Beat of Death

Nakka Mukka:



Aa Ante Amalapuram:



Nashik Dhol:



Indian kuthu!! Brilliant

Marcus Zahner VIII: In search of the One

The last battle for the supremacy of the earth had been waged. The armies of Gordinola were led on the plains of Samaigo, by the erstwhile lieutenant and now my commander – Raiden. He was leading the armies ably and we had made some strategic incisions into Zelokos’ army. We rammed our arrows into the souls of every Penhaskian on the battleground. It was nothing less than a treat – watching Commander Raiden – as he maneuvered the troops. He was simply awe inspiring. Egged on by Raiden, we marched unscathed – tearing through the vast collage of brave soldiers – tearing them down with the swipe of our swords. The stakes were simply too high to afford to let ourselves loose at this juncture. Victory was near and every Gordinolan smelt its sweet essence.

The rummage continued for days and at the end of it, we had butchered every Penhaskian – who stood between us and our claim to the supremacy of the Earth. Our soldiers went around searching for Penhaskians alive on the battleground and killed them with a vociferous stroke from their spears. It was an ugly carnage. But that’s what we had come to do.

Filled with fervor, I went ahead looking for some ‘to-be-martyrs’. As I was walking, I heard a groan - a groan with fear – a groan that spoke with it – a stream of unfulfilled promises. I moved the rock aside. An elderly soldier looked on to me and begged for mercy. I looked into his eyes. They spoke a thousand words. I looked around the battle ground and saw my fellow brothers continuing the pillage. I lifted my spear and pierced it into his heart - and walked proudly towards my victorious Gordinolans.

The victory huddle was raucous – as a ruffian contingent of soldiers – embraced each other – celebrating a victory that had been evading us for years now. And we all hoped that this would be the last battle for supremacy. Strange, that we had to fight for peace. But knowing our history – we knew that the Penhaskians would strike back with vengeance. But that was for future generations to ponder over. This was our moment – and we live true to the wishes of the mighty Emperor - who would now rule over this Earth. May peace be upon him!!


*********************************

It had been about six months since we had won the battle against the Penhaskians. And since that day, every moment I had slept, the images of the old man and his pleas bombarded me with a thousand questions. I had killed countless men before, but never had anything bothered me. But the last stroke from my spear had thrown me into this black hole of never-ending questions and worries. Had the battle made me so cold that I could no longer see the feelings of a hapless human? And all that he had asked for was to pardon his life, so that he could have gone back to his family. And live his life happily as a slave. Life was going to be tough, but at least I could have given him one. But that monster inside me - chose not to.

Throughout my childhood and adolescence, I had heard about a heavenly place at the end of the mountain ranges. The people of Gordinola believed that - in Miroga - lived great souls who cure your heart and lead you to bliss. But legend has it that, none of the folks who had undertaken the arduous journey made it back to the city. They believed that they had either perished or found eternal bliss! Only the lord of heavens could answer that.

Towing those unfortunate brethren, I decided to make my walk towards the mirage city of Miroga – searching for my heart. And then I sunk into a vast pool of nothingness surrounding me. Right from that unfortunate day of victory, I had tried filling up my mind with knowledge from all across the world. But it did not help me in breaking the walls that I had built for myself - a wall with windows, but not with doors. Lest anyone come inside that, to enter into that sheepish little life of mine - inside which I gleefully bask in pseudo intellectualism and little-found success.


**************************************

I finally reached the place. The place had some divine persona to it. The trees towered high towards the skies. And I felt inconsequential within this sea of infinity. I saw a cave and entered it. No one ever told a brother, the way to Miroga or towards the great souls. I just walked unknowing of what I was doing – just as the countless people before me. Ambling through a labyrinth of caves, I finally reached the holy sanctum.

The last few days had been a complete mystery. I was lead by some unknown force to a place – I had heard about from countless people and their countless stories. But today, I found myself surrounded by a strange sense of calm – an ironical culmination of my countless butchered days as a warrior. Suddenly, in a flash, I saw a figure covered all over by bright shining light. I was dumb struck.

Was this heaven, I thought for a second. “Lead me towards my bliss”, I begged. The One took a spear in his hand and rammed it right into my heart. At last, I had found my peace. I had found my heart. I had perished. And I had attained eternal bliss.

Of Rains and the man-under-the-peepal-tree!

I stood on my 1st floor balcony gazing out in the empty horizon. The sun was beating down with all its might. It had been a usual sight for the past three months – with every inch of the earth waiting for a drop of nectar from heaven. But it had been evading us. Suddenly, I turned myself towards a strange but familiar voice – of a man I had been watching since I was a kid. Never had someone been more punctual than he was! He was here for his 1 pm shift.

As he walked, a drop of sweat dropped from his brow - as he mercilessly killed his larynx shouting for a penny. Walking amidst an endless sea of people, he walked on zombie-like, unknown of his surroundings and state. He, however, continued to pitch his sufferings to the people around him, as if his brain had been internally hard-wired

A school kid saw him, as he walked past him. Taking pity on his age, the kid dropped a coin. And he graciously thanked him with a smile. There was indeed something strange with empathy – he seemed to wonder!! The coin was hardly something that would change his earnings for the day, but he had seen some genuine care in that kid's eyes – something he had not seen that in people for the whole day. And that made him happy.

Every time during the day, when a kid would drop by, he seemed to lament at himself and his helplessness. Dejected - he sat down by the peepal tree - he had made his home for quite some months now. Given the auspicious nature of the tree, none of the Indian populace dared to remove him from there.

He seated himself by the huge tree - towering over the children's park nearby. He opened his bag and counted his earnings for the day. It had not been great, but sufficient for a hot summer day. His earnings depended to a huge extent on the weather. All through his month, people had been wretched by the horrible summer around - to care only about their own pitiful state - so even looking at his state and dolling out alms was a farfetched thought. For all his age and seemingly cynical view of the world, he had beautifully grasped the nuances of the world and its cruel workings. ‘For all that man has achieved and progressed, he is - still - so much a slave to the mighty powers of nature’, he thought with a slight grin on his face. As if to suggest - I may not be powerful enough to change things around me, but neither are you.

As he was brooding in self-introspection, he happened to glance upon the kid who had dropped that coin on his plate. The kids enthusiasm seemed to be palpable and had a bought a smile on his face for the second time during the day. It was these little moments which lit up his rather tumultuous days.

As a part of his mundane routine, he sat under the tree for hours – oblivious to people around him. Sadly, so were the people around him. He always fancied himself to be a hermit or a sage, leading a rather “pious” life. And then laughed at the ludicrous thought!

As moments passed by, there was a sudden thunder! And the heavens came down with a sudden outpour of rain. It was as if the Gods had struck a magic wand on the city. Rains pouring down - Beautiful and sublime - a lovely combination indeed – suddenly trees seemed to be at their greenest - Frogs crackling everywhere. It was a time when nature swells up to cuddle you. It was when the city had suddenly transformed itself. It was the first rain of the season!!

In this momentary hustle, I had forgotten about the man-under-the-peepal-tree. My probing eyes found him, sitting happily under the bus-stop shade. He seemed to be happy in the company of people around him. Strange I thought! But the rains had definitely bought something for everyone.

Hermit and the drop of rain

A drop of rain drips through the roof.
Hermit moved himself and watched -
as the drop percolated through the roof.
He was stoned - perhaps out of choice.
Not a thing moved. Just peace surrounded -
or perhaps strange sense of zombie air.

The drops felt like the sound of clock in an empty space.
He gazed at the vaccuum that surrounded the place.
It did not move him.
The drop of rain was the only change for weeks now.

He was not sure of what to think of it.
He had had a pact with nature – a pact of non-interference.
Never once had it intruded him.
But nature had broken a promise.
It surprised him.

"You would come to trust nature. Wouldn't you?"
He thought.
Strange guy that he was!

But time passed.
Nature kept its pills of slow poisoning on.
Drops were continuous. Nothing majorly irritating,perhaps!!
And Time passed.

The drops of water slowly set itself -
into the ambience of his home.
And now nothing moved in the house,
except the tiny drops of rain.

He smiled to himself.
Somebody had invited himself - uninvited thou!
And he did not mind it.
He was happy was he was a part of something.
And so was the nature.
It bestowed him with some of the craziest drops of rain
Starry, snowy and many more!

The smile changed to laughter.
He was jamming with those drops of rain.
Suddenly he was less interested in the pipe in his hand.
It was as if he had found someone.

He was happy.
It was exactly ten weeks since he had met someone.
He remembered the tiny little mouse!
He smiled.

He danced around the room -
and so did the drops of rain!
He looked up and a sense of satisfaction ran through his face.
And so he was - most peaceful in weeks.

But then things change.
The sweet sound of rain drops had disappeared.
The sun was shining brightly.
And the bright rays now pierced through the crevices -
Crevices that had formed overtime.

He woke up with those bright lights on his eyes.
He twitched his eyes.
But couldn't get rid of them.
He had gotten used to enjoy the rain drops.
But now they were gone.
He missed it.
And the bright rays weren’t helping his misery any more.

“Nature, you flipped - again!
"Do I have to start all over??
Ok! I would.
But please, not again”