A Good Life

    I woke up one day and found myself in a room. A strange room it was. Just plain white walls devoid of doors and windows. I wondered how I got inside in the first place. The room was well lit up with brilliant white lights. There was a big clock on one wall, its tick-tock was amplified by the silence of the room. In one corner was a leaking pot. Drop by drop the water from it was dripping away. Strangely, the falling drops of water did not make a sound. It was as if the drops got lost in an abyss. In another corner was a little potted plant and a chair completed the decor of the room.   I sat in the chair wondering what was happening. I tried to remain calm in spite of the eerie setting I found myself in. A little observation made me realise that the dripping water was in perfect sync with the clock. One drop per second was being lost.  ‘What a waste,’ I thought. ‘And I don’t even know how much water is there in the pot.’ Along with this another thought flash...

    “Hey, come in guys. I’ve been waiting for you,” said Sameer as he welcomed a few old friends from school. The guys went inside and made themselves comfortable on the couch. “So how have you been, Sameer?” asked Jay. “I’ve been great since I moved to America! This house, this job, this life is beyond my wildest imagination. “That’s so good to hear,” said Jai. “Where are your wife and daughter?” Sameer hesitated for a moment and then replied, “they had to go to India for some urgent work.” Jay was a keen observer and realised something was amiss. But for the moment he did not probe further.   “Come I’ll show you my house guys,” said Sameer. The guys were in awe of the lavish house Sameer owned. It was a five-bedroom villa equipped with all the latest facilities. An in-house gymnasium, a temperature-controlled swimming pool and a movie room.  “This is amazing, Sameer,” said Jay. Sameer’s heart swelled with pride. They spent a relaxed evening talking and drinking. It...

  Armaan was excited for the start of a new phase of life. A new city and a new job beckoned. He boarded the train and took his seat by the window. He slid his bag under the seat and sat clumsily. The train pulled out and slowly gathered speed. Armaan was facing the direction in which the train was moving. The seat on the opposite side was empty, so he put his legs up and sat comfortably. The rattling of the train was like a lullaby. He did not realise when he nodded off.   The train pulled into the next station, which was in a small town where the train halted for just 5 minutes. Armaan was still asleep when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see a young woman. “Excuse me sir,” she said. “Can you put your feet down, that’s my seat.” Armaan quickly put his feet down and sat up straight. The woman tried to put her bag on the upper berth but it was too heavy. Armaan showed his chivalrous side and kept the bag up for her. “Thank you,” she said and took her seat....

  I was waiting for my train to Delhi. In the dark I saw a light approaching, the toot from the engine drowned the ruckus of the station. I picked up my bag and waited for the train to come to a halt. I boarded the train and took my seat. Three other men took the seats adjacent to mine. After a brief five minutes halt, with a clang the train started rolling again. Two more men joined us at the next station and our section of the compartment was full.   As the train picked up speed, the distinct rhythmic sound of the train was all that could be heard. This was going to be a long journey and difficult without having anyone to talk to. Most of us were glued to our phones, occasionally peeping into the phone of the person sitting next to us. An hour into the journey and one particular gentleman, who introduced himself as Arun, couldn’t sit quiet anymore.   He was a jovial middle-aged man, stout and bald. He introduced himself and asked the rest of us to introduce ours...

  It was another mundane morning. Andrew got ready for work and sat at the desk in his bedroom. He made a list of tasks to be completed that day. He reviewed the list and threw his pen down in frustration and put his head down on the desk. “Another day where I find no time for myself,” he thought, his head still down. “What is the matter my friend?” asked a baritone voice. Andrew was shocked because he was alone in the room. He looked around, but couldn’t see anyone. “Don’t look here and there,” said the voice. “Look inside, you’ll find me there. Let me make it easier for you, look into the mirror.”   Andrew looked up to find himself looking different, to say the least. His hair was a mess and he had a stern look on his face. He quickly combed his hair and smiled, only to find his hair messy again. “What’s the matter? Are you afraid of me?” asked the voice again. “Who are you?” asked Andrew. “Don’t you recognise yourself Andrew?” “Myself?” enquired Andrew. ...

    Rohan was standing on the balcony, visibly upset. His grandfather noticed this and decided to have a word with him. “Hey Rohan.” “Hi grandpa.” “You don’t look too good, what happened?” “I’m sad grandpa. Dad was supposed to buy me a new game if I scored well in my exams. Unfortunately, I did not manage to do well,” replied Rohan, his head hanging low. “What exactly are you disappointed about? Not getting the game or not scoring well?” enquired his grandfather. “Well,” Rohan hesitated. “Both I guess.”   “Let’s sit down, I’m old, I can’t stand for so long,” said his grandfather. Rohan quickly pulled two chairs into the balcony. They took their seats and were ready to continue. “Out of the two things you are sad about, one was in your hands, the other was not. Well, it was, but not directly. So, what do you think happened? Did you work hard for your exams?” “Yes,” said Rohan. “But I could have worked harder.” “I’m glad you realise that.” “What’s the point now grandpa, it’...

  I was sitting comfortably in my armchair one night, with only my coffee mug for company. A myriad of thoughts ran through my head. In my head, the silence was almost deafening because though my surroundings were silent, my mind was not.   I decided to play some music to kill the silence of the night. As I was about to switch on the speaker, I thought I heard something. “Why are you so afraid of me?” came a voice. “Who is it?” I looked around but couldn’t see anyone. “That’s funny, you were just about to kill me,” she said. “Kill you? Neither do I know you, nor can I see you, how can I kill you?” I panicked a little. “Don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you. If you sit with me, if you keep me for company, I can introduce you to your true self,” she said. “How? Who are you?” “I am silence! But you don’t know me because you never spend time with me.” “Silence? Why don’t you show yourself?” “I am always there; you just need to cut out the chaos from your life. I am h...