Accidents

I came out of the bar, dropped my cigarette and crushed it. On any other night I would've been too drunk to even walk 10 steps straight. Not tonight. I didn't feel like it. But I do not know what to do with the night either. I sleep late and I sleep little. Alcohol soothes me. But I guess I have been drinking a little too much the past few days.

The air inside was so intoxicating, almost choking. But I do not feel like leaving either. I wonder what other people do during the night. Everyone has their addiction. Things that they get high on. And then they hit the sack. There are lot less people usually when I come out. I then go to our apartment and climb up to the top of the building and look at night sky and the cityscape. There's a certain calmness to it. Tonight I came out while it is still young. I see people bustling around. Too much noise. May be I should go back in.

Sigh!

While I was in my dilemma I noticed a car coming too fast.

Punk! The idiot's gonna get himself killed.

And in a split second he hit a guy on a motorbike when he changed lanes without warning, to overtake the car ahead of him. The guy on the motorbike came to a halt after skidding for a pretty long distance. He lay there motionless. Mostly dead. Hit the road pretty hard. And the asshole in the car didn't slow down. He's not gonna stop. I know vermins like him.

I'm going to teach this fucker a lesson.

I quickly got into my car and pursued him. He drove fast. But it won't stop me from getting him. I throttled up. He kept changing lanes. Overtaking one vehicle after the other. A drunk guy behind the wheels. Or a burglar trying to get away quick. Well, he must have been a little more careful. He's not gonna get away after killing a human. Not under my watch. I almost got close to him. He tried to lose me by switching lanes again.

Run, you punk. Keep runnin'.

He almost hit a car. Avoided it by hitting the brakes. And that was my chance. I sped up and got adjacent to him. I looked at him. I knew from his looks that he was shitting in his pants, already. I signaled him to stop. But the moron didn't heed, and wouldn't stop.

Ok, asshole! I know how to crack the nut.

I went a little away from his car and then slammed into it. The car hit the sidewalk and almost toppled. But he managed to steer back on to the course. The look on his face now. He was petrified. He should be. He doesn't know what he's gonna get next. Then I slammed again. This time, much harder and much faster. His car veered off the the road and hit a light pole. My windshields were shattered. I hit the brakes hard and came to halt a little ahead. I got out of my car and walked towards the asshole's car. His car kept honking. Must have hit the wheel. The fool would've not used the seat belt.

He better be unconscious. Or else he's gonna get some more.

I opened his car door and peered inside. He sat there, unconscious, his face on the wheel, mostly bleeding. I took out a cigarette and lit it up. I had a few bruises myself.

Should I call the cops or the ambulance? Or should I just leave!? He left someone to die, after all.

I then noticed something inside his car. Between the front and the back seats. I reached in and turned on the lights. I was horrified. There was a woman. She was bleeding and was not moving. I wasn't sure if she was breathing either.

And...

She was pregnant.

The Wedding Trousseau and Other Short Stories - Book review

So, the lovely Miss Ankita asked me to review her book, "The Wedding Trousseau and Other Short Stories". I don't understand why she wants me to do it; I write stupid posts and nonsensical stories. That is all I can do. And I'm not even being modest. Reviewing a book needs skills, me thinks. But then I also think all of our politicians should have common sense, I'm old fashioned that way. Anyway, I think I can review a book.

Ok jokes aside, I feel happy to do this. When someone is asking for an informed opinion about their work, you know they value it. And the other reason is, it's such a good read. Ankita's debut work is a collection of 11 short stories; all of them beautifully written. She is an adept writer. She knows how to articulate her thoughts and put them into words in an impressive manner. Her stories have soul, and almost always revolve around human emotions.

This book is no different. The 11 stories play with different human emotions, where the characters are an embodiment of that particular human emotion. The stories are also an intelligent mockery of the individual and societal perceptions and presumptions about the world around us. It questions our preconceived notions about the world in a subtle yet powerful manner. Love, pride, apathy, anger, sorrow, and so on. They are all there. This was the most striking aspect of the book for me. But then there is also humour, the kind that is very distinct and identifiable to Ankita, if you have read her posts.

The language is another great attribute. When someone uses the word 'Trousseau' in their title, you can be pretty sure that they have a strong hold over the language and an expansive vocabulary. But then I don't mean she uses words where you need to refer a dictionary every now and then. No, instead it's written in such a simple language but using the right words where they are needed. Also, at just around 129 pages, it's a breeze finishing the book. It took me a little over 2hrs to finish it. This is another strong reason to read it. It's short, it's crisp and it leaves you with a wonderful feeling.

All in all, it's such a good read. It was a pleasure reading and reviewing the book. And even though I liked all the stories, I liked the "Site Visit" a lot. It's a spooky thriller. And I like such short spooky thrillers. So go now and place an order for your copy today. It can be bought at Amazon, Buy Books and Flipkart. I wish Ankita all the very best for her future endeavours and hope that she writes lot more books and becomes a successful author.