52 seconds

Putting his hands inside the pocket, wearing a full sleeved sweater made of pure sheep wool Kaushal hurried to his class. It was freezing cold but his sweater kept him warm enough. "Why are you sitting here?" He questioned Manoj "This is my place" he added. "But I came earlier today" Manoj replied innocently. "But you know that I sit beside Hari everyday, sit somewhere else." Kaushal said folding his hands. Manoj knew he couldn't win so he quietly took up his bag and went to sit somewhere else. The smile on Kaushal's face returned and he happily placed his bag beside Hari's, his best friend. A beam of sunlight hit Kaushal's face, he looked out and saw the beautiful ever sparking Himalayas through which he could see a red, round figure, the sun showing it's face. Every morning Kaushal would peep out of the classroom window and just keep looking at the beautiful sight. 

He turned back and saw Manoj sitting at a corner, he went up to him and holding his ears he said, "sorry, I shouldn't have behaved like that." Manoj smiled and hugged him, he whispered, "No need of being sorry, it's okay." 
The assembly bell rang. Kaushal along with Manoj, Hari and others set out for the morning assembly.
The morning assembly as usual was conducted in an open ground with a small cemented stage upfront where the tricolor flag could always be seen. The ground was surrounded by small flowering plants all around.Standing there one could have a breathtaking view just behind the dais the main school building could be seen and far behind the peaks of the Himalayas. It was one of the finest built schools, although it didn't have all the modern technologies installed but the natural beauty took it to a different world.
The students lined up according to their classes and the morning prayer began. Kaushal closed his eyes and joined his hands. Amidst the fog and the surroundings It looked as if all those children were standing at the door of heaven with their prayers. 
The prayer ended and the daily news was read out. The principal came to the dais with the days announcement. "Good morning students,today we will have a surprise extempore speech session here itself." Many students got a mini heart attack on the spot. 
Everybody had kept their fingers crossed. Kaushal was tensed too. One by one names were being announced. "Kaushal Srivastav, Class V'B'" Kaushal's heart began pumping hard. He briskly walked up to the dais and picked up a topic randomly. "HOW MUCH I LOVE MY COUNTRY" the piece of paper read. 
Kaushal went towards the microphone and began, "Good morning everyone, I am Kaushal Srivastava and its my proud privilege to speak on the given topic 'How much I love my country'. Kaushal looked at the huge audience in front of him, then he looked at the paper again to find something, he could say so much on this topic but something got struck in his throat. Silence continued. He looked towards the principal, who gave him an assuring look. Somehow Kaushal got the courage to speak again. "I will describe this through something which we hear everyday at the end of the assembly." Kaushal stood in attention position and started singing the national anthem, "Jana gana mana..."he began, everybody stood up. 
BANG! there was a terrible noise somewhere nearby, everybody looked around but Kaushal kept singing. In a fraction of second, something hit Kaushal on his shoulder and immediately his white uniform turned red. Everybody started rushing inside and there was chaos everywhere, someone had fired a bullet but amazingly Kaushal kept singing. Then another one hit him just below the waist, Kaushal got disbalanced but nothing stopped him from singing, the principal tried to pull him out but he wouldn't go. Kaushal completed the anthem and after full 52 seconds and fell down and fainted. He was immediately taken to the hospital and the school was closed down.
The next day headlines read: 'Terrorist attack School in Kashmir, student injured'. Kaushal had undergone two major surgeries and he was much better now. When the principal visited him at the hospital, Kaushal first question was, "How was my speech, sir?" Mr.Singh couldn't utter a word just hugged Kaushal and patted his back.

Kashmir's Kaushal is now a major in the Indian army and whenever he stands up for his country he sings the same national anthem. He says "Even God can not beat me in these 52 seconds of the national anthem, in these 52 seconds I become a man who is fighting for his mother and a boy who is delivering a speech on 'How much he loves his country.' 

~Dedicated to the Indian Army and to the people with tricolor hearts~ 

Friends- In the bitter reality.

The alarm clock was ringing furiously Vijay was too tired to even move. "Wake up you lazy creature." his younger sister pushed him hard but there was nothing that could stop him from sleeping. Juhi took out a cold bottle of water from the fridge and poured it on her brother's face. Yes this was more than enough. Vijay SPRANG up from his bed. "Have you gone nuts? Can't you see I am tired? I will kill you today." he said furiously and started chasing Juhi all around the house. 
Vijay along with his family had shifted to their new house just only a day before. His parents had left out to the market to get some essentials leaving Juhi and Vijay at home. And the house was now turning upside down. 

Juhi ran out to the garden, just when her mother caught her. "Whats the matter? Why are you running?" Panting Juhi said "Bhaiya, he...he is COMING! no run!" She started to run again as she saw Vijay coming near. This time Mrs.Sinha got hold of Vijay. "We had been out just for an hour and you both started your Tom and Jerry tales.I am fed up with you two, Vijay at least you are elder, can't you keep calm?" "But mom she poured ice cold water on me while I was sleep.." Mrs.Sinha interrupted "No more mischiefs today, get inside now." "But mom.." Vijay tried to keep his point. "No buts" Said Mrs. Sinha and rushed inside. Poor Vijay, no one was there to listen to his agony, alas he went inside.
Vijay had very less friends, his only friends were his family members. He might fight with his sister all day long but at the end of the day they were best friends. Vijay had been staying in many different places form his childhood, he never got time to make good friends. His parents would always say, "No one is a friend in this life, when time comes no one will care to help you. Finding a true friend is like finding God himself."
This time vijay wanted to know the truth himself. Time passed by as the Sinha family got set on the beautiful hill station of Gangtok. Vijay and Juhi went to their new school, Mr.Sinha to his new office cabin and Mrs. Sinha would stay back at the new house to cope up with the days work.
Vijay liked this little hill station and this time he set out in search of new friends, real friends. 
First day at school Vijay was sitting quietly at the last bench, when a boy with small eyes put his hand forward, "I am Tenzing" he said, "I am Vijay" Vijay introduced himself hand shook hands with him. Tenzing took Vijay to his group. And introduced him with everyone. Slowly as time passed Vjay had made many friends, Tenzing, Nezi, Rahul, Tina, Suzane were his best ones. He enjoyed their company. It seemed all the fun was when he was with them. Time was going good, and he thought that these friends would make up his world. Whenever he remembered what his parents said he would think to himself "Maybe I have really found friends at last."
***********
The clock just hit 12 Vijay was still awake with his cellphone in his hand sitting near the fireplace. It was 15th of December his birthday. Just within minutes messages started floating in, "Happy Birthday." "May you live long." " may you have all the happiness in life." Vijay just kept reading them they were all his friends. 
It was a bitterly cold winter night and there was pin drop silence in the house. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" someone at the top of the voice shouted in his ear all of a sudden, Vijay fell from his chair horrified. It was Juhi laughing. Only after Vijay was able to relax a bit, he hugged Juhi. "Bhaiya wont' you chase me now. "No silly its already 12 and I am getting old." Vijay said trying to be funny. He turned behind and saw his parents standing, they both wished him Happy Birthday and kissed his head. 
It was now 3'o' clock and Vijay was still awake and today was the day he had been waiting for. He loved his family a lot, Now he wanted to know that if his friends too deserved a part of that love. 
He called Tenzing first, the phone kept ringing but no one answered at the second attempt Tenxing picked up. "HeelllO" He said yawning. "Why are you disturbing me at this hour?" Tenzing said. "UH, my parents are out of town and suddenly my sister has fallen ill, please will you come over to my place now?" Vijay faked a story but he had a reason behind it. "Uh-umm like now? I ,..You know it's cold and How will I get a vehicle...?" Tenzing disconnected the line. Vijay tried again but all in vain. He tried to call his other friends someone didn't bother to pick up, someone hesitated and some said "I wil try" No one turned up.
Vijay waited waited and kept waiting but no one was to be seen. Vijay sat in the balcony with tears in his eyes glittering with sunlight. He watched the sun rise through the peaks of Kangchenjunga. 

His mother opened the door from behind, "Vijay, what are you doing here? Didn't you sleep all night? come get up and tell us what gift you want." Vijay turned back and looked at his mother, wiping off his tears he said "I have already got the best gift of my life, my family..." 

To Mr.Chetan Bhagat

Sir,
You can do two things now, either ignore this letter OR read it and save some lives. The choice is yours.
To begin with, I am a simple ordinary school going student. And I am writing this letter to you because I felt I had a need to. I am not sure if you will ever read it but still with a small hope I am writing to you.
Well in this country almost everyone knows you well. And almost many of them have read your novels. I too am one of them. I first read your book 'Five point someone' about 2-3 years back, I don't exactly remember the time.By now I have read all your novels not only once but twice, thrice and even more. 
Wait you may have been bored reading all this everyday stuff and you may be still wondering that why you are still reading it. So let me tell you why exactly I am writing to you. 
You are now one of the leading writers in India, whenever someone talks about modern day writing your name has to come to their mind. Of course you are one of the most influential person around us. Your dream to change India is highly appreciable. But have you ever thought of your past? People take you as a role model and those wanting to be like you try to take the same path as you did. Can guess whats going around.
Let me be more clear to you. Like me many, many other Indian students want to fulfill their dreams. They want to live their life.When I say to mom "I want to be a writer someday" she says "Yes, why not. See that guy Chetan Bhagat. Be like him. Be an engineer first and then you can perceive your dream." Same may be the cases in other homes too when Rahul says that he wants to be an actor his parents say why not beta be an engineer first and then you can be whatever you like, just like Chetan Bhagat did, see how successful he is. 
And then I think why waste four years of my so so precious life? Why Don't I start writing like now. By time I finish college I would have written at least two full length novels. If I am confident enough to follow my heart then why not?
You always knew you wanted to be a writer then why didn't you start writing just after you finished school? or why didn't you just join a arts or literature college? I am sorry to say but do you know that you may have killed many a person. If that one seat your your IIT-Delhi would have been vacant a student who must have been trying for years to fulfill his dream to be an engineer could have got his seat. He may have killed himself by now. You actually don't realize but you have killed someone or the other. 
What is the use of your engineering knowledge now? Now don't give me the excuse by saying that my first novel was on my IIT life. I don't give a f***k. Tell me if you wouldn't have been an IITian or an IIM wouldn't you still be writing today? Or is it that only because of these institutes that you have become a writer? I want an answer. Your answer can not only save lives but also help India in having a some better generation of human resource.
Well you can still do two things now, either reply to this letter or simply keep mum. The choice is yours.
Thanking you,
your Admirer, your critic, your fan
Another screwed INDIAN
(P.S-Please try to forgive me if I hurt you in any way. I respect you and of course you are quite elder than me.) 

a tree, a diary and a debt...

Yash was sitting under the same old banyan tree where one could always find him with a pen and a diary. He sat quietly . The sun was setting down the far west, the sky had turned yellowish. The birds were returning to their nests. In front of him was a large green field. With wild flowers and small plants growing randomly here and there. Some cattle were still busy chewing the soft green grass. Yash saw some small children playing and laughing, enjoying their childhood.
Yash was feeling nostalgic. Tears rolled down his eyes. He leaned on the banyan tree and looked up at the sky.A set of five diaries lay beside him.The diaries which he had been writing since the last five years. He picked up a diary.
He was quiet, he was calm,silently the tears kept rolling down his eyes. He started reading.He kept on turning the pages, his eyes still wet.
He had been there under the same banyan tree days after days, still the place seemed so new to him today. By the time he finished reading all his diaries, the sun had already gone down although there was still light around.
Yash picked up the pen to write his diary entry for the day. He had so much to say.

15th July, 2012
Dear Priya,
I am back to you again. Sitting with you and so close to you.Only you and this old banyan tree knows me so well. Alas I am not such a friendly creature, I could never manage good friends but you two were always there when to listen to all what I had to say. I owe a lot to both of you.
Today I saw some children playing here nearby, I remembered baba. I remembered my childhood,Priya. I and my sister were only five years old when baba used to bring us here. Yes this same place and this banyan was still there, the only  difference was that he was a bit younger and this place was a bit more greener. I , Swati and baba used to have the time of our lives. Little did I know the complicacies of life then. And little did I know that baba would leave us so soon.
Priya I have always told you about my day, my present but I never told you my past. Today I want to, Today I will.
When Baba left us I was only eight. I, Swati and ma were left in all poverty. Baba had left behind so many debts. After baba left I was the only male left in the house and I had become mature. I had vowed to myself that one day I would be rich. One  day I, ma and Swati would eat three square meals a day. The interest on our debts kept on increasing and gradually I grew up. I worked as a day labor and used to study at night. I never looked back. Whenever at night I saw ma crying to herself, after all her days hard work I couldn't sleep, I wanted to wipe away all those tears. After I passed higher secondary, I started teaching school children. The money which ma had saved all her life went away on getting me into a college.
My hard work had payed off, I got a job. But very soon I knew that my income wouldn't be enough to clear those debts of more than a decade and also getting my sister married. I wanted to earn more money in less time. I wanted to make my hell a heaven.That was when I took the wrong path.
Priya you very well know, what happened after that in all these five years. I had started writing to you on the day my sister got married. You remember right?After getting Swati married, I invested my hard earned money in the stock market.I earned from it and I thought of it as a new way of earning money without working.I was quite satisfied and invested more and more, I kept going deeper and deeper into that endless well.
After Swati's marriage, I had decided that it was time to clear off all the debts bit instead I lost all the money I had earned. When I bought the biggest share of my life the share market crashed I was back to level zero again.You know Ma died last month. All her life she led was in debt. I am still the same Yash that one day visited this same place, this same banyan tree with baba. I remained a failure in life. My debts will forever remain incomplete. I wish Swati lives well, I want to go to ma and baba. I want to sleep peacefully in my mother's lap now.
Till now in my life, The thing I have seen the most is this banyan tree. I want to hug him. He was my best friend ever and you were my only and the most precious lover ever.
With all the LOVE of my life,
Yours forever,
YASH

Yash completed writing when tiny drops of water hit the page of his diary, no it was not his tears. It had started drizzling. He closed the diary and kissed it. He kissed Priya, the girl of her dreams whom he never met.
The following morning Yash was found dead hanging with his best friend - the banyan tree.
 

http://www.writerbabu.com/post/4412/a_tree_a_diary_and_a_debt_/

A Page From My DIARY (Why do I write?)

(This Diary entry was not written from the contest view, it was just a realization later on)

May 3rd,2013
Do what you love, love what you do ~

Tomorrow will be the last working day of the school and then summer holidays will commence. Moreover school will be over at 12:05 pm tomorrow, makes my day !
Today was kinda bit normal day at school, only exception was that we attended the newly installed smart classes for a physics class. It was a good experience. The rest of the day went normal.
Saw a writing competition few days back here in WriterBabu, well really I am not interested, I came here just to write freely, to write out my heart like a free bird and a competition makes me feel that the bird is caged. A competition makes me feel I am continuously running a race. I just want to live life my way, Life is definitely not a competition for me.
Already I am forced to run with academics, I don't want any more of it in my life.
I am here to write my thoughts, I just want to be free in my mind and put all my emotions on paper, the reason I write. For me writing is some kind of drug and I have become addicted to it. To put all my pain, sorrow, joy, anger, feelings on paper makes me feel lighter. A competition would be a burden on my mind.
Tomorrow will be a new sunrise , a new day, a new challenge and a new HOPE...

Just after I had written this diary entry, I had a urge to participate.The reason I didn't want to participate was that I didn't want to run a race but then after doing so I realized that if for some time I forget about the race then the competition can teach me a lot. I had A wonderful time creating a blog for the first time and signing up on twitter.
And then there are many things to gain, many things to learn and even if I lose, doesn't matter in the end I gain some experience and its worth it. My writing gets a new door to travel it's path and new dimensions open up. I am glad that I write and I am even more glad that I write here on WriterBabu and I am free in my mind. Thanks for putting up this wonderful competition it made me learn some more ,it made me grow!

Taken From: http://www.writerbabu.com/post/4193/a_page_from_my_diary_why_do_i_write?_/