55 Word Fiction

Deception

Pamela was tossing in bed without sleep. Her husband Jack was speaking in his sleep “Bertha, not tonight. Stay away as I cannot move out. My wife is sick. Please understand”

Pamela could hardly suppress her smile as the TV blared a while ago that the hurricane Bertha had changed course and not hitting coast.

Clever

The boy opened the bottle lying by pond. Out came a big genie.

“Ask me a wish"

"Let me ask my mom."

“I cannot give time.”

"Okay, tell me how such a big form can be in the small bottle?”

"Simple like this”  the genie went in. Capping the bottle he ran to his mom.

Nevada Smith

The young boy was watching Clint Eastwood movie. He heard his mom’s scream and saw from head of stairs the door open and a man grabbing her.

 “Get lost this minute or you will drop dead” he shouted pointing the pistol

When the man escaped, his mom laughed hysterically at the boy with toy pistol.

My cup of tea

As my husband sipped the tea, I could see his happy face.

"Sheela none can match the evening tea you make, especially the ginger one. Your morning tea is not something to speak about. Why so?"

I decided to ask Nair of the tea shop behind my house to supply in the mornings too.

Same ilk

Once a fortnight I drive to the adjacent city, rent a room in a motel and bring some loitering young woman for the night.

She was good."What do you do for living?" I asked stupidly next morning.

"I come once a fortnight here from adjacent city and find a loitering jerk for making some money"

Hallucination

The woman by my side in park trembled in fear and pushing knife said "Watch out, my suspicious hubby is lunging forward to kill you”.

Someone seeing the body and me with bloodied knife in hand asked “Why kill him?".

“His wife prompted me”

“What wife? Where is she? He was an insane bachelor beggar.

Humble roots

Pai’s restaurant on the highway was always crowded with all tables occupied. Many keep standing for the tables to get vacant. The business was always brisk. Krishna Pai, the owner, who was sitting by the cash counter, noticed the 12 year old boy standing outside for a long time. He didn’t appear to have been drawn from poor family though there was a tired and hungry look. He never spoke to or approached any one. Curious to know why he was there, he asked a bearer to bring him in. Pai never forgot his boyhood days in humble circumstances and growing up to this level from working in a tea shop under a kindly Nair.

“I have seen you are standing outside for nearly three hours. Are you waiting for someone? Have you taken any food since morning?” Pai asked

“No Sir, I am not waiting for anyone. I don’t know where to go”

“Where is your house? Have you run away from there or what? “

The boy did not answer and tears trickled from his eyes.

“OK, take your food first and you can tell me later leisurely” Pai said and asked a bearer to take the boy inside and serve him a meal. After about 30 minutes, the bearer brought the boy before Pai. He took him to the office room and after much prodding he ferreted out boy’s circumstances.

Hari had lost his mother when he was seven and his father took another wife. His dad was a side kick to a second rung political leader doing all his dirty jobs. He had bad company and was always involved in scuffles, intimidation and extortion and was a hatchet man to the leader. Mostly under the influence of liquor, he was prone to fits of temper. The step mother did not take kindly to the boy. He was not allowed to attend school regularly and when his dad came home late at night she got him beaten on some pretext or the other. When his dad started kidnapping young kids for ransom and treated them badly, Hari protested. This enraged him and he beat the boy blue and had him locked in barn for three days. He was afraid to kick the boy out of the house as he knew the secrets.At the first opportunity, the boy escaped from his home. Some kindly truck driver on the highway dropped him near the restaurant.

“If you are willing, you can work here. You will get food and accommodation. If you roam around, you will fall in bad company. If you work hard and sincerely you can progress in life. Are you interested?”

When he nodded his head in affirmative, Pai told him in strict tone “If I find you dishonest or doing something hanky panky,I will throw you out mercilessly. Do remember that”

The boy was assigned two tables and he learnt his work fast. Being young he was energetic and nimble in service, he won the praise of the supervisor very soon. The customers who visited the hotel often spoke in praise of his speedy service and courteous behavior.Pai was happy but did not openly express his feelings.

It was one crowded day when the hotel was jam packed and lots of customers were standing waiting for vacant tables, Pai heard some commotion from one of the tables. There was a family of ten members on two tables waiting for 20 minutes for the bearer to appear. They lost the patience and started shouting. The supervisor rushed. They were Hari’s tables and the boy was not to be seen. The supervisor asked other bearers to take care of these tables and started searching for Hari.This had never happened. It was not his wont to leave the place of work without prior permission. Pai tasked some men to search for the boy.

After an hour when those unruly customers had left in their Innova vehicles, the boy was traced in the lumber room and brought before a concerned and angry Pai.

“You ungrateful wretch, you have shown your true trait. Why did you disappear? That was dereliction of duty at the busiest hour. You brought a bad name by the distasteful scene the customers created. I had warned you at the beginning. You are not wanted any more here. Pack your things and get lost” shouted Pai.

The boy stood dumb but sobbing inconsolably. This infuriated Pai further spoke angrily”Are you dumb? Why did you vanish when customers were there without telling the supervisor? Tell the reason and get lost”

When the boy remained quiet, Pai lost his temper and slapped the boy. It was then he spoke.”That was my dad with my step mom and his evil associates. If they had seen me, they would have taken me away and even killed me. There was no time to tell anyone. I was scared. You are my living God. I would not dream of doing anything to displease you. It was my fear of being caught by them”. He fell at Pai’s feet and clasped them tightly.

Pai instantly lifted the boy and hugged him tightly. He gently rubbed the boy’s cheek even as he remembered his humble roots and said wiping his own eyes “I was a fool in hastily judging you. That was rude of me. I feel sorry. I understand now your disappearance. I would have done the same thing.”

The suckers

It was extremely hot on the barren highway with a not a tree on either side. The sun blazoned in its full fury.Naresh has been driving for two hours towards Jaipur.A little away he saw some figure getting up from the culvert on seeing his car. As he drew nearer, he found it was a young village woman with a bag in hand, clad in a sari with disheveled hair and sweaty face. As he drove past her he could see that she was tall, slim with well chiseled features. He was struck with remorse at ignoring her pleading eyes and reversed the car to her side. She looked sun tanned and totally tired.

“Where are you going? How long are you waiting?” he asked her

“To Jaipur, Saheb.It is more than two hours and no bus stops here.”

“Okay, get in. I am also going there” As she hesitated not knowing where to get in, he opened the front door.

He drove silently for some time and then asked “Is Jaipur your home town?”

“No, it is a village here. There is no work here. My husband is a lazy and violent alcoholic. I am leaving him for good and going in search of some work. I have some relatives there” she replied

“You look so young. Any kids?”

“Luckily no. I am married for less than two years”

Naresh wished to stop at rest room. He saw one a little away. He stopped the car and was for a fraction of a second hesitant whether to leave her alone in the car. Unusual for a village belle, she spoke confidently with clarity.”Do you also wish to come? “ he asked

When she declined, he rushed to the toilet and came back as quickly.

“Had you come, we could have had some cool drink. It is so hot outside. My throat is parched” he said and took the bisleri bottle kept by his side and gulped half the bottle. He offered her the balance but she declined.

He would have driven hardly for 15 minutes when he clutched his head and said that he was feeling giddy. He stopped the car and she in what seemed a concerned manner had his head rest on her shoulders before he blacked out. She got out of the car and pulled him to the side seat and made him recline in sitting posture even as she sat behind the wheel with a grin on her face.

She opened her bag and changed to a clean and swanky salwar suit, dabbed her face with a makeup kit and combed her hair and wore sun goggles. She was transformed in a jiffy to a modern young lady as she took a U turn towards Delhi. She drove for some distance till she found a motel cum rest room. She swerved the car to the rear side and parked it. She opened the computer bag that was in the rear seat and found some money. She took the bag and opened one of the windows and walked briskly away.

As she came out with a coke bottle in hand and the computer bag, she found one car coming out of the parking lot driven by a young man. She raised her thumb and the man asked her whither she was going

“Gurgaon”

“Hop in” he said as he opened the front door

She gave him one of her seductive smile and said “It is so sweet of you. I am Lolita” as she settled down in her seat almost brushing close to him.

“Vinod, it is a privilege and pleasure to be of small help to you. How come you were stranded here?”

“My car broke down and I am in a hurry to Gurgaon.Luckily I met my Good Samaritan in you “she said as she fondly patted him on his shoulder.

“What do you do for living? Single?”

“I do many things. Though an advertisement executive by profession, I like to socialize, dance and mingle with men. I am single. How about you?”she asked not lifting her hand off his shoulder.

“Me too a single and am into real estate but fix many deals that are lucrative. I look forward to a lasting friendship with you” he said as he put his hand on her thigh. She did not make any effort to brush his hand away. Emboldened he stopped the car at the side and drew her near to give her a peck.

“Not now. Later as much as you wish after we reach Gurgaon.I told you I am in a hurry. We will meet may be tomorrow itself” she said

As he was a little disappointed, he drove silently even as she caressed his hair. As they were nearing Gurgaon.she said abruptly”Look out to your right side at the petrol pump that is a little away. Stop the car for a moment”

When he turned his head after he stopped the car, he felt a sledge hammer karate blow on the region near the neck and collar bone. He felt something crack inside as he slumped down unconscious. She quickly rummaged his bag and found wads of currency. She filled the computer bag and threw the computer behind a bush. Making him sit in upright position, she walked away quickly from the vehicle.

As a three wheeler with an old driver stopped by, she got in and said “Mall”. She thrust a five hundred rupee note in the hands of a dazed driver at the mall and hurried inside with the computer bag in her hand only to get lost in the vast crowd of shoppers.