What Could Have Been The Prologue (or Chapter 0) of My Novel
About a couple of years ago, I had started writing a novel. I couldn't move beyond a couple of chapters, as I was pursuing an internship that was really a hectic one and then some other things consumed me.
Today, I am presenting you with something, that could have been a prologue to that book, or as we electronics engineers prefer to call it, the chapter zero. But this is not just a blog post, it's more of a question: How good/bad I am at writing? And I am seeking an answer from all of you. So please read it carefully, give your honest feedbacks through your comments and also share it, so that I can get more feedbacks. Without consuming more time, let me present, perhaps, the biggest question of the world:
Where am I? A beach? Oh yes, a beach. This beach looks so ravishing in the moonlight. Actually, every beach looks ravishing in such a shining moonlight. Or maybe, this moon couldn’t stop itself from spreading his silver light when he looked in the blueness of this soothing sea. Silver moon romances with this blue blue sea. At the same time, this serene beach also invites sea to share secrets of its heart. It seems like they are all quarrelling, but they are actually not. Sea is drinking the moonlight and sharing it with this still as a monk beach. Moonlight illuminates these sand grains and tides swallow this shining sand. Sea acts like a link between moon and beach. And then all three of them converse with each other for the whole night, through the secret language of dancing moonlight, shining sand and singing tides. Just like the three people sitting over there.
By the way, who are those people? I’ve been standing here and drinking this moonlight for some time and they have not even noticed me. And what are they doing at this deserted beach at such a late time of the night? I guess I should check them out.
Taking cautious steps, as I am walking towards them, I’m also trying to recognise them. They are just sitting on such an isolated beach, like a sparrow in a
desert. And just like that sparrow, they don’t care about their surroundings. And their belongings also. Its been a long time since I’ve seen someone so carelessly put their cells on a beach, even though water is slowly advancing towards them, ready to kiss them at any moment. Just as it is kissing their feet. Kissing and then shying back to sea, and then again coming to kiss them. The intimating romance between those tides and their feet is at peak now.
Maybe I know them, or maybe I don’t. I am just failing to recognise them. Everything is so blurred. I guess this naughty wind has filled my eyes with some sand. Even as now I have reached to their back, I can only see three blurred figures. Now I can least hear what they are speaking. Not clearly, but yes, I can hear a bit.
“Stands there a hopeless heart”
“Wow, you speak so nice......”
“ You should.... my..... advice.”
“..... I was thinking...”
“.......”
“Uhh?”
“I want to say .......something....”
“.....”
“I ...”
And before knowing anything, a dim light started piercing my eyes. Actually, not one, there are two glows of light in front of me. I am just unable to see anything. Feels like my head is getting heavy. Feels like I am fainting? Am I falling? What is happening?
I removed the heavy load of a blanket from my body. I was sweating so badly. That too in such a cold January night. Actually, Pune has a strange climate. Sometimes it even rains in December and July feels like a May. And my weather app never gives me the right information.
It seems like someone is ringing my doorbell. I checked my wristwatch. I have a bad habit of wearing a wristwatch every time. While sleeping, cooking, playing, just every time. I learned that I should not wear it while having a bath after wrecking 1 of my beloved watches and so it’s the only time when I keep it away from me.
Well, my watch is saying that it is about 5 o’clock in the morning. That’s strange, not even a single boy of
my hostel wakes up before 12. Sleep is much more important than boring Mechatronics lectures. Dreams are more important than stupid Microcontroller lab sessions. 5 is certainly not a wake-up time for any of these boys. Who the heck must be ringing the bell?
“Ting tong.” It’s constantly ringing now. After what has happened over few days, I am a bit afraid to open the door. But I guess I have to open it. I decided to get up. Grabbing the handle with my so-cold-and-shaky hands, I opened the door.
“I’ve been ringing this bloody bell for over 5 minutes now. What the hell were you doing, moron?
I recognised that loud voice. Siddhesh, or should I say Sid, my cousin. And my best friend as well. He is one of the most practical persons I have ever met. Born prodigy. But what is he doing here? He is supposed to be in the Mumbai right now, doing his research in neurophysics or something, pursuing his dream to be a scientist. Or maybe, I know why he is here.
“Why are you staring at me, ha? Am I a ghost or what? Least let me in.”
“Oh, sorry bro. Just step in. Give me your bag and sit down. I’ll make a nice hot coffee for you.”
As I take his bag, I realise that it is really very heavy. What is he carrying in it? I guess I should not
peek in it and keep it beside my bed. He sat on my bed and I went in to make some coffee.
“Take this bro, a strong coffee, with no milk, and extra sugar, just as you like. Now tell me, why are you here?”
“Well, you know it. Don’t you?”
“Yeah, I do. But seriously bro, I am not mad or insane or just making up stories, like all must have told you. It was all real. That feeling I had, was real.”
“Hold on, hold on. I know you inside out. Chill. I trust you. I came here just to hear it all from you. Tell it to me.”
“Okay. Where should I start from? It’s just a story of a day.”
“Start from the very beginning, my dear brother. Tell me everything. When did it happen?”
“29th of December 2015. How can I forget that day? It changed my entire life.”
Today, I am presenting you with something, that could have been a prologue to that book, or as we electronics engineers prefer to call it, the chapter zero. But this is not just a blog post, it's more of a question: How good/bad I am at writing? And I am seeking an answer from all of you. So please read it carefully, give your honest feedbacks through your comments and also share it, so that I can get more feedbacks. Without consuming more time, let me present, perhaps, the biggest question of the world:
Chapter zero
Where am I? A beach? Oh yes, a beach. This beach looks so ravishing in the moonlight. Actually, every beach looks ravishing in such a shining moonlight. Or maybe, this moon couldn’t stop itself from spreading his silver light when he looked in the blueness of this soothing sea. Silver moon romances with this blue blue sea. At the same time, this serene beach also invites sea to share secrets of its heart. It seems like they are all quarrelling, but they are actually not. Sea is drinking the moonlight and sharing it with this still as a monk beach. Moonlight illuminates these sand grains and tides swallow this shining sand. Sea acts like a link between moon and beach. And then all three of them converse with each other for the whole night, through the secret language of dancing moonlight, shining sand and singing tides. Just like the three people sitting over there.
By the way, who are those people? I’ve been standing here and drinking this moonlight for some time and they have not even noticed me. And what are they doing at this deserted beach at such a late time of the night? I guess I should check them out.
Taking cautious steps, as I am walking towards them, I’m also trying to recognise them. They are just sitting on such an isolated beach, like a sparrow in a
desert. And just like that sparrow, they don’t care about their surroundings. And their belongings also. Its been a long time since I’ve seen someone so carelessly put their cells on a beach, even though water is slowly advancing towards them, ready to kiss them at any moment. Just as it is kissing their feet. Kissing and then shying back to sea, and then again coming to kiss them. The intimating romance between those tides and their feet is at peak now.
Maybe I know them, or maybe I don’t. I am just failing to recognise them. Everything is so blurred. I guess this naughty wind has filled my eyes with some sand. Even as now I have reached to their back, I can only see three blurred figures. Now I can least hear what they are speaking. Not clearly, but yes, I can hear a bit.
“Stands there a hopeless heart”
“Wow, you speak so nice......”
“ You should.... my..... advice.”
“..... I was thinking...”
“.......”
“Uhh?”
“I want to say .......something....”
“.....”
“I ...”
And before knowing anything, a dim light started piercing my eyes. Actually, not one, there are two glows of light in front of me. I am just unable to see anything. Feels like my head is getting heavy. Feels like I am fainting? Am I falling? What is happening?
*****
I opened my eyes. That dream again. It was the third time in the week now. Maybe I should keep a track of it, I’ll certainly complete a half century in no time. And maybe a century as well.I removed the heavy load of a blanket from my body. I was sweating so badly. That too in such a cold January night. Actually, Pune has a strange climate. Sometimes it even rains in December and July feels like a May. And my weather app never gives me the right information.
It seems like someone is ringing my doorbell. I checked my wristwatch. I have a bad habit of wearing a wristwatch every time. While sleeping, cooking, playing, just every time. I learned that I should not wear it while having a bath after wrecking 1 of my beloved watches and so it’s the only time when I keep it away from me.
Well, my watch is saying that it is about 5 o’clock in the morning. That’s strange, not even a single boy of
my hostel wakes up before 12. Sleep is much more important than boring Mechatronics lectures. Dreams are more important than stupid Microcontroller lab sessions. 5 is certainly not a wake-up time for any of these boys. Who the heck must be ringing the bell?
“Ting tong.” It’s constantly ringing now. After what has happened over few days, I am a bit afraid to open the door. But I guess I have to open it. I decided to get up. Grabbing the handle with my so-cold-and-shaky hands, I opened the door.
“I’ve been ringing this bloody bell for over 5 minutes now. What the hell were you doing, moron?
I recognised that loud voice. Siddhesh, or should I say Sid, my cousin. And my best friend as well. He is one of the most practical persons I have ever met. Born prodigy. But what is he doing here? He is supposed to be in the Mumbai right now, doing his research in neurophysics or something, pursuing his dream to be a scientist. Or maybe, I know why he is here.
“Why are you staring at me, ha? Am I a ghost or what? Least let me in.”
“Oh, sorry bro. Just step in. Give me your bag and sit down. I’ll make a nice hot coffee for you.”
As I take his bag, I realise that it is really very heavy. What is he carrying in it? I guess I should not
peek in it and keep it beside my bed. He sat on my bed and I went in to make some coffee.
“Take this bro, a strong coffee, with no milk, and extra sugar, just as you like. Now tell me, why are you here?”
“Well, you know it. Don’t you?”
“Yeah, I do. But seriously bro, I am not mad or insane or just making up stories, like all must have told you. It was all real. That feeling I had, was real.”
“Hold on, hold on. I know you inside out. Chill. I trust you. I came here just to hear it all from you. Tell it to me.”
“Okay. Where should I start from? It’s just a story of a day.”
“Start from the very beginning, my dear brother. Tell me everything. When did it happen?”
“29th of December 2015. How can I forget that day? It changed my entire life.”
Comments
Post a Comment