A Father’s Bedtime Story in Chandigarh

 

A Father’s Bedtime Story in Chandigarh

 NOTE: All photos are advertisements.

Genre: Fiction

Sub-genre: Folklore

Length of blog: 800 words

This was a Times of India competition and below were the rules of the competition:

Rules:

1. The story must be set in the Gupta Age, in Ujjain (the capital of the empire in its latter half).
2. It must involve a crime. And its resolution.
3. The below passage should be present in the submission.

"Supratik, the Chief of Police and Internal Security at Ujjain, walked rapidly up to the riverside, just as the body was being fished out. The officer supervising the operation turned around and saluted his commander immediately."

 

A Father’s Bedtime Story in Chandigarh

 

“Vikramaditya was one of the foremost kings to rule India. He lived in the first century before Christ. Legend has it that, he was given a boon by Goddess Kali to rule for 1000 years, as he was a fair king. And his fair rule produced some of the best men to come forth and help in administering this huge Indian subcontinent.”

            “One of these men, who formed the Nine Gems of his court, advised Vikramaditya to rule for six months and spend six months in the forest. This would enable him to rule for 2000 years, doubling his lifespan.”

            “But dad, how can anyone live for 2000 years?”, Udul said.

            “That we cannot iterate, but we all know the Gupta age has a lot of Vikramadityas- Vikramaditya-I, Vikramaditya-II, etc. He would’ve looked different each time he came back from the forest. His courtesans would’ve not realised a change in appearance. Plus he disguised himself often and roamed around the citizens taking feedback of his rules and laws. Who is to say that it was the original Vikramaditya or not?”

            Udul listened wide-eyed as his father continued.

            “Four hundred years into his regime when Vikramaditya was in the forest, a curious case occurred. It so happened that Supratik, the Chief of Police and Internal Security at Ujjain, walked rapidly up to the riverside, just as the body was being fished out. The officer supervising the operation turned around and saluted his commander immediately."

            “Its this woman’s husband”, Supratik was told.

            “My husband cannot die like this, I have to die first”, she said.

            “The matter a daily nuance, if and only if, the body was cremated. But it became the talk of town, so much so, that when Vikramaditya-II came back from his six-monthly forest life he was deemed to visit the ‘woman who kept her husband embalmed in her house’. He travelled one week to get to her village.”

            “She pleaded Vikramaditya-II to do something so that her love for her husband showcased that her husband would move around again and live a normal life. A few months later Vikramaditya-II disguised himself and became part of crowd that followed her to the river where she washed her husband. She single-handedly took him back on a bullock-cart.”

            “Vikramaditya-II could not forget the woman’s status quo and wished he could do something to change the mood in the village. Six months passed-by and Vikramaditya-II went back into the forest. One night he found himself roaming the forest with only the singular thought of how to solve the woman’s plight. He staggered eastwards following a riverbank upstream until it was morning, or so he thought. He followed the light that was shining from high up in the trees and came onto a cabin in the hills.”

            “Vikramaditya spied a man  chanting and throwing things into a fire. He threw gold, goat heads, even dead birds and snakes. The fire burning brighter and brighter until Goddess Kali herself appeared. The man started to have a conversation with her in a language he could not understand. Vikramaditya-II had not known until now that Goddess Kali could be summoned. He knew she appeared to people of her own choice. After a few moments Goddess Kali left by seeming to step into the fire.”

            “Then what happened, dad”, Udul said.

            “The next night Vikramditya-II came prepared. He surmised that the man was Indradev, an avatar of Shiva, trying to persuade her love. He reached the cabin before sundown and scattered the cabin with intoxicating alcohol and herbs and he himself hid nearby with a jar of water.”

            “The ritual began with an already intoxicated Indradev, and just as Goddess Kali appeared, Vikramaditya-II leapt forth sword in hand and the jar of water over the fire.”

            “I don’t come for myself”, Vikramaditya-II continued, “I come for the woman who has belief in her love for her husband and is waging wars with all who want to cremate his body. I only ask what is fair, neither gold nor gems. I am ashamed to intrude in the passion of the Gods, but this is the only way to solve a problem that has eaten my brains for more than a year now. Goddess Kali was impressed by the staunch bravery of the woman who had not left her husband’s side even after his death and vowed to Vikramaditya-II that she would visit her.”

            “A few months later, Supratik called upon Vikramaditya-II at the royal palace and gave news that the woman’s husband was brought to life by Goddess Kali.”

            “Another conundrum averted. Long live King Vikramaditya”, Udul said.

 

--- The End ---

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to lose a cellphone in 10 ways

 

How to lose a cellphone in 10 ways

 

*NOTE: NO PHOTOS IN THIS BLOG; ALL PICTURES ARE ADVERTISEMENTS.

Genre - Fiction

Sub-genre - Comedy

Length of blog - 1000 words

                Aish was the last person to respond to any message or call and often never even responded. He was the last person to buy a cellphone too. Even his mother watched YouTube videos, but he continued to watch his sport channels on the telly.

                “Please buy a phone”, everyone who met him said.

                So when finally did, he landed buying a phone with a 3.5mm jack.

“At least I can use it to hear music”, he said.

All on the basketball court had smiles as they heard the news. Their regular weekend evening game leading to drinks at a local bar. Aish not being used to a cellphone, had left it on the table and walked out after paying the bill split between the guys.

Deb put it in his pocket, “He has to learn", he said.

All nodded.

Aish was unreachable the next couple of weeks. When he showed up three weeks later at the basketball court, he had a new phone. No one asked if it was new, and Aish never said anything too. Deb who was not a regular was absent that day. The regular guys whom he had drinks with teased Aish about losing his new phone, so soon. They had forgotten Deb had flicked the phone.

After a couple of weeks again Aish fell off the radar.

“What to tell you mahn, I lost my phone again, left it in the taxi”, Aish said after the game.

                That very night Aish slept on the pavement below his apartment building. He was too drunk to climb up the stairs. He realized his phone was missing from his pocket. He was thankful that he never carried a wallet.

                The next one fell into the toilet and was tanked.

                “I tell you years ago, I found a phone in the floods that took place in 2010”, Aish continued telling his sad tale to his drinking buddies, “This is karma!”

                “And what did you do to the phone”, Deb said.

                “Sold it. Hence karma is biting me in the backside”,Aish said.

                Aish began to count the cellphones he had lost in the past six months.

                “Wait”, Deb said, “Your first phone is not lost, it is with me.”

                “What?” Aish said.

                “Yes I had put it in my pocket to teach you a lesson. I had forgotten about it until now”, Deb said.

                All the friends had to speak up to control the situation.

                “How could you forget a phone for six months”, Aish said.

                “I was drunk, plus you did not ask anyone of us, one of us would’ve told you about me having your phone. I am surprised you did not speak about it.” Deb said.

                Two-phone-Aish was short lived. One was lost in the taxi to work, or so he thought and the second at lunch, within two weeks.

                “I think there is a kleptomaniac at work”, Aish said to his drinking buddies, who had a hearty laugh.

                The next week, as winter arrived Aish and his basketball clique made a bonfire with drinks on the house.

                “Hey! my phone is missing”. Aish said suddenly out of the shadows of the night.

                All laughed before putting their head down to search for it. One guy called Aish’s cellphone.

                “No luck”, he said.

                “What’s this in the fire”, Aish said.

                He had been tending to the bonfire and the cellphone had slipped out of his pocket and he himself in the darkness had pushed it into the fire with his leg, thinking it was a briquette.

                All laughed, a video was made as if they were reporting live.

                Aish had started to think he was jinxed by the cellphone Gods because he did not use the cellphone as a cellphone when on Christmas vacation at his native place he again found his cellphone gone.

                “I had kept it on the dashboard”, Aish continued pointing to the car driver and couple of relatives in the backseat.

                “Are you sure you did not misplace it in the restaurant we just left”, the driver, a friend replied.

                “Badagboodooogbadagboodooogbadagboodoog”, a cellphone rang in the backseat.

                “Hello”, it was his cousins phone ringing, “yes, … yes, …yes.”

                The cousin ended the call.

                “We are in luck; a good Samaritan has found your cellphone at the curb near the hotel”

                “So that is how I missed losing another cellphone”, Aish told his basketball buddies back in the bar in January.

                “My cousin who is a rash driver had taken the curb at speed and my cellphone went flying out the open window, off the dashboard”, Aish continued, “My cousin blamed a bump in the road, but thanks to the good person who returned it or else it would’ve been my seventh phone in a year.”

                “Maybe the cellphone Gods are now pleased with me.”

                But he lost that phone before the year was up.

                “In the taxi”, Aish said. His short answer to the question on why he was not answering the phone, and had he lost another one? Hysterical laughter followed.

                “Maybe”, Deb said,” You need to be more responsible, maybe get an expensive phone that you will be extra careful of.

                Deb landed up with an EMI on his credit card, but no phone. It was stolen from his bag. The gaping slit cut in his bag, proof of it.

                “Would you want to buy a screen-guard with it sir”, the salesman at the mall continued, “It comes with a two year warranty.

                Aish let out a low laugh.

                “My cellphones don’t last that long. I am still paying of the EMI for my last cellphone” , Aish said.

                The salesclerk looked at Aish’s face unfazed. Aish looked at the salesman name tag and his face lit up.

                “Do you have any of these sold at the store?” Aish said.

                The salesclerk looked at the noose around his neck.

                “I remember that when I was in school, I used to lose a lot of pencils and erasers, so, my grandfather had tied cords around them and made me wear them to school one day”, Aish said.

                Aish never lost another cellphone. And one could identify him from afar, by the cellphone dangling around his neck.

 

-=-=-=- THE END  -=-=-=-

BTC Premium Group VIP880 Scam

BTC Premium Group VIP880 Scam

 

 *NOTE: NO PHOTOS IN THIS BLOG; ALL PICTURES ARE ADVERTISEMENTS.

Genre - Non-Fiction

Sub-genre - Crime

Length of blog - 700 words

Suraj from Surat called Neel, “Hello Neel, you don’t know me, neither do I know you, but we are in the same WhatsApp group named ‘BTC Premium Group VIP888.’

He further continued, “I have been trying to call random phone numbers in the group, but you are the only one who acknowledged your identity.”

“The rest did not respond to the name or title I called them with – the names on their display names- you know. Few told me that it was a wrong number.”

“How can that be? I called about a handful until now, I can’t call all, right? – around 45 people in the group.”

“God knows if they are people or bots, coz the same number showing on the WhatsApp group is a different person when called from my office landline.”

“And the ones that answered my office landline called seemed naïve, almost all who answered reacted as if they did not know or understand English. And mind you the five I called, are the ones that are most active on the group- that too with responses in the English language”

He went on to explain the so-called-scam from the top.

“I got added into this BTC Fortune Group on WhatsApp and very proactive so-called employees of a firm called CID, based out of Hongkong, was asking all to invest in bitcoin via a SLR1 website.”

“On asking, they guided me to deposit 10000 INR – approx. 120USD into SLR1 website via a wallet app.”

Binance was the wallet app used and that is a worldwide accepted wallet.

“The first part of the scam is that to withdraw back into your wallet, a 25USD fee would be charged – this was not told at the start.”

“Arguably the CID employee told me that SLR1 website holds your money safe like a bank hence the 25USD fees, that too only on withdrawals.”

“’But not to worry sir, your profits would surpass the fees and have no fear and to trade in the websites second account which was for trading in bitcoin.”

“So I steamed ahead and transferred into the trading account, looking at doubling my profit – or as shown by the bots chatting in the WhatsApp group.”

“Then I was made to join the Premium Group, where a more synchronized effort was shown by the employees giving trading tips and the bots showing profits.”

“And as I traded the first day I got a profit of 30USD, but the very next day I traded and lost all, but 20USD.”

“I could not withdraw. The employee had constant follow-ups with me, to add more money, to trade more, to earn more.”

“That’s when I started calling other people in the group.”

“Yes”, Neel said. “I too traded as told, sold when told to sell and bought when told to buy. Also followed the time duration, like if the trade was told to be done for 60 seconds, 180 seconds, etc. I did it exactly that way”

“And after excruciating 180 seconds, I lost the amount. Then again, another trade, another excruciating 180 seconds and I lost another bunch of my bitcoins. Until I had zero in my account.”

“And the bots continued to show profit”, Suraj said.

“Yes”, Neel said.

“So, it is a scam coz, when we can trade on the Binance wallet app and pay them 20% on our profits, why do we need to transfer to SLR1 website. That website is tainted.”

                “But how can one can prove it’s a scam, coz markets are subject to ups and downs!”

    “Let’s ask around.”

 

 

-=-=-- THE END -=-=---

P.S,: 

Please beware, when you get added to a group claiming to trade in bitcoin. This article is not fictional. Real life events have occurred and if any of you have had the same experience, please do get in touch.

;-o

The Love Tower

 

The Love Tower

   *NOTE: NO PHOTOS IN THIS BLOG; ALL PICTURES ARE ADVERTISEMENTS.

Genre - Fiction

Sub-genre - Romance

Length of blog - 3000 words

Chapter One

Down in the rias where Vancy went to college, was where he was first acquainted with ‘The Love Tower’. Its magic amongst his collegemates was enormous - in hushed tones though. It was a mythical place to go with your current lover or crush and as per tales galore, by the time you were through the night you would realize whether you are meant for each other or not.

Vancy had only heard of it in passing in his first year of college. He was new to this place and he did not have any crush on any one yet. And so, he had pushed the topic under the rug. But as he got to know his fellow classmates and got a clique of his own, the topic of the mystic ‘Love Tower’ did pop-up on and off.

His landlord had brushed aside the topic.

“A load of college crap”, he called it.

Vancy had got the chance to bring it up the one time he had made a valiant effort and got up for his host’s Sunday morning breakfast invite. It had been the umpteenth time the landlord had invited him for breakfast.

“You know every day I am at class. Its only Sunday’s I get”, Vancy had told George, the landlord, “And Sundays is the one day that I get to sleep until late.”

“A pool up in the mountains linked via a bridge that can tell whether you and your mate are compatible.” George continued, “A load of bull, another excuse for all you youngsters to party.”

Vancy had heard a similar version where the bridge way up high in the clouds made way to a spring. The journey precarious and testing enough to bring out your partner’s true colours. Which is turn would make each of the person in the relationship look at each other in a different light.

In his second year, Vancy was introduced to Myra – from afar – he followed his classmate’s finger to a suntanned huge-figured girl.

“She knows the love tower’s location”, Jason continued, “They say she goes there quite often.”

“She leads people there for a small fee”, Iain sitting next to Jason said, “She calls herself the ‘oracle’, but will deny anything when asked upfront.”

“Yes, one only gets to her via a friend who’s been there”, Jason continued, “The chosen few”.

He made quotations in the air with the two fingers of both his hands.

“And imagine the queue of references she gets, we would never get to her”, Vancy said.

All looked and Vancy and laughed. The topic drifted.

 It was not until Myra had passed out of the final year when Vancy remembered her. He was falling for the new girl in their class. She had curly hair, was exactly his height and flirted with him on and off. He had asked her out and she had agreed. Vancy was scared at the rapidness of the emotion. The meetings had become more regular and planned. And too quick he thought, she had visited his mum’s place in the city with him. His mum had not raised an eyebrow, but that was how she was. Then Daliah had introduced him to her mother over whatsapp video call. She too did not look impressed. Tomorrow they four were to meet over coffee and hamburgers at the city mall. Neither did Daliah’s mother nor did his mother know about the ‘meeting’. Vancy was confused on what to name the encounter. A casual time-bound convenience or meeting of the parents. And here he was unsure of Daliah. She was cool and caring when close but had seen her staring into space as if thinking about someone. After college, she never answered a call as she was almost always busy on another call. She would call back however, after a couple of hours though.

Iain and Jason were quick to point out the same.

“Maybe she has a lover – and its long distant right now”, Jason continued, “But you can always be the closest dick available.”

They had all laughed. But Vancy’s misery grew no less. The term was to end and they Vancy understood Daliah too was unsure about him. A couple of fleeting kisses in elevators was all that they had exchanged. He had noticed that she always made sure to meet in public places. A couple of movies, that too at the start of their friendship. Vancy was looking forward towards the finals when Daliah had suggested the night trip.

They had been on night outs earlier and there had always been company around. So Vancy was surprised to see her alone – especially after she had messaged.

“Bring your swimming trunks”

They took a cab out of town towards the railway station near the foothills of the nearby mountain.

“Where are we going?”, Vancy continued, “There are no trains stopping until tomorrow morning.”

“I have been sent the directions”, Daliah said.

They got off at the railway station which was deserted.

“We need to walk along the railway wall until it is climbable”, she said pointing at her phone screen.

They walked southwards, parallel to the tracks. The river they had just crossed in the cab was on their right. The mountain slopes which could be seen in the background over the railway wall on their left, gave an eerie look.

After a short trek the wall shortened as the slopes gradually touched it. Here, they climbed over onto the tracks and as per Daliah’s pointing-finger started to trudge back to the railway station.

“So, this was all to enter a railway station?”, Vancy said as they took the stairs off the platform into the administration building.

“Be quiet”, Daliah said as she pointed to the phone,” There’s supposed to be a guard on duty.”

  Vancy put is finger to his lip and followed her to the roof of the building. The six-floor building looked puny in the shadow of the mountains- which could be seen in as silhouette. They headed for the street facing corner of the south end of the building.

“The building is as big as the platform”, Vancy said.

On reaching the end Daliah climbed on to the parapet of the terrace. There were around eight to ten pipes extending onto another building. Daliah started shimming along the pipes towards the other building. The pipes were less than a foot apart and fist sized in diameter. Vancy slowly put his weight onto the pipes to see if they would take their weight together. The pipes yawed but held. Both shimmied across the 12 feet of pipes. Daliah had opted for her bum on one pipe, two hands either side. The second pipe was free, where her knees would hover and the third pipe on which she had her legs. Vancy opted for his bum on the second pipe not only to distribute the weight but also to have some support if he leaned too far back.

They reached the other side where the pipes continued into an opening. They could continue to slide into the opening which was precisely the size of a sitting person. They had entered the opening an into a small hollow room from which music was emanating. The roof was reflecting the water in it. It was a water tank. A lady waved towards them. With ground being seen below them, Vancy got a little courage to crawl like a camel towards the huge woman. She smiled at Daliah and nodded at Vancy.

“Found the place easily? If you follow the directions it is pretty simple”, Myra said.

 Vancy found himself face to face with Myra.

“This is Deyl”, she introduced them to a mountain of a man who was behind her. He would have to be, looking at her size. Vancy smiled at him. Music was playing from another corner of the tank which was about 24 feet all around. A few boys and a girl seemed to having a good time in the chest height water. Although, Deyl and Myra seemed to waddle in the water which barely reached their waist.

“Get undressed and enter the water”, Myra continued. “Don’t worry about them. They would be leaving soon.”

One of the other guests waved their glasses at us.

“Hope you like whisky”, Deyl said.

Vancy had finished making his peg and tuned around to see Daliah in a flimsy net bikini. Her shapely breasts bobbing on the water. Only the darkness hiding the evident. Vancy took a huge gulp.

After some fair chitchat with Myra and Deyl, Daliah and Vancy headed to one of the corners of the tank. The other group had long gone. A few kisses and Daliah jumped onto the pipes above.

“Its too wet down there”, Daliah said.

She was right. Vancy looked at his fingers which had now wrinkled. She shimmied to the middle of the two buildings and was enjoying the mild breeze. Her shapely-figure in full view under the moonlight. Vancy climbed onto the opening of the tank. He started towards Daliah.

“The truest test is for one to roll the other from there back into the pool”, Myra continued from behind them, “Blindfolded.”

Daliah stretched and lay over five of the pipes. Vancy turned to push her towards the tank.

“Let me blindfold myself”, Daliah said and removed her bra and started to cover her eyes with it. But before she could cover them. Vancy started to kiss her on the lips. He hugged her while Daliah pushed him back.

“You reek of whisky”, Daliah said.

Vancy found his knees shake on the flimsy pipes. Each grabbed the pipes with both their hands. They sat and waited for their bodies to dry off. The dark mountain in front of them only differentiated by the stars in the sky. The darkness followed down the mountain wall below them - the glint of the parallel railway tracks setting a boundary. The shapes of a tree branches below them could be made out by the gentle tremble of the breeze. After some time they left the same way they came.

The final exams upon them, Daliah and Vancy were busy. After which, they left for their respective homes with not too much to talk about between them. Daliah was always distant when distant, and Vancy got used to be single again. His job hunt yielded into a fancy corporate job. Vancy had forgotten about Daliah; the love tower episode now just another drunk college night out.

 

Chapter Two

                Vancy had got a job in the city. His college days back in the rias, a memory waiting to be forgotten. He had joined a firm which was looking to increase its workload and so a score of them had joined together.

                Vancy was taken aback by a slender girl who seemed quite knowledgeable during their one-week training. He later understood that she had joined from their competitor, hence the knowledge.

                “Do not tell anyone”, Wasi continued, “And thanks for asking, coz now I know I have to dumb myself down a bit.”

                Thus began a long-lasting friendship. Or so he thought – until Vancy felt the trainer was calling upon Wasi too often. Even during their unofficial-training-completion-picnic, he felt a twang of jealousy when they walked together for a bit.

                Vancy realized he was in love. But, Wasi talked a lot about the long-haired guy who was their peer. One day he saw her talking to him after work and shortly started dating him. It was all too quick. The love of his life had been so close to him and yet now she was with someone else. He could not believe his luck. Months passed where he got to know firsthand how they had gone spelunking, an overnight picnic, a weekend away. Then one day Wasi invited Vancy along.

                “Would you like to join us?”, Vancy asked Sandy another colleague because he did not want to be the third wheel.

                “But what about Wasi?” Sandy said. And continued with her work as if no question was asked.

                “She has a boyfriend”, Vancy replied softly. The reply was redundant.

                Everyone knew they had to be together, yet Wasi was with George. Grinding his teeth he joined George and Wasi at the train station for their overnight adventure. Wasi had kept a closed lip about their trip. Vancy realized they were headed towards ‘the love tower’ as soon as they got off at his college railway station, back in the rias. He kept mum as the overlooking mountain shadow fell over the railway station parking lot which they had encamped. Obviously waiting for an opportunity to sneak in, he guessed. But his guess turned out to be wrong, as a car stopped near them and out popped Myra and Deyl.

                “This way”, Myra said as she handed over everyone to carry a cylindrical backpack.

               "Things we need for the party", Deyl said.

                They trudged back into the railway station. Up the administration building and onto the terrace. No one saw them so no one stopped them.

                “Why are we going off a building over some pipes into another building?”, George said.

                “We could enter from there”, Myra who was half way across replied, she pointed to the bottom of the other building, but it would close by the time we leave. And one must know how to leave. Right?”

                George started to mutter something under his breath. Wasi was starting her butt-shimming journey. Vancy started simultaneously and faced her. He admired her logic of getting George and himself to this place. For the first time in months Vancy felt delighted. He assumed Wasi wanted to make a decision between George and himself. The poor lass - Vancy felt his heart wrench at her plight - and she had resorted to this place. He looked at Wasi’s face to see her reaction. Wasi was looking wide-eyed at mountain behind Vancy. Her face did not have a manipulative shrewd look. But then again, she did not know that Vancy knew that this was ‘the love tower’.

                Vancy smiled at himself. He would cross-question her in the next week. Not today, today he would play along and play it by ear. Deyl who had gone first had already reached the other end of the pipes and was undressing on a small platform. Vancy had not noticed the platform the first time he had come, maybe because it was a little brighter today or maybe because he had seen the rest of it before.

                He helped Wasi onto the platform and let his fingers linger on hers for a few moments more than required. Wasi smiled at him and looked at George who was still muttering something. He opted to not enter the water but sat on the pipes outside and preferred to smoke his pipe. Wasi too after some time went and joined George facing the mountain. Vancy watched as she waded onto the platform and wrapped herself in a silk overcoat.

                “No we do not come here every day”, Deyl said.

                Vancy was making small talk with Deyl. Myra was ushering in another wide-eyed group.

                “We try to collate a few groups together”, Deyl continued, “We have no gain from this, people bring their own consumables and sometimes more.”

                He offered Vancy a refill.

                “We can’t stop, you know, its like a service we provide”, Deyl said

                “More like a calling”, Myra said.

                She was back with them.

                “I see how you are interested in the kimono clad woman, who is uncertain about the smoky-head she is with”, Myra continued, “Go up there and win her back. All is fair in love.”

                Vancy eyed Myra who waded halfway towards the other group and said aloud, “The true test of your love is to roll your partner over the pipes blindfolded.”

                A girl from the other group started towards the stairs. She playfully beckoned at a guy from the group, who followed her. Vancy followed them. Vancy pulled himself alongside Wasi, as the couple giggled away blindfolded each other and started to roll behind them into the tank area. Vancy heard the splash but he was looking into Wasi’s eyes as she looked on curiously.

                “When did you come up?’, she said.

                Vancy smiled and looked into the mountains staring back at them. Wasi took one end of the scarf which was wrapped around her head and held it in the wind, so as to grab Vancy's attention with the other. Vancy grabbed the other end. The wind caught in the scarf like that of a sail-boat. The scarf formed a canopy under which both of them sat. 

                “If it was like this forever”, Vancy said, "Just the two of us.”

                Wasi gave him a playful push.

Vancy grabbed the scarf and began to roll away. Slowly, as if in slow-mo. The scarf wrapped around his eyes as he rolled farther. Wasi had let go of the scarf - after a couple of rolls, Vancy tipped over the pipes and landed into the still waters of the tank. He could imagine Wasi’s broad smile at his play-acting. He lay motionless in the water not wanting to let time flyby. The scarf unwinding to form a canopy under water. A few moments later, he heard a  splash and Wasi was under the canopy with him.

 

THE END

==-=--=-=-=-