The house that used to be...

Maya rolled down the glasses of her car, removed her expensive sunglasses and let the wind rush in and kiss her hair. She smelt childhood.
She stepped out of the car and looked around. Her age old hometown still smelt the same as it did twelve years ago. The houses were still the same, a few of them looked newly painted but they still smelt warmth. 
She turned around to look at the house she had lived her first ten years of her life. The sky blue paint had come of in most of the areas. The red and orange bricks were showing. The iron gate still didnt look rusty. The window panes gave way to the sun and every ray that peeped in looked like they were paying homage to happiness that once dwelt there.
Creepy creepers creepily creeped out of a few broken bricks.
Maya took a step forward and leaned over the house and smelt laughter on the huge platform near the gateway. Flashes of her brother and her best friend playing mud castles in the garden crossed her mind.
She felt a streak of tears flowing down her face.
She turned around to walk away to her car when suddenly she saw an old man standing by the old watermelon tree selling puffed rice to little kids. The same old man who once sold her puffed rice every evening. The same old watermelon tree where she had first met her childhood best friend, who no more lives in the red house at the crossing.
She looked at the crushed paper bags and then again at the old man. How come he still looked the same. Maybe just a few more wrinkles and that he wore glasses now. Heavy thick glasses.
And as eveyrthing started getting back to her she closed her eyes, and as a tear or two trickled down her skin, she breathed in deep, and deeper, to inhale in some nostalgia, some laughter that used to be....some life that used to be...some childhood that used to be....
And she walked back to the car.....smiling.

To the boy who sings the midnight song..

I sit up on the bed..moving my duck feather quilt at midnight..

The heater in the room giving the bare warmth to my tired body..

I light up a cigarette, and as the grey and white smoke fil up the room... I hear you tune ur six string.

I hear you sing the midnight song, in a land far away from where i stay..

I move up in my bed and my senses seem to lose its way..

An uncontrolled smile takes over my lips...

And i want you close...

My body pining and my nerves whining to have you by my side...

The bed side lamp grows dim..

And my sight grows hazy..I smell invisible weed..

I hear you sing for me...for her..for everyone you see..

Every puff reminds me of your smile..and every word you sing gives me solace that you are close by...

The phone stays stuck to my ears and I hear you breath fall heavy..I fell them near my ears..and every hair on my body, like a censor...telling me your there..very much there..

You sing the midnight song, oh so sweet oh so divine..

Sing me another song my boy...

Sing me another song, because i see life...a good life..in every word you sing.every chord you change..every smile you smile..

Sing me another song my boy..

Tell me how you write your songs, How do you sing them..

Who do they speak of ? Do they speak of her ? Do they speak of me ? Do they speak of the lands unknown or the love that is yet to be??

Cause i see daylight beyond the distant horizon..i see a tomorrow..

I see you there...singing your song for her...

I smile...

I cry...

I wish you were here...

Sing me a midnight song O Boy, my body aches..my senses lose its way..

Dont you leave me here...the smoke gets me choking..its dark in here...
Sing me a song o boy...sing me a song...

The guy in the wallet.

Maya ran down the stairs at a pace comparable to light....
'Take your earrings Maya, and your saree is in a mess.....look where your walking.',Maya's mother ran behind her daughter as she got ready for her best friend, Neil's wedding.
'Neil is going to kill me today, his designer is already there and m still starting my bloody car. OK.Bye Maa, be there soon.', Maya waved to her mother.
'What will i do with this girl'...her mother sighed as she picked up a bangle from the floor.
At Neil's residence.
'Dude, m so sorry. I just slept off in the afternoon man....' Maya ran into Neil's room.
Neil was standing right there like a scarecrow, his designer trying to fix up last minute edges on his kurta.
'Shut up Maya...i am freaking out, dont u get it...Look at me, i look like a corpse..'
'You always did Neil...bloody anemic moron. '
'There you go, all done, you look perfect Neil, doesn't she Maya', Neil's designer gave a smile of contempt looking at his creation,'Now i'll let the groom and his best friend to have some last words of freedom.'
As he left the room, Maya walked up to Neil, fixing up his collar,'So this is it huh ??? I still cant believe this. Your getting married jerk.'
'Shut up Maya, I am still trying to cope with the trauma.'
'You'll be fine Neil, Radhika is the best thing that could happen to you.'
'Now you tell me when do you plan to get to the knot?'
'Are you nuts ?? Not in the next million years.I already feel sorry for you', Maya smirked.
'Ya right, i'll see freakhead...or are you still planning to marry the wallet guy ?'Neil asked.
'Shut up Neil.'
'Ah seriously man, i have been hearing for years that your carrying the passport size photo of the guy you love, the guy you are gonna get so called married to..and how come you never show it to anyone, I...of all the people...your best bloody friend never got to see it, i mean look everyone knows its Kabir right ? So what harm in showing',Neil shrieked out.
'Stop screaming...and yes, I dated Kabir when i used feeding bottles man, its like history, you'll get to see baby', Maya's voice cracked and her eyes sparkled with a tear at the corner of the eye.
Neil noticed it and before he could hug her, the relatives rushed into the room to take the groom away for the ceremony.
Maya stared at him as he walked away with puzzled eyes fixed on her. Maya smiled at him and so did he.
Best friends, whenever they have those sheepish smiles, you know they are upto something, but maybe not always.
And Maya stood their with Neil's Mum watching her best friend taking the vows and the rounds, she cracked up at times and smiled at times and there were times when she just stared into the fire. Neil looked happy. Neil looked divine that day. And everytime Maya noticed it she felt so so happy for him that she could cry.
And after all of the rituals and ceremony was done, the bride and the groom and their friends were up and on for the rest of the night.
Maya walked upto Neil, bent over and hugged both him and Radhika....'I am so happy for you guys. All the best for everything. I'll just go and help Radhika change ok ? Neil keep these with you.',and Maya walked off with Radhika to the other room flinging off her mobile and wallet on his lap.
And in the smoky alcoholic air, Neil had the weirdest never felt before urge to sneak into Maya's wallet, just to confirm Kabir's picture.
And as he pulled out the photo, Neil's smirk disappeared and all he could do was stare at it. His face paler and whiter. And everything around him seemed blank and unreal. And before he could breathe,Maya ran into the room, 'Shitt i left my wallet'.
She saw Neil holding the open wallet with the photo in his hand, exactly the thing she had feared. She walked upto him, bent over kissed him on his cheek and smiled,'It was me who stole your best photo from the blue album.'Her voice cracking, her eyes welled up.
Neil looked at his best friend and suddenly realized how beautiful she looked that night, how beautiful her eyes were and how much of love they spoke and he tried to say something,'Maya...'
Maya turned back,'Neil...'. And they smiled at each other. And with that smile and an aura of silence, they said every possible thing they could have to each other, of love, of friendship, of life, of promises kept and broken, of trust, and of just being them.
They smiled.