There Is No Me Without You

You're all I think about, Watching you...

Gabriel Visits

“What do you see when you look out at the...

Two + Two= 5


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Written by Ruchik   
Friday, 14 March 2008
The Mumbai airport was buzzing with activity. It was crowded as airports now-a –days are. It was filled with an eclectic mix of people. She could hear a baby crying somewhere behind her, two kids fighting over a book and could smell the fragrance emanating from the gajra of an old South Indian lady standing besides her.  The indicator glistened,” Jet Airways-Delhi-0800". She checked her watch and mumbled,” Still 50 minutes to go! Why did I come so early?” She found some staring male eyes.” Am I still so attractive or is it something else?” she took out a napkin and wiped the sweat. She was a petite woman in her late twenties. Certainly a head-turner in her college days, but work and age  had caught up with her. Sauntering at the airport, she checked herself in the mirror, "This pink top is not suiting me anymore. Have I become fat? Maybe its time to shed those extra kilos ". But on an afterthought, she gasped,” Or is it too late to diet?”
Just round a corner, she saw a man who had lost both the legs in conversation with a man who had lost his right leg.  She Eavesdropped and deduced that both of them had lost their legs in the war. And they were going to receive ParamVeerChakra at Delhi on the Republic Day. One soldier was telling the other one,” You know what drives me to live even after I had retired 5 years ago. Iss duniya ki khoobsurati!” And both of them laughed heartily!
She saw a cute little girl dressed in not so nice clothes, clinging to her emaciated Father. Both of them didn't look wealthy but looked really happy. She wondered for a while, how are they going to afford the fare of the flight? Has airfare reduced so drastically? The father was talking to an elderly gentleman.  He was talking about his daughter with pride. The child was going to receive the Red and White bravery award from the President. The feelings in the eyes of her Father said it all. Her heart filled with the sense of maternity something she was always going to be devoid of.
The whole lounge at the airport was jostling with enthusiasm. "Is life really beautiful?” she asked herself. Every person she came across had a smile on his/her face. Even she tried to smile but somehow she couldn’t manage!
The indicator showed” Security Check". She scurried to the gate. But already there were a number of people in the line. She saw the little cute girl, the man without the legs, the old south Indian lady in the line few meters ahead of her.” So many good people in this plane!" She thought. The plasma TV nearby exploded into life," Today is the 100th Republic day of India. It is really heartening to note that India is the biggest economy in the world…”
She couldn't hear anymore. Her heart was filled with gratitude and eyes with water. The national anthem started in a jiffy. Each and every person in the line stood silently, honoring the flag. The words of the national anthem seemed to bang her. "Daddy, how will the parade at red Fort be like?" she heard the cute little girl asking her Father in the background. She felt like losing consciousness. The nervousness started gripping her.
Trembling with fear, she went to the ladies' toilet. She gasped a sigh once she was in and locked the door from inside. Her clothes were drenched; her face was full of tears. She checked that the door was tightly closed, took out some gadgets from her pockets, and took out a rope and "Thud". The final boarding announcement for the Delhi-bound plane was heard in background.
The headlines in the next day's papers read, "Drama at Mumbai Airport: A suicide bomber commits suicide”.


Copyright 2008 Ruchik
Keyword: Two + Two= 5
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Comments (11)
Posted by 1800
2008-03-14 10:59:35
Woah!

I did not see that ending coming! Reading it, I thought of how wonderful it was seeing all these people with such troubles, yet they are still so happy.

But that ending just really took my by surprise.
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Posted by R.E.Potter
2008-03-14 12:46:45
,,,

A suicide bomber with a consious... now thats a first. Good story, kept me interested through out.
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Posted by R.E.Potter
2008-03-14 12:49:02
,,,

whats up with the title...not sure the meaning to the story...maybe since suicide bombers make no sense also?
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Posted by Pez
2008-03-14 13:56:36
....

Pretty well-written.

Interesting topic, no doubt.

I thought the line to meditate the most on would be when she asks herself if life really is beautiful.

You can really get a sense of all of the brainwashing she must have been subject to. She was also female, maybe that's why she is more overwhelmed with what she plans to do... you know, women are sometimes softer of heart than men (not always though)... she did carry out the mission...

Again pretty good job.
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Posted by R.E.Potter
2008-03-14 14:02:43
,,,

question, was she on the plane when she pulled the plug or had 2nd thoughts and just killed herself away from the crowd in the bathroom inside the airport?
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Posted by Tarhead Mugwump
2008-03-14 18:26:17
that was pretty

interesting - a nice reversal of the times...

write on!
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Posted by Doshi
2008-03-16 01:01:43
....

I just wanted to convey things are not always what they seem to be...hence the title...suicide bombers are brain washed to such an extent that they just don't see how easy it is to love rather than to hate...hence she missed something so obvious...
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Posted by Doshi
2008-03-16 01:04:15
....

she committed suicide in the wash room...she was feeling too guilty and hence couldn't complete the mission ...she couldn't run away as well ...hence she committed suicide
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Posted by Doshi
2008-03-16 01:05:40
....

thanks a lot for your comments...however she didn't carry out mission but committed suicide in the washroom...
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Posted by The_Gimp
2008-04-01 10:34:39
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Cool read, enjoyed it and the ending surprised me a bit. You had the courage to make her pull out and be reasonable at the end, something which I simply couldn't do in the story The Appointment. ;) Good job!
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Posted by thirteen
2008-04-03 09:52:29
....

Interesting story, I suppose suicide bombers must have a moment when they question what their doing is right or not.
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