modern death

As i entered Baroda city, a sense of fear took over...i looked out of the window from the jeep and saw what id been dreading for for the past week..Death..of a different kind...hundreds of people on the roads just inches away from me..treading on my personal space...street lights , head lights, hoardings flashing in front of my eyes; blinding me..honking of vehicles, sirens of ambulances, people screaming on the phone, radios blasting from everywhere; deafened me..the stench of humanity,the filthy air,the smokey cars and bikes;suffocated me..beggars tapping at somebody's car window,a dog writhing in pain, a woman hitting her kid as they crossed the road, buildings cramped in every centimeter of open space;killed me..


I saw death staring at me...and it grinned in absolute pleasure..for he knew that id seen him..and id been expecting him..i gazed up at the skies and saw endless black sheets stretching as far as the eye could see..where had all the stars gone?a couple of hours ago id seen the lilac skies give way to a deep blue speckled with millions and millions of silver dots..i looked around me and saw not one tree when just a hundred kilometers ago the streets had been lined with lush green trees forming a canopy ahead of me..tall and majestic, with shades of lime, olive and bottle green all on the same colour pallet... the road ahead of me spoke nothing but of man's disgust for nature..where as the place i was in only yesterday spilled over with the glory and power of the Creator..mountains of incredible height and splendid beauty...skies of mist..breeze that touched your soul..smells of grass and soil that filled your being with contentment..it felt like heaven...but as my eyes desperately searched for those soothing sights, my heart sank as i realized that concrete was the only thing man had to show off..everywhere i looked i saw columns of gray boasting of civilization and urbanity.


Is this all man was proud of? open skies hiding behind skyscrapers..people sheltered behind the four walls of their home..animals caged behind high walls..? i needed to get out..to break free from this place that made my insides churn..that squeezed at my lungs making it difficult to breathe..that tugged at my heart causing me to rethink where my life was going..is this where i wanted to grow up? in a world that raced towards a finish line that no longer existed? in a world that judged a man on the basis of what he had rather than what he needed? i needed answers..and i needed them fast... and then....i heard a voice in my head....."...the answer my friend is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind..."

the power of love

Megan sped past the countless oak trees not caring where she went."as long as I'm driving ,and driving away from him,I'm safe,”she thought to herself,her heart pounding and her sweaty hands gripping the steering wheel.

She drove on until she realized that she wasn’t being followed anymore.Catching her breath,she turned around in her seat to make sure she’d lost the black mini-van she’d been hiding from.

Resting her head on the steering wheel,Megan thought back to the day’s events that had led to this chase,with the devil on her trail.

The devil;that’s right.he was nothing less than that.Her uncle.Her mom’s own brother.Her ‘Uncle Pooh’.

Still in her car,Megan tried to remember how it had all begun.



It was her 3rd birthday when Uncle Jack had returned from China and brought her the most exquisite doll she’d ever seen,owned or imagined.With her big blue eyes and silky golden locks,she was Megan's most prized possession.And since then,Uncle Jack had been honoured with the title of her favourite television character-Pooh.

Uncle Pooh was nothing less than a fairy god mother.Birthdays,Christmases,Thanksgivings or any ordinary day,he would shower her with the most wonderful gifts.She was his favourite niece-he would always say.

When she was 10,Megan lost her father in a plane crash,leaving her and her mom to fend for themselves.She was devastated,but Uncle Pooh swooped in and accepted the role of unlce ‘dad’.

While her mom worked all day at a grocery store and some nights at the café across the street,Uncle Jack would look after Megan just as her own dad would’ve done.He loved her even more now,and was by her side at all times.

Megan’s mom was relieved.She knew that her little girl needed a father badly,and Jack was amazing with her.Little did she know how much he ‘truly’ loved Megan.

It was on her 13th birthday,after all her friends had gone home,that Megan sat on her bed and cried,missing her father. As she sobbed,she heard her bedroom door open,and Uncle Jack walked in.

“What is it,sweetheart?” he asked concerned.He sat beside her on the bed as Megan wiped her tears..

“Nothing,” she replied."Just that dad was always the first one to wish me on my birthday,and now….now he…” as she burst into tears again,Uncle Jack put his arms around her and consoled her.

“Shshh honey.Don’t cry.I’m here,aint I? You wont ever need anyone when I'm with you,” and he began to stroke her back gently.

A few moments later,as Megan stopped crying,she realized that Uncle Jack was holding her a little too tight,and his hand no longer felt soothing. She moved away,in an awkward moment, and he just smiled and left the room.

Since then,he was a regular visitor to her room.He’d come,under the pretext of looking out for her,and told her how special she was. Megan never screamed or complained to her mom,even though she hated what was happening.How could she?This was her Uncle Pooh.He wouldn’t harm her,would he?Besides, she couldn’t tell her mom. She wont believe her.

So Megan kept quiet,silently bearing her uncle’s moves and advances.They become more frequent and more intense.But there was nothing she could do about it. He kept saying”its because I love you so much”.

Her mom never found out about it.And maybe she never would’ve,if it hadn’t been for today.

She was 17 now,and after four years of being abused ,she had become a loner.She had no friends because she was afraid they would find out about her dirty secret.And it worked perfectly for Uncle Jack. He now had Megan all to himself.

Today she was home early as it was a Saturday.She went up to her room and buried herself in her books. Sure enough,after about half an hour later,Uncle Jack came to her room. Megan could tell he was drunk.

“Wish me baby girl,” he said coming to sit beside her on her bed. “Its my birthday.Wont you give me my present today?” he smiled disgustingly and leaned on top of her. And like all the other times,Uncle Jack would’ve had his way this time too.

But something in Megan head snapped. And she knew the time had come. This was too much. She couldn’t take it any longer. She had to get away.

As she tried to search for some kind of weapon on the bed stand,her hand reached for the metal jug of water that was always there.

In one swift move,she caught the jug and with all her might swung it at Uncle Jack's head.

Groaning in pain,he moved away from Megan, and that was all the time she needed to shove him off of her and flee from the room.

She ran straight out the door only stopping to grab the car keys.She heard him running in the house,and knowing she didn’t have any time to spare, she ran to the car.

As she put her car into gear,she heard Uncle Jack’s car start as well. She pulled out of the drive way, not stopping or caring for the morning traffic.

With the minivan close behind her, Megan tried her best to get away from the crazy man driving it.

After almost an hour of driving around town,Megan had finally lost him.

As she sat in her car now,she knew what she had to do.She had waited too long,and never again would she let it happen another time.

Taking a deep breath,she reached for her cell phone.

Quickly dialing,she waited for the person on the other end to pick up.

A woman with a calm voice spoke,”this is 911.What is your emergency?”

Megan swallowed hard,but with all the courage she could muster,she clearly said “ I’ve been raped.”

- -----------*************-----------

damsel in distress

As I stood there, at the break of dawn, I saw her; looking as elegant as she’d always been .If it were possible, she seemed even more beautiful today. In her endless gown that hid her feet, the sunlight caught the exquisite contour of her shape. The sapphire dress in its countless layers, were lined with hints of emerald. She looked like a rare gem, too precious to touch. Her dainty arms outstretched on either side, emerging from the white cottony cuffs of her sleeves. Her angelic face was tilted towards the sun, her big aquamarine eyes with its long eyelashes looking up at the heavens. her full round lips were whispering something soft and mysterious, as though chanting an ancient charm .Her locks of gold were blowing in the gentle breeze, giving her a goddess-like appearance. She looked magnificent.

But suddenly, something changed.

The wind began to hiss in a menacing tone, and her soft whispers turned into a piercing scream. I saw her beautiful face transform right before my eyes. Her eyes were a dark shade of gray now, looking with vengeance around her. Her hair slapped around her face, caught in damp locks. Her rosy cheeks were streaked with tears of anger. Her immaculate dress that once resembled a jewel was now dappled with spots of grime, dust and sand. Torn at the seams, it was now ragged and black. Her arms were moving wildly in every direction, restless and agitated.

Her wrath was frightening. No one should’ve been anywhere near her, and I realized this just in time. Maybe it was best to leave her alone. It would be foolish to stay and be caught in her rage.

Never before had I seen the SEA like this.