Short short stories

I have always wanted write these really short and subtle stories that can be interpreted differently by different people.Also it can bring out a lot of stuff as you start thinking about it.It cuts out the crap and presents the message in a crisp and uniquely enjoyable fashion.

The pain of love

 

"I cant believe you are falling for that man...I mean...not THAT man...but any MAN",Sunitha sounded very frustrated.
"I am in love dear",Monica smiled at her room mate,picked up her bag and walked down the street to meet her beloved.

"You are so stupid",Sunitha spoke at the reflecting door,long after monica had left the room.Then she broke down and started crying as his smiling face started another wave of pain in her heart.

 

What I had thought was..

Sunitha had had a love failure because of which she is disillusioned with men and love!!

That disappointment had converted into hatred towards men…

Another interpretation is that sunitha is outwardly ultra modern types and doesn’t like men and all but deep inside she nourishes love for the guy and hasn’t expressed it to anyone!

Her disappointment boils out as anger mixed with feminist views when she learns that her room mate is in love with the same guy!!
These were what I had thought while writing the story

It was interesting to note that there were several interpretations ranging from lesbian to transgender POVs to this one..

Best understood

 

"We never spoke or met each other after that", he finished his sincere narration of his love failure.She had been patiently listening to him ,wrapped in his arms on the decorated bed, on the first night as man and wife. There was silence for some time as she felt his grip tighten around her just a little bit. She felt it oddly comforting...
"Its ok dear!! Dont worry about it..Now you have got me.." she held on to his hand and kissed it.

"So ...whats your story??", he tried to get back to lighter moods with a playful jerk.
"Me???No Chance...You have no idea how strict my mom is...I never even used to talk to guys during college days" , she giggled,trying really hard to fight back the lone tear that was threatening to spurt out of her eye and making sure that the lump in her throat is not picked up by him...
He tightened his grip around her even more,gently kissed on her head and merely smiled.

As many of you might have understood,the lady also has a love failure in her life which she chooses not to tell him due to various reasons.
The husband understands that. He decides not to push her and leave it to her choice.But he also comforts her for her pain.There is a unspoken understanding between the guy and his wife even though no word is directly spoken about it.
Also the the extent of each one's love and the past is kept in dark so that the reader can imagine that to his/her choice.. :)

There is also a subtle message in this story about the pressures and thinkings of a lady before being entirely truthful about her past(even though the husband is very friendly and loving) and tries to get the reader thinking on those points..

 

Bharathiar's birthday today

I am a HUGE fan of this guy And today is his birthday. I have tried translating one of his poems which has been my motivation and inspiration. I am sure you wouldnt be able to appreciate the nuances of the word usage and stuff when you read the english translation (that too by me :-|) But i just felt i should share this with my fellow infoscions. Original: தேடி சோறு நிதம் தின்று - பல சின்னஞ் சிறுகதைகள் பேசி - மனம் வாட துன்பமிக வுழன்று - பிறர் வாட பல செயல்கள் செய்து - நரை கூடி கிழப்பருவ மெய்தி - கொடுங் கூற்றுக் கிரையெனப் பின்மாயும் - பல வேடிக்கை மனிதரைப் போல - நான் வீழ்வே னென்றுநினைத் தாயோ. Transliteration ThEdicchoru nidhanthindru - pala chinnanjirukadhaigal pEsi - manam vaada thunbamiga uzhanru - pirar vaada pala seyalgal seythu - narai koodi kizhapparuvam eydhi - kodungkootrukkirayena pin maayum - pala vEdikkai manidharaippOla - naan vIzvEn enRu ninaithaayO. My translation : Running around for the daily food, Chatting along into petty gossips, sufferring with the problems of this life and tormenting others with deeds of his own. Aging away like all others and falling meek for this drama in the end Like the above comedy characters,you think i would fall away too??? Gives me goose bumps no matter how many times i read this!! Its LOT more enjoyable when read in tamil! I am sorry for all those who cant read tamil :)

The two stages in photography

According to me there are roughly 2 stages in photographing something.

The first stage is when you recognise that something is worthy enough to be photographed. This is a very precious and unique skill that helps setting a photographer apart from the bunch. The ability to pick up an interesting subject from the loads of scenes that hits one's eye .Many a times we see folks presenting something very mundane and plain as an interesting piece of art.Its all possible because he/she was able to see an interesting photograph in that scene even before he/she decided to shoot.
Then comes the most crucial phase.

The second stage of the activity.This is when you try to look at the scene in your perspective. Every person is unique and special and his/her way of looking at things is shaped by the experiences,mindsets,grooming and attitudes of that person. And the way a person looks at a scene differs due to that. In this stage a photographer tries to appreciate the beauty of the scene he/she is seeing and tries various ways of looking at it.

How will it look if i kneel down a bit,how about stepping up a little?? How will the light change if walk a few paces to my side...etc etc..There are a hundred million ways of looking at a thing...
Its fun....This is the phase i enjoy the most.Its this phase when a photographer totally forgets everything,and is totally immersed in the nuances of the art.This is the phase when a photographer's style is stamped onto the picture and decides how much it is different from a cliched version of the scene.

It took me a lot days to realise this.When i started with my hobby,my primary aim was to share the beauty i see in this world. Photography was an effort for me to capture something,show it to my friends and say"Look at this..this is how beautiful it was..this is how special it was...
Something on the lines of "யாம் பெற்ற இன்பம்,பெருக இவ்வையகம்" (Whatever i enjoy,let the world enjoy it too). So i didnt want to miss the moment. I was afraid that if i dont capture it i will never get a chance to capture something so i never gave too much of a thought before clicking.As a result i ended up with far too many of pictures which i couldnt show to anyone let alone the fellow enthusiasts who expect something special.It was too normal...It was too unprofessional.

There was no "me" in them.They were pictures which "anybody" could have taken...But ever since this realisation hit me,the ..my photography experience has been more fulfilling and enriching.
Though i couldnt claim to have learnt even 1% of the tricks of this beautiful art,i felt like putting this thought of mine in words so that somebody might find it useful..

Keep clicking!! :)