Dawn of Midnight Joys

Evil comes alive in dark but there was always a spartan who fought and wins. 

Exactly such scene was going on in front of me , it wasn't like in what we sees in movies .

It was around 2am when I was returning from my late night shift , I always hated staying late in the office and doing work because the silence of the surrounding scare hell out of me . Cab which I hired leave a block before my building which means I have to walk to my house alone but luckily my eyes catches attention on the road , without wasting a second I went their . I always feared darkness but it all vanished as soon as I traced children on the road .

I walked out of the apartment gate , I was baffled that how my society parents allowed their children to play that too on the road and then I thought may be some function arranged for the Halloween party . I further walked near to them and I saw two dogs running and barking in my direction , I tried to climb the wall next to me but I couldn't , I then somehow managed to climb on a car roof .

" Sheru and Motii come back kids " a boy who must not be more then six years old call the dogs , as soon as the heard the voice both the dogs went to that child . From the way of calling the dogs I quickly draw the conclusion that these kids didn't belong to my apartment , getting down the car and looking here and there in a quizzical way I found that the little midnight spartan belongs to the slum which is juxtaposed to my apartment .

Yes , midnight spartan they are . Even I don't know how and when this unique word came out of my mouth for them but one thing I know that the word perfectly and completely belongs to them .

These kids were ruling the darkness of the night , they were carefree , not worrying about the world who were in slumber , there joys were above all . Some where playing on an old broken car  , some where Weddelling with the tyres , girls were playing with the rejected toys which my apartment children throw away and the most fascinating moment was when I saw them feeding dogs , I mean they themselves don't have anything to eat but these kids were aware that animals too have life and as they fed them the dogs started playing with them . Just like me there was another person who was coming from the other end , the dogs pulled the kids back to the slum by holding their edge of torn clothes and brak loudly and fearfully to protect these children . I learned why they came barking to me why I stepped in their direction .

I didn't see any evil around  , all I saw happy faces of these children ; they were epitom of telling us a lesson of living a life at fullest in what we have . The other thing I learned tonight was that the darkness is not that bad because it was hiding the flaws of the society and were uniting the two worlds ; rich and poor . Rich never gets satisfied of what they have but the poor know how to live in those damp and dingy places with joys . If that boy couldn't call out the dogs I would have been unable to make out that these kids were poor .

May be some night will come when the world will be awaken to watch this marvellous site ,
May be some day the difference will be minimised to null that the world belongs to people not the rich and poor ,
May be some noon I will see them studying equally to our children in a school ,
May be some evening they would be playing with other children who belongs to rich world ,
May be I wouldn't be alive too see because the people don't agree . 

©Aditi Srivastava <3

Monster in my house .

You must have seen those kids , who loves to watch horror or suspensive movies or shows ; during the day they remain unaffected by the last night watched show , they behave like fearless kids but as soon as the sun starts setting their fear come alive , they went numb and the creatures or scenes starts playing in their mind , they look for shelter to hide themselves and the best place they can get is being with elders whom they know can save trepid kids but not all lucky like those kids .  Manaya , who is always haunted by a MONSTER in her own house . Let's see how a minor game changed her life forever.

Manaya was a happy go lucky girl , blue stocking and courageous girl . One fine day she returned from school and found her cousin elder brother had come to live with them for his higher studies , Kush ( elder brother ) was her favourite cousin , she welcome him warmly , both brother sister chatted for couple of minutes and then her mother asked her to share her room with his cousin , she hesitates but then her mother convinced her that he will soon leave as soon as he  finds a suitable paying guest thus finally she gave up because she knew that her mother would emotional blackmail her more if she continued protesting.  So the better option was to cease fire by saying yes else the debate will never end .

After few days they both adjusted with each other , they started enjoying each others company , they share their secrets , they cook together , they play together , they study together ; as the time passes their camaraderie grew more and stronger. 
One night both planned to watch a horror movie , the movie starts with a girl who shifted in a new flat , lived alone in the house . The flat remain cold throughout the day and night  , the girl always felt that she was not alone in the house ; there's always someone else who lives with her but that thing don't hold any physical appearance . One night after the girl took bath , she dozed off quickly but in the middle of night she felt that someone has touched her legs ; she quizzically got up and found no one around , she again slept . After half and hour she that someone has hold her legs and separating them , she didn't see anyone but felt a hand moved between her legs , she tries to shouted but her voice chocked as if someone has put hand on her mouth , all she felt later her clothes were torn apart , she tries to push the entity but her hands moves across the air  , no one was seen or felt as she tries to push , all she felt the most horrifying on the bed that someone has moved his between her legs and vigorously hurts her for hours , all she cried silently after long hours of protest . When she woke up she found her bed sheet was red with  blood , the most injured part was between her legs but someone how she survived in the lacerating pain but the soul died . She went into trauma and was admitted but she couldn't recover .

Manaya eyes were glued on the screen , loud cries in the dark was echoing in her ears , she tightly holds her cousin hand when the girl cried at the top of her voice in pain , he taps on her back and switched off the television . They both went on the bed and slept .  

It was around 2 am , when she felt that someone tried to get in her blanket , she woke up in shock and cried out Kush's name but he didn't turn nor he was in the room , she looked here and there , found Kush was in loo . He consoled her that no ghost or monster exists in real world but she didn't listen , she kept shivering . 

Next morning she got and look at everyone with her puffed eyes , she pour the last night incident but everyone tries to pacify her that it was just a bad dream because of that horror movie .  Each night she experience that someone was trying to rule her body  , every night she felt that someone tries to get inside her blanket but she could touch and feel it too but as soon as she switch on the lights , the person disappears .

" Take this " Kush said in irritated tone .

" why .. I don't want , don't you know what happen to me each night " Manaya shouted .

" Idiot  , that just happen in your dreams .. nothing such happen .. why I am not threatened .. tell me " Kush shouts back .

" I don't know .. but I am not taking this sleeping pill " Manaya protested.

" fine .. I won't stay in this room now with you .. enough of this nonsense .. I need my sleep .. " Kush said and started picking up the pillow .

" Okay fine .. give me .. but don't shift your room " Manaya said .

He hugs her and creases her head until she fall asleep .

Being under influence of pill she was still in her sense but her body went numb , somniferous did affect her completely . She suddenly felt hand on her mouth and the pain went on more than what was shown in the movie , the more she tries to shout the more she cried but she didn't give up , she tries to scratch that person but her hands slipped near his neck and his necklace comes in her hand , she tries to remember whom it was but as she got to know she give up , the courageous girl  was broken by the fact that he was no one else but her own cousin Kush whom she loved and trusted a lot  . She pushed him away and got disbalanced and fell off the window . The last word she utter in pain was " there's a MONSTER IN MY HOUSE .

©Aditi Srivastava

Unfaded Ink

I clearly remember I was always instructed by everyone in my house not to write on walls or on closet , but I never listened to them; from fairies to dragons I had scribbled almost my every favourite cartoons on the walls and on closet and at the end of the day my elders scolds me whereas my mother ( Guardian Angle of my life ) makes me smile be telling how beautiful I made them.

Now I am grown up but I still loves to watch and draw them , I do in my note books and dairies . But there's slightly a different case now I draw them in a storyline manner , I picture a story in my mind and then give them words and later I draw . Its more exciting and fascinating then what I did in my childhood days .

Do you know my room walls have a dull shade of green which is not pleasing at all , one who visits asks me every time to change it because they didn't match with my personality , well they are no way wrong , but do they know in the mid of night the hidden creatures and scenes all come alive , I met and interact with different type of people some are tall some are short , some comes to me and tell their story which I writes and there are many stories I tell them . We all laugh , dance , sing , paint together and what not .

Every night my mom sneaks just to check me whether I am enjoying with my imaginary friends and my INK. My INK which is actually unstoppable  , unfaded and never spoil my papers .

After I writes , my pen blink at me in satisfaction , the paper smiled with joy and my imaginary friends who celebrate after my every write up .

So this is me and my romantically involved relationship with my INK which gives me hope and reason to live . When no one around it becomes my friend with whom I can chat for long hours , when I am sad I pour my heart with it on a paper , when I am happy I celebrate with my INK . Yes MY INK I love it .

My possession my passion , one who defines me .

Welcome to my world of words , my journey with my INK .

©Aditi Srivastava