The Ultimate Choice

It follows me, the clink
In my every word
With my every step
I drag my feet
Bearing its constant weight
It smells of rust
May be its metal
Or the reek of my wounded dreams
But metal can it be
For corrosion doesn’t weaken it
Instead, it eats me off
Still, I trudge my path
With a masquerading smile
Hoping for a savior, an elixir


The aroma of Freedom
So pure, so divine
It entices me
It must taste of honey,
Of enlivening raindrops,
Might feel like a soothing breeze
Of silky moonlit night
It teases me in livid dreams
Pushes me to break my shackles
And fly to distant horizon
Which promises me my heaven



Then I shudder with fear
What if it’s a mirage?
Can these chains be
Binding me against
An insidious storm?
What if the horizon
Lays a devil’s trap?
A black hole it might be
Never giving me back
To this world I dwell in
But then my soul
Tells me to decide
Either live dying or die living
For once I close my eyes
Trusting my instincts this time
I make my ultimate choice
And finally… open my eyes

Tobermary

(This is my first attempt with fiction. So, I just wanted to share this short story. My mentor in creative writing asked me to write on a cat called 'Tobermary' which recently acquired the skill of speaking English. Here's what I came up with.) 

‘Jeeves please get the lady’s coat, would you?’ I asked my butler, nervously fidgeting with my gold ring. All the ladies of my club had come at my invitation to witness the extraordinary talent of Tobermary, my darling cat. After months of training, she had finally learnt to talk. My joy knew no bounds when I first heard her say a proper sentence in that rhythmic tone. Since then, Tobermary had been a wonderful company in my otherwise lonely life. Now I had someone to talk with, anytime I wanted.

‘What if she doesn’t speak in front of the guests?’ This question was making me nervous. Now that all the guests had come, it would be so embarrassing if Tobermary ditched at a time like this.

‘Mrs. Green’, called out Mrs. Jones, ‘Why don’t you call Tobermary now? We all are eager to see her talent’
‘Sure Mrs. Jones. I’ll be right back’
I went to my room to bring the cat. She was a fat tabby and her orange fur gave her a good camouflage in that orange bed. I had to look carefully to see if she was on it. She was sitting right there and licking her paws.
‘Come here Tobey… here Tobey. It’s show time.’ She jumped out of the bed and came dancing into my lap.
‘Don’t get nervous in front of the guests. They will praise you if you speak well.’ She purred and snuggled into my arms.
As we entered the hall, we were given a round of applause. Tobermary rose her head up to look at all the guests. Jeeves brought a cushion and kept it in the centre of the hall. I took Tobermary to that cushion and made her sit on it. She wrapped her tail around her feet. She sat with the perfect blend of guard and poise, a trait innate in felines.
‘Greet the guests Tobey’ I cooed.
Tobermary looked at everyone and said:

‘All the pretty women
Gracing this hall
Here’s Tobermary
Greeting you all’


The hall echoed a loud ovation. ‘Bravo!’, ‘Once more’, ‘Amazing’ resounded all over. I was so happy at Tobermary’s recital, and even glad that everyone liked it.
As the applause subsided, I rose up from my chair. ‘Thank you all for your encouragement. You are welcome to come forward and talk to Tobermary’
‘Tobermary’ Mrs. Evans spoke, ‘Did you like this party? All of us have specially come to see you’

‘I knew you would come
As my lady had said
That many of you
Have nothing to do instead’

I was taken aback. And so were Mrs. Evans and the rest of the ladies. All the eyes turned towards me. ‘Don’t look at me like that my friends. I didn’t say that to her’, I tried to convince.
Mrs. Evans raised an eyebrow, turned back towards Tobermary and asked, ‘What else do you know about us dear Tobey?’

‘I know not all
But some I do
It’s only what my lady
Says about you
She finds Mary’s nose
Ugly and big
And oh my sweet Penny
Is that really a wig?
She says that Martha
Is too old for that dress
And do you know her Husband
Is going out with Tess?’

I was stifled, too embarrassed to look anywhere. I couldn’t gather enough courage to face the scores of glaring eyes. Why did I have to flaunt Tobey’s talent? Vexed to the core, I looked at Tobermary and suddenly someone screamed.


‘Oh God! Where is my bracelet?’ Mrs. Taylor started searching here and there for her jewelry. ‘It was made of precious stone, a gift from my husband. I can’t lose it like that’
Tobermary jumped off her cushion, went towards Mrs. Taylor and said:

‘You lost your bracelet
To a marvelous sleight
The genius is no one
But the butler to your right’

‘Jeeves!’ I screamed. Jeeves stole Ruth Taylor’s bracelet! Was this the worst that could happen tonight or was there more?
Tobermary slewed past me and went to Mrs. Smith. ‘Now how do you know about my husband? You sly cat’, said Mrs. Smith, annoyed.


‘I saw your man
With Tess last week
You weren’t at home
When I came to sneak
They hugged and kissed
And seemed quite merry
While I fed myself
With your yellow canary’


That was it. Tobermary had crossed all limits. I stomped towards her and told her in a strict tone. ‘Someone is not getting her food tonight Tobermary’
She danced her way to the stairs and said:

‘That poor fellow
Might feel very bad
For it was delicious
The food I had
Just to make sure that
The guests are served well
The toured the dinner table
For a quick lick and tell
The mousse, the pudding

The Stew and the fish

I smelled each platter

I licked each dish

Now my tummy is full

And so I retreat
To rest of you all
Bon Appétit’


With this she hopped her way upstairs, leaving me at the mercy of a bunch of peeved ladies.