It was a restless day full of apprehension and fear of something unknown which had clasped me .
Busy schedules and overloaded responsibilities too sometimes fail to drive such insane thoughts away . They have their way of hovering over the mind even on the extremely busiest day! Walking down the lane that reaches straight to my house,I had glanced everything around. It was all the same,the shops with something new to be displayed,cafeterias with people gossiping , the souvenir stalls wooing the new tourists and the skyline getting brighter with the illuminated sparks of night lights.
With the keys in my hand ,which I usually take out once I disembark from the company bus round the corner ,were tinkling as the chimes of the keys moved in my hands. I reached my destination and stepped on the stairs to insert the key . Shockingly it didn’t turn around and I pressed it a bit to see whether it was put inside properly.
The little pressure opened the door ajar without even unlocking.
“The wooden door ajar
reopening
all the gates to agony
darkness is what I can see
In the tunnels of time
where I reach suddenly…”
I was stunned and astonished. Had someone burgled into my house when I was away? Was there anyone already inside waiting to attack me? Numerous questions confused me and I rushed inside to make sure if things were in proper place.
Before I switched on the lights,I saw a luminous bright light coming from the room adjacent .
I slipped slowly into the room.
Suddenly I noticed a huge mirror leaning against the wall. It was a precious antique piece,one which can be a prized possession.I could not remember why and how this had landed here. I had never bought this piece nor I did own it.
I went ahead to have a look.
“The mirror on the wall
looks at me ,mocks and laughs
“what made you return
to this dungeon?
Isn’t the present world
a better place to live in?”
“The city has turned into a dead corpse”, I heard few voices screaming.
Gunshots and noise of artillery deafened my ears. Military troops moving adjacent and having a fierce combat.
“Nicholas”, someone shouted , ” shoot! what are you waiting for?”
I turned around to see another soldier trying to say something. The bombshells again hypnotized my senses.
Suddenly I could feel the weight of the Lee-Enfield rifle hanging around my shoulder .Thick fluid wetted the grip of my hands,I could see blood all over.
I had in me the mix blood for my mother had been the once beautiful girl of the Serb! I had the looks of her distinct charm and the raw dominance of my dad.
“Shoot ,you fool,else you will be killed “, I could hear the lines again.
It was my commander ordering me to face the enemy .I remembered each scene from this deadliest wars of history ,the World War 1.
Millions were killed,innocents slayed,cities destroyed and towns vandalized.For 2 long years I was moving continuously with my troops killing thousands of soldiers,”Humans I must say.”
“This should end” , I had screamed to myself.I cannot shed more blood ,the view of the brutal faces,the terrorized looks haunted my dreams.
“See how you are lost
to your fears
succumbed to your pressures
apprehensive has become your future
I see the gloomy dust of pain
on my face in the image”.
How did I reach here ? It was 19 15 ,which meant I had traveled back in the time space into the past. But why? I never knew I was a soldier ,a rather such a cruel one. This bloodshed is a part of my life which had scared me till today.
PHOTOCREDIT: mentalfloss.com
But I am a software professional and just 30 yrs old then is it my previous birth that I am visualizing? Is it a dream? This could reconnect me with the fact that I usually woke up in the middle of the night screaming in dream of an outrage of war and pleading, “Please forgive me ,my Lord.I cannot kill innocent people.”
“Wipe the mud
clear off the doubts”
I heard my voice ,
“go back to the world profound
whirlpool is this
the past tense
shall tangle and drive you insane
go away run and flee
live in today
accept the destiny…”
Profusely sweating I wiped my face and found myself standing back again in the corridor of my house.The scene had vanished and I was stupefied like a statue. The split second or the few minutes during which I visited the real situation, had been a nightmare for me all during these years and for the first time it had awakened my being.
I knew it was past and I could walk ahead now without fearing about the traumatic dream which killed me every second.
“what hath tomorrow
you ne’er know
forget the past
embrace the air
from the new door!”
I returned from my memories,it was a dream or travel in the time space I never knew,but it ended my worst nightmare.
A FICTION WRITTEN FOR THE Weekly Writing Challenge: Through the Door.
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superbly brilliant, Soumya:) Spell-binding,fantabulous. Howzz bout making a short book out of it with all the masala and ingredients. Love the suspense:)
Iam surprised,happy and relieved ,that it didn’t turn out that bad as I feared! Thanks for your kindest comments..
Writing this was an enormous task for me,I dnt have the patience at least for now to carry on for a book out of this! 🙂 Lets keep it for future!
I know that. Whenever I start writing a story, I fear that it may not turn out well. You shouldn’t have apprehension coz ur a prolific writer:)
🙂 Trying something new is a bit different
ya and its the most exciting thing to do. I have few short story ideas that need to be translated into words. But, my laziness and my early mnin schedule not helping:(
How you embed your poetry in stories, is beyond my understanding 🙂
I guess wars are crazy times. Same goes for the riots and genocides. Though people tend to separate wars from the other two, it empirically means the same thing- premature death of a lot of people who were not even participating in the conflict.
Relax. It was not something you did in your previous birth, rather idea for a novel that you can write in days to come 🙂
He he! :-D:-D… Hope you dnt take this seriously,it was a fiction written and attempted for the first time,even though inspired by the thoughts of soldiers who have been at the scene of such gruesome situations .
As for the novel idea of writing a novel on it, I wish I get enough patience in the years to come to sit persistently to write a book .
Yes these wars are always a nightmare and so are the riots and genocides. Killing people for any reason during such times is never acceptable nor explanatory.
Such heinous crimes have the same pain in any of the above situations.
As for the verses , I actually wrote a poem first and then weaved a storyline around it.
For the first time, it is very good! You should write more of this…
At last ! ! a compliment from a future bureaucrat /novelist/philosopher/preacher/seeker !!! 🙂
Wow. Very intriguing 😉
Thanks Bjorn! 🙂
Excellent post, you are just so very talented! God’s blessings and love to you my sister!
Thanks for your wishes and blessings,Wendell
Excellent written… 🙂
Thanks a lot Drake!
Wonderfully written piece… Loved your take on this challenge. And you should write more of it, you know. this was really great. You are so versatile..
Thanks a lot dear for encouraging! Iam glad you loved this piece too besides my usual poetic form.
Wow. I am glad your memories have been revealed fully so your nightmare could end. Life is amazing and you are learning, we all are, that we are more than we think… XO
Thanks a lot Sheri! This was just a part of fiction written for the challenge involved! So nothing to worry!
Whew!
Such a wonderful post dear Soumya! I am reading this kind of post of your for the very first time and I am totally impressed. I repeat again you are so talented with words and thoughts that makes you a unique writer. I can also relate this with our Karmic accounts which we have to settle in our rebirths. Untill or unless we cannot acknowledge our good or bad Karmas we cannot find peace in life. The only way to settling past births accounts we have to tread on a spiritual path so that we can achieve peace and happiness in life. I know its fiction but this is also a truth of human life. Despite being a very good person in present life if there is sufferings or agony in life that accounts to past Karmas of previous births . I loved your post…..as I perceived it in different context. God Bless You! Lots of Love.
Very true Rachna. You explained it quite clearly the role of Karma in everyone’s life,whether we accept or not,it has a significant part.
Iam really happy you liked this article and enjoyed it even though in another perspective.
Even though I do not write fiction,I tried my hand on this,but still I could not resist the basic flow of the human nature an d tendencies ,so kept the same theme as background of the past actions which troubles in the next births.
Somewhere down the line,the concept was closer to my heart.
And Iam glad that you and others too like dthe way it was presented.
i liked the post
Thanks a lot both of you
amazing piece! scary indeed.
🙂 Just and attempt to write one
Brilliant piece of fiction woven with poetry, nice job.
Thank you very much for appreciating and liking this attempt.
I have had dreams of me dying while reaching for water. May be it will have certain implications. But, I have never really thought about it.
Gosh! This is such a serious thread which I have read in your blog space. Bravo!\m/
Rahul
Glad you read it Rahul and hope you enjoyed it as well.
Of course! I did. 🙂
Rahul