Setting 25 : Going Back

From : @lonelycan

"I must do this for my country!" she exclaimed.

"The country which humiliated you for your looks? How can you forget
the headlines? They stripped your medals! Questioned your morals! Why?
Because you look manly? Can that be undone?", her brother argued.

She dismissed him before he could overwhelm her. Nothing could kill
her spirit to do something for her nation. The ace woman runner of the
country was now returning as the coach.

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From : @dbijalAt present, I dream of future similar to my past. A life would come to this world but grow up in a different environment. 

The talks with grandparents always amused me. They said things were simple back then and I thought they are simpler today. However, when I have nephew and nieces today, I talk like my grandparents.

Thoughts are like swing. They take you forward and make you go back in time.


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From @Shraddha_G

There was laughter, strumming guitars, songs overall through the return journey from Pune.

Our rock band had finally nailed the prestigious MTV Rock contest.

Poppp..!!!  came the gushing Champagne to celebrate our Euphoria.

After a sharp turn , the caravan rocked near the edge of the hilly road.  

I & my drummer evacuated the caravan steadily & we were moving out.

“Shaunnn.. Help…”

I went back to save him & the caravan went crashing down.  

Setting 24 : A Chosen Confrontation

From : @crazyandhow

The photographs burned today. The digitals deleted forever. The gifts
and memories were being thrown out with the garbage that had rotted
for days now. The last 3 years spent in self disdain of his lost love.
Happiness had no meaning for him anymore. Once, illustrious career
looked below average. Seeing her kiss another man made him realize he
is nothing more than a stupid dumbfuck.  Avi smiled and started
putting HIS LIFE together.

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From : Mohit Chopra

He wasn’t late, he gently opened the door and stepped in, carrying a bouquet of roses. He thought I was asleep and felt he had succeeded in slipping in quietly. He moved towards me and I shouted,

“Who were you with? Who gave you these roses?”

He was stunned and speechless, “These are for you” he murmured

“I know baby, but sex is so good after a fight!” and planted my lips on his.

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From : @lonelycan

You think you can confess to me and get away with it? Do I look like
a fool to you?", World's favorite daddy did not seem to like his
daughter's confession, not one bit. Neena kicked hard and wailed from
the other side of the door. "She does not get out of the room", he
announced. Neena realized her friends were right. She should have
never discussed about her love to her parents.

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From :  @dbijal

We all have our talks, gossips, secrets, crushes, feelings and relationships. What is a bit amiss is openness. Its easy to talk about someone when they aren't around.

How different would it be to confront others. Even better, confront oneself for a change. Fears, strength, hatred or love. Time to walk down a road less taken.

One doubt as I progress is whether such confrontation will help me steer clear in way forward.

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From : Shraddha Ghatge

Life choses to confront you when you play with it,

Wrong deeds confront you with its consequences,

A question in life confronts you for an answer when you are running away from it,

Facing a confrontation is what my deceased wife taught me…

I woke up with a start when I heard her call me…

I saw her white shadow on her favourite chair…

“Tell me John why did you kill me..?”

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From : Samiksha Adukia

Hector was hurt, humiliated and heartbroken.

Hector sought answers from Venus.

He drove to Venus’s apartment amid heavy rains.

What awaited him there was going to throw his world apart.

He rang the bell and the door opened after FIVE minutes.

Venus Panicked. Hector Surprised.

Venus was with her ex-boyfriend.

Hector stood still and then left without saying a word.  

Hector paralyzed. Still stuck in that moment.

But even the Sun sets in hell.

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From : Kartik Iyer

9year old Rahil, home after school,

Frightened that mamma will lose her cool,

His head down, as she opened the door,

He was silent without any roar.

Something’s wrong, she wondered,

Keeping his head on her lap, he praised,

‘House looks nice and the food smells great’…

Continously thinking, ‘should I say or should I wait’.

Smiling, ‘u lost the umbrella, right son?’

‘Sorry maa’

She softly touched his head and said ‘Lets have lunch’

Setting 23 - Never Say Die

From Vidya Kumar :

16th May 2006 : 
8.30 am - dad called mom on his way to work, I can't muscles on the right side of my face he said. 
9.30 am - dad's admitted into the hospital. Reason was Bells Palsy(partial facial paralysis) Eye open, mouth drooling, speech impaired, smile weak but crooked. 
Days turned into weeks but no form of muscle exercise worked. The doctors said this is how it would be now on.... 
But he worked diligently with the therapist, twice a day. The reason of his motivation he said was us, his two girls. 
18 mths of hardwork everyday, and he was back to normal. 
I learnt it from him 'never say die' keep at it, it'll show results.As Batman learnt, "Why do we fall? So we learn to pick ourselves up"

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From  @djibal :

"Join me in welcoming Major Chenoy", announced the host. 

Chenoy was one of the few militant who survived the Kargil war. He was called to share his experience with the cadets. 

He was injured severely in the war. Just when the doctors thought he would slip into coma, he came to life. A miraculous recovery for a person who was being operated for 14 hours. 

All he said is "I survived because I chose to live".

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From Sami Adukia :

Womanizer, tom-cat, lady-killer- hardly anyone knew him as Neel.

He treated women as equals. And sequels. 

But Sheena was different. Never did it last for so long. Yes, she was the one.

Vini, Neel’s colleague, was disturbed, needed a friend; he was considerate.  He made her comfortable, made her smile, made her speak about her past. And before she knew it, he became a part of it.

When addicted to the highs, chasing never dies.

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From Kartik Iyer :

34years old, round and cheerful was Fred, women loved him, men wanted to be him.

Lived a life of a king without the wealth….donated 80% of whatever he earned to ‘The Blooming Buds’ and the rest was for the weekend parties!

He always had some pain but never complained.

Doctor: With a heavy heart, third degree lung cancer

And 2months later,

His last words were,

“Always stay high, never say die”

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From @crazyandhow

Fallen; broken; his silence and growing wrinkles spoke of his lost
courage inside this cave. He sat there staring at the lonely spider,
crawling towards his web in vain. Everytime it fell. Bruce looked more
closely, in anticipation and hope like the last leaf on a tree.
Seventh time, the spider spun the web.

With the new profound thought of try and try, the Scottish king
gathered his army again, this time; to triumph and succeed.

From @Equanimous:

Shaitan Singh was the leader of the battalion that defended against 1000 Chinese soldiers attacking them in 1960. They were only 123 led by Singh.  The courage and bravery shown by them at 17000 feet is inspiring. Shaitan Singh inspired his troops despite being wounded. For every 1 soldier India lost, the Chinese lost 5. Truly, the Shaitan still haunts the Chinese. The Chinese announced a unilateral ceasefire 3 days after his death.
 
His Never Say die spirit helped India regain the crucial Chushul Sector on the border. He fought the Chinese till his last breath. Angels were guiding him. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously for his leadership and courage.
 
No words are enough to describe the bravery of Shaitan Singh and his men. 75 words were not enough to pay him my homage and tell you this unheard story. Apologies for extending the limit.

Setting 22 - 'Dead End'

From @crazyandhow :

Pain. Agony. Betrayal. Fuck. Madness. Failures. Lonliness.

Scoundrels. Witches. Cheats. Dogs. Cruel. Selfish.

The darkness.

Sun-kissed beautiful morning awaited me when I stuck out the stormy
night of no hope; no will; no meaning. Sunshine brought the toughness,
strength, joy. There are no dead ends for me. This is life; and I keep
walking.

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From @Shraddha_G :

"I will kill u.. u bastarddddd rat.. “I heard her sharp shrill voice.

They were so after my life... “Oh Guaddd.. leave me alone.. will you?”

I ran past the main door, saw the empty street, took a turn around d corner & stopped.

All I saw was a human graffitied wall saying “Dead End”

I turned around; she was there with her huge long hair gang, sharpening their claws, whiskers shining.

No escape now.
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From Ravi Golani :

“Congratulations”, “Well done, man”, “I am so proud of you”.
“First attempt main clear kiya mere bete ne”.

“All his hard work has paid off”

Studied overnight, slept odd hours, addicted to caffeine, played PS2,
gained 35 kilos. Stopped talking to many, started talking to new
people.

CA results had been declared. Most hearts swelled with pride on my
achievement. One was doubtful. All indulgences in his eccentricities
would now come to a dead end.

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From Vivek Todi :
"Be bold enough, you shall always find a way!", Her master's words
echoed inside her head. Her katana couldn't cut through the trap that
held her left leg. Shivering as she imagined her fate if she fell into
enemy hands - She clenched her teeth and with all her might, delivered
one final blow with the katana. Freedom!

"Atleast you could have picked up the rest of your leg!", The doctor
at their base mocked her.

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From Sneha Mehra :

It seemed extremely easy. I took off and proceeded with no obstacles in view. Excitedly, I neared the destination. However, one wrong turn changed everything. I looked left and right but there wasn’t anywhere I could possibly go. I was trapped! Exasperated, I realized I had to backtrack and find another way, fast! As I turned, the bell sounded. It was over- I had lost. Well, I understood, solving mazes can be tough at times!


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From @dbijal :

Life is a mystery,
Which all try to solve,
One day becomes history,
As time evolves. 


Death is inevitable,
Embrace it gracefully,
Only one life available,
Live it peacefully. 


Life that starts,
Will come to an end,
Love from your heart,
No regrets and amends. 


An end marks beginning,
As sunset and sunrise,
Start of new day,
To bring new surprise. 


One dead end opens,
Ten new doors,
Let's keep moving,
To reach new shores.

Setting 21 - 'The first victory'

From @Sneha_Mehra:

A single mother of an autistic child, I was scared! Nevertheless, I decided to give my best to bring him up. As he grew, he couldn’t talk, hold objects or even balance himself. One morning, when he was six, I heard a voice. What was just a mumble for people was unsurpassable euphoria for me! He smiled and held my finger. It was our first victory- and I silently knew there were more to follow!

From @dbijal

Results came and I was celebrating with my besties. All of us cleared this time. Victory party destination - Goa.
Planning about future, I put wrong foot ahead in present. Unconscious, numb, unresponsive and dead. 9 months I was in coma.
Marks on my body make me revisit those days. It still send shivers through my body. Doctors call it 'miracle', I call it 'my first win over death'.

From @Samiksha_Adukia:

Kesha had been the star student.  And she was not just that. 
She was a winner since the time she did not even understand winning- it was more of a habit than a passion. 
Failure is always behind the magnifying-glass, looks bigger than it is.  It scared her-hell yes, made her work-yes, strengthened her-NO.
Not losing was the reality, winning was the illusion.
BUT…it was not late.Her ‘Realisation’- her first one.

From @Equanimous:

Wimbledon has been his dream. His game is perfect for the green lawns of SW-19. He was destined for the title. But he ran into his nemesis. The man who will haunt him for life. Lost thrice in finals and five-times to the eventual champion. Wimbledon still eludes him, the dream slipping from his hands.  Charismatic Underachiever. Andy Roddick. The pursuit continues for THE FIRST-WIN.As Mika Hakkinen said , ‘Second Best is the first loser’.

From @Vishal_vagabond:

His eyes opened for the limitless possibilities. He had something in him which could compete anywhere and with anyone. Determination. Hardwork. Resoluteness.

People had now learnt to respect him as a genius they never understood before. Once who sounded mad to a world was now path breaking leader of his time.

He remembered, it all started with a humble gester. His mentor's assuring belief in him and his first victory that followed. The tiger had taster blood.

From @quirkyrebel:

As much as some might hate Charlie Sheen, "Win here , Win there, Win Win everywhere" is epic ! Victory for me was first understood when I came 2nd place in my 2nd grade in a hand writing competition. From then on the word 'competition' became a driving force for larger victories. But today, victory is not about beating anyone but gaining fulfillment in life from everything done beyond your potential. Hence, win everywhere.

From @vidooooooo:

My new home gave me exactly what I needed - a little space to have my own garden. I was so eager to get started. Granny guided me the first time. I was thrilled.  Lovely bright blue bells I wanted to see. Nothing happened. Got infested with ants, never flowered, buds grew but withered soon. Disheartening. I stopped paying too much attention, but still loved her. Each time I looked at her, somewhere in my head I never forgot to tell her that I love her. My very first that I sowed. It gave me a very unique joy to see her grow.
I being close to two and a half decades old, found so much love in me for the little creeper. Silly it may sound, I even christened her 'Blue".
But all of a sudden one fine day, I realised she flowered. One and half year for this to happen. And the happiness that one flower on her brought me. It was the most beautiful feeling ever. My Blue's first victory.

---x---x---x----

I think @vidooooooo is cheating with more words. *winks*

Setting 20 - "Stabbed in the back"

From @dbijal:

"Your time is over" said Rishin and pulled the trigger. It was empty gun but our group loved the thrill in this game. Next it was Viral turn.

He had to shoot Naina. He pulled the trigger and Naina screamed. This time, however, she wasn't acting. Viral grinned and said, "You deserved this".

Viral's motive to play this game today was now clear. He wanted to get even with Naina. They were partners in crime, but only Viral was caught as Naina sold him out.

From @DeliciousStrawberry:

They explored their passion. Their heat. Raunchy, crazy, outright dirty. Sometimes when you think people are kidding, they are not.

I walked in on Sunaina and Samarth doing it on my bed. Disgusting. But I made them pay.

He just got the divorce notice today, he will be paying a good sum.  And her, well let every guy on internet wank off at her pics. They had it coming.

Setting 19 - "The long lift journey"

From @Superfail_bot:

A flashy handbag by her wrist, a bright yellow umbrella angled on her hips; wrapped in a thin shade of red possessed with milky white skin and her dark twinkling liquored eyes.

I stood there admiring the beauty of the Almighty, in the most gendered way possible.

She glanced at me and smiled; a smile that’d last me a mile.

Damn, getting off the lift to reach my 2nd floor door never stung so bad

From @dbijal

To make their perfectly planned vacation a bit adventurous, Sameer and his friends ditched their flight from Delhi. They opted for road journey with a twist.

With budget constraint, they had to take lift to reach Srinagar. Luck shines upon them so they find such transport. Their long lift journey too had plans of its own.

Their vehicle meets with a terrible accident which leaves most of them with life worst than death.

From @KartikIyer:

18^th Floor, Claude came running in the corridor, smashed the lift button….staring at the lift, he pointed his finger towards Martin to bring the body out. As blood played the phenyl’s role of wiping the floor, they threw the body inside the lift. They got in, Pressed G. 3a.m, they weren’t expecting anyone down. Between the 6^th and the 7^th floor, electricity went off. 8am, Saturday morning, the cops got them out!

From @DeliciousStrawberry:

I always had the temptation; he never ever made the move in the lift. I so wanted him there and then. I looked him in the eye and gave a frenchie. There was no stopping him now. We both wanted the thrill; THE THRILL. He was biting me, wrapped him hands around my waist, raised me like a feather.
Next moment the guards opened the lift on 14th floor and pointed the CCtv camera to us. SHITTTT.

From @crazyandhow:

Unexpected. Scary. Awesome. Mad. Crazy.

Hot. Sweaty. Unknown. Strange. Laughs.

26/7 rains jolted and unnerved Mumbai. Whereas I met ‘HIM’. Crazy, crazy it was. Caught in the lift for 8 hours with a stranger in absolute blackness. We started talking and ended up here today. Rahil just slipped me an engagement band. I hear the bells soon. :)

Setting 18 - "the deja vu of destiny"

From @crazyandhow

They said he is too old. Should have bowed out when he had the grace of world no.1. Why does he keep playing and bring shame to own glory.

Friends whispered. Media screamed. He did not just lose matches but fans and faith.

He kept walking. Not as master but a servant of the game.

2003 - Australia. The 33yrs old unbelievable Andre Agassi won his 8th open era tennis grand slam.

He did his usual. Humble. His bows. His kisses to stands.



From @dbijal

Countdown begins. Days, hours, minutes. The possibly most important day of my life. Heart throbbing, anxiety and nervousness.

My friends called me stone-hearted, but this moment in life I could feel all mixed emotions. In matter of second my destiny would reveal itself.

The result is out. I feel a deja vu of destiny as history repeats itself and I have yet again failed my exams. Tears have dried but my heart cries.

Setting 17 - #Found

Due to some errors in coordination, the theme was posted on Facebook group and not sent to the mailing list. Sorry guys!

From @Sneha_Mehra:

The painting was sold for a whopping Rs. 1 crore! Her happiness knew no bounds. Her accident last year, had changed her life altogether. The sorrow of losing her legs and a shattered dream of becoming an airhostess was unsurmountable. Overcoming this grief, she discovered her passion for painting. And thus, embarked a new journey of life. She had lost her legs, her dream but found a passion, a will, a purpose to live for.

From @lonelycan:

"Find me Bhaiya", echoed through the darkness - every night. Memories
of their hide and seek game tormented his dreams. Every morning he
mourned over the year old accident. Finally, he realized a way to end
this. He walked by the edge of the cliff from where she had fallen. A
deep breath - a clenched fist - a wide leap, there she was! Arms wide
open - benevolent smile - deep round eyes. "Found you!", he cried out
loud.

From @Sneha_Mehra:

The museum director was being interrogated. “As I entered the hallway, I saw the broken window of the tiara room. Unlocking the door, I entered only to find the tiara missing” Detective Ben observed the room from outside. He smiled since he’d found the culprit. Entering the room he said, “Mr. Paul, you should’ve really broken the window from outside! Now, guide us to the place you’ve hidden it.”

From @crazyandhow:

Tensed. He frantically looked the chair. No. Table. No. Around the bed, somewhere between the sheet. No.

That moment, it was the most important thing in the world for him. How would he even survive?

How could he lose it. He was on the verge of bursting into tears. Looked again.

There it was! oh yes. My sweet. My precious. Crawled; an year old Rahil, picked up the cheeto from the dirty corner and enjoyed its last bite. Yum!

Setting 16 - #Drive

From @ravivgolani:

His pictures splashed across tabloids and newspapers across world.
Everyone wanted to know more about him. To them he had appeared out of
the blue. But he preferred to keep out of media’s reach. He was “the
arrogant”, “the most eligible bachelor”. His wealth estimates kept
everybody bewildered.
He marveled in his success. Wondered if he hadn’t gone bankrupt so
early in life, would he have had the drive to reach so far.

From @lonelycan:

It was her first time and like all first timers - she too was very
nervous. Her veteran friends told her it just feels weird for the
first time, but at the end of it there is a feeling of immense peace
and satisfaction. "This isn't that bad!", she thought after the first
round. Soon she fell in love with the idea of spreading awareness
about cleanliness and picking up trash to motivate others.

From @dbijal:

"Go for it, Drive it!! Accelerate your way to the top". These motivational words of my boss unclear at that point when he got his new car Audi Q3. He was in love with it. His speech got me thinking of the similarities between driving and my profession.
Multi-tasking, passion, caution, responsibility and lastly, my choice. I choose the route to succeed. The drive will only be one part of this beautiful journey.

From @SnehaMehra:

This red, two-seater beauty was his, at last! Now he only wished that she sat beside him. He zoomed towards her in style and stopped the car in front of her. Her eyes went wide in awe and excitement. Nervously, he invited her to climb aboard. She hesitantly looked around and sat. And whizz! They went past everyone! Both their mothers smiled as their 5-year olds enjoyed the drive around the complex.

From @guruvrs

Early morning. Idlis and sandwiches packed. Bags loaded. Jostling over window seats. Engine starts. Radio on. Voting for choice of songs. Time flies. Pit stop for breakfast. Milder music. Debate begins. Argument. Throats get dry. Someone gets offended. Silence prevails. Music takes off. Hungry. Street food. Jokes. Laughing out loud. Squeezed group photo. Chatter. Flash back. Memories. Loud music. Singing louder. Go crazy. Live the moment. Pause. Future plans. Engine off. Destination reached.