The Sand Castle

The coastal breeze was welcoming as the afternoon was turning into a pleasant evening. A boy and a girl were walking along with plenty of time to play on this beautiful beach.

The girl saw a beautiful clear spot on the beach. She told her friend, ‘listen I have a bucket and a spatula, why don’t we build a castle here. You see the sand is perfectly moist here and away from the shore. Its just perfect!’

The boy liked the idea immediately. He always liked creating something new. He took the bucket and spatula from his friend and started craving a castle.

He would look up now and then to see the girl's face lighting up as the castle started shaping up. He was very pleased himself too. He did not know he could do this. He did not know that he had it in him to build a sand castle. He was surprised to know that in front of his eyes there was a new creation unfolding.

But then, the girl said ‘No! that’s not how I want it’. He waited for her to continue with the sand filled in the spatula. She explained ‘you see if you make that tower higher the front of the castle will look small’

She is right he thought. She probably can see it better. So he undid his tower and started working on the castle just the way she wanted it. It was almost done. He could almost see it in all its glory. The last dome and he would be proud owner of his own sand castle. His work was coming alive.  Then she said again ‘no no no.. that’s all wrong. That’s not how I want my castle’

He stood up with sand slipping out of his hands. ‘your castle?’

‘How is it your castle? I have made it with my two hands. Atleast say its our castle’. As soon as he said that he knew he did not feel that it belonged to both of them. He felt it was all his. His work… his creation.

She looked at him and the castle. ‘but that’s not how I want the castle to look like. With that dome it will be…like…’

He wasn’t even listening to her now. He was just staring at the castle...his hard work and he realised that he may have started it with her idea but it certainly wasn’t for her. He just wanted to create something new. May be he wanted to prove something but he wanted to prove it to himself. 

'This isn’t your castle'. He said; more to tell himself, than to her.

She was a little taken back and unpleased  now. ‘wasn’t this my idea? My bucket and my pstula?’ 'I was the one to have thought of it... then whats the problem if you make the stupid dome the way I want. I don’t understand why it's such a big deal for you’

Yes the idea was hers. She was right. She had thought of a beautiful castle at this perfect spot. She even had the bucket and spatula to built this castle. He could just demolish the whole damn thing and return it back the way it was...a beautiful piece of land. In fact better… he would fill her bucket with sand and return. But he could not bring himself to destry something he had created with so much passion. So, he returned her bucket and said ‘here you go! You are right… you can have it just the way you want it. But I gotta go..’ with that he gave her a sad smile, looked at his castle one last time and walked off.

She looked at him walking away and exclaimed ‘ what is the big deal? All for a stupid dome?’ guys!!! She finished the castle and went to the shore to wash off the sand from her hand. The sun had turned crimson red and as she walked back, she saw the castle glowing golden in the setting sun's hue. She was filled with contentment. Wasn’t she right!! This was just perfect. It stood tall, shimmering gold as the sun melted down in the sea. She sat there for a while, next to the castle, a little happy yet a little sad...alone!

It was getting dark now and she had to go home. She started walking slowly.. 

The full moon was bright and tides were getting closer to the castle. She turned to look at her castle one last time to see the boundry of the castle being washed away with the tide!








p.s:the story has a hidden meaning... the idea crept in my mind in a conversation to put my thoughts across the table metaphorically ( yes i am diplomatic). Tell me who do you relate to- the boy or the girl and what significance you can derive of the end.

Shayad

एक वक़्त था जब..

इन आँखों में
हज़ार सपने
पल में उबला करते थे

अनजान राहों पे 
चलते-बेवजह 
मुस्कुराया करते थे

एक झलक की तरस में,

रातें 

करवटों में काटा करते थे

तुम्हारी सासों की 
रफ़्तार में, 

अपनी सासें बाँधा करते थे

राशन जो लगी थी,
आहें भी 
ख़ामोशी से भरते थे

दर्द में कशिश थी ऐसी 

की हर सांस 

तुम पर मरते थे

हाय! प्यार सा कुछ,

शायद

हम तुमसे करते थे


p.s: ये कल की ही बात है ;)

Super-troubled-heroes

In a galaxy far far away, amidst the super metals and super cool grey green exteriors, was born a man who travelled all the way here, in our world, to be called the Superman. He had muscles that could give Mr. World of any year, run for his money. Eyes so blue and yet so green, that you could gasp for air and wish to be a fish. He had the best fashion sense. A suit that could showcase the perfect muscles and who else could have thought of cutting sky blue with scarlet red and just a hint of crimson yellow? He had sparkling white, all natural teeth that needed no floss. Hair groomed so well that hair gel came in fashion. And just think about his powers. Best of all, a man who could see through anything except graphite. Whohoa!!!…. And, girls don’t wear graphite, how cool is that.

No wonder he is called superman, for he can lift a gal in his arms and when he takes her for a ride he really can take her to moon and back. So a man of this caliber should have no girl problem right?!!

Wrong!!!

He is in love with a gal who married someone else while he was away visiting his planet. Well his fault. He took her for granted and went vacationing without telling her. He is so madly in love that at night he silently stalls in the air outside her home just looking at her. How lame for a man who could have it all… any girl but then such is the curse of love. He is doomed for eternity.

Then came a man, who rose up to be a hero by sharing his nightmares with his enemies. Man with the best automobile in the world. A tumbler, a tank..ohh wait the Batmobile. He could have had anyone in the world. After all, a little black dress can never go wrong. How smart is that. You think??

His childhood playmate becomes a lawyer who doesn’t have to wear a black cloak. Big shot lawyer, who says okay keep loving me but I’d be back in life only when this ‘little black dress’ is not needed. On top of that she has an affair and our poor hero keeps flying here and there saving her life every now and then. He climbs on top of a minaret at night, stand stills and thinks. It’s needless to say, boy he is so screwed!!

Do I even begin with Spiderman? Bitten by a spider, so ashamed that he wears a complete mask, revealing not even his eyes.  Kisses a gal upside down only to find out that his mega rich best friend is interested in the aspiring actress.

Ever wondered why every superheroe has a lady interest in their life and they just stay troubled. Does that mean anything? Does that mean that even super heroes just want to stay troubled? Move on buddy there are zillions of them and you are only one of your kind. I fail to understand with such great powers (which comes with great responsibility as Spidy says) why their love life remains so screwed up? Even though they are on a mission to save the world somehow it always comes down to saving the love interest. Quirky isn’t it?

So if you are a guy, normal, fairly okay or devastatingly handsome, it does not matter. Trust me if a cape, well toned body and flying up up away cant do it, nothing can. Man or superman, when it comes to girls its always complicated. A girl may say that “it does not matter who you are underneath but the actions that you take”… but when it comes to settling down she would look, evaluate and have her own opinion on what’s underneath. You are no superhero so you’ll marry her and then comes the day when she’ll say now I know what was underneath. She would complain of masking your true self. She’ll complain about being misunderstood but the fact is she herself does not know what’s underneath her. A girl always thinks that she knows her man and once you are done with (read this married) she would be the first one to say ‘I thought you to be someone else’. Well whose fault is that? But dare you ask her that.

Ever seen the Catwoman or Supergirl getting attached with any man? That’s the point. Being a girl I know how manipulative our breed is. And its so unconsciously done that 90% of my breed would not even agree of being manipulative. Trust me sister; when you shed a tear it does jerk something in a man’s heart. A man has a different psychology and physiology but he would mend his mind and body (lets not get soulful here) so that he does not have to see you cry.

In the world all men are equally troubled. Infact super heroes are super troubles as they have the super power to hang outside the girl’s window and yet they cant do a thing. The misery continues as men wants to become the superheroes for ladies. Trust me on this a gal will always have a superhero in her mind and nothing a man does can be a match for her imagination. So quit trying and be the man that you are rather the one she wants you to be. There are no happily ever after in anyone’s life so fight with her, tell her what you don’t like about her and be ready to hear the list she may have about you. She may not like a hundred things in you but if she loves you, just like  Rachel or Lois she will choose you over super heroes.

So boys if you are seeking for love you are seeking for some trouble. Trouble that would make you smile without any reason. So stay in love and stay troubled as even superheroes cant seem to have enough of it!!!