IN SEARCH OF ME

SHE is a Myth found not in pages;
Heaven on earth confined in clouds’ cages;
Queen of mounts, swaying for ages;
By the wave of wands in the hands of mages;

Mount RORAIMA, A forgotten World, a floating isle plateau seated 7671 above the Forest floor, is surrounded by three different countries Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana whose borderlines intersect on the massive shelf, with all four sides being sheer 400-meter high cliffs. It is called as Tepui by the local inhabitants, means “House of Gods” and also the natives fear venturing up onto the plateau due to legends regarding ptero…”

The sudden blow of breeze breached my tent-castle caressing my senses, making me stop the account on mount Roraima in the middle. Closing the diary I came out of the tent to get enfogged by the vista in front of me. “No wonder it inspired Arthur Conan Doyle in writing his The Lost World. This place is magical, paradise in earth” I looked at the world beneath me standing on the edge of the floating isle, indeed at the top of the world, out of all the confinements that chained me once. It has been six years since my divorce and start of my career as a travel journalist. ‘A Star Journalist’, people of my kind used to call me.
The sun has set but his rays hesitating to leave this paradise remained spreading its hands to barricade the entrance of darkness into the prominence. I went back to the campfire near the tent and sat on the stone bench. On the other side I could see two other tents and a guide talking to the folks in the blue tent beside the peech one. Looking at their outfits I deduced that they might be hikers from some other country. I took out my wallet and looked at the picture of my father. A smile crept on my face; “I want to see all the beautiful places in the world” my only dream from childhood which I used to tell my father whenever he asked about my ambition. I have been to most of the places, beautiful and dangerous, in the world. But this place fascinated me like no other, the mystic beauty and the majestic view bestowed a spectacular feast to the eyes and heart. Waterfalls filling down sheer cliff faces into clouds, Labyrinths of stone pinnacles, Valleys carpeted with crystals, Carnivorous pitcher plants, Exquisite rare orchids, seated right above the Amazon forest. Everything in this place delighted me. It took two days’ continuous walk to reach the plateau , my excitement amplified with each steps in a ramp-like path that led me to the dream-land.


Travel never exhausted me, instead augments my thirst for adventure and filled me with contentment . As I took a light supper and sat near the campfire looking at the sky, I saw the guide approaching me. “Hola Senora, como puedo ayudarte?” he’s a wheat-complexed, tall and gigantic man with a fine physic. One cannot claim that he’s handsome due to his lop-sided mouth and a strange structure of his face. “Hello sir, I’m Zoya and sorry I don’t speak Spanish. Do you know English?” “ye ye Senora, I speak Engleesh. I Carlos, local guid. Ow can I elp you?” He asked with the deep voice struggling with the language. “Everything is good here sir, thank you” I replied trying to decode the guide’s odd expression. “Senorita Soya, I vill be stayving in the peach color tent near the blue von. Any elp wantad cal me” “Ok Mr. Carlos, Good night” “buenas noches” he left the place bowing to me.


Sleep seemed distant now. This place’s echoing silence occupied my thoughts. Not interested to resume my account I decided to explore the flat hill. The only light that illuminated the place is the lamp that set outside the hikers’ tent. I strode in the opposite direction of tents and walked to the stone pinnacles, a self-constructed labyrinth. It appeared as if a man-eating flora pretending to sleep to lure the prey. I took my mobile and switched on the torch to find the path in dark. After walking for another half-an hour deep into the maze, I comprehended that I’m in fact is not alone and chose to get back to the tent. All the directions looked alike and uneasiness gripped my spirit. “Is there anyone else here?” I could sense my voice shivering. No response. Might be my hallucination. I turned back and resumed my journey in a direction which seemed unfamiliarly familiar. “I must be foolish to do this, wandering in an unknown place that too at the middle of the night” chiding myself I increased my pace hoping to get out of the mess now I am in. I stepped in the stone stair hitting the rock nearby falling straight down the bush making my mobile flutter away. I landed in something soft yet viscous. I tried moving my right leg in vain and found that it is entangled in a thing which looked like a creeper, but exceptionally sturdy. I felt my leg getting throttled, also my other leg and hands too. I struggled against the strangling vine and shouted in a hope of getting saved.

“You should not have come alone” I heard a voice from behind. There stood a man in the darkness, an axe in his hands. I yelled in fear and pain as the man with bright blue eyes and archaic physic came near me. The vine reached my neck and I started gasping for air. He leisurely took hold of the vine and started cutting. His face so divine and calm. My heart skipped a beat. “You’re free now. Thank your stars that I’m here. Follow me now, I’ll take you outside” “But what is that thing, that tried to choke me” “It is Jimson weed; it not only strangles but create hallucinations and respiratory depression and kills people”. I followed him like Mary’s little lamb not even wanting to Know who he is. “Look there, your tent. Now go and get some sleep Zoya” “I don’t remember telling you my name sir” I responded with a surprise. “Even I don’t remember you thanking me for saving your life” he replied sarcastically as I blinked in awe “THANK YOU”

Ammachi

Ammachi, I cannot walk a step more” Ponni, folding her hands, stubbornly sat down in the mud, sweating profusely due to heat and long journey. “Ponni, it’s noon already. We might lose the last bus to marudhai” ammachi told looking at the sun over their heads. She noticed the protest and weariness in Ponni’s face, it might be hectic for a nine-year old child but the only concern now is to save Ponni from the ordeal, which ruined, her daughter, Ponni’s mother. On hearing the devastating news, ammachi, without any delay, took the sleeping Ponni in her shoulders, some money and things in a bundle and left their home.

Ammachi opened the bundle she’s carrying, and gave some sundal and kolukattai to Ponni. After resuming their journey Ponni walked inserting her tiny fingers into ammachi’s copper bangle and her heart went back to her village and Panguni Thiruvizha. She suddenly remembered her mother taking Mulaipaari to temple. “Ammachi, you said mother will join us before dusk. Why she hasn’t come yet?” Ammachi’s eyes moistened at once but wiping the tears unknown to Ponni, she stopped near a pond. As they both refreshed themselves, Ponni looked at her ammachi’s wrinkled but resolute face. They crossed the pudhu kulam, observing the sun retiring from the tiring day allowing the darkness to engulf their hearts. After two hours of walking they reached the town-road.

Thambi, ippo marudhaiku bus iruka” “innum aramani aagum aatha. Vandha solludhen” Ammachi sat down on the stone alongside the road lost in her thoughts and Ponni too sat keeping her head in Ammachi’s lap “if we were in home, mother would have sung a lullaby for me to sleep” Ponni’s complaining voice strangely echoed in ammachi’s ears as she recalled Muthu informing about Ponni’s mother’s disappearance, like many of our people. And she already knew what Muthu was telling her “Aatha, they are planning to make our Ponni, the next Krishna-dasi

Star of my skies
Open not, your eyes

Twilight of thy night
Fear not, here is your Knight

Blue-Moon in Guise
In the Field of my Paradise
Close your little gem eyes
So, Heavens may rise
To bless you twice

Star of my skies
Open not, your eyes
Pearl of my wise
Break through the ties

Twilight of thy night
Fear not, here is your Knight
Give up not, without a fight
Morrow, Sun may see your might.

As I lay dying…

As I lay dying in the dimly lit extensive chamber with towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting a long black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place, blood spurted out of my body in torrents, streaming over the marbled floor in this once-spectacular-secret-chamber of my master and his venerable ancestor.


Even though I deem dying for my master as a greatest of all honors, I cannot help mourning my end. It’s awful. As you may see, the poisonous fang of Basilisk, the great green serpent of my master’s venerable ancestor with bright colored yellow eyes that could kill the victim the moment he/she/it looks at it (unfortunately, it managed to kill only one mad Myrtle girl fifty years ago and all other so-called victims of this useless Basilisk are just petrified, much to my master’s dismay), had punctured my heart with its venom making a sizzling hole in the middle of my chest not only slaughtering me but also my master, who writhed in unbearable agony and died by disappearing into mist, which I had to confess with an unendurable torment.

I was overwhelmed when I saw my master screaming out of pain seeing the Potter boy plunging the fang straight into my torso, causing me and my master a great deal of misery. I was always proud of containing and concealing my master’s memory that too for fifty years but when I came to know that I’m one of the seven Horcruxes, in the sixth part of the Harry Potter collection: The Half Blood Prince, (I heard about Horcruxes when I was laying in the Dumbledore’s table in his beautifully illuminated office alongside the Gryffindor Sword and some burned broken stone.

The Head Master pointed out to me and the inglorious stone with his half blackened left hand and told the Potter boy about my master splitting his esteemed soul to attain immortality and stowed in seven peculiar powerful objects) I was hurt. But still I was pleased to know I’m the first Horcrux. But I don’t go boosting about it. You know that.
You may even think I’m less significant comparing the other things that made a Horcrux, as the objects except me are precious on its own, like the Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw which is said to be the key of powerful knowledge and wisdom, the Locket of Slytherin household, The Resurrection Stone in the Marvolo Gaunt’s Ring, one of the Deathly Hallows, unknown to my master, who made it a Horcrux due to his lack of knowledge, the Helga Hufflepuff’s Cup and his supposed favorite Nagini, the Snake (which was to die ashamedly by the hands of silly Neville Longbottom at the last chapter of the last part of the Novel), and the seventh Horcrux, that even my master never knew till his death, is the Potter boy himself, but even though I’m not valuable like them I’m so special for my master as not only I’m offered with his soul but also with the memories he admired a lot, which other Horcruxes deprived of.


Now I was left all alone in this chamber to bereave my death myself. The only sound in the chamber is the drip drip of the ink still oozing out of my pierced diary pages. Beside me lying dead is the giant serpent Basilisk whose body coiled, his eyes poked and punctured by the singing phoenix bird Fawkes and killed by the potter boy who drove the Gryffindor Sword to the hilt right into the roof of the serpent’s mouth.

Wait! Wait! I hope you haven’t read the Second part: Harry Potter and the Chamber of the Secrets because the muggle-born Rowling might mislead you by weaving a tale of me having stuffed into the old filthy sock and presented to Mr. Lucius Malfoy just to free the traitor Dobby, an elf, much to my apprehension, which I consider to be a greatest disgrace for a well-regarded pure-blood Horcrux like me.

PS: Excuse me for not telling my master’s name as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

PEARL INSIDE THE OYESTER

I, Pearl inside the oyester,

Concealed

In the depth of

Darkness

Wrapped by the sea

Unknown

I, Pearl inside the oyester,

A possession

Neither loved nor admired.

Accessoriezed.

I, pearl inside the oyester,

Befriended by Solitude

I was told I don’t belong

To the breed who veil the untold

I, pearl inside the oyester,

Concealed

Still Conceals the disguised.

I, pearl inside the oyester,

Dazzles in Darkness

Concealed… Conceals…

I, pearl INSIDE the oyester.

WOODS

WOODS


Hello!” I answered my friend’s call as I sat in the posh couch on the balcony of our farm house located at the center of our estate, which my husband inherited from his father, is situated in the hilly forest area of Dehradun, thirty five miles away from Mussoorie where we live now. As I comforted myself with the cup of tea, in the purple colored cushion couch with the yellow embroidery made in linen, I gazed at the snowflakes from my terrace, it is the mid-winter late-night and Dehradun is known for frequent snowfalls, disappearing into the darkness. “What made you call me at this time? Is that anything that I could do for you?” I asked Misha after sharing the pleasantries. “Nothing special Anne. It had been a quite long time, so thought of catching up with you” “oh” I replied. As she started her natter I got engulfed by something else. This place has always been a reason for my curiosity, more than its peculiarity and grandeur; it is the myth that whirls around the dark forests of Dehradun fascinated me. As I vaguely glanced through the pages of a book, sat over the glass top of a rectangular table made of redwood, named The secrets of Dehradun: Life(s) in the Woods, in which a few lines in the page three caught my attention “It is believed that, even today, in the heart of the woods, there are dark creatures like werewolves and vampires living invisible and invincible. They are said to be existing in the other side of the Guchhu pani river also known as Robbers cave which is prohibited for human purpose and it is also supposed that the human vicinity is forbidden for those creatures to enter”. It is the last copy of the book that has been written by a Historiographer Thomas Dean, which is said to have written in the 18th century. The original manuscript and the unpublished copies of this book had been destroyed by a fire accident in Dean’s house which also killed him. This tale is recounted by an old Librarian of the District Library of Dehradun, from whom I got this copy for 50000 rupees, had possessed this book which he claimed that his fore father got it from the ruins of Dean’s house and till now it has been their family inheritance. This book had burnt marks in most of its pages; its hard cover had been blackened by fire but couldn’t diminish the glory of gold impression in the title that seems to be etched instead of printed. I took a sip of my tea from the gold plated antique brass cup and tried listening to Misha’s batter without actually listening. The snow fall is becoming heavy, so I took my copy of The secrets of Dehradun: life(s) in the woods in my right hand and holding my mobile near my left ear, I walked through the lobby to the fireplace to escape the bitter cold. This place has always been my favorite, the paintings of Da Vinci, Gustav Klim, Ravi Varma and Rembrandt hanged over the walls, are my husband’s collection. He being the adherent fanatic of antique things and art works gets his hand in every possible precious item that he happens to comes across. The one that magnetized me is the facsimile of The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, an amazing artwork by the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn of Seventeenth century. It is a seascape which illustrates the miracle of Christ calming the tempest on the Sea of Galilee. The vicious waves symbolize, to me, the unsettled emotions of human mind that ruins the journey. Like the tempest had been tamed by the Christ, one’s wavering thoughts has to be restrained to impose peace. The warmth begun enfogging me as I sat near the Fireplace and to increase the heat I fed few more logs to the flames and stirred slightly causing the fire to roar and devour. I felt a strange sense of dread mounting inside me. It may be due to the exhaustion after an elongated day. I desperately needed a deep slumber and never wanted to be awake at all and it dawned to me that I could not rely on Misha to end the conversation. I have to take the matter in my hands “Are you done with your gossips Misha”? I halted her banter finally giving up on her. It has been thirty minutes, still she’s blabbering, not even bothering to know whether I’m listening or not. “Yeah yeah, But you didn’t tell me what you have been doing these days?” Misha inquired not wanting to stop the conversation. I could not help rolling my eyes. “Misha, it’s indeed a long day. I think I need some sleep and the time is already fifteen past twelve” my voice could not suppress my frustration. “But why not some more time… let us talk na.. pleaseee.” “Mishh…” “Hey Anne what’s that sound” she intruded me. This girl is impossible. What all she’s doing to keep me chatting. “Misha that will do, I’m going to disconnect the call. Now you sleep and let me sleep” “Anna I’m not lying, don’t you hear anything. I could hear someone singing. Is anyone else home except you?” I knew at once that she’s not lying, when she repeated her question I could manage only to utter “No” not because of the quivering in Misha’s voice but the echoing sound nearing behind me. A dreadful chillness ran over my spines as if the warmth in the place has been drained and a mysterious fear gripped my heart. I could feel my heart throbbing traitorously but no more could sense my breath. I stood rooted in the place still holding on to my dear phone and life, waiting for this disembodied unhuman voice, shrilling over the walls of my house to reach me, and hoping beyond the hopes that it is indeed a terrible dream that I would wake up anytime soon. “Who’s that Anne?” Misha’s anxious voice ringed in my ears but could not find my voice. The hum, ghostly than before, not exactly a song, made my nerves shudder. I tried dreadfully recalling something about the lines I’m hearing now. I know it is nothing to do with my way out of this crisis but I comprehended through the words that it is a poem of Robert Frost Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening but not with the exact lines as I heard the appalling voice singing more clearly than ever…

The woods are lovely, dark and deep
I have promises to keep
And seconds to go before you sleep
Only seconds remain before I could make you sleep

To be continued