the UFO come from?" he continued, "we have studied the eight planets. Ours is the coolest, making life possible. There isn't any other planet with a liquid like substance..."

"Earth!" shrieked a researcher in an epiphany.

GAMES

"Tick-tock-1, Tick-tock-2, Tick-tock-3. Here I jump!" a cute kid was playing with her friends.

"Riddhi, it's your turn."

"Hey look I found a teddy here. Yay!" Riddhi shouted from a distance.

"Boom" - the noise was defeaning.

"BOMB BLAST AT CHILDREN'S PARK - 27 DEAD" - read the newspaper.

A week later, "Tick-tock-1, Tick-tock-2.....," innocence was back!

NAME

They ran into each other. Rahul couldn't believe it was his childhood crush. His heart skipped a beat.

"Sujata Agarwal! It's been 10 years & you look as pretty as ever!"

"Honey let's go," someone called out. Smiling, she walked away saying, "It's Mrs Sujata Gupta now....."

Rahul turned and walked away without hearing further.

SPACE

She grew up as an unwanted child in a highly conservative family. She wasn't allowed to stay out till late. No dancing. No movies. Her career wasn't her decision. She wasn't allowed to choose who she would marry. Her life wasn't hers. She sat down to write her story - "IMPOSSIBLE." Yes, the space was missing.

BOLLYWOOD

The weather was pleasant with the sun shining brightly. Everyone seemed happy. Suddenly, a figure emerged on the horizon - a young boy in torn clothes, running as fast as he could, towards the villagers. He was sweating profusely. There was panic all around. The boy kept screaming as he ran, "Daaku aa gaye. Bhaago!"

MAD

"I must tell her today," he followed her across the deserted streets, lanes & bylanes. She kept walking faster. He kept following close behind. He tapped her shoulder saying, "I am MAD about you." She turned around showing her real self - bloody red eyes & long sharp teeth. "MAD? Hahaha. Me too!" the vamp laughed.

LEATHER
It was Sujata's grandmother's first visit to their city. When offered fruits, she said, "No! That plate is fibre." When food was served, "I can't have this. You haven't changed after using the bathroom."When offerred a bottle of water, she said, "No! That's plastic."
"But then, aren't we covered with leather already?", Sujata wondered.

(Ended up writing 2 stories on this theme. The following story was an alternate story on "Leather" that was not sent:

Meher's campaign to stop cruelty against animals by discouraging the use of leather products was successful. Her efforts were appreciated. Media made her a household name. More so, because her father was from the leather industry. Her family had tried discouraging her initially.

"What if I am killed for human skin someday?" she had argued.)

WISH/WISHES
Once I wished for adulthood. Now I wish for childhood. Once I wished for 'no school'. Now I wish for going back to school. Once I wished to die after a heart-break. Now I wish I wasn't silly back then.
And now I wish for followers.
If only wishes could be 'UNWISHED'.

POISON
"Don't go chachu," my niece pleaded innocently. Mom and sister were smiling. My brother teased me. I saw an unending emptiness - a void. My eyes opened as water was sprinkled on my face. Someone said, "The Doctor is here." Subconsciously, I felt tears rolling down my cheeks. I wanted to live. Poison was a mistake.

VINTAGE
He tried push-starting his car. Failed. He hired a cab. "Must get rid of that trash," he thought. Back home, as he sat on a chair, "Thudd" - he fell as it broke. "Old isn't gold anymore!" he sighed as he saw empty bottles lying around. Well, you don't deserve vintage if you don't love it.

DYSFUNCTIONAL/DYSFUNTIONALITY
I was thinking of a TOPIC for the day's diary. I recalled the day's events..
With a hurting back, I strolled my bike & bumped into a traffic guard. I bribed him with Rs.100 to avoid a Rs.500 challan. All this after I had walked for an anti-corruption campaign that morning.
'DYSFUNCTIONAL', I wrote.


LABELS
Friends. Just friends. Good friends. Best friends. These are just labels. just like Everyone else, Kumar too had all kinds of friends. Once he needed them, but some were busy. Some, not all. The one who turned up in time of need was the one - that one friend everyone wants. They need no label.

CHEMISTRY
Trust me, Chemistry must be a female. After school I thought we'd broken-up, but it would'nt let me go. Every time I fell in love, Chemistry would do wonders initially. Just then this J chemistry would disappear. Then? Another break up. It happened with Ruhi, Juhi, Mona & Lisa. So, Chemistry & I? It's complicated!

VACATION/HOLIDAY
As Ruhi's father ran towards me, I could see fire in his eyes. I had married his daughter against his will. I figured out his motive as he threw something at me. I hit it straight for a six. Team Juniors won! Cricket with family is so much fun when you are on a holiday.

DECEPTION
She stood there stark naked. Images from the past ran across my mind - a friend's warning, "something is wrong."; my dog's bark; "I'm not what I seem to be.", she had once winked. This was worse than a nightmare. Few years back, this lady was a man!
Well. "We are never deceived, we deceive ourselves."

ALIEN/ALIENS
As I opened the door, I instantly identified the cable guy. He said, "We created your world. We control you. There is no God. JHINGALALA JHINGALALA." Just then he transformed into a miniature UFO, flew away & disappeared in a moment. "The huge dish on his head was not a DTH antenna?", I wondered. "Aliens!"