BELIEF

That night was dark and lonely. The grave silence of night was seldom disturbed by the howling of wolves. The blustering night of December had made everyone to remain in their homes. The night has made even the soldiers to remain in their camps. They were sleeping unaware about the danger that was crossing the border. Suddenly there was an explosion. Boom… everyone was shocked and baffled by this sudden attack. There was a situation of panic among the soldiers. At that time Captain Rajveer and Captain Shekhar had taken the charge to counterblast. Suddenly Rajveer was dumbstruck as he saw a grenade had just exploded beside Shekhar and made his body topple in the air. He ran towards him without wasting a moment elbowing the firings.

             Five years back in their college Rajveer and Shekhar were the best friends. Their friendship was famous all over the college. But there was one more peculiar thing that was famous about Rajveer. And it was his dilemma when he had been given the choices. Every time it was Shekhar who took him out from such situations. That’s why Rajveer was totally dependent on Shekhar for his own decisions. It was Shekhar’s decision to join army. Earlier Rajveer was a little skeptical about joining the army but as usual to escape the situation of making his own choice he rather accept the Shekhar’s decision. After two years of training in national defense academy both of them were posted in Drass sector Jammu, one of the most crucial and critical army bases. In the camp also even the officer’s were aware about Rajveer’s this peculiar habit.

               As Rajveer reached to Shekhar he had almost lost his nerve. But as he saw Rajveer he smiled and utters his last words in his best friend’s ear. Then suddenly another grenade exploded beside them separating the two friends forever.

           After two days when Rajveer woke up in the hospital he found his officer sitting beside him. His officer then asked him, “Rajveer I thought you might not be able to choose between yours life and your friend’s life. How did you make that tough decision so easily contradicting your own behavior”? Rajveer smiled and replied, “Belief sir, Shekhar had a belief on me that I would come to him breaking all my dilemmas and he told me the same thing that, “I know you would come, and now I can die with a satisfaction that my friend has overcome his weakness” and that drove me to him”

SOWMYA VERMA,

LITERARY MEMBER,

IBC

GIVE THEM SOME SUNSHINE!

“A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.”

                                        ~Diane Mariechild

“If you are killing a child, just because it’s a girl; you aren’t doing anything wrong. Even some Cannibal tribes do the same thing.”

                   ~ Anonymous

“It has been 6 months since I have first formed into a zygote. I’m so excited! Just three more months, and I’ll be feeling the first breath of the mortal world. My father would be taking me into the loving hands of his and that would be the moment when I’ll stop crying! Just can’t wait for his kiss, which would be the most precious one of my life. Then my Mom would slowly open her eyes, forgetting all the pain she beared for the past 9 months, and she would be crying- this time, out of happiness. My sister would be jumping out of happiness knowing that she got a buddy for life. All the love, all the care, all the craziness of this world is waiting me. No matter how mad you people are and no matter how many troubles I have to face in my life, I am ready to be one of you!

  These were my dreams, until yesterday. But now, I’m helpless. I overheard the conversation of my parents last night. They went to a hospital and from the tests, came to know that I’m a girl. I was overflowing with joy, knowing this. So, I am going to add to the beauty and serenity of the world. I am a girl and so I am the best. But my heart sank as they continued their discussion. My dad was against me(being born). All of a sudden I became an enemy to him. He said to mom “We can’t raise two girls. There’s no option for us but for you to undergo abortion! And do it as early as possible.”

“Am I a mission that gone wrong, to be aborted? I am a child, I am a soul and above all I AM YOUR DAUGHTER, memento of your love on mom. Dear dad, no need of an abortion. I am already dead in my heart!”

Next day, I felt scissors piercing my body and cutting me off. As I was being operated out, I felt the sun rays touching my feet and that was the last feeling I’ve felt. I didn’t even get to see how it looks like to be out in the sunshine! I am very glad that I’m not going to be a part of this creepy minded world. But I hope my fellow girls survive their race into the world, unlike me!”

Salutes to every person who realise that killing a girl child is no less crime than killing your mother and shame on those who don’t get this!

STATS:

v It estimated that more than ten million female foetuses have been illegally aborted in India.

v Researchers for the Lancet journal based in Canada and India stated that 500,000 girls were being lost annually through sex selective abortions.

v In 2011, 15,000 Indian women were bought and sold as brides in areas where foeticide has led to a lack of women.

v Arvind Kumar, an official in the Hyderabad district enforced the PCPNDT Act after taking over in 2004. He investigated all 389 diagnostic clinics in the city and took action. 361 ultrasound scan centres were issued notices for non-compliance with the PCPNDT Act and the licenses of 91 centres were cancelled.

A DROPLET LOST IN OCEAN

A divorce is like an amputation: you survive it, but there's less of you.

                                                                               ~ Margaret Atwood.

Children must be considered in a divorce considered valuable pawns in the nasty legal and financial contest that is about to ensue.
                                                                                 ~P.J.O’Rourke.

   The pearls of water ran down the lonely corner of my bedroom window...it seemed as if the heaven was a witness and was feeling every ounce of my pain and anxiety...The sky is crying with me, sitting at the corner of the room with dead toys and estranged fantasies when suddenly the door cracked open with a loud shriek and a sturdy black figure stepped inside... it was the end of the life I've known by now... everything was about to change after i leave this room…the room where I've spent 16 years of my life, my house that no longer was mine, every material that had no meaning by now was getting alive and were equally remorseful and were begging me not to leave.

The man demanded me to pack my bags. He was an official sent by High Court to take me to my mother who was living in Shimla now, so far away from here. She decided to live in Shimla, that was more of similar to Nainital so that I would feel comfortable and easy to settle down. But this place- the same one where every morning i woke up listening the musical alarm of monal, the exquisite food lavishly prepared by Kalpana aunty, the dining table where me, ma and papa had food together spiced with love and affection...my school, my friends... I was leaving everything behind of me ...the flowers in my garden were blooming less today. The clear blue sky, the view of Naini lake from my terrace, the flowers in steps of my garden, the houses of my neighbours ,their smiles; the flamboyance around my home, my life was missing...merely the thought of leaving this place shivered my nerves and me to the bowels of my heart...More of not the place but leaving my father behind made me paranoid...i was so heavy at heart...today I realised that how it feels to be parched ,estranged from your life...

My life had been this way for past few months now...the day i was in melee of my dream world lying in my cosy bed lingering on my soft pillow underneath my heavy blanket in a cold December night while it was snowy outside...i was dreaming of ma's special rajma chawal and kheer...her extravagance made the food all the more special ... i woke up with the disturbing sounds reaching my ears from outside of my bedroom...a horizon of light was peeping inside of my room from the bottom opening as if calling me to watch out, it was the sound of my mom and dad....the light of living room was opened and a heavy discussion was going on and I could barely understand what they were talking about but the voices grew louder and louder and never ended... I slowly stepped down my bed and tiptoed myself to the door, as I reached there the voice grew louder and louder. I silently turned down handle of the door making minimum sound possible and peeped my eyes out of the small opening ...and what i saw shifted the earth beneath me earthquaking my life forever...the two figures ,my role models, the impeccable part of my life, were shouting, screaming and fighting with each other disrespectfully ...

'You have ruined my life and drained every happiness i had'...

'Neither you have been a good wife....

'you don’t respect me and my needs all you care about is yourself'...

i couldn’t listen anymore, a tide of tears ran down from the corner of my eyes to the corner of my mouth and jumped to the wooden floor...what i thought was a heated argument was not really one, it was a fight...the voices were loud but i cannot listen to it anymore...I had to shut the panels of my ears tightly through my hands...but i could see still see the hatred in their eyes for each other...

i wanted to step outside the room and stop them, hug them both, stop what all was happening there and bring an end to this horrible nightmare, but i was numb, so numb to move or react. Then I heard a loud thunder that broke the commotion of my thoughts and brought me back to my room... I saw my mom on the floor descending to herself, one hand on her right cheek, tears rolling down her eyes, in no moment I knew what has happened. I shrieked loud ,busted the room door open and ran down to her...I held her shivering body, she turned her face away from me. The room shut silent, my demanding eyes were questioning them pleading for answers. But they buried their eyes on the floor, none of them looked at me. I wanted to scream and ask them what all it was? What happened? Why did it happen? Why my beautiful, happy world was diminished? Silence echoed the room, finally i gathered all my strength and said 'Ma, are you...'

but before i could complete my sentence, she stood up and dried her reckless tears...with a wrecked heart she took her overcoat from robe stand ,while covering her cold body with it she walked towards the front door...and without spilling a single word from her dried throat she opened the door and started walking.

I shouted 'Where are you going , ma ?'  'come back in' 'its cold out there' 'come in' 'don’t go'

I started running behind her, when my papa caught my hand and pushed me back. He coldly said 'let her go, if she wants to'

I was struggling to break free. I was shouting and calling her, but she kept walking. I wanted to reach her and hold her hand, make her come back inside. I could feel the cool breeze gushing inside the open door making my warm body shiver. She was outside feeling the same, the warmth inside and the cold outside made me a part of two world. It was no longer our world. I couldn’t see her anymore, I prayed my father to get her back, to call her back. But he asked me to go to my room. I froze, couldn’t believe what my ears heard just then. He freed me and shut the door close...he left for his room and ordered me to go to bed. I couldn’t move, I sat on the floor… Cold...Alone.

My parents don’t live together anymore. Today i have to leave to go to my mother with this official. But as i leave today, I leave myself as a whole... Alone and empty.

 This is a story of many children when their parents are separated... What can we do for them??

                                                         ~ Vaishali Joshi