WritersWorld

Today with the Clouds

Fictive Short Feature

I say the clouds by nature are very funky and awe-inspiring. I enjoy watching them pass; just a simple hello or a nod is appreciated. They swirl and sway, move in waves and dance every single time, yet they maintain their uniqueness. I mean something which can be counted as a routine, an unchanging event, is actually a very grand and beautiful journey.

Only time might be able to answer how many eyes have dreamt and seen their secret mysteries getting a platform on the clouds – a bunch of flowers, a giraffe eating tree leaves, a cute rabbit, a candy bar, a bicycle, a boat, a pretty face, a simple smile – everything floating silently, invisible to others but clear to those happy eyes.

I say the clouds are a blessing in disguise. They are what freedom might look if given a form. I often try to paint them, to capture them, to be like them… a far-fetched dream. I am trying and I’ll continue.

I tell you there is some sort of sublime never-ending party that is going on up there. I have a proof… I didn’t believe it until I shared it and got to know that many, many, many people know about it too. Some of them have, like me, heard the clouds laugh… not just giggle but burst into laughter.

Others talk about the clouds as singers, dancers, good listeners, painters; a well-known scientist had said once that the clouds have the coolest particles, meaning that by nature they are funny and calm. Clouds also like to play. But more than anything, they are profound… I mean they have depth.

Wise people say that all the answers become clear in the end… it is now believed that ‘all the answers become clear’ because they are hidden in the clear looking clouds. So I guess one should not wait till the end and just keep looking. I am going on the hill top today… let’s see if I get any answers… nevertheless, I’ll have a good reason to burst into laughter.

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It Came Quietly To Me

Posted on June 9, 2015 by Jagriti Rumi Always Eyes I Am Free It Came Quietly To Me Life Mind Soul Stories Times

Poem

Mountains… grand and free. [Image by Jagriti Rumi]

Cry at times and don’t hold it back,

Take a pause and then look back,

You’ll find a way,

You’ll see the light,

With a calm mind and free eyes

You’ll connect with your soul and realise

That you were, you are and you will

Always be free.

I am happy I am free.

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Duma Xan

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Jagriti Rumi Duma Xan Free Life Friendship Memories

*Duma* is a 2005 film directed by Carroll Ballard.
©Warner Bros. Pictures

Xan’s life changed forever. He didn’t change his path; he walked on the path that was meant for him.

Everything revealed slowly and transformed him and made him aware. Xan cared for Duma, loved Duma to an extent that he started understanding him completely.

Though he accepted it only at the last moment, he somewhere always knew that Duma deserves to live a free life.

The laughs, the games, the tears, the silent talks were soon going to be nothing but shared moments stored in an old box kept somewhere in the past.

All Xan knew was that he could open that box anytime and relive those memories – memories of his late father and his lovely friend, Duma.

Xan often thought about Duma and the time they said goodbye to each other. At first, he was skeptical, he thought Duma might be upset with him for leaving, but then, he realised that it was the right thing to do.

He closed his eyes and saw Duma’s eyes –big, beautiful, and alive. Xan was hit by a gust of wind which slowly tried to calm him down and stayed with him until he smiled.

He told himself, ‘Duma must be with his friends right now, going down to the riverside or maybe already there… relaxing under the shade.’

Xan and Duma.
The film is based on a children’s book How it Was with Dooms **that tells the true story of a young boy’s friendship** **with an orphaned Cheetah.**
**©Warner Bros. Pictures**

Duma is sitting on a tree branch, one of his friends is sitting nearby and the other one is strolling in the bushes, just like that.

The sun rays are not falling on Duma, but his eyes are shining nevertheless. He can see Xan.

Watch the trailer now –

While these questions circle uneasily in our minds, “Duma” creates scenes of wonderful adventure. The stalled motorcycle is turned into a wind-driven land yacht. A raft trip on a river involves rapids and crocodiles. The cheetah itself plays a role in their survival. And the movie takes on an additional depth because Xan is not a cute one-dimensional “family movie” child, and Ripkuna is freed from the usual cliches about noble and helpful wanderers. These are characters free to hold surprises in the real world.
Roger Ebert, the film critic.
Read his review of Duma here.

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I Forgot

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Jagriti Rumi Cards Fear Friends Funny I Forgot Slow-Motion Thoughts Water Colours Window

Mixed Fiction

Where are my colours? [Source – Pixabay]

I was coming back. In the bus, people sitting attuned in silence, hypnotised to the bone, were no different from me until I looked outside the window with sleepy eyes, swaying without a reason. I wasn’t asleep. Whatever was passing was in a rush and I was in a deep slow-motion, so nothing matched.

A thought came to me and I started pondering over it. Gauged a bit about the thought and would have done more, written a few lines, but I forgot; whether I just forgot the thought or to pen down the thought or both, I don’t know.

It is really funny, the party lights seem to be dancing just because they are in a party. But in that sullen room where a solitary sullen bulb glows, no one dances. Rich place for getting scolded and for discussing the future. Who listens when the elders talk? Who listens when anyone talks?

My mind keeps running a never ending tape that I have to adhere to. Yet another thought that I wanted to work on, but I didn’t because of two reasons – I couldn’t find a pen and then I simply forgot to. Hah!

Could it be that while you are walking all alone, nothing changes in you, you are naively, accidentally, mistakenly moving with tranquility and when you are a part of a loud ‘what’s up-oh that-like really?’ crowd everything changes in you, you are then surrounded by absolute confusion and fear?

Changes that crawl and form a labyrinth inside, of which you stay completely unaware.

It can happen. I completely forgot that it can.

What I remember though is that I should make a card for my uncle and auntie. There is no occasion, but then cards aren’t meant only for some special, grand celebrations alone.

“Where are my colours?” Yes, I remember that and so one day I began. I half did it; learnt a good lesson though. Here it is in parts – 1) even if you are not a 10 year old, you can still spill water and make a fabulous mess and 2) (the best one) the comfort of your bed and using water colours is not at all a good combination.

Soon million tiny things around wage a war against you without even moving and you are certainly helpless. You’ll then not find the scissors, the only clean brush, pencil or eraser and as soon as you get up to take a stand, things fall and laugh at you.

My hands… they are muddy green and bluish… am I an alien?

Using water colours mean getting your hands dirty. Oh! This didn’t bother me when I was a kid. I very often made cards for all my friends, getting my hands dirty was never a problem. I guess, I just forgot this.

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Pierrot Le Fou

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Jagriti Rumi Criss-Cross Eccentricity Individual Life Love Mind Mountain Philosophy Pierrot Le Fou Question Reading Stories Two Dogs

Review-Cum-Commentary

So after I watched Godard’s Pierrot Le Fou I went for an evening walk with a question in my mind.

Why did Marianne call him Pierrot? I left without an answer.

The Poster of Pierrot Le Fou, a film by Jean-Luc Godard

It was getting dark as slowly the fog from the mountains was covering the valley from all the sides. The clouds made a thundering noise at some distance. It was surely going to rain and I still didn’t take any umbrella.

The two dogs with me were extremely excited, they rarely worry. Rain or not, they are always up for a walk.

I have a habit of calling them not by their names. Funny, they always wag their tails. I guess I call them so because of what their personalities reflect as a dog.

So happy!

So excited!

Anyway, Pierrot Le Fou…what a ride! From eccentricity to understanding it, from the society to clashing with it, from love to killing it, from life to getting killed. It was about Pierrot…a single individual and the incidents that occur one after the other in his life.

Criss-cross, criss-cross we climbed down the mountain. My mind was quietly dealing with the same question – why Pierrot?

Was it because of his personality, did Marianne know him more than he knew himself?

It seems so, in fact, he was aware about it but was reluctant to accept this fact and that’s why he reminded her each time she called him Pierrot that his name is Ferdinand not Pierrot.

Suddenly, as I was busy thinking and talking at the same time, it started drizzling. We decided to go back. The dogs were as happy to return as they were when we left the house.

I started running and so did the dogs, it was raining heavily now. Climbing a mountain is tough. I was short of air soon and I stopped to get some.

The dogs also stopped, we were getting wet. Breathe, breathe, I told myself and started walking briskly. And then when the cool fog was all around and my nose felt very icy, the question in my mind escaped.

Panting heavily, trying to catch up with the two dogs, I felt truly in the moment…I was in the present.

As if someone was behind me with a gun, I ran so fast. The dogs were running next to me. It was downhill now and we increased our speed. ‘Thundering typhoons, run, run, run!’

I am sure about one thing, Marianne didn’t lie when she called him Pierrot. She was being honest with him.

But I don’t blame Pierrot either. After all, he was busy reading and contemplating all the time. Someone’s philosophy ruled him.

Pierrot, busy reading.

This is what he was reading.

We reached home, wet. I was smiling. I sat on the chair and looked at the view. The young tree in front, with green leaves, was playing ‘raindrops’ tune. I listened.

Then I felt that I know the answer to the question, finally, but couldn’t put it in words.

Oh! I remember one word though – emotions.

My Words Are Happy

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Jagriti Rumi Alphabet Handwriting Living My Words Are Happy Quality Question

Conversation

**Dance and sing and twist and turn and joy and love!**
[Source – Pixabay]

I enjoy my handwriting these days. Rough, crude yet in a smooth flow is what I can term this style of handwriting. Each letter in the alphabet and every word in the sentence appear to be living to the fullest.

The ‘I’s and the ‘E’s gleefully try to tell me a funny story but cannot stop beaming. And all the ‘T’s look so tranquil as if they know everything. The ‘W’s and ‘B’s are acting fancy for some reason, they happen to be doing the twist. The ‘H’s don’t seem to be any different, they look just as happy as they always did to me.

Really, every word gives an impression of being happy with itself.

I am not reflecting on the fact that whether my words are happy every time I write or not, because I am simply very glad that it did happen. Quantity doesn’t matter, quality does.

It has also got something to do with the writer’s relationship with her words, her style of handwriting, her ideas, her life. Every little moment of connection is worth cherishing. And why not, when we all give so much attention to the little things that irk us, little things that make us smile should also be acknowledged.

Pour down your thoughts and then read them, you will get an answer. Yes, that too without knowing the question.

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The Mystical Mountains

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Jagriti Rumi Look Within Meditate The Mystical Mountains Time Traveller Vanishing Flowers

Flash Fiction

Beyond the valley of the vanishing flowers and the green lake where nymphs are still said to be seen, lies the grand mountain range known everywhere as the Mystical Mountains. The journey for anyone to reach these mountains starts from within.

The traveller has to meditate for a long period of time, centering his attention on the Mystical Mountains. Then when it is destined, the traveller has a vision and what one sees becomes the first clue. Usually it is an animal that one sees; a dragon, a wolf, a snake or an eagle, it can be anything. The traveller then has to face the animal; if victorious, the animal becomes the traveller’s ally and shows the path ahead. Sometimes it takes a few days, a few months, a few years to cross the valley of the vanishing flowers and the green lake and sometimes one isn’t able to cross it at all. But the one who does reach the Mystical Mountains meets ecstasy.

Every individual is meant to be there and for each one the mountains hold a miracle, a mystery to be solved and a reward worth spending a lifetime for. Those who return from the Mystical Mountains come back with a task in hand to finish it in a definite period of time. Such a person is like a Samurai, a Monk, a Yodha, untroubled by the material bonding and full of the life force. The magnanimity of such a few selected ones attracts the like-minded and gives them the idea about the spectacles that awaits them in the Mystical Mountains. Thus, a new mind, a new traveller set for a new journey to reach the Mystical Mountains, taking the first step to look within.

A Lot of Keys in the World

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Jagriti Rumi A Lot of Keys in the World Happy Intentionally Lost Mountain of Material Things Not-So-Dead Possessions Reality Three Quality Thoughts Zillion Gods Online

Short Commentary

**“I have the grand key, yay, hmm, now I just need to collect the other 99.”**
**[Source – Pixabay]**

There is a key ring because there is a key, there is a key because there is a cupboard, there is a cupboard because I have things to keep, and I have things to keep because I think I need them…I think I need them because I think so…I have a mountain of material things just because of the way I think.

I keep adding my possessions to this mountain, mostly trying to show off its grandeur, forgetting that I am the one who is carrying it.

These possessions are shiny and majestic in a strange way, but every time I try to talk to them, they just stare at me ambiguously, neither do they move nor do they accept that they are dead…my not-so-dead possessions don’t talk to me.

Am I complaining? I thought I’ll take umbrage at the point that my possessions are not enough and stop. I took a step further and bought another cupboard and worshiped the zillion gods online; it took days multiplied by nights subtracted by three quality thoughts and finally, I got success…a new key ring, for my new cupboard’s new key…all the shiny things beaming shamelessly at me.

Gradually, the three quality thoughts multiplied and I started feeling the weight of the mountain.

The quality thoughts then converged and I was left with only myself; it was calm and quiet then. I felt light just like a feather and I was happy. I woke up and faced the reality.

I don’t have the keys to most of my cupboards, I lost them, dropped them…it would be nice to think that I did that intentionally.

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By- My Friend

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Jagriti Rumi Feelings Life Love My Friend True Understanding

**Seeing through their eyes. Image – Pixabay.**

All we need is love…really?

I feel that more than love we need to have the ability to understand the loved ones in our life…we need to stop for a moment and see the other person without our preconceived notions.

I had this thought in my mind for a long time and I wanted to write about it. Recently, my dear friend unknowingly gave voice to my thoughts…and she did it so very beautifully.

What she has written is so true and accurate and apt to my feelings that I thought of sharing it with everyone else through this blog.

Here is what she wrote-

UNDERSTANDING

There are so many dimensions to each one of us, and the combination of all these dimensions results in our PERSONALITY. It is not something which can be pre-defined.

On the contrary, it is something which keeps on getting refined with every new day we face in our lives, through our varied experiences.

We all think that ‘Understanding’ is an inherent personality trait we all are born with, that once we reach a particular age and maturity level, we automatically attain the level of understanding we ought to.

But I disagree. Understanding, according to me, is the most difficult as well as the most significant emotion we possess.

More so, it demands a certain level of effort: the effort to put one into the other person’s shoes and think the way he/she does, and not according to your own mind.

Only then would one be able to ‘Understand’ the other person’s perspective. And this equips the individual with another beautiful emotion – Empathy.

This is the kind of Understanding we all demand from people we are close to, people we depend on, people we love, and majority of the times, they let us down.

Only because they think that they know us so well that they don’t even try for a split second to come out of their own selves and use all that they know about us to grasp things from our perspective.

We all have to always remember that nothing in this world comes for free: that for all important things, we have to invest our energies, either mentally, physically or emotionally to attain or retain something or someone in our lives.

May god bless everyone with this ‘UNDERSTANDING’.

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My Victory Smile!

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Jagriti Rumi King My Victory Smile Puny Pawn Queen Rascal Rook Thinking Out Loud

‘Your turn’, said Soni.

My turn…well Miss my turn started long back when I moved my Pawn two steps forward.

I have been calculating that in an attempt to get my Bishop in the twelfth move, you’ll definitely charge at my poor, innocent and a bit careless Pawn sitting on b3 and that is why…holy god, just because of that I took my Rook to the third rank and you…you ruthless being…is this just a game for you? Ah!

And now, what are you trying to do? This is not a casual move, advancing your Knight to e4…what should I do? Hey! King, wake up dude…I am fighting this battle for you.

And dear Queen, don’t mind but I think you are afraid of the gorgeous Black Queen…she has taken some bold steps…our brave little Pawn, may his soul fight the dead Black Pawns fiercely down there and show them no mercy…no mercy!

But we have to focus, dear Queen, if you are jealous of her, knock her down and listen, all the Pawns, don’t leave the field without blood on your swords.

Ahm! Respected Bishops and Knights and others (I am angry with the Rooks and hence I am not going to address them directly, it is because of them that more of our people are down)….

‘GS! Your turn’, repeated Soni.

I simply nodded. See…did anyone notice? I knew it, she is trying to read my mind. Oh! Oh! Relax! Shanti Om!

Yes! I think I should take my Knight to 6f…bold!

My friend, listen to me, I know it is a bold step but just see, my Bishop and that Pawn will be guarding it, and actually it is not that risky a position.

And I have to show her, you know, that look Miss you better back up, I am as brutal as Brutus (I am not getting personal here Mr. Brutus, but now that is what you have earned). Oh! She is yawning now! Clever! Come on, come on dear Knight….

‘Hmm…good one GS’, exclaimed Soni.

I smiled…a sweet grin; I know my expressions, my left eyebrow rises every time I put up my victory smile.

Ha! So, finally she is thinking hard, she looks confused…good for me. I am sure she will bring forth the Queen now or nothing less than the Bishop.

I have read a lot about this game Miss…you will be defensive now. Psychology is involved in everything, this game is…what…a Pawn! A Pawn?

‘There…GS…’, said Soni meditatively.

There is something wrong here. A Pawn! And she didn’t take that long…oh…it’s my Knight she wants. Hmm! Hmm! Hmm!

(A long pause) Hmm!

‘Come on…GS?’, enquired Soni.

Oops! Why, why do I always make my opponents comfortable with the idea that I am confused and that is why it’s taking too long?

Wait! Ha-ha! Rook, after all you want to make up for your hasty decisions…good.

Rook to d6…yes Miss, I am challenging you now. What about her sly Black Bishop? Na, it will take three moves for the Bishop to get me. Yes!

‘Oh!’, said Soni.