Thriller: The Ultimate Choice 3

Episode 3​

The last time Archana was intimate with Rajan on bed was more than 2 years back. Whatever maybe the reason, excessive work pressure leading to fatigue or the mid-life crisis, she didn't know, Rajan had lost interest in Archana long time back. While Archana was 38, Rajan was 10 years older than her.

Siddharth was a junior colleague in Rajan's team in the company. As he hailed from the same state of Andhra Pradesh, they had formed a cordial bonding among themselves. Siddharth being a bachelor and sharing an apartment with 5 of his colleagues hailing from different states in India, Rajan had often called him for dinner to be prepared by his wife Archana.

Initially, Archana was not that enthusiast about preparing dishes for another man. But, very soon, Siddharth's charming personality, and his sugary praises about her cooking, which Archana knew was not that great, softened her stance. It didn't take much longer for them to share their phone numbers and email ids. Siddharth gave Archana which she had been desperately searching for years: attention. Despite his busy schedule, he always picked her calls, chatted with her over WhatsApp, and emails.

Very soon they began to meet outside in shopping malls, movie theatres and music programmes. Their emotional bonding was complete.
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Rajan had never played any game since he was 10 years old. His father was a clerk at a private company. He drew a salary that was too meager for his family of 6: he and his spouse and 4 children of whom Rajan was the eldest. He had seen prospect in Rajan, and encouraged him to study hard. Rajan had seen proverty, he knew he had to succeed in life to get rid of it, and he had to take care of his younger siblings. So, he relinquished all the worldly pleasures to concentrate whole-heartedly on studies. His father could not afford private tutors, but that didn't deter Rajan form progressing with the help of his dogged tenacity. His school teachers helped him generously. His was the case of hard work paying off. After class XII, his was the case of grand success. He got chance in the IIT Chennai, and never looked back.

Sometimes, the smell of success acts as an intoxicant, and people deviate from the right path. Marriage, also, can make a man to change his course of action. But, Rajan was the one, and he was very proud of it, who never forgot his obligations. From the very beginning of his career, he had been sending 50% of his earnings to his family in Andhra Pradesh.

As he never played games after he was 10 years old, when someone tripped him on the road, he fell like a felled tree. He didn't know how to use his hands to lessen the impact of the fall. Thus, his face got a huge thump, and he became senseless immediately.

When he gained his consciousness, he could not see anything. He blinked his eyes on numerous times without any success in watching light. He wanted to pinch himself to check his consciousness. But, he found something was obstructing him in reaching his left forearm. Rajan tried harder only to get the feeling of some sharp metal biting his wrist. Soon, he realized that he had been handcuffed, and the steel was so tightly held to his wrist that if he tried to remove it, it made an incision.

Rajan had never been in such a precariously helpless situation. He cried for help, " Is there anyone here? Please help me."

No one responded. Rajan shouted harder again and again. But, no one came. After 30 minutes of continuous shouting, Rajan realized that no one was listening to him. "How come?" He wondered. At last, he resigned. He tried hard to remember what happened last when he had consciousness.

To be continued​

Thriller: The Ultimate Choice 2

Episode 2​

"Dear, please don't say me to skip tomorrow's party at Sridevi's house. You know, Sri's daughter Anushka will turn 5 tomorrow, and they will celebrate the event with a grand party." Archana snuggled towards Rajan, and placed her hand on Rajan's chest. She knew Rajan loved this gesture.

"How many times I have to tell you that I am going through a troubled time in the office?" Telling this in an angry tone, Rajan turned to the opposite side.

Archana was not an extrovert girl by nature. Actually, she had to practice a few times to come up with that spoony move, and that was the best shot she could offer. Sridevi was none other than Archana's own sister. Like Rajan, Sridevi's husband Shiva worked in a software farm, a different one though. A few months back, Archana remembered, they had presented an expensive anarkali churidar in Vaishali's birthday. This was not only a mere matter of reciprocating, but also a matter of self-respect for her.

Revolting was not in her nature, all she could do was to shed tears in silence.

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"You are working in my farm for the last 15 years, and I must say that I have never seen a more dedicated employee than you. You have not taken a single day of leave in these years, and you have never come late for even single day!"

"Is that all he wanted to say for this urgent meeting?" Rajan didn't know how to react to this profuse praise showered by his otherwise taciturn and a taskmaster boss.

"You must be wondering why I am saying all this to you! Well, you must have heard of Artificial Intelligence, robotics, automation etc! Do you know how hard it is to maintain a healthy growth rate in this dog-eat-dog competitive business environment? The bonehead owners don't know anything other than making dollars! The moment you fall short of your target, you become a villain in their eyes."

Now, Rajan got a chilling sense in his spine. He had seen a lot of layoffs in the recent years. He had seen his bosom friends gone for good. He had seen the dedicated workers go, he had seen the casual workers go. He had always hoped that this would not happen to him. But, why these frigging words?

"Well Rajan, I have been ordered to cut off my work force by 30% in the next 2 years. This will be done in phases, of course. Please, don't blame me, as my hands are tied. You are working in a field which can be replaced by automation. You know that. But, you being one of the best employees of my farm, I give you 6 months of time before I lay you off. Please try to find a new job in this time."

Rajan's world had turned up side down since he heard those chilling words. He had tried his best to find an alternative job in the same field. He found that only one company was interested, but they offered only half the remuneration that Rajan had been getting. That was too insulting for a senior guy like him. So, Rajan had begun to prepare for cooling his heels for some time.

In the meantime, he had to drastically cut the expenses which he thought were extravagant. Rajan and his wife Archana were accustomed to at least 5 parties in a month, 3 to 4 eating outs in posh restaurants, cinemas in multiplexes, frequenting shopping malls for the latest trendy dresses, and the list was endless. But now the only thought that murmured in Rajan's head was, "I have to save as much as money possible in these months." Rajan didn't share this shocking news with his wife, as he thought it would create unnecessary panic in her.

Thriller: The Ultimate Choice

Chapter 1​

When Archana opened her eyes, she could not see anything. "Have I become blind?" Archana asked herself, and became very worried. When she tried to look around her, she felt a sharp pain in her head. It appeared to her that her head was in the process of being decapitated.

"Oh my God, my head! What happened to my head?" Archana tried to touch her head with her right hand. But, she could not, as she found her right hand handcuffed with her left hand. Fortunately, her hands were not placed to her back side.

When her eyes got accustomed to the darkness, she could understand that she had been lying on a bare cement floor. The coldness of the floor was piercing her body like hundred of sharp spears. When she tried to sit up, she understood that her legs were also tied to each other with a 0.5" thick steel welded chain. She tried hard to tear off the chain. Archana, being an arts students, for the first time understood that the tensile strength of steel is 2160 MPa, where as that of human hair is 140 MPa.

Archana was dumbfounded! She was absolutely clueless what happened to her. She tried hard to remember what happened last, and she remembered.


"Sweetie are you sure you wanna do this?"

" Yes, yes, yes!" Archana didn't hesitate even for a second to come up with affirmation. She knew how much she was bored with her life.

"But, what about your husband Honey? How will he react?"

"Oh that monkey-brained, bulldog-faced penny-pincher? He should be very happy that he won't have to spend money on me any more!" These words came off like the whistle of a pressure cooker!

"Ha Ha! I wanted to ask how would he react? Will he lodge a missing diary in the police station? In that case, how do we react?" Siddharth asked sheepishly.

"He is such a money-minded guy that he hardly notices my presence in the house. I have become nothing more than a maid-cum-cook for him. When he will miss my tasty food, maybe he will take notice of me. But, don't worry! I have planned it. I shall tell him that I will go to my aunt's house at Illinois for a couple of days. He knows that my aunt has been suffering from cancer for quite some time. He will not suspect if I go there for a couple of days, as I had gone there on several occasions alone.

Actually, you know, he will be happy that he won't have to spend money on me for 2 days. In the meantime, we will be able to flee to India, where we will settle. You know that, Sid! I told you on numerous occasions." Archana was a tad disappointed at Siddharth.

"Yes Honey, I do remember what we will do in India. You will transfer your entire balance of 2 crore Rupees from your joint account to my account before leaving. I will transfer the money to my account in SBI in India. Then we shall buy a house in a small city where I will start a business, and we shall live happily." Siddarth could see a glint in Archana's portruding eyes, and a wide smile on her luscious lips.

"And what about your children Omkar and Vaishali?"

"They are grown up now. They know how I have been suffering at the hands of their father. You don't have to worry about them. They won't be unhappy. I assure you!"

"Hmm! Then Saturday 6 PM! We take the flight."

"Done!" Archana did a high five with Siddharth.

To be continued ​

A perfect place

The world is not a perfect place
Yet, you wanna mould it in your way!
The poor lives in hunger, without shelter
Yet, you want all to be happy and gay!

The brothers of a family are fighting
Yet, you want universal brotherhood.
When you stab your buddy in the back
Your talk of a perfect place is falsehood.

When siblings in a family are quarreling
The in-laws are fighting for everything
Your desire to see peace and  bonhime here
I must say is very annoying!

Don't go against the nature you bozo
Accept things as they are
Stop playing the referee everytime
And try to fill your coffer.

Picture taken form the Internet

Anything for publicity

To sail through the sea of publicity
You can't lie like a vegetable
Churning out a controversy from nowhere
Can be hugely profitable.

You saw your baby had no future
Time to run and no more amble
Frustrated and very desperate
You took your biggest gamble.

Forget about leading from front
You have never mingled with anyone
But with your burning desire for success
All your mousiness and doubts have gone.

The question is will the gamble work?
Will your baby be able to walk on?
Or, will the blind army of blind faith
Splash acid on your creation?

Picture taken form the Internet 

A day at the school

After a harrowing day's work at the office, when I was almost ready to depart, my cell phone rang. I was expecting it to be my driver, but when I opened it, I found it to be someone whom many married men fear, some admire and for many like me can't ignore. You guessed it right, it was wife calling from home. This is the time, she never calls. So, slightly worried, I asked,

"What's up?"

"What will you prefer for the dinner, luchi or fried rice? I will cook tonight."

We have a cook who prepares all the items for both lunch and dinner. Very rarely, that too on my persistent request, my wife goes to the kitchen. I wondered, what was special about this day! Was it our marriage anniversary, or was it someone's birthday that I had forgotten?

"I didn't let the children sleep in the noon time. They will sleep early tonight."

When she said this, I knew this was not normal. So, I asked curtly,

"Did you purchase something very costly?"

"Oh! What a unromantic husband I have got!" She was disappointed.

I knew something had to be amiss. While getting up in the car, I rephrased my question,

"Do you want something?"

"Nothing material, you duffer! I want you to be present at the parent teacher interaction session on Thursday."

Now, I understood. I don't like to take unnecessary leave. So, I enquired,

"But, you told me last time that after admission of our younger daughter in the same school, I don't have to go there. You will be able to manage yourself."

She hesitated a bit and replied, "You know there will be bookstalls in the school. Don't we need to buy few Scholastic books? I won't be able to carry them."

I laughed silently. I knew the real reason. She had nothing to fear about the performances of the daughters, or there had been any issue with their discipline. But, like many Bengalis, she, too, lacks confidence in speaking English.

My both daughters study in the same school: the elder one at class 1 and the younger one at nursery. First, we went to the first floor to meet the class teacher of class 1, section A. I had never seen this plump, bespectacled Christian lady clad in baby pink sari before. She handed me the report card, and enquired about the younger daughter, who was with us, from her pupil. I skimmed through the two-paged report card, and found everything satisfactory except one aspect. Before, I said anything, she said,

"Your daughter is very good. There are no issues with her."

"But she got C in discipline!" I wondered!

"She is very talkative. She finishes her work very quickly, and starts to gossip with her friends. But, I assure you that's very normal for her age. There is nothing to be worried about." She explained the matter to us.

Then we went downstairs to meet the Goanese class teacher of my younger daughter. She was a known face, as she taught my elder daughter, too. Her joy knew no bound when she saw her old student. I knew she loved to talk. She praised both my daughters profusely. My wife's face was glowing in satisfaction. But just when we thought it was over, she said,

"There is only one minor issue with her. She speaks more in Bengali than in English."

I looked at my wife again: the glow had vanished.

"But, your elder daughter can speak fluently. I think you need to talk to her in English at home more often."

She turned to my elder daughter, and said,

"Now, it's your responsibility to speak with her in English only. If she doesn't cooperate with you, you come to my class, and inform me."

"That is a great solution", I appreciated her.

My elder daughter was the happiest person on that day. In my opinion, my younger daughter is brilliant, and the elder daughter is just a good student. She got a great satisfaction in proving me wrong. Moreover, I had announced previously that whoever got better grades would get Rs 100 from me. She won that prize too. My younger daughter started to cry, and her mother consoled her by giving Rs 10.

Picture taken form the Internet 

 

Film Review War

Did you notice that if you reverse the word RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) you get WAR, and WAR was released on 2nd October, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, a champion of non-violence? The probable commercial success of a film can be guessed when you book tickets in advance. When my wife booked 4 tickets for the 3-35 PM show on the first day, she said that most of the seats had already been booked. That didn't happen in case of Saaho, which had a budget of Rs 350 crore. I had a lot of enthusiasm about the film as it had the famous Bahubali star Prabhas. But, I was frustrated, as the film could not meet the expectations. This time, naturally, I was a bit sceptical about this Rs 200 crore budgeted film.

But this action thriller, produced by Yash Raj Films and directed by Siddharth Anand does not disappoint the viewers. In fact, the film starred by Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Vaani Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana, and Anupriya Goenka was so engrossing that sometimes I forgot to munch the popcorn or take a sip at my cold drinks. I have seen a lot of action films in both Hindi and English, but have never seen such breathtaking actions in any Hindi film. Be it the Dhoom series films or the Race series films or Bang Bang or whatever, this had to be the best. The action directors of the film, Sea Young Oh, Parvez Shaikh, Franz Spilhaus and Paul Jennings, have to be given full credit for producing something which is almost at par with any top Hollywood action film. This film reminded me of the kind of actions that we have seen in the Fast and Furious series or the Mission Impossible series.

This is the first film of Tiger Shroff that I have seen. The nimble-footed guy with a 6-pacs abs seemed to have mastered the WWE signature moves of various superstars, like the Superman punches of Roman Reigns or the Sweet Chin Music of Shawn Michaels. Had it been only him, he would have stolen the show. Unfortunately, he had to match his every step with a guy who is taller, more muscular, more handsome and most importantly more experienced in acting than him. He is definitely not dwarfed by Hrithik, but surely fell short in every aspect throughout the movie.

The story is about liquidating a super spy agent Kabir (Hrithik), who went rogue for reason which no one seemed to know. The spy chief Col Luthra (Ashutosh Rana) after receiving a mouthful of denunciations from the Nirmala Sitharaman look-alike defence minister, handed the assignment of assassinating Kabir to one of Kabir's protege Khalid (Tiger). Kabir was like a demi-God for Khalid. Khalid was keen on knowing the reason which turned a bona fide patriot into a turncoat.

The story went backwards to show how Kabir trained Tiger, who was the son of a traitor whom Kabir himself had killed in a shootout. It didn't take too long for Khalid to understand that Kabir was doing something just, which he couldn't have done remaining in the system. But, there are other players like Sanjeev Vasta as Rizwan Iiyasi, a major threat to India, a fellow RAW agent Saurabh for whom Rs 7 crore is good enough to sell his allegiance and Dipannita Sharma as Dr. Mallika Singhal, a plastic surgeon with magical abilities. These characters bring a lot of twists and turns in the film which keep the viewer glued to his chair.

There are some great action scenes from the war-torn Iraki city of Tikrit or the Moroccan city of Marrakesh. There are picturesque shots from Valetta in Malta, where for the first time but not for too long, we see the main female character of the film Vaani Kapoor who plays the role of Naina. I am not a movie buff: this was the first time I came to know that there is a heroine named Vani Kapoor. I tried very hard to adjust to the fact that she is a heroine, but, unfortunately, she never looked more than an ordinary-looking neighbourhood lady to me. She should have been treated only as a civilian asset, but our hero, up to a small extent, fell for her.

In his effort to make the film flab-free, the director has included only two songs. Hollywood action thrillers do not incorporate unnecessary songs, but Hindi movie without a song is unthinkable. The crowd wants it. Melodically, the songs might not have been of very high quality, but the choreography compensates that. You get to see the super performances from the two top dancers among the heroes in the Hindi film Industry. In the dance, Tiger has outperformed Hrithik, in my view. The climax of the movie, shot in the Arctic circle, is perhaps a cut above even Hollywood films.

The film deliverers a much needed social message that Muslims are no less patriot than Hindus, and there are traitors from both communities.

If you have to find a fault with the film, it has to be the story. Some of the scenes are not logical or practical. But who cares? When you go for entertainment, you don't mind it. So, if you have time, go and watch it. It's worth the money.

Pictures taken form the Internet