Story 47

The third base camp was located almost 500 meters away from the war site. The reason for setting it up closer to the border was further justified by the reports of possible attacks from the border route which was considered to be a safe haven for the purchase of illegal ammunitions.

It has been less than a week since George was shifted from the first base camp to the third. On the verge of completing his first year, George was dispatched to the war site as soon as he graduated from high school. Sent as a part of the compulsory two years military program, he was initially apprehensive whether he would be able to deal with the situations which a war site generally offers but then he surprised himself by emerging as one of the most popular military cadets.

But today it felt really different. The usual afternoons spent watching Nicole Kidman films, one of George's favorite actress, did not calm him down. As he tied his shoelaces his heart yearned to see Julia, his little sister who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. He remembered how she smudged herself with her own birthday cake and the laughter which ensued was the purest he had heard till now.  As he walked aimlessly, his compatriots asked him to join for a glass of beer. He somehow managed a no and ran back to his own camp. As tears trickled down his cheeks he remembered the boat trip with Julia. He remembered how she cried when he bade her goodbye. She tried to hold him back for George had always been her companion,savior.

Suddenly the camp speaker churned out, "With immediate effect, the United States of America has decided to withdraw her military force as the war with Iran has been put to an end with mutual consent of both the countries. You will be evacuated from your base camp today."

Story 46

As Rajesh waited at the bus stand he was aware of the long day ahead. By God's grace, he has got a job today and he had to make it count. Over the years farming has become an unreliable option for farmers, especially those whose forefathers did not make it big during their lifetime. This resulted in few of them taking up loans from the rural banks and there were people like Rajesh who had given their land on lease to the government. The government not only provided them with monetary compensation but also assured them of a permanent job. But Bengal with it's continual changing political colors has made it a long and difficult wait for people like Rajesh.

Finding a window seat, Rajesh made himself comfortable. The excitement was palpable. As the bus zoomed passed the small ponds, barren lands, he saw the "trespassing is prohibited" boards all over the place. Like Rajesh, the owners of these lands must also have sold off their properties to the government.

With the bus speeding down the second Hooghly bridge Rajesh was mesmerized by its architectural beauty. Kolkata always amazed him. It's electrifying energy encouraged him to dream. To live.

As he got down at the penultimate bus stoppage he found the huge mall staring at him. He couldn't even believe his luck that this was his workplace! As he entered the mall and introduced himself to the security guards, they escorted him to the administrator's office.

Rajesh put on the Mickey Mouse suit being fully aware that this was his only chance to impress the officials. He was the prime attraction in today's kid carnival and he knew he had to make it count. It was his son's birthday tomorrow and he needed some money desperately.

Story 45

It was just one of those days which Allen always dreaded about. It has been raining for the past few hours and with every hour the intensity of the rain seems to be increasing. As the heat and humidity reached a new high in the last few days, the advent of rain was just a matter of time. Rather than losing out its fizz it has strengthened from time to time thus giving them a chance to beat the heat.

The trees seemed to be having a field day today. Among the millions of living beings present in this world probably they were the only one who never got the due respect of their existence. A certain A.J.C.Bose had proved long back that they too had  a life. And life without emotions is highly impracticable. As they swayed to and fro getting washed down by the rain, it's new leaves breathed a sigh of relief. Those kids were really having a tough time!

Among all these fortunate souls it was only Allen who was cursing the rain. Why won't he? He had a date today at seven and he had promised her to reach on time but in vain. As a sudden lightening made Allen jump out of his skin, the slippery leaves and muddy fields were making it more difficult for him, In addition to all this he had to carefully make his way through for the fear of being tripped or in a worst case scenario, be gravely injured by these human beings who became more careless during such downpours.

The incessant rain could not stop Allen as he finally reached his destination, a mushroom behind the bush, where Anna was patiently waiting for him. As she saw him, her eyes gleamed. These two caterpillars fell in love for the first time in their life.

Story 44

"Given a chance would you have written the story differently?" quipped Brahma sitting in the palace of heaven. "Story? What story?" Mohammad was bewildered. "The story of your belief, your expectations, your ideologies, your experiences" Brahma twitched a bit. Mohammad cracked up. His laughter was infectious. Somehow he managed to control himself and blurted out,"You are talking about the Quran. Aren't you?" Brahma found himself turning red with embarrassment."Yeah. Well, I didn't mean to hurt you." Mohammad, who was still laughing, put his arms around Brahma's shoulder and said "Why bro? Why will I get hurt? We believe in freedom of thought. Don't we?" With a sigh of relief, Brahma turned to Mohammad and said, "What's happening Mohammad? What's wrong with the people? Did we really want this? So much of discrimination, mutual disrespect, war, bloodshed. Where are we heading to?"
Mohammad nodded his head in dismay."Doomsday I guess. People have lost their sense of reasoning. Logic has taken a backseat. All they can think about is religion. Religion has now become the sole identity of human existence, social position and political game plan." "Exactly!" the frustration was evident in Brahma's voice. "Can you believe what they just did?"
"Yeah! They killed a guy just because he was suspected of consuming beef!" "Isn't it hilarious? They die fighting for you and me. They believe that we don't see to eye to eye. Hence anything and everything which we may not have said has also turned against us. What's wrong in consuming what you want? Tell me Mohammad?" "I don't know where are they headed to but one thing is for sure, they do not know the rapport we share." Brahma laughed out,"Imagine they saw us chilling together. Prophet Mohammad and Brahma in one single frame making conversations not war."

Story 43

"Who do you want to be?" asked Rhea. "I haven't thought yet. You?" said Rajiv looking at Rhea. "Well don't you think it's too early for us to decide who do we want to be? I mean, how old are we? Just eight right?" Rhea was staring into Rajiv's drawing. "Exactly my point! That's why I don't think about it much.You can't have any control on your future. Can you? Hey! What exactly are you staring at?" as Rajiv glanced at Rhea. "You draw so well Rajiv. I just can't take my eyes off it. Did anyone teach you the craft?" asked Rhea still staring at Rajiv's drawing.

"Can you guys keep quiet for some time? It's becoming pretty difficult for me to concentrate. If it goes on like this I won't be able to come first, you see?" the irritation was apparent in the voice of their neighbor. He gave them a glaring look and got back to his drawing. Rhea was taken aback. Her face turned red in embarrassment as she started coloring her not-so-beautiful drawing when she heard Rajiv chuckling. Thinking that he was laughing at her, Rhea, who was almost in tears. nudged Rajiv.

"No. You got me wrong. I am not laughing at you. I am laughing at that person sitting right beside you. Struggles are so different for different people. Right? Here is a guy who is struggling to complete his drawing, fearing that he might lose out on winning the first prize.And here I am still trying to adjust myself to the normal course of life. Even today I woke up well past midnight thinking that the earthquake has struck again. The Nepal earthquake has snatched away a lot of things from me, including my parents, but then it has at least defined 'struggle' for me."

Story 42

Suzanne was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate on her office work today. With every passing second, she was freaking out about the task on hand. Like any other day, the pressure was tremendous in her office and she knew that she had to get her assignments done by the end of the day. But what about Richard? What must he be thinking? She couldn't bear to see his sad face again. She remembered how last year, Richard was waiting for his gift and it never turned up. When Suzanne called the concerned company, they made a lame excuse of miscommunication which made her furious. As the memories of past haunted her, she nervously picked up the phone and called Max. "Yes, Madame! Don't you worry, I will make sure that the parcel reaches on time. Suzanne heaved a sigh of relief.

Max whisked past the signal. He didn't have much time on hand. Plus, the upcoming Halloween night ensured that traffic snarl was at it's best. He had to deliver two other packages before going to Max's. Time was running out and Max knew that something special could only help his cause.

He turned his car and zoomed past the narrow alleys. Managing his way through the crowd, he zoomed past the Fast and Furious hoarding of Vin Diesel standing between the two cars in his trademark stunt. Max smiled to himself. He felt a Disesel himself.

As the doorbell rang, Richard jumped out of his sofa and ran to open the door. "Richard?"asked Max. As little Richard profusely nodded his head, Max brought out the package and said,"Richard this is a gift from your mom. Though she is 300 miles away from you, she loves you. Here is your birthday gift, the Koala styled gummy bears." As Richard jumped in joy, Max smiled and said, "Thank You for your time Richard. We are DHL- the world on time."

Story 41

"How much of the project is left?" barked Mr. Smith. "It will still take two more days Sir" replied Peter meekly. "What's the point of assigning you such an important project if you can't even dedicate yourself completely?" the entire office was looking at Peter who was staring at the floor. "Sir, it's not that I don't try. Every single day, I make an extra effort to ensure that the project is having a considerable progress. It's not always possible to do the entire thing all by myself. It will be really nice if..." Peter's voice faded away. Mr. Smith was furious. "Listen, Peter, if I need to appoint someone for the project, I will do that myself. It will be better if you focus on the job at hand rather than wasting your time, advising me." As Mr. Smith stormed into his own office, Peter slowly sat down.

It was becoming increasingly difficult for Peter to concentrate on his office work. His wife, Rosie, was 6 months pregnant and Peter had to manage everything at home all by himself. Considering the pregnancy, Rosie's doctor had suggested a diet which was essential for the well-being of the baby and every day Peter had to make sure that the food was ready for Rosie. Not only that, Peter had to complete all the household chores and take care of his wife and her tantrums. All this left him with no time for himself. There were days like today when he went without breakfast and lunch. He simply hated the canteen food and his work pressure didn't allow him to go out and grab some food.

Like any other day, it was almost half past 10 at night. The entire office was empty barring that cubicle at the left corner. His stomach was hurting as he had almost spent 14 hours without any food. He had to stay back at the office for another hour to ensure that the project was completed by tomorrow. As he opened his mail, a chef popped out of a pop-up window and grabbed his hand. Peter's heart skipped a beat and as soon as he was about to shout, the chef spoke, "Don't be a fool. Download Swiggy in your android mobile and get the best food of the town delivered to you in a jiffy. Download now!"

Story 40

Loneliness is something which grows on you slowly but steadily. Initially, it becomes very difficult to adjust oneself to the silence surrounding his/her existence but then the silence becomes your solace, your friend.

Like many, Julia had found her peace in silence. Days have turned into months, months into years and Julia had slowly fallen in love with the sound of silence. But the past few days had been a bit different. At the autumn of her life, Julia never expected her emotions to play such games with her. However, emotions are rarely considerate and she found herself seeking some attention. James was the reason.

A few months back, James had moved into her neighborhood. This tall, ex-Army chief, who was well past 70, was always buzzing with stories about his military exploits and was generally complaisant towards women. Julia had initially found him "a tad bit loud" but with time she was swept off her feet! His irresistible charm made her heart flutter. She ended up seeking his companionship. "But does James feel the same?" was the question which disturbed her.

As Julia sat at the corner of her drawing room she got reminded of that day. The pool at the back of their house was recently cleaned and young Julia couldn't wait to take the plunge. Victor was also getting ready to join her in the pool. As they jumped inside, Victor promised her to teach the "butterfly" swimming technique. It was going on well, till she found Victor trying to feel her up. The 15 something Julia wriggled to get out but, her cousin, Victor was a strong guy. The inevitable happened.

Julia was shaking with rage. Standing at the opposite side of time she knew that it was too late as drops of memories trickled down.

Story 39

"So this is the reason you are giving me?" Jacob was fuming. He could not believe what was happening and he hoped, just like the other days' things will fall into place. "What were you expecting? Would I go through that pain all over again? Am I a robot?" Sarah shot back. Pouring some water into the glass and spilling the most, she gulped it at one go. As she kept the glass with a thud, she turned to Jacob "Don't you think that I want it too?" Don't you think that I also had the same dream as yours? Just like any other girl..." "Yes. I know that. Probably that is the reason I am telling you to give it another shot. I have a feeling, things will fall into place this time" interrupted Jacob. Sarah banged the table, "Every single time you tell me this. Your intuitions are nothing but your desires! You now that very well. And if it is not so, forgive me. I am not believing your intuitions again." Stifling a cry, Sarah sat down on the chair.

Jacob knew that this was not going to end well. It's not that he never considered the pain Sarah went through but he had hoped things would be different. As he took a chair and sat down Sarah muffled "I am not a baby producing machine Jacob. I had given birth to two dead babies and every single time I think about them, I feel like I am a murderer. I am cursed and I know that I will never get to hold a baby in my arm and hear the word 'mommy'. I don't want to kill another a child Jacob."

The two shattered souls broke down crying.

Story 38

"So Pop, will it be just like before?" asked John. Peter, his dad, smiled. "Yes, son. Everything will be the same as before." "Will there be a secret room under the staircase?" the excitement in John's voice was prominent. "We will see to that" Peter replied looking at the construction site. As the cacophony intensified, Peter stared blankly at the ability of human spirit. Are we really that strong? Or does circumstances make us so? Peter's thoughts were disrupted by John's squeaky voice, "They are saying that the bad people have been caught. Is it true Pop? Will Santa punish them before Christmas?" "Yes John. Santa will punish them. They will not get any gifts, like you, from him." "That's good. But Santa will forgive them. Right, Pop?" the asked earnestly. Peter looked at him and asked, "Do you want him to?" "Yes Pop" pat came the reply from John. "But why? You saw what they did? Didn't you John?" asked Peter. John nodded his head. "Yes, Pop. But then, they made a mistake. You told me last week that learn from our mistake. They will also learn from their mistake and they will not do any such things in future. Isn't it Pop?" Peter looked away from his son. His eyes were swelling up. The last few days had been a complete blur for him. He had never expected such things to happen but then the world stood shocked as the horrific event unfolded. "Pop, don't cry. They have been naughty and like you, their pop will also scold them. They will understand their mistake and be a good boy next Christmas" said John as he slowly held his Pop's hand. John burst out crying, the midnights in Paris will never be the same again

Story 37

"What are you doing with a gun?" Maria was shaking with fear. Albert took her to a corner. Standing behind a tree, he whispered to her ears "Maria believe me I will not ask for any more favors from. Just this one. Please!" Maria bit her lips. Though she was aware of the consequences, her love for Albert made her say, "Okay. I will." Albert kissed on her forehead and whispered, " Catch the last bus to Scotsfield." And within a blink of an eye, he simply vanished into thin air. Standing in the middle of the park, Maria opened her umbrella and stood still for some time. She hoped that things would fall into place tonight.

It was a quarter to ten when Maria left her home. The sky looked exceptionally crowded today. It seemed that all the stars had decided to make their presence felt today! As she quickly made her way to the bus stand, she checked her handbag. Yes, the fruits were there. She wondered what prompted Albert to make such an unusual request. Hopping into the empty bus Maria found an empty seat for herself.

It was well past eleven when Maria got down at Scotsfield. As instructed, she crossed the road and found a small basket at one corner. Bending down, she read  picked up the note. It read, "I found this baby near the garbage bin a few days back. I guess her parents left her alone when the immigrants were forced to leave the country. Take her home and if she starts crying give her few pieces of an apple. She loves it! - Love Albert"

Story 36

"What did you see?" the investigator looked straight into his eyes. It had already been a very tedious day for Anwar and the tiredness was evident in his face. "I saw him punching the guy first and then he smashed the bottle of beer on his head" Anwar replied, bringing out the handkerchief and wiping his face. "What were you doing there?" asked the investigator. "Exactly how many times do I need to repeat myself?" Anwar was slowly losing his patience. "The number of times I ask you" pat came the reply. "I was on my way home" the anger was evident in Anwar's voice.

"What prompted you to be so proactive?" the inspector asked. "Because a human being was killed in the front of my eyes! Did you bribe your way into the police force? Because that's the stupidest question one could ever ask", Anwar felt difficult to contain himself. As the policeman smirked, Anwar asked "What about that guy who killed him? Why are you not questioning him?" "So are we changing sides here?" asked the policeman, smiling wryly. "No. It's just that I am being interrogated here for the past 4 hours and I really don't know why!"

As the investigator started searching for a file, he said "Mr. Anwar, the person whom you saw committing the crime today is one of our Indian army members. We are trying to deal with his alcohol problem." As he brought out a paper, he said "And kindly sign this paper stating that you haven't seen, heard and spoken anything about the incident. And if you don't, in two days time we will link you with Indian Mujahideen. Do you want to know the rest of it?" Shaking, Anwar signed the document.

Story 35

"The left-hand jab was a vintage Muhammad Ali and Jim was enjoying every bit of it. Star Sports has decided to celebrate the birthday of Ali by showing some of his very famous fights which made him an international sporting sensation. For a boxing lover like Jim, there was nothing more he could have asked for on a Sunday. Munching on his favorite nachos, Jim heard his name being called out by Mary, his 4 months old pregnant wife. He immediately ran to her room and found out that Mary was hungry and she would have nothing else than a large cheese pizza. As her doctor had repeatedly stated the need to provide food as per her wishes, Jim wiped his hand on the table napkin, took the car key and made his way to the garage. The weather outside was a bit weird for a sultry summer season. The strong wind from the south made Jim wonder whether winter was near or not. The roads were deserted, which was very unusual at this time of the day. As Jim sped up, his electronic speedometer rang an alarm, indicating the need to refuel. As Jim made his way to the gas station, an ear-splitting thunderstorm was followed by a heavy downpour. The intensity of the rainfall made Jim wonder when was the last time he had seen something like this. On reaching the gas station, a penguin came up to him and asked whether he needed a full tank or not. Jim literally jumped out of his skin. He mumbled something and ran off to the counter to pay his money. Was he dreaming? As he pinched his hand slowly, he knew that this was real yet surreal. Finding a penguin in the counter who efficiently provided him the receipt, he ran back to his car. While getting into the car he saw that the flyover on the other side had become an arc. Jim was flabbergasted.As he..."

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Story 34

"Why are they looking at me like that?" Rehan whispered to Shezad's ears. "Because they suspect us?" pat came the reply. "For what exactly?" Rehan raised his voice. "Keep your voice in check, you idiot!" Shezad hissed, "because we are just adding up to their population, which will invariably affect their competition, job opportunities, the cost of living. In a broader context, their entire economy." Rehan sighed, "sometimes I feel that we belong to a different galaxy. I feel that we are not humans because humans are not supposed to treat each other in the context of countries." Shezad muttered, "Enough of your philosophical nonsense. Please shut up and let me sleep." Drawing the blanket over his body Shezad made himself comfortable and slowly dozed off. As the bus zoomed past the countryside, Rehan was wondering what awaited them tomorrow.

"Have you heard this Shezad?" asked Rehan as he helped himself to a slice of watermelon. The bus had made an early halt and the military personnel had told them to report within an hour. The sun was slowly getting ready to say a bright hello and the sky looked breathtakingly beautiful. "What?" replied Shezad, his attention was clearly on the watermelon, the breakfast which the U.S Army provided. "They don't use fans over there. I overheard someone saying that!" exclaimed Rehan. "Oh",replied Shehzad, clearly ignoring what Rehan said. He got up and said, "I will go over there to have some water. Do you want to come?" Rehan nodded his head. "Okay. Don't be late for the bus" said Shezad walking away from Rehan.

Rehan slowly got up and moved towards the edge of the cliff. Stretching his arms, he saw the sun slowly rising. And m

Story 35

"Who could have sent you something as absurd as this?" Maria was full of curiosity. Sitting on the edge of the rails barricading the sea, Rhea muttered "Really! Beats me."As the cool wind from the sea kissed their face, Maria adjusting her scarf said, "You should open it as soon as possible." "Believe me, I really want to. But I am scared of what it might turn out to be" the apprehension was clearly visible in Rhea's voice. "Let's open it today! If you want I can be with you through this" Maria asked. Rhea caught Maria's hand, " Really?" As Maria slowly nodded her head, Rhea jumped down from the rail, "Let's!"

As they got down from the lift, Maria asked, "Are you sure that they won't create a ruckus about our cycles?" "No! Even if they, I will tell Papa. Surely a garage as big as ours can accommodate a small cycle" said Rhea opening her apartment door. "People are so mean nowadays. They are always waiting to pick up a fight" Rhea exclaimed as she jumped into the sofa."Where is that thing?" Maria asked excitedly."Go to my room. I have kept it under my bed."

As Rhea poured Maria a glass of grape juice, Maria sat dumbfounded on the sofa. "I really can't believe how huge this is! What was written on the box, again?" Maria asked. Passing over the juice, Rhea said, "Go to the terrace and open it when you are alone." Keeping her glass on the table Maria looked at Rhea and said, "Please go! I can't wait to know what's inside this. I will wait for you just outside the terrace.

The golden egg shone in the bright sunlight as Rhea kept it at the center of the terrace. Mustering her courage she took it up and smashed it on the ground. A letter, with a very handwriting, popped out from the egg. "Remember how you asked for a golden egg just like Harry Potter had in one of his books? This is the best I could have managed. Hope you like it. Love You." Rhea's mother had succumbed to cancer just three months ago.

Story 33

"What is the issue you are facing?" asked Dr. Derek staring at his new patient. "I have been having dreams..weird ones..." replied John. He was thin, clean shaven,his eyes were red from lack of sleep and he sounded a tad bit disoriented. "So what have you been dreaming John?" the doctor asked, toning down his voice. "They still visit me in my dreams" John murmured. "Can I have  a glass of water?" he asked looking around. "Definitely" as Dr. Derek got up, pulled out a glass and poured it full. John gulped it in one shot. "Doctor you need to listen to this" said John sitting up straight on his chair.

"That night the Eagles were playing against the Hawks. Do you watch baseball?" John asked Derek. "Yes" replied Derek with a smile. His voice was gentle and soothing, as he asked "So what were you saying about that day?" "Yes. Eagles were supposed to play. The game was about to start in 30 minutes and I was stuck in office. It's not everyday you manage to get a ticket for the game. Ain't it Doc?" John asked earnestly. "Absolutely Derek. Go ahead!" "I told my boss that I had to leave. As usual he made an issue about it but I didn't pay any heed to it and left. The traffic was exceptionally slow and long. I kept on honking but to no avail. I overheard a conversation of the immigrants entering our country. Suddenly a Syrian came running to me, banging my window he tried to tell me about his wife fatally ill. He needed a lift. I shoved him aside and turned up the window.

I missed the game. Two nights later my wife had a miscarriage. They come in my dreams every night and still cry."

Story 32

"What are you doing there?" Shireen screamed as she saw Rehan standing at the edge of the cliff."I was just trying to locate" Rehan shouted back. "Will you come back right now?" the panic was evident in Shireen's voice. "Coming" replied Rehan as he cast a last longing glance. "What were you searching for?" Shireen asked frantically. Rehan sighed, "I was trying to locate Luna's house." "Why would you want to do that? Don't you see, time is running away!" Shireen's voice was trembling.

Rehan sat down quietly on a boulder. "Rehan, what's wrong? We need to make a move. The bus will leave soon. We don't want to stay back here. Do we?" said Shireen as she tried to pull up Rehan by his arms. As they started making their way back to the bus stop Shireen nudged Rehan, "Will you tell me?"

"Do you remember Lester?" Rehan asked. "Yes. Luna's golden retriever. Why?" Shireen looked at Rehan with curiosity. "Luna called me a few days back. She told me that during their family dinner her father had proposed they leave for their ancestral home in Zurich. With the political and social situation deteriorating  at an alarming level, he didn't want to risk his family and their well-being. The only problem was Lester. They couldn't take him with them" Rehan ran out of breath. "Why?" asked Shireen. "Apparently, the air carrier didn't have any special provision for carrying animals because the human population was overcrowded as many wanted to leave. She had told me to take Lester along. But in this chaos I couldn't manage to go there and" Rehan's voice muffled.

As they slowly reached the plain terrain, Lester came running at them with a flower in his mouth with a note dangling, "Love Luna."

Story 31

"The night is still young my friend", said Jason as he opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of coke. "I don't feel like going to the party Jason" Ismail replied. "Why? Want some coke?" asked Jason as he stretched out his hand to offer him the bottle. "No thanks. Water maybe?" said Ismail. As Jason poured him a glass of water Ismail opened the television and started surfing the news channels. "Hey, please! Give it a break. No more news now. You will enter into depression now!" said Jason as he passed on the glass of water. Taking the remote from Ismail he turned the television off.

Ismail gulped down the water. "What about the game of 24 you planned to teach me?" asked Jason. "Don't play that 'you don't have cards' thing. You know very well that I bought a pack of them yesterday." Ismail smiled, "Yes Jason. I do remember. I will teach you soon but not today." Taking out the cellphone from his pocket, he suddenly remembered "Tell Sarah I won't be coming today. I don't want to text her and face a barrage of questions now. Just tell her that I am not well so I am taking rest." Bewildered, Jason replied, "Even Sarah can't force you out today?" "No. I don't feel like going to the party. I will get going. See you tomorrow" said Ismail as he got up and left.

Walking down the sideways he remembered how Abba used to tell stories about his hometown. He migrated from there when he was 18 years old and had settled in the United Kingdom. He wanted Ismail to go and visit their ancestral home where, Amir, the caretaker still lives.

Seeing the Syrian refugees made Ismail homesick, for the first time in his life.

Story 30

"How many of you have seen sunflowers?", Richard asked the class. A number of hands shot up in the air. "That's very good! So tell me, how do they look?", asked Richard looking at the class inquisitively. "It is yellow in color", pat came the reply from Josh. "Excellent! So where did you see them Josh?", asked Richard."I have seen them at Mrs. Mason's shop. She sells flowers by the roadside", replied Josh. "Very nice! So children, open your book to page number 45. We will learn about different types of flowers today", instructed Richard as he turned to the blackboard to write the topic. Amidst the general hustle which usually follows with kids bringing out their books, Richard noticed that Adrian was sitting with the hands covering his eyes as he kept on peeping at the blackboard. "What's wrong Adrian?, asked Richard. "I am scared", replied Richard. "Scared? About what son?", Richard was bewildered. "Has anything happened?", asked Adrian, his voice quivering. "Where?", replied Richard. "Out there at the world?", replied Adrian using his hands to explain the entire universe. "No son. Nothing has happened.But what makes you think so?", asked Richard, his curiosity was peaking. "So why are you teaching us about flowers today?", asked Adrian. "And why can't I Adrian?", asked Richard. "Because flowers are bad. They are used only when the bad people attack countries and kill people. We go out and put wreaths in their memory. That's why I am scared of flowers. What if they killed Mumma and Pappa and Boxy, my rabbit?", Adrian's eyes swelled up with tears. Richard stood shell shocked for few minutes. Then he walked up to Adrian and hugged him tightly. Now the word "flower" had a completely different meaning in his life.

Story 29

"How do you manage the kid?" Apurva asked Nilima as she took a spoonful of rice. "It some how falls into place. Definitely it's difficult but there is no other alternative," replied Nilima as she opened her tiffin box. "Rakesh doesn't even bother. Does he?" asked Apurva looking straight into Nilima's eyes. "He never did. The separation has just given him an excuse to justify his nature," Nilima replied. "This is why I am never getting married. I can never possibly trust a guy with my well being. And those reasons which your parents put forward about requiring some company at an older age - I will simply pack my bag, sell my flat and live in an old age home," Apurva ran out of breath. "And probably hope to find Mr. Perfect then," Nilima winked and burst into laughter as Apurva joined in. "These things are always unplanned Apurva. The best you can do is go with the flow," said Nilima. "And then end up being like you! How is the kid doing?" asked Apurva. "He is fine. I have decided upon his nickname," the excitement was evident Nilima's voice. "And," urged Apurva. "I will call him Tintin," Nilima smiled mischievously. "So you are relying on your fictional school crush to do wonders, right?" asked Apurva. Nilima nodded. "He simply adores your cell phone designed feeding bottle. He  really thinks it to be my cell phone and he always clings onto it while watching Cartoon Network," smiled Nilima. "He is such a cutie!" smiled Apurva. As Nilima went back to to her cubicle and sat, she put on her earphones, connected it to her cell phone and dialed 'Home'. The maid picked up the call and the portable blue-tooth on Tintin's ear became green, "Do you want to her the story of the Red Indians and the magic lorry, Tintin?"

Story 28

"Checkmate!" smiled Adrian. Rob looked devastated. "How could you manage such a move?" Rob's eyes almost popped out. "You have to think Rob. Everything can't always be according to the set of rules. You have to break them and design your own moves. Creativity is an absolute necessity in any form of sports," replied Adrian with a twinkle in his eyes. "You will go a long way Adrian. I have a good feeling about this," said Rob with a smile. "Have you seen that old guy selling watermelons over there?" asked Rob who was peeping out of his hotel window. "Yeah. I have never seen any shop stocked up with so many watermelons!" chuckled Adrian. "Really! Let's go out. We need to check the schedule of our match against Albania tomorrow," said Rob as he got ready. "The youth chess championship is finally here!" the excitement was evident in Adrian's voice as he threw the pillows on the bed. "Let's go!" said Adrian, as they left the room and locked it. They walked down the sideways and reached the old guy selling the watermelon. "How much?" Rob asked. The old guy looked at them and replied, in proper english "One for fifteen rupees". Adrian signaled "two" with his fingers. As the old guy started peeling off the skin, he asked them, "You British?" Rob smiled and replied, "Yes". The old guy smiled and asked "You see this road?" They both needed. "58 years ago this road used to take people like me from Mumbai to Karachi. It was a one night journey. I was born in Karachi. I studied there. But then you people came and said that Hindus and Muslims can't live together. My family, Hindu's,  got scared and settled here. I never had a home since then," said he, serving them the watermelons. The pangs of immigration struck a chord with them.

Story 27

"Did you see that? What a goal from Messi!" Rehan jumped up from the sofa. "There is no one who can dribble like him. No matter how much dad tries to convince me, Ronaldo doesn't stand a chance in front of Lionel Messi," said Rehan as he paused to catch some breath. "Have you packed your bag?" asked Ziba, his mother, as she frantically looked around to check whether any more of the household items could be accommodated. "You didn't listen to anything I said? Did you?" Rehan asked his mother, visibly upset. "I will listen to everything later.Because at any moment now Abba will come and tell us to leave," replied Ziba as she tried to shut the overloaded suitcase. "Come down and sit on it Rehan. Help me to zip it," asked Ziba as Rehan ran and sat on it while his mother zipped it. The door opened as Asif came in, "Let's go! The bus leaves in ten minutes." "Yes. We are ready," said Ziba as she looked around. They knew nothing more could be taken as Ziba's eyes became moist. "Do you think it will stay like this till we come back?" she asked Asif. "If we ever came back to Syria!" replied Asif as Rehan wrapped his arms, around his Abba's neck. "Did you take the gold bars?" asked Asif as he locked the door. "Yes," replied Ziba. "No matter where we land up, we need to sell it and get some money," said Asif as he looked at their home for the last time. "Abba, are we going to Barcelona?" asked Rehan. "Anywhere you want to go," chuckled Rehan. As they boarded the overcrowded bus, Rehan smiled. Finally he is going to get the best birthday gift ever - he is going to see Messi play.