Hello people!
Elysium was written as an entry for a contest organized on India Forums. No gloating, but it did win :p Its a stand alone piece and needs no synopsis. I hope you guys will enjoy it!
I would like to dedicate this piece to AbhilashaEDKV. Cupcake my love, this one is for you!
She loved spring, she referred to it as a drink of sparkling water, one which would quench thirst and yet add a bubbling joy to the simplicity of it all. As he walked through the fresh growing grass that carpeted the cliff, he breathed in the rustic baked scent of the soil. Small clear drops of dew shone in the changing colours of the sky.
The soft chirping of birds returning home, shattered the cacophony of silence. Home, a term he remained conflicted about for the majority of his life, now had a new meaning. A bumblebee caught his attention. The creature should never have been able to fly, aerodynamically it was impossible. But the little buzzer had the will to fight against all odds and do that which it was born to do. Preachings of patience and perseverance were available in plenty in nature, if only one would see. He saw, clearly too, and as destined he shouldn't have been able to breath, but much like the bee, he fought against everything and survived.
Gentle winds ruffled his hair as trees played their rustling music, soft and serene. The brilliant blue sky was quickly turning to scarlet. A falcon flew over the echoing hills spreading its majestic wings. The power it held propelled it forward and yet so prone to vulnerability it was. That was the beauty of nature. Strong yet feeble, powerful yet broken.
A swallow landed softly to his left. It looked at him briefly and hopped into the grass frantically looking for something. Hopping around, searching with all its might, it finally found a golden strand of hay. Chirping merrily it flew to a nearby branch. Peering, he now saw, a tiny nest, nestled in the midst of malachite green leaves. Home, he whispered as the teeny blob of teal continued to work meticulously.
He walked to the edge of the cliff, throwing a gaze at the depths of the valley, he smiled, nodded his head and made himself comfortable. To anyone that saw him, it would seem he was precariously perched in the lap of death, but home was a relative term and this was where his heart lay. Among an ocean of green, he smiled, remembering each moment he had spent here.
The past may have been distant, but to him, it was as fresh as the blossoming buds he graced with his touch. The melange of a soft cerulean, stark amethyst and hushed auburn with flaming carmine emblazoned the vastness above.
The seasons, the skies, nature, they only served to ameliorate his longing for his beloved. She was much the antithesis herself, tender and yet callous, compassionate and yet indifferent, sympathetic and yet unfeeling, in spite, he loved her with each fragment of his being. It was easy to love her; it came to him like an imprinted impulse, as though he was born to simply be besotted with her.
A tender smile illuminated his face as a familiarity caused his eyes to mist over. He gazed at the slim line where the earth met the heavens, amongst the now darkened obsidian, a flicker of brilliant cerise; it beaconed of the power above. Here they sat, him and his dearest, more often than not, enjoying the sunset and each other's company alike. Her tinkling laughter still resonated in these hills.
He remembered the one time when they had brought their kids in these planes for a picnic, their twins had witnessed the beauty of nature first hand. Only of 3, their toddlers made merry all day long to be lulled to sleep by a song woven affectionately by their mother at dusk.
The night deepened and the winds imparted their coolness, he missed the warmth, he felt a void of cold engulf his being. The spreading fog gave an inclination of sudden change of weather, oh the unpredictability, his soul shouted hushed.
Subdued radiance of fireflies added to the allure of the billowing dark waves. Velvety clouds danced slowly as the fog descended to reveal a star-speckled sky, the moon a thin crescent of silver reflected on the blades of grass that sway freely in the night breeze.
His eyes drifted to the Primroses and Primula, the first signs of spring, drifting into silent slumber. The elixir of balsamic scents washed over him, reminding him of her earthy scent, one his nights were laced with. Getting drunk on the calm it brought, her silent whispers healed his rioting soul, the psithurism lulled him further.
A sudden gush of warmth made him aware of her balming presence. A smile radiating his face, his eyes fluttered open. "Here you are my love, I've been waiting." He whispered as a tear made its way down his tired visage.
He unlocked his phone and opened a slideshow of his gallery. "Look, our babies have grown. Saira left for London, to pursue her degree in law at Oxford much like me." He smiled, "And Sahir has been interning with Preeta, he will fly to Cambridge next month to join culinary school, guess which one? Le Cordon Bleu, no less!" He beamed. "Sumo, our kids are so much like you, not a moment passes when I don't see you in them." His smile faltered as fresh tears pricked his eyes, threatening to spill. "I won't cry, I promised you I won't." Said he, dabbing away the moisture.
A phone call, a decade and a half ago, frantic, had informed him of his impending doom. He was told that his wife's car had been witnessed by a few, flinging off the cliff and into the dark abyss of the valley. It was later that he found out, an irate prisoner, who was to be hanged for murder had exacted revenge by snatching away his life. He had managed to escape prison, kidnap Suman and drive them both off the cliff.
He often wondered why she didn't jump out of the car? Maybe her hands were tied, his soul whispered. She must have been so scared, he thought. She was a braveheart, his being resonated. She must have wanted to call one last time. Cruel fate, his heart shouted.
He would come here often; gaze at the depths standing at the edge, shunning himself to even think of taking the leap. He would meet her, someday; they would find each other, but not just yet. Losing their mother at 9 had taken their kids' lifeline. He had since been everything to them, every relation they ever lacked, they found in their father. Shravan Malhotra was no longer the man he used to be. He no longer fought cases, but he fought for survival, each day without his wife was a war and each day he survived to come to her, to tell her all he vanquished.
It was ironic that he found solace in the hills that stole her away. Life and its mysteries spoke his heart. "Sumo, we wanted our kids to be like us, we should have been careful. We unknowingly wished our fates on them too. You lost your mother, mine was non-existent, and our kids.." No sooner had the sob escaped his throat, he felt enveloped by warmth, one he knew to burn the cinders of passion in him. "Its alright love.." He whispered, "I have you and our children have me. I will live for as long as our babies will need us. Then to you will I ascend. Until then.." Blowing a kiss into starry horizon he got up, their son would be home soon and Sahir hated coming home to an empty house.
The elegy of silence,
The wailing of fate,
The panache of death,
The din of rage,
Will quieten itself,
Soon enough, someday.
In the spring of nay,
A day shall dawn,
Oh death! Do wait,
Do not gnaw.
I have but flickers,
Life is trickling,
Our kids do need me,
Oh Love, keep lulling.
I shall find you,
In dusky caverns,
Love will rejoice,
Once Elysium beckons.
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
So, how did you find it?
As always, I love hearing from you all!
But before you leave, I have something more!
Tabby's gorgeous gift, couplet for Elysium!
"Ajal ba-haq sahi, abad-taab hai daasta teri,,
Ranj-e-aashnia kyon ho, yahi hai vasl-e-yaar !!
Dilkash hawah jhoka wo, hai wo mausam-e-bahaar,,
Raaz-e-musarrat hai wo, yahi hai vasl-e-yaar !!
Daira-e-nazar se door, phir bhi ho nazar ke pass,,
Gham-e-hijr-e-yaar kyon ho, yahi hai vasl-e-yaar !!"
@CarpeDiem_365 my love!No matter how many times I tell you this, its never enough! Your couplets are life! My dearest poetess! I love you!
On this sweet note, I shall take your leave..
Hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing!
Do vote and comment <3
Cheers!
Zoya!