Within My Mind?!

Jordan stood in front of the camera, mic in hand. " This is Jordan, reporting live from St. Sulpice. " He paused, tapping his earpiece. " Is my voice clear? " "You need to be a bit louder," Murphy replied. "But everything else looks perfect. The crowd, the lake, the mountains - beautiful. We're rolling." Jordan stepped toward a man in the crowd. " Are you excited about what's happening today? " he asked. "I am," the man said. "I've never seen anyone try to cross Lake Léman before. I'm into history, so I keep thinking of when Alain Charmey did it for the first time in 1986." " What's special about today that brought so many people here? " "It's the challenge, I guess. And he's mostly swimming underwater. That's new." " Do you know the swimmer? " "No, not really. A friend told me about it, and I got curious." " Well, thank you for your time. ...

"I will see you soon."  It was the most uncertain promise. How long is soon? The gap between today and the last time we met in person was 342 days. W ill we really see each other next time, even if he comes back? Our homes are not in the same city, and thus, a few of his homecomings have gone without us seeing each other .  Mostly, we exist through phone calls, text messages, and shared glimpses of our separate worlds.  I will send him pictures of the beautiful blossoms near my house, cute animals acting all weird, and he will reply with photos of the food he cooks  and breathtaking mountains. Oh, how I wish we could capture these together. Today had been one of the best days in a long while. Over the past month, I had been assigned to fix a cluster of critical code bugs no one had seen before. Consequently, everyone chipped in with their half-baked solutions, and I spent weeks testing all of them along with my own ideas. When I realized he would arrive in a week, I...

"How's my love doing today?"  I knocked on the door, holding a bouquet of roses. I know that shades of red, mainly burgundy and deep pink, are her favourite. Oh, I always add white ones, too, because they are my favourite. "Aww, you didn't have to buy such a lovely bouquet," she said, a soft smile tugging at her lips, "I have nothing prepared for you. I feel so awful now."  I chuckled, shaking my head. "You love these, and that’s enough for me. I was out earlier, and I just couldn't resist. You remember Matt, right? He's started selling bouquets in the morning. His garden is essentially a masterpiece now, and if you are ready, I will walk you there. Mind you, he now has a dog, so we have to be careful." "Happy Valentine's Day, my dear." She rushed into my arms, hugging me tightly before placing a quick kiss on my cheek. Then, stepping back, she twirled playfully. "See? I’m all ready and in white, too! I know you...

Dear I would love to take you to the mountains. By now, you must know how much they mean to me, how much I adore them. How could you not be enthralled by them? They are peaceful, majestic, endlessly beautiful, and rank at the top amongst the best things that nature has to offer. But I'm tired of going there alone. Tired of sending pictures and videos, trying to capture what they give me  — rarely can I call you to show what I appreciate, what calms the chaos, and what holds me together in my chosen lonely life. And yet, even in the mountains, where my heart feels most at home in this unknown place, I know where my gaze would rest  —  on you. The most beautiful face I have ever seen. It would be impossible not to look. If I had the freedom to do anything in this life without the weight of the world pressing in, it would be this: sitting beside you, lost in the depth of your eyes, the curve of your lips, the way your smile escapes without warning, and penning down all things within m...

It was an evening drenched in misery. Soulful music lingered in the background and amplified the emptiness. Will there be a better moment than this to pen down the weight of today? I doubt it. I know these lines seem heavy, but I'm helpless to make them lighter. Let us start with the music.  " Years May Go By " by Rickie Lee Jones began to play, and instantly, I was transported to the lacrosse field, where Dr. Gregory House was standing, wishing he could play and hoping he could walk without a cane. Last night, a vicious storm tore through the sky. The entire neighbourhood plunged into darkness as the power vanished. In my apartment, water seeped through the ceiling like a slow, relentless drip of despair. I had to unplug everything—refrigerator, TV, whatever else might be saved from the damp. The air was humid, with no breeze and no relief. I could hear people gathering outside, their voices faint but constant. I barely slept. And I needed to, desperately. I had to be at...

I was walking down a steep and heavily winding road. One has to be extremely cautious to avoid any misfortune. Unfortunately, I was not, and a vehicle was speeding down from behind at around 60 miles per hour. I realized it was too late to identify and move to a secure spot. So, I jumped out of the road only to land on the edge. Unfortunately, I slipped, but I could cling to the rocky edge. I didn’t know how long I could hold before my fingers, arm, or willpower gave up. I started wondering if there was a road at some depth below me and gave a quick glance downward. Yes, it was one of the worst ideas, and no, the road was not below me; instead, it continued in the opposite direction. So, if I would stop clinging, the most likely outcome would be death. The next thought was to try and push myself up, but I couldn’t achieve that. I started screaming at the top of my voice. Several cars passed, but no one stopped; I believe no one heard. Suddenly, I could hear footsteps coming towards me....

"Are we done then?" she dreaded asking, knowing that, given the situation and everything that had happened recently, there was an actual probability that the answer would be affirmative. Like most things, it started from something naive and escalated to something big. A planned weekend trip to Les Avants is precisely what both needed to escape life, particularly the work-related events over the past week. The itinerary was to arrive in Montreux in the morning, take the Golden Pass Panoramic train, do a few hikes and return in the evening - it couldn't be more straightforward. Tickets were bought the night before, and the bags were packed with snacks, two large bottles of water, and, of course, the camera. "My goodness, it is half past nine!" she exclaimed when she woke up. She observed that he had already been awake for quite some time since breakfast was in the kitchen, and he was not in the house. He had said several times before that he would leave if she de...

"Where is the hotel?" asked the cab driver "I think we just crossed it. Can you turn back?" I asked. I took an Uber from Howrah station to The Diamond Plaza. I arrived at around half past five in the morning, paid the fare, checked my documents in the bag, and hopped out of the cab. The hotel didn't look promising from the outside, nor did I expect it to be one. I needed a place to crash and freshen up for an appointment at 11 a.m. I had been on the train for the past seven hours and did not sleep perfectly. As I closed in on the hotel doors, I realized they were locked. Locked iron gates in addition to glass doors guarding the reception area. I searched for any other means to enter, and I found one. There was another smaller iron gate - rusted and jammed. I assume the managers would not want guests to proceed through there. I had to get inside somehow; fortunately, I saw phone numbers, three precisely. I called each number a few times; a regular call, followed ...

Around half-past one in the afternoon, my mother pulled me into the house. She lifted me up slowly with all her strength—yes, I was heavy. She made me sit in the nearest chair. Then she rushed to the kitchen and returned with a glass of chilled water—much required for a hot and humid outdoor. "How did all this happen? There are bruises on your legs, knees, arms, and shoulders! Did you get into a fight with someone? I don't think you would do something like that. Just tell me what happened!" She was confused, shocked, and, above all, worried. I had not reserved any energy to talk and had exhausted everything on the way back cycling. I simply lifted my index finger and pointed to the television. She understood something serious had happened and switched on a local news channel. "There was a blast? A blast in the petrol pump near Governor House? (A brief pause) That looks intense! Thank God you didn't suffer anything serious. Let me bring some bandages. I will tie t...

'I would agree that it was tough for me. It was unbearable pain. You know, Ma, it hurts right in the heart. I am a good boy. I have done no wrong intentionally to anyone I know. Yes, I played tricks on some people but have never hurt them. Sometimes, I have even sacrificed what might be better for me for their happiness. But see, here I am, breathing my last. God, indeed, is cruel.  I love old country songs, you know that. I have even made you listen to some of them, though you never liked them. How much I want to go back to those moments when you would make fun of my taste in music, and I would try to defend how great they are. Good times!' "Madam, we fear your son has attempted to do something horrible to himself.  This kind of note is mostly found, to be specific, in cases of..." "I know what you are getting at. I do not want to believe my son did something like that. I have raised him well. I know that. It is some staging done by someone who probably kidnappe...

My son somehow got hold of the letter—the one from Dear Crush . He managed to understand the first six lines. I hadn’t wanted him to know, but at the same time, I didn’t want to hide what happened next from you all, either.