Thursday, October 25, 2012

Memories



Abhay pulled up his trousers for the umpteenth time like every day. He almost did it subconsciously like it was akin to breathing.  But he never wore a belt. Wearing a belt brought back painful memories.

Memories.

Those of his father. Of the putrid smell of alcohol mixed with smoke. Of his towering, overpowering presence in their shanty. Of being thrashed mercilessly. Of the blue and red strips on his back and hands and legs and face. Across his ears. Yeah, that incident had left him partially deaf. And partially blind. He remembered withering away slowly. The years of wetting his bed after evenings of whippings.  The feeling of sleeping on a bed of thorns. The ache penetrating every nerve ending in his body.

Memories.

Beads of perspiration began to form on his forehead as he thought about them. He felt a pool of water forming at his feet. His trouser soaking in the warm wetness. His slippers starting to smell.

Memories.

The silver cold metal against his warm hands. Before he could realize, his fingers slid effortlessly into the groove underneath. They landed a string of six messengers of death into his father’s head. The smell of burnt flesh pervaded his senses as he bent down to feel his father’s pulse. There was no sign of life. He removed the ragged belt snaking around the rotund belly of his tormentor and fastened it around his neck like a noose. 

Just to be sure. 

Just symbolically.

He smiled. And pulled up the trouser weighed down by the wetness. The smell didn’t bother him any more.

The brown belt. It was no more.

They were now just memories.

13 comments:

  1. A new way of narration...liked the flow and also the story.

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  2. That's a good one!! Wonderfully narrated!

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  3. Maybe I related to this post in a different way that's why I am angry and shocked?

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    Replies
    1. it is expected to arouse that feeling.. so it's perfectly ok.

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    2. Then why is it different from the above two?
      I know different people think differently, but to this extent?

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    3. their comment is about the 'way' the story has been narrated...urs with the 'essence' of the story...

      it is like looking at an apple and one saying it is red and the other saying it is round..they are two different aspects isn't it? they are not comparable....

      if one says it is red and the other says it is green then we can say, how can different people think differently to this extent?

      ..am I making sense?

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    4. Yes it makes complete sense :)

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  4. Really moved by this post... upsetting even.

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At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person..deep gratitude for those who have lighted the flame within me!! your comments will be appreciated..

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