The dark night - 55 Fiction

“It’s the last night”, Gopal swore as he slept restlessly.

His children and wife were tugging on the torn blanket in the cold pavement.

10 D-Uh Moments due to the Tech revolution!

Many people are quite often confounded by the burgeoning reach of technology in their lives. Unseen and unheard in many cases, technology has entered into many of our day to day lives and irrevocably entwined itself into our routines. Even confirmed Luddites have had to embrace email and mobile phones, whether or not they welcomed it with arms wide open!

Lost!!

“Where is my mummy?” wailed Ashraf.

Janet’s thoughts drifted to her toddler she just dropped off to head to work.

Boys will be Boys she thought. Maybe his mum wandered off - Alzheimer’s?

“ Sir, this is the lost luggage area not the missing persons”

“I am an Egyptologist! Your Airlines lost my luggage again!”

The Colony

The colony was abuzz with activity.
Yet another violent death! Was the “Big Foot” story true? Were giants trying to attack?
Meanwhile, Bobby’s mom rattled - " Stop Spilling breakfast! Look at the ants!" - "Ouch! Stop it Bobby – Don’t step on them!"
The ant colony dispersed wondering how "Big Foot" knew what was afoot!

10 Signs of a Radically Diminishing Attention Span

I am quite convinced that the world over, people are facing an increasing reduction in their attention span! Oxymorons aside, I decided to ponder for a few minutes on 10 signs around me that are evidence of this theory..

1. The "T20" version of Cricket has soared in popularity leaving behind the much longer "One day match" version!

2. SMS and Twitter have successfully replaced any other lengthy means of communication - Email seems so 1994!

3. The creeping in of short language (textese) and acronyms even in formal communication - who doesn't use ASAP or LOL!

4. Haiku has replaced Sonnets & Odes!

5. Comparison shopping is increasingly done online rather than offline at the malls

6. Few people cook full fledged meals at home and spend more money and time at Fast food joints

7. Supermarkets are stocked up with a flurry of Instant meal products for the "Heat & Eat" tribe

8. People reading the news scroll at the bottom of the news channel rather than listening to the news

9. Multi-tasking left right and center - apparently paying attention to all and in reality to None

10. Using Google for answers rather than racking one's brains over stuff that one knows.

I am sure that there are quite a few more examples - Care to think of any? Hello, Hellooooooooo ... have you moved over to another post already!

The Psycho

When she sauntered into the class 10 minutes late (she was always 10 minutes late - absolutely punctually;), she didn't notice that he was already sitting inside the room.

The rest of the class was yet to arrive and it was sort of a twilight zone - still some dregs of sunlight streaming in the room and posing the "Should we switch on the lights or not?" question...

She slowly walked up to him - a bit tentatively since he was slumped in the chair - obviously distressed. It had now been two months since she took the evening classes on psychology and each day had been a new experience. People were coming in and telling all kinds of stories of their past - all very different and even surreal. Having heard so many narratives, Ramya had learnt to accept the strange and sub-normal. Like an oft used perfume whose smell is hardly picked up by the wearer, strange stories had become quite the norm!!

Ramya treaded quietly and shook him slightly - just to get his attention, for he still seemed pre-occupied by his aloneness... He slowly looked up and it seemed that he had been crying.

"Would... Would you like some water?", Ramya asked

"You are late", he announced to no one in particular, seeming unable to digest the sudden doubling of the population in the room

Ramya said, "I came as soon as I finished work. Can we begin our session today?".

He seemed reluctant a bit. "No one else has arrived yet. Should we start or wait?"

Ramya was dying to broach the topic and hurriedly said, "Never mind. Let us begin. What has been bothering you?"

"Well, Life does seem to have reached an all time low. My routine bores me to the core... I dont think that I make enough money for a man of my qualifications. There does not seem to be any reward or appreciation for my hard work and the many hours I spend with the people I work with. I am totally depressed and I have reached a dead end in my career.."

Ramya braced herself and said, "Cmon, You really have to pull yourself together. It is not all that bad and you only need to see your job in a new perspective." Looking at her watch, she then continued, "and I suggest that you do it soon, because, the rest of the students will be here soon, Professor!!"