Bleu celeste

With the tourist season long over it was tranquil in the ferry.  Under the golden lights he sat in their spot, with the metal scroll base accented tabletop etched to resemble a mariner’s map.  He gazed over the still waters taking in the colors that changed from a clear blue to pink hue and the undulating hills overlooking the shore.  The blue of the sky brought a reminder of the trip to Madrid, when she turned to him and exclaimed “Mi blusa es celeste”.   He missed her terribly at moments like this and wished he had never pushed her over.

**

Written for Friday Fictioneers.  Word count 100.

The Ikea Treatment

What? Ya think it’s easy being a mob hit man? Just rock up with a gun and shoot dem dead?  Hell any moron with a gun can do dat.  It's not who ya shoot, it's who ya leave behind that matters.  Dem survivors gotta be so scared dat they don't cross ya no more. 

So dis guy thinks he’s got the looks to pull the ladies in.

The Boss tells me to preserve his looks for eternity.  We just put him in a cast and made him easy to assemble again. 

Dat playmate of Boss, she ain’t going nowhere soon.

**

Written for Friday Fictioneers.  Word count 100.

The Alleyway

“Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again”

The song played in his head as he turned into the alleyway.

“In restless dreams I walked alone. 

Narrow streets of cobblestone”

Would he ever fulfil his vow to find her?

“When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light”

He saw her standing in the distance, with the headlights of the car lit behind her.  He was swept by a wave of emotion that threatened to engulf him.  There she was, the woman who had left him at the doors of the orphanage.

**

Written for Friday Fictioneers.  Word count :100

The Gift

Gazing up the first thing that he noticed were the eyes.  They were staring at him, unblinking, accusing, reaching deep inside the recesses of his mind.  And yet it had been so different earlier in the evening.  He had set out to face the Medusa and was gifted the magic sandals.   He flew into the night but was brought down by the giant Hippolytus and his white clad minions. 

“Another junkie”, they said dismissively.

Ignorant creatures! They didn’t know the sandals were useless without the winged helmet. All he had been doing was taking it off.

**             

Written for Friday Fictioneers

I'd like to thank my agent, the academy and my dog

Sometime in 1999 my friend Piyush Misra convinced to me join him on the Indian Radio Station in Brisbane - Radio Brisvaani. It turned out to be a madcap show that let us explore the crazier aspects of our personalities. At the start of 2005 I started a blog "The Masti Show" and would upload the audio from the show as and when I could.

After I wrote an article for the "The Indian Connection" magazine that was published for Radio Brisvaani, I thought, "Why don't I share that on the internet?" And thus the Blog was started. It was actually supposed to www.blogsaway.blogspot.com but while the title came out correct, the URL became www.subrotopant.blogspot.com

I would blog, people would read and we be a part of the blogging community. That was seven years ago. That first post is still awaiting comments. But the blog is still active, work commitments notwithstanding, it has allowed me to ramble on as and when the mood strikes me.

There is not set time or place to do it. I write when I want and stop when I am bored, which gives me a level of control. And not having readers ltes me aviod dooing spek chek.

So thank you Nikhil for the commendation. 

Here’s the information that I shamelessly copied about the award.

The Liebster Blog Award: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely.Started in Germany(probably) & is used to highlight new/recent/lesser known blogs or let say blogs with less than 200 followers.

This is how it works

To accept the award, you must complete the following:

» Link back to the persons blog that have nominated you

» Nominate 10 more bloggers whom you feel are deserving of more subscribers & you pass the award on to them.

» Answer all questions posted by the nominator

» Create 10 questions for the nominees

» Contact the nominees and let them know that they have been nominated for the Liebster


I will attempt to answer the questions.

1> If you get an option to change your name ,what would be your new name?Actually I am not going to change my name. I am the only Subroto Pant in the world and I'd like to keep it that way. And I still like it when people try to figure out which part of India I am from, based on my name.

2> Why do you blog & what keeps you going? (actual reason)George Mallory was once asked why he wanted to climb Mt Everest his retort was "because it's there". Whether true or false these are the most famous words in climbing. The reporter is questioning as to why would you participate in a life-threatening pursuit? But Mallory's answer implies more than it says. It is an answer that is a call to expand upon the limits of human possibilities.

While blogging is a lot safer than climbing Mt Everest, each time you write and put your work out to be read in that jungle that is the world wide web, you are exposing yourself and your thoughts to strangers. People who may choose to shred it to bits or praise it or ignore it as if it did not count.

3> Of all the places you have visited so far, Your favorite place & why?Nainital. Mainly because I was 'borned' there and my Kumauni roots that draw me to the beautiful hill town that it still is.

4> Anything that you would change about yourself?Why tinker with perfection?

5> 5 rare random facts about yourself that most people don't know?My friends know everything about me. So this is addressed to strangers who know nothing about me.
An international media crew made me present roses to Indira Gandhi when I was a kid. I don't have any proof that this actually happened so you will have to take my word for it.
I am a pretty good mimic (accents are my speciality)
I make a mean tandoori chicken
My father's friends wanted him to name me Patton Singh, long story, thankfully refused.
I did a radio show for eight years without revealing my name. I called myself 'mehmanjee' i.e. guest.

6> Your favourite TV show/movie/book? Answer one or two or all.:)
How can I ever have a favourite book. Too many to choose from. "Midnight's Children", "Roots", "Pather Panchali" (Translated to English), "Things Fall Apart", "Of Human Bondage", "Dr Zhivago", "A Hundred Years of Solitude", "Catch 22", "The Kite Runner", "To Kill a Mockingbird", "David Copperfield", "Kanthapura", "Wolf Hall", "The Grapes off Wrath", "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest"....... And I haven't even started.

7> One particular thing that you miss from your childhood days?
Exams ;-)

8> If you had one wish, what would it be?Another two wishes.

9> An awesome moment that you can never forget?The first time I held my kids.

10> Now a cliché one: If you had one superpower ,what would it be?
The Incredible Mobile Charging Man. No mobile will be left without a charge.


Phew now that is out of the way. It's my turn to nominate and ask questions.

So, the nominees(in no particular order) are….

1. Umashankar - http://uspandey.com/
2. Msay - http://mysay.in/
3. Aditya - http://adityagangadharan.wordpress.com/
4. Reshma - http://www.myfoodarama.com/
5. SS - http://www.delightinpink.wordpress.com/
6. Mahabore - http://mahabore.wordpress.com/
7. Stagg Mann - http://www.staggland.com/
8. Aliasgar Mukhtiar - http://farzanaaliasgarmukhtiar.blogspot.com.au/
9. Mixi - http://fisheyes-meanie.blogspot.in/
10. Debdatta Dasgupta Sahay - http://www.b00kr3vi3ws.in/

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Take a look at their blogs!  And once again thanks for the nomination Nikhil


Now the questions:

1. If you could spend a year anywhere in the world, where would you go? 
2. What made you start blogging? 
3. It's your birthday. What sort of Cake do you want? 
4. Which are the three blogs that you read? 
5. 5 random facts about yourself that most people don't know? 
6. Your favourite book? 
7. One particular thing that you miss from your childhood days? 
8. Your most embarassing moment? 
9. What's your favourite movie of all time? 
10. What makes you smile? 

Let’s pass it on & see what others have to say….