Meeth Srivastava Vanishing Tides (Lonely Hearts) 1
The first episode of Vanishing Tides is all about a young girl called Red and her problems and how she finds a friend in someone of her own kind...
VANISHING TIDES
Lonely hearts 1:
The sunlight beamed in through the lecture hall's window. The new professor went on and on with the dry as an autumn leaf topic of gut rotation. That was in embryology lecture. Before Red started thinking about the course her life had taken. She was a brainy girl with things up her brain and words on her tongue. And the things up her brain ordered the words on her tongue around, never releasing them from the open prison of the oral cavity. So the words and the sentences hovered in her head as long as she was not distracted by something else, it was like the fear of a sudden white ghost that haunted children and some adults too. Since the lecture had been so boring Red had drifted off. Out of the hundred or so students seated in the hall with more than half dozing, she would be the last one to be noticed owing to her middle seat and the tall girl in front. She had this disgusting feeling that she needed to lock herself out from the people around, they wouldn't understand her, and no one would; unless of course they were the same kind as Red.
Red felt a bit pained to see her ex - best - friend loafing around with a group of girls who were particularly famous for their escapades from the lectures. She knew it was her fault that she had allowed the girl to get in such company. After all she was her best friend. The definition of words changes as people change. Friendship; that beautiful gift you give someone because someone out there deserves it. The best part in this definition was that you would get what you gave but in a different wrapper.
The summer breeze lifted Red's hair slightly off her shoulder. She kept gazing into the distance, towards the beach. Towards her house. The window was enough for two people to stand together. Red stood alone, the silence making her need to scream swell. She was tired of waiting for her companions, some people who were supposed to be like her. It was the recess time and Red had again emptied her packed sandwiches in the bin. Red held on to the window as her eyes closed and a sleepy spell settled over her. She stood there for a long time, appearing to gaze out but actually taking a nap. The bell rang and once again and all the students put on their coats to leave for their respective practical classes. She had to go for anatomy dissection. Her partner in practical class, Rosette, a shy girl asked Red, "Hey partner, you look pretty drained, huh?" Red smiled weakly and told her to hurry up so that they could get the front row. They had dissection of the brain that day. As they entered the hall their nostrils filled with the pungent smell of formalin. The day went on as the afternoon reached its peak. After the practicals Red had to call up her father Takshak just as he had told her to. She was not feeling well and Takshak could tell this from her voice. So he told her he would come over to pick her up. She just wanted to rest in her room with the air conditioner at its full.
Takshak worried about Red. She had been looking exhausted from the past two weeks. From the time she came to know that she would have to distance herself from mortals for their own safety. From the time she lost interest in playing the piano. Since the day she lost her closest friend to the fear of revealing the secrets of her kind. He sat with her for an hour last night coaxing her to tell him what was troubling her. She just told me she was waiting for the holidays. She wanted a break to move away from people. He knew she was lonely with no one to share her feelings, no one to be there by the window sill, no one to share her breakfast with because she was different. Because she was a warrior. Because she was not supposed to live the life of a mortal.
"Almond Ato", said the assistant professor. Almond stood up and answered his attendance. He sat in the examination hall all set to write his last finals. He was happy to be living the day his beloved dream of escaping from his place to a newer and better place. Today was his last exam. The D Day he called it. He had already packed his bags, filled in the forms. The only thing left was to get the signature from Takshak. A smile crept up his lips as he went through the questions. Two hours later he was bounding down the steps to get to his small group of boys with a passion for bike re-modeling. The three guys waited for their tallest friend, Al, Ato; call him anything and he would turn to you with a smile. All four of them finally free of studies and hours of burning midnight oil clapped each other on the back and set out towards the exit. All of a sudden Almond noticed a familiar white Mercedes Benz. His face crumpled and beads of perspiration shined on his forehead. He turned to his friends and said, "Guys, I'll join you in the evening. Got to go. You all go ahead with the plans. Most probably I'll be leaving tonight. See you all later." He had an angry look on his face as he whipped back and turned to go after the white car, his waist length blonde hair bellowing behind him as he undid his hair. He was praying to God that just before the hospital guys would take him Takshak and his daughter (to whom he had been talking to ever since he'd met her one evening two weeks back) would come along. His prayer was answered but God was late just by a few seconds. As he walked towards the car a feeling of hatred towards mortals swept him. The official standing alongside a sweaty doctor caught him by his arm, hurting him in the process. He said in a hoarse whisper, "No tricks this time boy... we've got a gun." Horrified he heard the click of a gun from the person sitting in the rear seat, his white teeth shining like medals on his otherwise black face. Almond was pushed into the car and the car screeched off. Takshak and Red saw this as they approached, not knowing about the gun. Takshak, an excellent driver raced after the car and tried to overtake it. An over-sized tanker approached from the other side and he had to swerve left. By the second attempt he saw Almond inside the car, looking really sulky. Red knew she had to keep quiet and act like she didn't know him. Almond saw Takshak and was about to call out to him when he noticed the driver understood the car as well as its passengers. Spitting away a chewing gum he screeched the car to a halt. The doctor asked him in a tense tone, "What the hell are you doing. Get to the hospital fast. I'll lose my job..." The driver said in an annoyed voice, "So could I, Ato's got saviors today." He saw the car in front slowing down and immediately backed the car in rear gear and sped off along the short-cut. Almond was sure he was not going to escape his fate now. There was no way.
Red and Takshak raced past the shadowy roads and once again followed the car, this time more cautiously. Red leaped up front to manage the radar controls that Takshak had fixed in his car. They both raced at brake neck speed to reach one of the biggest hospitals around. The members of the car ran into the building with Almond being held by his arm by the black guy. Red and Takshak separated as Takshak went up by the second elevator while Red hit the escalator. She almost flew through the corridors to reach the thirty-seventh floor. She caught her breath for a bit and then walked towards a room which was slightly ajar on tiptoes. Voices were coming from inside, it was Almond, "I don't need that money.... get off me..." Then she heard another voice, "Boy, don't mess with this case. You falter here and you'll never see day light again... Do it! Now!" Red quickened her pace and tried to reach the place as fast as she could. She had heard the other elevator beep its arrival. Takshak would be there soon. He would handle things later on.
Almond could feel the cold gunmetal on his temple. He prepared for the worst like he used to every time these medico dorks made him transfer a part of his life into some rich and famous personality who had died, to save the jobs of quite a few people. Almond took the dead man's slightly rigid hand in his and then opened the gates of his mind. Energy flooded through his body, all the energy to be transferred and through his brain - waves of the devastating affects these transmissions could have on him. Almond felt his life seeping out, leaking out of him, and killing him at gun point. At that moment Red burst in through the door and all eyes turned towards her except Almond's who was busy trying to steady himself. "Al! Get out of there, right now!" Red screamed as she tried to overthrow the people pushing her out. She saw Almond's energy fail him as his head banged against the metal rails and he collapsed on the floor, deathly still. She heard Takshak say, "Get away from my daughter, you murderers!" He snatched Red from them and then held his gun in position all set to shoot the doctor. Takshak shouted, "Move away from Almond... Let me through and the doctor lives otherwise... you don't even know what I'm capable of. MOVE!" Red and Takshak lifted Almond in between them and moved out with the gun still pointing at the doctor. The moment he reached the door he pushed the man inside and latched the door from outside. "That'll hold them for a bit. Hurry, we need to get out of here," Takshak said with his head full of ways to escape. With Almond still unconscious there was no way the trio could reach the car safely. So he asked Red to run down the stairs and get the car up front while he would disguise himself and Almond and reach the car soon. Red jumped down to stairs two at a time. Almost out of breath, Red reached the parking area and yanked the door open. She wanted to get out of the hospital campus as fast as possible lest those strange people would start after Almond again. Getting behind the wheel Red pulled out of her father's silver car and took it to the porch where she would pick up Almond and Takshak. Her forehead shone with sweat as she looked around prepared to face those people. It was cooler than her home place would have been. In a distance she saw Takshak with a nurse coming towards the car with Almond in between. They were literally rushing to get there. As soon as Takshak reached near her he yelled, "Out and behind you go Red... Hurry!" Red leaped out and held the door open for Almond to be seated inside. She didn't like that pale look on his face. She shut the door in one move and scooted over to the other side and sat in the back seat with Almond. Takshak thanked the nurse and screeched out of the campus. No car followed them. Only the sunrays peeped through the back window, following them.
Lonely hearts 1:
The sunlight beamed in through the lecture hall's window. The new professor went on and on with the dry as an autumn leaf topic of gut rotation. That was in embryology lecture. Before Red started thinking about the course her life had taken. She was a brainy girl with things up her brain and words on her tongue. And the things up her brain ordered the words on her tongue around, never releasing them from the open prison of the oral cavity. So the words and the sentences hovered in her head as long as she was not distracted by something else, it was like the fear of a sudden white ghost that haunted children and some adults too. Since the lecture had been so boring Red had drifted off. Out of the hundred or so students seated in the hall with more than half dozing, she would be the last one to be noticed owing to her middle seat and the tall girl in front. She had this disgusting feeling that she needed to lock herself out from the people around, they wouldn't understand her, and no one would; unless of course they were the same kind as Red.
Red felt a bit pained to see her ex - best - friend loafing around with a group of girls who were particularly famous for their escapades from the lectures. She knew it was her fault that she had allowed the girl to get in such company. After all she was her best friend. The definition of words changes as people change. Friendship; that beautiful gift you give someone because someone out there deserves it. The best part in this definition was that you would get what you gave but in a different wrapper.
The summer breeze lifted Red's hair slightly off her shoulder. She kept gazing into the distance, towards the beach. Towards her house. The window was enough for two people to stand together. Red stood alone, the silence making her need to scream swell. She was tired of waiting for her companions, some people who were supposed to be like her. It was the recess time and Red had again emptied her packed sandwiches in the bin. Red held on to the window as her eyes closed and a sleepy spell settled over her. She stood there for a long time, appearing to gaze out but actually taking a nap. The bell rang and once again and all the students put on their coats to leave for their respective practical classes. She had to go for anatomy dissection. Her partner in practical class, Rosette, a shy girl asked Red, "Hey partner, you look pretty drained, huh?" Red smiled weakly and told her to hurry up so that they could get the front row. They had dissection of the brain that day. As they entered the hall their nostrils filled with the pungent smell of formalin. The day went on as the afternoon reached its peak. After the practicals Red had to call up her father Takshak just as he had told her to. She was not feeling well and Takshak could tell this from her voice. So he told her he would come over to pick her up. She just wanted to rest in her room with the air conditioner at its full.
Takshak worried about Red. She had been looking exhausted from the past two weeks. From the time she came to know that she would have to distance herself from mortals for their own safety. From the time she lost interest in playing the piano. Since the day she lost her closest friend to the fear of revealing the secrets of her kind. He sat with her for an hour last night coaxing her to tell him what was troubling her. She just told me she was waiting for the holidays. She wanted a break to move away from people. He knew she was lonely with no one to share her feelings, no one to be there by the window sill, no one to share her breakfast with because she was different. Because she was a warrior. Because she was not supposed to live the life of a mortal.
"Almond Ato", said the assistant professor. Almond stood up and answered his attendance. He sat in the examination hall all set to write his last finals. He was happy to be living the day his beloved dream of escaping from his place to a newer and better place. Today was his last exam. The D Day he called it. He had already packed his bags, filled in the forms. The only thing left was to get the signature from Takshak. A smile crept up his lips as he went through the questions. Two hours later he was bounding down the steps to get to his small group of boys with a passion for bike re-modeling. The three guys waited for their tallest friend, Al, Ato; call him anything and he would turn to you with a smile. All four of them finally free of studies and hours of burning midnight oil clapped each other on the back and set out towards the exit. All of a sudden Almond noticed a familiar white Mercedes Benz. His face crumpled and beads of perspiration shined on his forehead. He turned to his friends and said, "Guys, I'll join you in the evening. Got to go. You all go ahead with the plans. Most probably I'll be leaving tonight. See you all later." He had an angry look on his face as he whipped back and turned to go after the white car, his waist length blonde hair bellowing behind him as he undid his hair. He was praying to God that just before the hospital guys would take him Takshak and his daughter (to whom he had been talking to ever since he'd met her one evening two weeks back) would come along. His prayer was answered but God was late just by a few seconds. As he walked towards the car a feeling of hatred towards mortals swept him. The official standing alongside a sweaty doctor caught him by his arm, hurting him in the process. He said in a hoarse whisper, "No tricks this time boy... we've got a gun." Horrified he heard the click of a gun from the person sitting in the rear seat, his white teeth shining like medals on his otherwise black face. Almond was pushed into the car and the car screeched off. Takshak and Red saw this as they approached, not knowing about the gun. Takshak, an excellent driver raced after the car and tried to overtake it. An over-sized tanker approached from the other side and he had to swerve left. By the second attempt he saw Almond inside the car, looking really sulky. Red knew she had to keep quiet and act like she didn't know him. Almond saw Takshak and was about to call out to him when he noticed the driver understood the car as well as its passengers. Spitting away a chewing gum he screeched the car to a halt. The doctor asked him in a tense tone, "What the hell are you doing. Get to the hospital fast. I'll lose my job..." The driver said in an annoyed voice, "So could I, Ato's got saviors today." He saw the car in front slowing down and immediately backed the car in rear gear and sped off along the short-cut. Almond was sure he was not going to escape his fate now. There was no way.
Red and Takshak raced past the shadowy roads and once again followed the car, this time more cautiously. Red leaped up front to manage the radar controls that Takshak had fixed in his car. They both raced at brake neck speed to reach one of the biggest hospitals around. The members of the car ran into the building with Almond being held by his arm by the black guy. Red and Takshak separated as Takshak went up by the second elevator while Red hit the escalator. She almost flew through the corridors to reach the thirty-seventh floor. She caught her breath for a bit and then walked towards a room which was slightly ajar on tiptoes. Voices were coming from inside, it was Almond, "I don't need that money.... get off me..." Then she heard another voice, "Boy, don't mess with this case. You falter here and you'll never see day light again... Do it! Now!" Red quickened her pace and tried to reach the place as fast as she could. She had heard the other elevator beep its arrival. Takshak would be there soon. He would handle things later on.
Almond could feel the cold gunmetal on his temple. He prepared for the worst like he used to every time these medico dorks made him transfer a part of his life into some rich and famous personality who had died, to save the jobs of quite a few people. Almond took the dead man's slightly rigid hand in his and then opened the gates of his mind. Energy flooded through his body, all the energy to be transferred and through his brain - waves of the devastating affects these transmissions could have on him. Almond felt his life seeping out, leaking out of him, and killing him at gun point. At that moment Red burst in through the door and all eyes turned towards her except Almond's who was busy trying to steady himself. "Al! Get out of there, right now!" Red screamed as she tried to overthrow the people pushing her out. She saw Almond's energy fail him as his head banged against the metal rails and he collapsed on the floor, deathly still. She heard Takshak say, "Get away from my daughter, you murderers!" He snatched Red from them and then held his gun in position all set to shoot the doctor. Takshak shouted, "Move away from Almond... Let me through and the doctor lives otherwise... you don't even know what I'm capable of. MOVE!" Red and Takshak lifted Almond in between them and moved out with the gun still pointing at the doctor. The moment he reached the door he pushed the man inside and latched the door from outside. "That'll hold them for a bit. Hurry, we need to get out of here," Takshak said with his head full of ways to escape. With Almond still unconscious there was no way the trio could reach the car safely. So he asked Red to run down the stairs and get the car up front while he would disguise himself and Almond and reach the car soon. Red jumped down to stairs two at a time. Almost out of breath, Red reached the parking area and yanked the door open. She wanted to get out of the hospital campus as fast as possible lest those strange people would start after Almond again. Getting behind the wheel Red pulled out of her father's silver car and took it to the porch where she would pick up Almond and Takshak. Her forehead shone with sweat as she looked around prepared to face those people. It was cooler than her home place would have been. In a distance she saw Takshak with a nurse coming towards the car with Almond in between. They were literally rushing to get there. As soon as Takshak reached near her he yelled, "Out and behind you go Red... Hurry!" Red leaped out and held the door open for Almond to be seated inside. She didn't like that pale look on his face. She shut the door in one move and scooted over to the other side and sat in the back seat with Almond. Takshak thanked the nurse and screeched out of the campus. No car followed them. Only the sunrays peeped through the back window, following them.
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