Wish I had a Pen Pal!

‘Pen Pal’ was a very interesting concept during my school days as there was no internet, no mobiles etc., at that period of time.  I remember the advertisements for making pen friends or pen pals used to get published in different magazines and news papers.  Many times I had a desire of writing to somebody especially a girl and make friendship. But my dream never took the shape of reality.

I had published an article few months ago on my webzine Candles Online, ‘Living above negative situations,’ where I had mentioned about my childhood and teenage days. There was a loneliness living inside me during those days. There was a hollow within me. I was deprived of a friendship though I managed all those situations by God’s grace but the deprivation for a friend didn’t go at all. So what I used to do? I used to dream of a friend who should be a girl whose life should be full of sorrows which means we should be identifying with each other well. We should share all our sorrows and heartaches with each other on that life-less paper. I was dreaming how I will wait for the letter to come to my house and I will open and read desperately. But regrettably I was brought up in a very conservative family where my elders were not all open to these things. These kinds of stuff were not so cool for them at all.  I had to suppress the desire of having a pen pal.

Later in the life when I started taking my own decisions I made a great pal whom I used to call ‘Sassy.’ She was from Philippines and was very beautiful. She was married, who loved her husband and son a lot. But she was sad always as her husband was jobless. I used to encourage her every time when we contact each other. She was a very nice friend of mine. Even she called me once on the phone. Remember, ISD calls were very expensive then. But she did call me. That was a great feeling. But unfortunately she was not my ‘pen pal’ but a ‘chat pal.’ So my ‘pen pal’ dream of my childhood became a reality in the form of a ‘chat pal’ when I started working and was staying alone. I had many online friends during my bachelorhood. But she was the best among all.

Life changed. I grew in life and I know, once I joined different writers community, I got pals after pals. I never got a pen pal though but had many pals online. Some were forgotten and some are very precious to my heart who are still part of my life. Some say I have inspired them and some have really inspired me a lot. Pals are pals.

But even today I think, “Wish I had a Pen Pal!”

(Originally Posted HERE)

ASL, PLEASE?

Candles Online

Her: Hi
Him: Hey There
Her: ASL, please?
Him: How are you doing?
Her: Is that your ASL?
Him: NO, but age is just a number
Her: Well, I am 27, I am from Delhi
Him: WOW, a Delhi girl, today is my lucky day
Her: You a flirt?
Him: No, just an average man, 28/US. But I was a Delhite too once
Her: Oh, were you? I am a dancer
Him: Gawd, Can this day get any better?
Her: Yes, if you are a Guitarist
Him: You never know, I could be
Her: LOL, are you? Seriously ?
Him: Nah, I can’t even hold one correctly, though I tried, sincerely
Her: You know, I know that feeling, I worked hard to learn Piano, but no luck
Him: I have a feeling we can be good friends….
Her: I have that feeling too…..’

This is how it starts every time…

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LOVE NEVER FAILS – III

By Chiradeep Patra

Arun was thinking deeply lying on his bed after returning back from Bangalore. Finally he decided and asked permission from his director for 2 weeks of leave. He went to New Delhi and Rohan came to pick him up in the station. When he reached at Rohan’s home, to his surprise Binod and Gracy were present there too. Chaya told him that “when you called us and told us what you have decided we thought of calling all our friends. But Nita could not come today, she will arrive tomorrow morning. And we can hire a taxi and start for Dehradun in the afternoon tomorrow…ok…is it ok na …Arun..? “Okay…” said Arun slowly.

Next morning when Nita arrived, Arun hugged her and both of them started sobbing. In fact everybody wept. Rohan arranged for a car to go to Dehradun. Before reaching Dehradun they all did little survey on internet regarding few Rehabilitation centers and enquired about Reena over the phone. After searching her in two of the Rehabilitation centers they found her in the third one. The assistant took all of them to a secluded room and ask them to wait. After waiting for 10/15 minutes a pale girl appeared. She came and stood in front of them. She didn’t move an inch. Nita got up first and came close to her and smiled at her. She called her by name, “Reena…do you remember me…I am Nita…?” Nita went close and hugged her tight. After 5 minutes of silence see looked at each one of them and started sobbing like a kid. Arun was silent and was stunned to see her like that. Nita brought her near them and let her sit with her on the bench.

Everybody started talking with her, but Arun was unmoved. He was still quietly looking at her. Reena started to open up slowly and he looked around towards Arun. She opened her mouth and said softly, “hiii…Arun…How are you…?” and then Arun broke the silence and came near her, bent down on his knees. He held her feeble hands in his palms and replied, “I am fine Reena…how are you…?” Reena started sobbing again. Tears were pouring down like torrent from her eyes. She broke down and hid her face in Arun’s palms. Arun stood and held her tight in his arm and comforted her saying…., “hey Reena, why are you crying…see we all are together today…and I don’t think that we can break our ‘7 wings’ again…?” He looked at others and asked, “Isn’t it guys…?’’ and all of them nodded. Arun again said, “See all of them are so happy to see you…” They all smiled when Reena looked at them. But all of them were so amazed to see Arun and his patience. Reena looked at Arun and said weeping, “its all happened because me…I am the culprit and I have given you so much pain Arun….” She was interrupted by Arun saying, “Hey common Reena, nobody has any hold on their lives…so you don’t have anything to do with all what happened.”

That entire day they spent with Reena and they called her parents and after few formalities they released Reena and came back to the new house where her parents were staying. Reena started to recover from all her past hurts in the presence of her friends especially Arun whom she rejected before. All others went back to their work places after two days. But Arun stayed back for some more days with her in her new home in Dehradun. When the time came of Arun’s departure to Tuni, Reena asked softly with tears in her eyes, “Arun… I know I am not worthy of you…but I just want to know…do you still love me…?” This time Arun could not control himself. He started weeping. Even Reena and her parents got scared seeing her weeping like that. Reena was in an apologetic state and trying to blame herself for everything again. Arun looked at her…smiled at her…and said, “Reena these are tears of happiness not of sorrows…” “How desperately I wanted you I can’t explain.” And both of them hugged each other.

Arun left for Tuni and came back after one week with all other to celebrate his own wedding ceremony with his beloved Reena.

The Bible says “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

And they lived happily ever after.

HAPPY BEGINNING!!!

(Know a bit about the author clicking HERE)

First Rule: Trust Limited!

via Daily Prompt: Trust

TRUST ! A simple five letter word, but it contains the foundation of each and every relationship that mankind has created, be it co-dependent like the spouse, controlling like parents, emotional like children, open like friends, compatible like colleagues or complicated like lovers.

It take so much effort to build it, framing with time, assembling respect, laying brick by brick of loyalty, leveling with compatibility, cementing with expectations that were realised, adding the mortar of adjustments and then we see a wall of trust, that stands strong and tall, a support to fall back on during trying times. It will take just one smash of the hammer of betrayal to wreck it, one small crack of doubt in its joints can crumble it to dust, one thrust of insecurity will tear it down to a mess that can never be put back again, the wall will never stand again, at least not as tall, not as strong.

Some people trust easily, some after a lot of speculation, but we all want to believe in the end because only then we are able to feel safe and secure in someone’s company. It is necessary for any bond to grow on us. My mother trusts everyone very easily and completely, she once let her friend borrow her jewellery for a very special occasion. My mother had bought it with her money, the ones she saved over years and years, it was her most prized possession, and she was in love with it. My aunt wore it and was complimented thoroughly, but when she was to return it to her, she made excuses, that she has no one to drop it, that she needs someone trustworthy to send it with and so on. My Mother trusted her and let her keep it till they met next time. Meanwhile, my mother went to some business function with my father, she was shocked to see a stranger wearing her jewellery. At first, she thought she is mistaken, it must be a look-alike, of course, there can be more than two sets in the same design. She took a closer look at the woman wearing it and saw that it was smudged on edge(she has smudged the edge of hers on an Almira). She was shocked and hurt, she never said a single word to my father or to her friend, but she was heartbroken and feeling betrayed.

She was not sad that her friend lent her jewellery to someone without her permission, but she was saddened by the fact that her friend couldn’t or wouldn’t keep her trust. She valued her friendship much cheaper than the piece of jewellery, she found it alright to breach her faith for someone else. That day she was not grieving her materialistic stuff, but she was mourning her friend and the bond they shared, she knew it will never be the same again amongst them, she can never confide in her like she used to, never treat her like a secret keeper.

Trust is a synonym for love is you like me, when you love, you trust and when you trust, then only you are free to love. It’s like the litmus paper test, if love is present, know that faith is also present. Do not cheat, do not lie, be there for them, know that they love you, don’t worry about breaking up, stick by them, be loyal, have faith, respect, rely upon, be assured, care, protect, confide, confess, hope, expect and finally TRUST !!!