Effusion - #awordeveryday

"You look lovely today" he said.
"Thank you. You're looking handsome too." she replied.

"Care to take a walk with me tonight?" he asked.
"Yes, of course." she blushed.

"You do know I want to spend my life with you, right?" he whispered.
"Do you know I do too?" she winked.

"I've written a song for you. Would you like to hear it?" he gleamed.
"Oh my! Yes of course." she gushed.

________

"CAN YOU BOTH STOP BARKING FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE?" Monisha shouted from inside her room.

"How will a human ever understand, the poetic effusion of dogs?" Tommy and Ginger sighed in sync and retired back to their respective kennels.

Repudiate - #awordeveryday

Days of being tied on a leash to a bus stand, he collapsed to his death. He lay there stiff and lifeless. People walked passed, but not a soul came forward to even dispose a dead corpse on the pavement. The rains showed no mercy either.

_____

After 24 hours of waiting, the baby cried. The parents rejoiced in joy and wept happy tears. The father looked out of the hospital window dreamily, as the rains lashed against the glass. He took a moment, folded his hands, and muttered a prayer thanking god for gifting him such a beautiful daughter.
_____

The same family that welcomed a life in the hospital, repudiated another at a bus stand.

Cuittle - #awordeveryday

She dawdled up her way to work, and as everyday routine demanded, she entered the washroom to freshen up. She walked in, washed her face, wiped it clean, took out her make-up box, and walked to the tall mirror. She stood in front of the mirror, utterly confused. She could not see herself! She stood there in shock not understanding the turn of events happening around her. What was wrong with the mirror? She could see the mirror, but the mirror was only reflecting the newly painted, lavender wall behind her.

She cuittled herself into believing she wasn't a ghost, and started talking very quickly to herself, "No Smitha, this is just a sign for to stop watching horror movies at night. You are probably imagining this!"

As she continued mumbling, a colleague strolled in. She acknowledged Smitha, greeted her, checked herself out in the mirror, and walked out. Smitha watched in utter shock. She washed her face and tried appearing in front of the mirror again. Nope, still couldn't find herself. Not even a trace.

This started driving her crazy and she started yelling at the lifeless mirror.

"SHUT UP, SMITHA, SHUT UP!" shouted a voice. It was her husband, Guru, who had woken her up because she was sleep-shouting. She woke up with a jolt, but promptly jumped out of bed and made sure to get a clear glimpse of herself in front of the mirror.

Maslin - #awordeveryday

'Vocalist of the year competition'

Shreya hastily walked up and down the garden singing her lines over and over again. No amount of practice seemed to suffice. Rahman was the judge, and this was going to be the scariest, yet the loveliest challenge.

"Contestant number 73: Shreya" the host announced, and all her friends hooted and cheered her way to the stage. Thus began the performance.

She cleared her throat, stole a quick glance of her favourite music director, shut her eyes,  and began with the first song. The song transported her to her childhood days, when this very same song would play on the radio first thing in the morning. Skillfully, she dived into the next song, upbeat in nature, which she and her brother would shout-sing sitting on their Tilak Street terrace. Eyes still shut, she could hear the crowd clap in beat with her. In a smooth transition, began the next track. The track that made her fall in love with the blue eyed boy in her college. Who also reciprocated her love. Till date. This song was composed for them. She opened her eyes strategically and made a 6 second eye contact with him. He smiled at her encouragingly. She then glided into her final song, one that she had looped over a million times, leaving her parents begging her to use the stop button.

She got off the stage, gleaming. All that mattered was that she sang to perfection, for what she had sung today was not just a medley of Rahman songs, but also a maslin of her life memories.

Indelible - #awordeveryday

From a world of darkness, to a world of colour. Sheela was terrified, but thrilled beyond reason. The sun shining, the pretty green leaves, the blanket that was keeping her warm, the hospital room, her favourite bag, her walking stick, television, her parents and husband, and most importantly, her precious daughter's charming face. She lived a blind life for 34 years, but not anymore. She yelled, wept and cried out loud in ecstasy.

She knew nothing about Priyanka, her donor, not even how she looks. But the indelible mark Priyanka had left on Sheela was undoubtedly the best gift ever.

Rident - #awordeveryday

"Cancer", said the reports.

 Her heart sunk. She could not watch her son die.

"Mourning will not help you, dear. Make his last few days, the best ever." her mother advised with all her heart.

Wiping a painful tear off her face, she took it upon herself to bring joy to little Adi's life. Gifts, surprises, parties, cakes, new clothes, trip to Disneyland, meet Rajnikanth, and what not.

Even when The End approached, the smile on his rident face never faded.

Peckish - #awordeverday

Miles away from her home, she fondly dreamt of her nani's rajma chawal.

"Famished", she thought to herself.

Reality check. Had to make-do with the rajma chawal she will have to whip up after a long day at work.

"Probably just peckish", she sighed to herself.

Her phone buzzed. 'Get home for dinner', her father ordered. Saturday, she remembered. Thought of the dreadful rajma chawal her step mother makes.

"No appetite at all", she confirmed to herself.

To her, hunger was nothing but a mere emotion.