य़े शाम और ये दूरी - आज सिरहाने

Aaj Sirhaane

“इतना नाराज़ हो...?” क्रुति ने मासुमियत से पलकें झपकाते हुए पूछा।

“तुम्हें फर्क पड़ता है..?” अक्षर ने भौंहे चढ़ाते हुए सवाल पर सवाल रख लिया।

“पड़ता है ना... देखो इतना पड़ता है ...उम्म नहीं इससे थोड़ा ज्यादा” क्रुति ने अपने टैडी बियर को संभालते हुए अपनी बाहें फैला दी”

“रहने दो तुम...कितना मुश्किल से सब कुछ प्लान किया था...तुम कभी कोशिश ही नहीं करती हो...मुझे समझने की” अक्षर नाराज़ था...बेहद नाराज़। तीन दिन बाद वो अपना घर अपना शहर छोड़ कर जा रहा था...नाराज़ था, क्रुति से नहीं इस रवायत से..कॉलेज़ से निकलते ही प्लेसमेंट ठीक है पर ये इतनी जल्दी जॉइन क्यूँ करना पड़ता है...।

अक्षर ये तीन दिन बस क्रुति के साथ बिताना चाहता था.. दोस्तों तक से झूठ बोल दिया था कि काफी डॉक्यूमेंट्स इकठ्ठे करने हैं...लेकिन क्रुति ने दो दिन पता नहीं कौन सी बुआ की बेटी की शादी में निकाल दिए थे...और आज जब मैडम पधारी तो इतनी बेफिक्र जैसे कुछ हुआ ही नही...!

क्रुति ने महसूस किया था जो अक्षर बोल नहीं पा रहा था...वो थोड़ा रुककर बोली —“मुझसे दोस्ती करोगे...तुम ऑक्सीजन मैं हाईड्रोजन, हमारी कैमिस्ट्री एकदम पानी की तरह है”

अक्षर अपनी मुस्कान छुपाते हुए बोला — “सारा शहर मुझे लॉयन के नाम से जानता है आज मेरे पास बाईसेप्स हैं, चार्मिग लुक्स हैं, ये टैडी बियर इधर दो तुम मुझे...हाँ अब टैडी भी है...तुम्हारे पास क्या है?”

“मेरे पास...मेरे पास प्रेम है...माई लार्ड, भरपूर प्रेम” क्रुति ने होंठों को थोड़ा दबाते हुए कहा।

“तुम्हारी जैसी लड़की फ्लर्टिंग के लिए नहीं इश्क के लिए बनी है...और इस्स्स्स्क करने की इज़ाज़त मुझे वक़्त दे नहीं रहा..इतनी जल्दी जॉइनिंग मिल गयी, यार ..”

क्रुति ने अपनी उदासी को अपनी हंसी में छुपा लिया...अक्षर के हाँथों से टैडी बियर छीनते हुए बोली— “जॉब ना हुई...सात साल की कैद हो गई...इतना रोते हो...एडजस्ट कर लेंगे यार ..दोस्ती की है निभानी तो पड़ेगी”

“पुष्पा! आई हैट दिस वर्ड...दोस्ती...दोस्ती नही है मैडम....खालिश इश्क है तुमसे...अंगूठी या माँ के कड़े नहीं नहीं है मेरे पास...लेकिन मेरे पीछे से...ये अपना दिल-विल मत बाँट देना किसी को...समझी?”

क्रुति ने शरारती निगाहों से अक्षर को देखते हुए बोली— “उम्म! कोशिश करूग़ी...बाकी तुम्हारी परफार्मेंस पर डिपेंड करता है...कॉल्स-वॉल्स टाइम पर नहीं आए तो...!”

“तो क्या..ओएएएए... खामोश..!” 

P.s- I Wrote a short comedy cum romantic scene with Shikha Shrivastava for Aaj sirhaane Under "Ulfat-O-Comedy" Section.

नन्हा सैंटा - कहानी

Courtesy : Vivek Arya

“बड़ा ही बत्तमीज़ बच्चा है” —मैंने मन ही मन सोचते हुए...अपनी शॉल पर बिखरी पानी की बूँदे झाड़ी। कबसे उसकी उलजूलूल हरकतों को सह रही थी...ये बच्चा है कि शैतानियों का पुलिंदा...पता नहीं कैसे माँ-बाप ऐसे खतरनाक हथियारों को साथ लेकर घूमते हैं...इन पॉकेट-बॉम्ब के टिकट आधे नहीं...दुगने लगने चहिए।

अपना स्टेशन आने पर जैसे ही लगेज़ निकालने के लिए झुकी...हाथ किसी रॉडनुमा चीज़ से टकरा गया...नज़र उस शैतान संता-क्लॉज़ के पैरों पर गई। आँखों में ना जाने क्या चुभ-सा गया..एक नम लम्हे ने जैसे सब कुछ बदल दिया...वो नन्हा-सा संता जैसे मेरे हर गुज़रते लम्हें को सज़ीव कर गया था।

- अंकिता चौहान [आज सिरहाने के लिए लिखी गई कहानी]

HUNGER IS THE NEW RELIGION - A Short Story

Amidst of the screeches and smoke, he was taking fast steps. The shiny drops of tough life would smear all over his face —Curly hairs full of dust, dusky eyes full of hope. It was hard to say what was he handling...Was that some sculpture or his dire needs?

Suddenly he caught himself in someone’s camera. He trembled and trying to conceal his face. This mad world won’t have an idea that Hunger is the new religion. If they would catch an image of Muslim with Hindu’s Idol… he knew that would lead to more slaughtering of humanity.  

- Ankita Chauhan 

P.s. - Thank You ONE FRAME STORIES for featuring my story under Top 4.

कविता - खनकती ख्वाहिशें

वह सपने देखती है, 

जागती आँखों से ज़िंदगी के और आँख मूँद कर किताबो के। 

वह बेसुध थिरकती है, 

कभी बाबा की डाँट पर तो कभी माँ के दुलार पर। 

हर इंकार पर थोड़ा सहम जाती है, 

अपनी ख्वाहिशों के पंख समेट इंतज़ार करती है...

मजबूत करती है 

हर वो पक्ष 

जो उसे अपने सपने के शायद और करीब ले जाए। 

कहने को बच्ची है.. 

लेकिन अपना बचपन, काफी पहले पीछे छोड़ आती है। 

लादी हुई समझदारी से.. 

जब खुद को परेशान पाती है तो 

नादानियों की झील में 

एक डुबकी लगा, 

बस एक कहानी गड़ लाती है...।  

- अंकिता चौहान (आज सिरहाने के लिए लिखी गई थी)  

Possession : A Short Story

In that 50-storey building, he was sitting comfortably in his luxurious cabin and reading newspaper. Suddenly his eyes got stuck… his hometown has been encapsulated by nature’s exhaustion. He was flooded up with sinking voices and empty films…voices full of cloudburst, breakage of lives, drowning souls, that uncertain rainfall hadn’t left a single mark of continuity… everything had merged into nothing. When everyone was rescheduling their lives by collecting possessions, he spent his left-over money on books.

After 20 years….history has been repeating itself. He was here, signing a cheque for flood victims, No kid should have left Bookless.

- Ankita Chauhan 

Book Review: The Bestseller She Wrote by Ravi Subramanian

Title: The Best Seller She wrote

Author: Ravi Subramanian

Publisher: Westland LTD.

Genre: Romance, Thriller

Pages: 391

Ratings: 3/5

INTRO

‘Every author puts in a fair bit of effort when he or she writes a book. But not everyone markets it well. Remember the easiest part about writing a book is . . . writing the book. The hard work starts once the book is written. The task of marketing the book and bringing the product to the reader is . . .’

‘Product? Rubbish!’ someone in the gathering exclaimed. The voice was loud enough…"

When the book starts with such realistic talk you take a deep breath and assured, you are reading something that will worth your time. Frankly speaking I had never read Mr. Subramaniam before..  Although I got high recommendations but that genre doesn’t suit me, but after reading “The Best Seller She Wrote” I’m eagerly want to invade in this genre and trying to read his rest creations… Hmm!  I will start with “God is Gamer” for sure.

STRUCTURE

“Everyone who has read the book asks me if I am Aditya, but I’m not! I’ve mentioned myself as an author in the story, just to make it clear that I am not him. A few traits do resemble me, like leaving the lights and TV on while sleeping in a hotel room. And I have used him to mouth a lot of my views on the publishing industry,” says Ravi. He describes the book as a romantic-intrigue; it’s a study in human nature and relationships, while exploring some aspects of publishing. He also takes not-so-sly digs at his fellow authors, which adds a certain element of fun while reading.  – THE HINDU

When it comes to the plot, it is a thriller enveloped with romance so I’m going to save myself from spoiling the story line. Because that’s the beauty of thrillers If you have to enjoy journey with characters… you expect to find the keynote by yourself. Matter of fact story based on relationships—more specifically adultery, ambition, desire, rejection and the person’s mental state after being cheated.

NARRATION:  As E.L. Doctorow mentioned “There is no such thing as fiction or non-fiction; there is only narrative.”

Here, author managed to narrate story in an impressive way and won the situation where his characters talk, enjoy, feel and you just watch their lives carefully.  

While reading I was sure that this book is Mr. Subramanian’s autobiography (SEMI) but in the middle of the book he mentioned himself as an author and made his readers more excited to turn the pages. It took me whole day to finish the book and I’m glad I read it. It is just hard to resist yourself to delve into it if you have given it a kick start. . Here comes the author’s part..it draws characters so magnificently that a reader make instant connection with them. Yes I concur the fact the romantic scenes are spicier than expected, but as the story demands they didn’t seem unethical.

CORE: The book covers everything you want to read on a light weekend. With intriguing title it is an intense journey between an author and his glamorous life.  I don’t think many authors have guts to reveal writer’s life with such clarity.  You will get to know

How did an ambitious girl (Management Trainee) fall in love with protagonist, an author?

How protagonist did absorb the healthy flirting kind of thing into his married life?

How did Maya (Author’s wife) cope up with reality when she finds out the truth, the betrayal?

How did a parallel character, you don’t even notice, turn the whole storyline?

READER’S MOMENT:

• The half hour before she went to sleep was unwind time for her. Unwind time as in trouble-me-at-your-own-risk unwind time. Nothing matched curling up in bed with a book. For Shreya, an ardent reader, a guy roaming in the aisles of a bookstore carrying a few books in hand was a bigger turn-on than someone lifting weights in a gym. A man needs to be judged by his reading quotient, she would often say.

• ‘Flirting? Healthy flirting? Really Sanjay . . .’ she rolled her eyes in disgust. ‘That’s what you men call it.’ She threw up her hands in utter exasperation. ‘That’s what you call it . . . Healthy flirting. There is nothing healthy about flirting, Sanjay, not for a married man. Healthy flirting is a term introduced by perverted men who want to lend legitimacy to their extramarital dalliances. Flirting invariably has a sexual connotation to it.’ She got up from her seat and walked around the room.

• The true test of a good human being is not the number of people who love you, but the number of people who learn how to love, looking at you.

Avid Readers would find it astonishing when they get the references of real life characters like Julian Barnes, Chetan Bhagat, Ashwin Sanghi,  Poonam Saxena, Vaishali Mathur.  

I enjoyed the book… Do give it a chance to this light hearted yet entertaining read.  You would have surely forgotten the page count one you started. 

P.s - I am reviewing ‘The Bestseller She Wrote’ by Ravi Subramanian as a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

ABOUT AUTHOR

Ravi Subramanian, an alumnus of IIM Bengaluru, has spent two decades working his way up the ladder of power in the amazingly exciting and adrenaline-pumping world of global banks in India. Four of Ravi’s seven bestselling titles have been award winners. If God Was a Banker won the Golden Quill Readers’ Choice Award. He won the Economist Crossword Book Award in 2012 for The Incredible Banker, The Crossword Book Award in 2013 for The Bankster and more recently in 2014 for his thriller Bankerupt. For Ravi, The Bestseller She Wrote marks the beginning of a new chapter in his writing. A significant departure from his usual fare, this is Ravi’s first book on romantic intrigue.

MEMENTO - A Short Story

A rush of relief unfolded millions of tiny memories on her face. She was sensing, caressing that god’s sculptures carelessly. A lady in her folk dress was trying to repeat her innocence. She leaned her head upon sculpture’s base and revived those days, when she was banished from a temple just because she had some special organs to produce another life, a tear rolled down her smiling lips.  

“Ma’am! Have you checked all the consignment, should we deliver now?”  Pensive sound came from behind and brought her back into present.

“Almost done” She replied in teary voice.

- Ankita Chauhan 

P.s. - Thank You #OFSLife for featuring my story at the Top :) 

Frame 61

Emergency : A Short Story

“No!  I usually avoid to drive in that area..You can ask from others’ autowallas” he waved hand at her.

“But why… It’s urgent.” She said with heavy breathes.

“Madam….you are looking decent…”

“I don’t need your opinions.”

Ok sit…But don’t tell me later...That I didn’t warn you.”

She preferred silence.

After an hour they both were onto their destination... a rustic place full of greenery. A sudden nostalgia hovered around his head…he couldn’t drive more and asked her to arrange another vehicle. His drooping eyes made him stop the world for a while and….compelled him into siesta-zone!   

- Ankita Chauhan 

कोरे खत - कहानी

दशक बीत चले थे.. शीरोमां रूमानी लम्हों से कागजी लहज़ों तक का सफर तय कर चुकी थीं...बालों पर चांदी...चेहरे पर अनुभवों की आड़ी-तीरछी लकीरें...और संजीदगी ओढे, आज एक जीवन मृत्युशय्या पर लेटा था। मुंह में गंगाजल डाला जा चुका था..लेकिन शीरोमा के हाथों में लिपटे वो खत हटाने की हिम्मत किसी की नहीं थी।

“पता नहीं...क्या पढ़्ती थी इन कोरे कागज़ों में”

“शादी के बाद...शीरोमा की बेटी भेजा करती थी..”

“कोरे खत?”

“पता नहीं कौनसे देश में ब्याह दी थी बेटी...जब भी खत आता..कागज़ भीगा होता..लिखा हुआ सब मिट चुका होता..शीरोमा उसी में घंटों नज़रें गढ़ाए..ना जाने क्या ढूंढा करती थीं...” 

- अंकिता चौहान (आज सिरहाने के लिए)