Z - ZERO

Zero stood on the shore, nonchalant, unassuming, looking out over the sea and gazing at the horizon. He didn't seem to have a care in the world.

Unknown to Zero, One had been watching him closely for quite some time. He sneaked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. As soon as Zero turned to look back, One shoved him aside and stood right in front of him.

One: "There...we're a perfect 10 now. I'm sorry to have surprised you like this. But as you can see, it's in our best interests that I am allowed to take the lead. As for you, I'm afraid you're going to have to stay out of the limelight." (*winks at Zero).

Zero: (*nodding in agreement) "You're right...you're in charge."

One: (*beaming with pride) "You had no choice here anyway, mate!"

Zero: (*raises his eyebrows) "What do you mean?"

One: (*grinning) "Well, you zeros have no value by yourselves. Clearly, it only makes sense for you guys to join forces with the rest of the numbers. It adds value to your existence, no? Admit it then, without the rest of us, you are absolutely nothing!"

Zero: (*closing his eyes and smiling) "Hmm...you're right again...we zeros are nothing by ourselves."

One: (*nodding) "Exactly...Nothing!"

Zero: (*now grinning) "Let's think about this...what happens when more than one of us rally behind you, with you guys in the lead? What happens then?"

One: "We're BIG, of course!"

Zero: (*now grinning) "Let's think about this...what happens when more than one of us rally behind you, with you guys in the lead? What happens then?"

One: "We're BIG, of course!"

Zero: "Absolutely...you guys gain a great deal of value when my kind rallies behind you. So let's say me and five other of my kind had to come together and let you lead, we'd be a million. Isn't that right now?"

One: "Hmm..."

Zero: "But now, imagine if one day we would suddenly decide to pick up our stuff and walk away...where, my friend, would that leave you?"

One: "Huh...?"

Zero: "You heard me...where would that leave you?"

One: (*feeling a lump in his throat) "At...square one?..."

Zero: "Perfect...we have no value and we have nothing to lose. But hey! We are the ones who make you look good. Without us, you guys are hardly anything yourselves. Don’t ever forget that!

And saying so,  Zero left One standing dazed on the shore, and walked away.

Please feel free to leave comments, whether or not you liked what you read. It's a great way to start a conversation or a dialogue. I might be pretty boring in real life, but I promise I'm a lot more fun in this avatar.

With this, my friends, we have come to the end of an extremely long, yet extremely satisfying A to Z Challenge 2017. It was supposed to be completed by 30th April, and although I tried my best to finish it in time, deadlines at the workplace and lack of sufficient time during the weekends due to family commitments played spoilsport.

Nevertheless, I have no regrets. In fact, this time around I had a plethora of positives - both on the creative as well as personal front. I managed to surprise myself (pleasantly) this time around, in terms of my ability to think quickly and to come up with some write-ups that I would definitely count among my best posts till date. I also managed to make some wonderful friends and collaborations on Instagram. Looking forward to working with them in the future as well.

See you next year then...hopefully.

Amen to that!

Previous posts in the A to Z Challenge - April 2017:-

A - All Apologies (Poem)

B - Baptism (Poem)
C - Chains (Short Story)
D - Door To My House (Short Story / Sentimental / Philosophy / Wisdom)
E - Evil Eye Deliverance (Short Story)
F - Flight of the Lonely Raven (Poem)
G - Girl With The Rings (Weird Story)
H - Hills Beckon (Poem)
I - Idyllic Sky (Short Story)
J - Judging Yasmin (Short Story)
K - Kiss of Death (Poem)
L - Lady of a Perpetual Sucker (Poem)
M - Mosaic You (Poem)
N - Nevermind (Weird Story / Short Story)
O - Office-ial Stance (Short Story)

P - Pretender (Poem)

Q - Queen (Poem)

R - Ramparts (Poem)

S - Standing In The Midst Of Clouds (Short Story)
T - Tiptoe (Poem)
U - Unguarded (Poem / Sentimental / Philosophical)
V - Voila Gypsy Girl (Poem)
W - What If.. (Musings / Poem / Short Story / Sentimental / Philosophy / Wisdom)
X - X-treme Encounter (Short Story / Weird Story)
Y - Your Stare (Poem)

10 YEARS IN SANITY

My Blog - Scripted In Sanity completed 10 years today.

I cannot believe that a decade passed by so fast.

These 10 years have been special. In these 10 years, I broke my heart a million times, experienced a million moments of bliss, witnessed a number of life-changing events unfold, underwent twists & turns and peaks & troughs in a life that otherwise used to be quite uneventful.

The result of these events? 219 posts in all!

What has changed in these 10 years? There were many bloggers and readers who joined in the (In)Sanity, and motivated me (directly and indirectly) to keep going. Some of them are still around, some of them got lost along the way, while some have chosen new paths and trails. But they've all left footprints in special places somewhere.

What hasn't changed? My resolve to keep writing!

I would like to thank many people.

Nidhi Bagur (SSNAB) for being the blogger and friend who first introduced me to the world of Blogging and helped me create my blog (it was then known as Dreams Arena). She's among the ones who unfortunately stopped blogging herself.

Pranay Sethi who helped me with my very first blog banner. Pranay's blog has been long-dormant as well.

Ninitha Koya who was among the first to help me build the Bloggeratti bloggers' community way back in 2008, during the Orkut days. She was not around when I recreated Bloggeratti on FB. She seems to have quit blogging around 2013.

Pooja Kale for being the first blogger to collaborate with me for a contest. She last updated her blog in 2012.

The Nothingman / Pallav for being a master of the Weird / Twisted Short Stories genre of writing, and being a great influence. Thankfully, he not only blogs, but has also authored 2 books.

Alisha Das for influencing me with her versatility - short stories, poetry (English and Hindi), random musings, et al. I knew her since she was a teenager, and what a talented teenager she was! She sang like a dream as well. Sadly (for me), she got into film-making and seems to have stopped writing in 2015.

Red Handed for being a great influence in the Humour genre. I kid you not, not many people have ever gotten to know her true identity. Unfortunately, she seems to have vanished around 2016. Boy, how I miss her writing!

Purba Ray for being another big influence in the humour genre. I had the privilege of meeting her at an IndiBlogger event in 2015, where she was one of the Key Speakers; and she called me out by my name during her session. That definitely was an honourable and humbling experience for me, and I thank her immensely. Her blog is going strong and is one of the most popular blogs in India.

Kriti Sharma for being a long-time and long-distance friend and continuing to encourage me. I got a chance to meet her on one of my visits to Delhi in 2016. She got married early this month, and I wish her a happy married life. Kriti, by the way, last updated her blog in 2013, and deserves a rap on her knuckles for neglecting her blog ;)

Rohini Dutta helped me cope with my pre-MBA jitters and on the personal front, way back in 2008. She would take great pains to mail me soft copies of Management books and reference material...I must admit I only downloaded them and didn't bother reading. We would spend hours chatting and doodling crappy stuff on Yahoo Messenger's IMVironment (that was such a wonderful feature). She was like this overprotective elder sister, who wanted her kid brother to succeed by all means. Sadly though, we lost touch after she got a job and I started my MBA course, sometime around 2009. Although she is now married and settled in Mumbai, we have never met. She stopped blogging in 2010.

Last, but not the least, my wife Cheryl, for allowing me to sit on my big hairy ass for hours on end and to shirk domestic chores to come up with write-ups, sometimes not worth the effort. She is my gentlest critic, and thinks I am the best writer in the whole wide world. What more can a writer ask for?

Of course there are many more bloggers I have met along the way, and who are responsible for what I am today (not just as a blogger). However, it is impossible to name them all. I would, therefore, simply wish them all the very best. You guys know who you are.

Here's looking forward to the coming 10 years. Also hoping that I start influencing people for a change.

Cheers,

CRD

Y - YOUR STARE

You Stare Vacantly Into The Distance
Hiding Memories Sprawled
Wide Across The Vast Expanse Of Your Thoughts
Concealing Promises Scrawled
Deep Into The Abyss Of Your Soul

You Stare Vacantly Into The Distance
As Your Mind Ignites
Doubts, Dilemmas, Apprehensions And Qualms
But Sullenly Fights
Slays And Buries Them In Recesses Dark And Obscure

You Stare Vacantly Into The Distance
As Your Lips Quiver
Trying Hard Not To Betray Secret Pacts Made With Your Heart
And Your Eyes Moisten
Fighting Back A Barrage Of Emotions, A Wave Of Anxiety, And An Ocean.

Please feel free to leave comments, whether or not you liked what you read. It's a great way to start a conversation or a dialogue. I might be pretty boring in real life, but I promise I'm a lot more fun in this avatar.

Heartfelt gratitude to Jyotsna 'Moonlight' Gandhi for allowing me to use her image with this poem. Jyotsna is a Faridabad-based poet and author. She has written a motivational book titled 'You Step One He Steps Thousands'. Jyotsna has graduated with a degree in Philosophy and a Masters Degree in Sociology. She is also involved in social service and is the mother of a 7-year old boy. Her Instagram URL is www.instagram.com/moonjyolight/

Previous posts in the A to Z Challenge - April 2017:-

A - All Apologies (Poem)

B - Baptism (Poem)
C - Chains (Short Story)
D - Door To My House (Short Story / Sentimental / Philosophy / Wisdom)
E - Evil Eye Deliverance (Short Story)
F - Flight of the Lonely Raven (Poem)
G - Girl With The Rings (Weird Story)
H - Hills Beckon (Poem)
I - Idyllic Sky (Short Story)
J - Judging Yasmin (Short Story)
K - Kiss of Death (Poem)
L - Lady of a Perpetual Sucker (Poem)
M - Mosaic You (Poem)
N - Nevermind (Weird Story / Short Story)
O - Office-ial Stance (Short Story)

P - Pretender (Poem)

Q - Queen (Poem)

R - Ramparts (Poem)

S - Standing In The Midst Of Clouds (Short Story)
T - Tiptoe (Poem)
U - Unguarded (Poem / Sentimental / Philosophical)
V - Voila Gypsy Girl (Poem)
W - What If.. (Musings / Poem / Short Story / Sentimental / Philosophy / Wisdom)
X - X-treme Encounter (Short Story / Weird Story)

X - X-TREME ENCOUNTER

It had been a long journey, and the Assassin was X-hausted. He parked his ATV (all-terrain vehicle) close to the entrance of the watch-tower and stood next to it, taking time off to stare into the X-pansive horizon of the desert. After having soaked up the barren sights, he hauled up the bag of X-plosives and slung it over his shoulder. Although the weight of the bag was overwhelming, not once did he grimace; perhaps because he had never been very X-pressive. As he walked up the staircase of the watch-tower, he reminisced about the events and X-periences that had shaped up the journey thus far.

Today was going to be day all the X-periments of the past were going to reach their final logical conclusion. Indeed, today was going to the day when he would finally justify his very X-istence.

The Assassin continued his walk up the decrepit staircase; it made unnerving noises and a part of him was X-pecting something to give way anytime. The Chief had told him that there was a bigger cache of weapons which needed to be X-humed from a spot on the floor atop the watch-tower. The weapons had probably been left there by loyalists of the X-iled Master.

After he had traversed the last step on the narrow staircase, he stepped out into a fairly X-pansive courtyard. Strangely though, there was already someone up there, and as their eyes met, it became clear that neither of them were X-cited to see the other.

The Assassin slowly dropped his bag on the floor, and took X-tremely measured steps towards the unwelcome guest. He hadn't had a one-on-one duel in months now - he licked his lips in anticipation of a bright opportunity to X-ercise his demons. The trespasser, in turn, bared his X-traordinarily sharp fangs at the Assassin, bracing himself for a long and hard-drawn battle.

This was just about to become an X-cruciating fight to the finish.

P.S. - Did you know monkeys could be very dangerous, especially when frightened?

Hope you weren't put off by my excessive use of X's.

Please feel free to leave comments, whether or not you liked what you read. It's a great way to start a conversation or a dialogue. I might be pretty boring in real life, but I promise I'm a lot more fun in this avatar.

There are two images in today's post - The first one has been clicked by Yours Truly at the Karnala Fort in Panvel, Maharashtra. The other image is that of a Bonnet Macaque, clicked at the Chitradurga Fort in the state of Karnataka, India. A big thank you to 27-year old Tayyab Hassan from Bangalore, India for allowing me to use his click. Tayyab has a Bachelors Degree in Journalism and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Mass Communication. He also holds a Dilpoma in Creative Writing. He has previously worked as a multimedia journalist with various Bangalore-based newspapers, and is currently working as a Cinematographer/Photographer with a Bangalore-based production house. He loves wildlife photography. Tayyab's Instagram URL is www.instagram.com/tayyabhassanphotography

Previous posts in the A to Z Challenge - April 2017:-

A - All Apologies (Poem)

B - Baptism (Poem)
C - Chains (Short Story)
D - Door To My House (Short Story / Sentimental / Philosophy / Wisdom)
E - Evil Eye Deliverance (Short Story)
F - Flight of the Lonely Raven (Poem)
G - Girl With The Rings (Weird Story)
H - Hills Beckon (Poem)
I - Idyllic Sky (Short Story)
J - Judging Yasmin (Short Story)
K - Kiss of Death (Poem)
L - Lady of a Perpetual Sucker (Poem)
M - Mosaic You (Poem)
N - Nevermind (Weird Story / Short Story)
O - Office-ial Stance (Short Story)

P - Pretender (Poem)

Q - Queen (Poem)

R - Ramparts (Poem)

S - Standing In The Midst Of Clouds (Short Story)
T - Tiptoe (Poem)
U - Unguarded (Poem / Sentimental / Philosophical)
V - Voila Gypsy Girl (Poem)
W - What If.. (Musings / Poem / Short Story / Sentimental / Philosophy / Wisdom)

W - WHAT IF...

What If Our Eyes Could See Through And Lay Bare Every Soul They Came Across?

Would We Then Ever Be Able To Trust Each Other Again?

What If There Existed At Least One Word To Express Every Single Emotion That Ever Existed?

Would We Then Begin To Understand Each Other Better?

What If Every Single One Of Us Looked Alike, Talked Alike And Thought Alike?

Would That Then Help Us Love Each Other Like We Love Ourselves?

What If We All Were Handed The Scripts To Our Lives As Soon As We Began Our Journeys?

Would That Help Us Make Life Better For Ourselves, And For People Around Us?

What If We Could Get Everything We Ever Wanted Simply Through Our Thoughts?

Would That Make Our Lives Happier And More Satisfying?

What If There Were No Religions, No Rules, No Laws, And No Restrictions?

Would 'Survival Of The Fittest' Be Fair And Just To The Weak And The Meek?

What If Everything Was Provided For; What If Everything Was Perfect?

Would Such A Flawless Life, Without Its Aspirations, Hopes And Struggles Be Worth Living?

Please feel free to leave comments, whether or not you liked what you read. It's a great way to start a conversation or a dialogue. I might be pretty boring in real life, but I promise I'm a lot more fun in this avatar.

Today's image of the Titled Buddha in the lawns of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai (previously known as the Prince of Wales Musuem) is courtesy Juhi Kachhap. Juhi is originally from the city of Ranchi, the capital of the State of Jharkhand, India. She is a Marketing professional, currently based in Mumbai. She loves exploring places and learning about their people, their culture, history and heritage. Her areas of interest include photography, running, doodling, music, art, architecture, travelling and history. She sums up her love for photography by saying that photography helps preserve memories for a lifetime - whether good or bad. Juhi's Instagram URL is www.instagram.com/twist_ed_myind

Previous posts in the A to Z Challenge - April 2017:-

A - All Apologies (Poem)

B - Baptism (Poem)
C - Chains (Short Story)
D - Door To My House (Short Story / Sentimental / Philosophy / Wisdom)
E - Evil Eye Deliverance (Short Story)
F - Flight of the Lonely Raven (Poem)
G - Girl With The Rings (Weird Story)
H - Hills Beckon (Poem)
I - Idyllic Sky (Short Story)
J - Judging Yasmin (Short Story)
K - Kiss of Death (Poem)
L - Lady of a Perpetual Sucker (Poem)
M - Mosaic You (Poem)
N - Nevermind (Weird Story / Short Story)
O - Office-ial Stance (Short Story)

P - Pretender (Poem)

Q - Queen (Poem)

R - Ramparts (Poem)
S - Standing In The Midst Of Clouds (Short Story)
T - Tiptoe (Poem)
U - Unguarded (Poem / Sentimental / Philosophical)
V - Voila Gypsy Girl (Poem)

V - VOILA GYPSY GIRL

Charmed
Bedazzled
Enchanted By You
Smitten
Besotted
Enamoured With You

Oh Gypsy Girl, Your Smoky Eyes Have Bewitched Me!

Beguiled
Hypnotised
Enraptured By You
Spellbound
Gripped
Befuddled By You

Sweet Gypsy Girl, Your Luscious Lips Have Entranced Me!

Swayed
Persuaded
Defeated By You
Fleeced
Swindled
Defrauded By You

Cruel Gypsy Girl, Your Flattery Has Stupefied Me!

Should've Known Better...

Please feel free to leave comments, whether or not you liked what you read. It's a great way to start a conversation or a dialogue. I might be pretty boring in real life, but I promise I'm a lot more fun in this avatar.

A big thank you to the stunningly pretty Subna Islam for allowing me to use her image for tonight's post. Twenty year old Subna lives in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She's a Computer Science and Engineering student. She is also a fashion blogger, with a great following on Instagram. She loves singing, and she she describes herself as someone who loves to do as her heart pleases. Way to go girl! Her Instagram URL is www.instagram.com/cadberry_subna

Previous posts in the A to Z Challenge - April 2017:-

A - All Apologies (Poem)

B - Baptism (Poem)
C - Chains (Short Story)
D - Door To My House (Short Story / Sentimental / Philosophy / Wisdom)
E - Evil Eye Deliverance (Short Story)
F - Flight of the Lonely Raven (Poem)
G - Girl With The Rings (Weird Story)
H - Hills Beckon (Poem)
I - Idyllic Sky (Short Story)
J - Judging Yasmin (Short Story)
K - Kiss of Death (Poem)
L - Lady of a Perpetual Sucker (Poem)
M - Mosaic You (Poem)
N - Nevermind (Weird Story / Short Story)
O - Office-ial Stance (Short Story)

P - Pretender (Poem)

Q - Queen (Poem)

R - Ramparts (Poem)
S - Standing In The Midst Of Clouds (Short Story)
T - Tiptoe (Poem)
U - Unguarded (Poem / Sentimental / Philosophical)

U - UNGUARDED

When You're Broken And Desolate - Both Outside And Within

When Both 'Loyal' Friends And 'Faithful' Foes Have Decided To Move On

When Memories From The Glorious Past Are Labelled As 'Folklore'

And 'Incredible Figments Of Dope-Induced Imagination'

When Wood, Steel, Hinges And Bolts Are All Taken Apart

And Even The Varnish Has Been Scraped Out From The Skeletal Facade

When Urine And Spittle Are The Only Tribute You Are Now Afforded

When You Are Conspicuous Only Because Of The Stench Of Rotting Remnants Of What Used To Be

When You Are Reduced To Naught And Now Have Nothing More To Lose...

...Perhaps It Is Worthwhile To Let Your Guard Down.

Please feel free to leave comments, whether or not you liked what you read. It's a great way to start a conversation or a dialogue. I might be pretty boring in real life, but I promise I'm a lot more fun in this avatar.

Today's superb image is courtesy Talha Hashmi from Lahore, Pakistan. Talha has earned an Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) certification, and is an Oracle Functional Consultant by profession. He considers photography to be his passion and loves using his talent to spread positive vibes about Pakistan's rich culture, traditions and values. During the course of our small collaboration, he expressed his love and respect for India, which he considers his 'second home'. It is heartwarming to witness such love and camaraderie amid a scenario where our respective political leaders are only busy adding salt (and acid) to wounds on the other side. Talha is an amazing photographer, you should see his work. His Instagram URL is www.instagram.com/super_talha

Previous posts in the A to Z Challenge - April 2017:-

A - All Apologies (Poem)

B - Baptism (Poem)
C - Chains (Short Story)
D - Door To My House (Short Story / Sentimental / Philosophy / Wisdom)
E - Evil Eye Deliverance (Short Story)
F - Flight of the Lonely Raven (Poem)
G - Girl With The Rings (Weird Story)
H - Hills Beckon (Poem)
I - Idyllic Sky (Short Story)
J - Judging Yasmin (Short Story)
K - Kiss of Death (Poem)
L - Lady of a Perpetual Sucker (Poem)
M - Mosaic You (Poem)
N - Nevermind (Weird Story / Short Story)
O - Office-ial Stance (Short Story)

P - Pretender (Poem)

Q - Queen (Poem)

R - Ramparts (Poem)
S - Standing In The Midst Of Clouds (Short Story)
T - Tiptoe (Poem)