Courage

'You cannot change what you refuse to confront'

                                              ~ Unknown

Kumar was like any other five year old -  seemingly ignorant of what life is as dictated by the 'modern society', more interested in the little things around him that kept him occupied, interested, curious and happy - he never ran out of interesting things to think about since something interesting was always happening when he looked below big rocks, on a grass field after rain, in the ants' nest, looking at the clouds, making sand castles, running after butterflies, ... He was slightly shorter for his age, average built and wearing round glasses - those harry potter type ones. His hair was all curly - he didn't have a clear hair line at the sides as other kids do. Kumar was good at studies especially in English, since he very much liked to read short stories, fables, comics etc - you know the stuff that kids of his age enjoy reading. But he was peculiar since he was more fluently speaking and reading in English than the kids in his class due to his obsession with the habit of reading stories.

It is a strange trait with us humans that we most often don't directly confront the stuff we fear, rather we do a LOT of research about it. It's like we have more liking/affinity towards it, but reluctant to embrace it.

Another important similarity with the kids of his age was fear, and Kumar had the common fear of darkness. He had developed liking for thriller and horror stories and his favorite comic hero was 'The Batman'. It was may be because that he was always reluctant to wander around when it was dark that he started to read more about the after dark horror stories and admire Batman - the 'dark' knight. There was a previous incident that happened some months back where he lost a bet set at the 'super galactic club' that he and his friends had formed . The challenge was to go and bring back a specific flower from an abandoned park nearby, after it was dark. He often felt ashamed, that he wanted the comp[any of another person even to do mundane activities after dark. He always wanted to overcome his fear... somehow - a laser vision or super strength may be. But he felt helpless too... 

'May be fear was a good thing because it's due to fear that I never wandered around the house or outside after it is dark, hence avoiding the grim things that could happen to me - similar to what I had read in the comic books and horror stories'  he thought in his mind, not willing to confront his fear of the dark.

It was the monsoon season and that day Kumar as usual had come home from school at four in the evening. His father usually comes late to the house something to do with some meetings at work. That morning his mother had told him that his father had brought the latest issue of the Batman comics, which Kumar can read when he returned home. So, that evening Kumar was especially enthusiastic. He almost ran inside the house with his shoes on, but after looking at his mother giving that look - the look when she knows you did something inappropriate - you almost immediately knew what's wrong at that particular moment....(is that telepathy?). He went out, didn't remove his shoe laces, just removed the shoes, socks and threw them near the shoe rack - he was excited alright. He was subconsciously thinking of skipping his usual meeting with his 'super galactic club' boys that evening 'it was going to rain anyway' he thought, the TV was abuzz with some weather reporter saying so when Kumar entered the house.

He had a quick refreshment - washed his hands and leg, drank some milk and was off to his room. His room was adjacent to his parent's room and he was sharing his room with his sister. Since he was more into reading, he had a reading desk with proper drawers, reading lamp among other stuff. The desk was placed immediately before a window because Kumar liked to glance occasionally outside at the road, the trees and everything else. At the edge of the table, he had a number of Batman action figures, stacked nicely side by side in near the window. The new Batman comics was lying on his bed. Kumar sprang into the bed and started reading the comics. After a few minutes, his sister had come from school - but little did he notice her asking about his day at school. After all, reading was his favorite thing to do and all his concentration was on whether Batman would go after the Joker or the Scarecrow.

Outside, the rain clouds have been covering up the sky and it looked like a post apocalyptic earth with a slightly reddish-orange ambient light on the buildings but with dark rain clouds in the horizon. It was slightly cooler, and darker outside for a time of six in the evening. Cool breeze was blowing the curtains in Kumar's room, the kind of breeze that would make you even more comfortable lying on a bed, giving you a perfect excuse not to get-up! There was already a faint smell of the rain. That day his father had not come home yet, his mom went to one of the neighbors house. Kumar was too much into the comics to notice what the weather was cooking up outside.

When he was about to know in a few turn of the pages, whether Batman will go after the Joker, there was a very bright burst of light flickering through the window - the lightning, followed immediately after a few seconds by a loud bang and crackle sound - the thunder. Kumar almost didn't notice the lightning but the sound of the thunder startled him, caught his attention. At times of crisis or emergency, we think about the worst things that can happen at that point of time- unconsciously. Same happened with Kumar after his attention turned to the dark clouds outside he was thinking what if there was a power cut?  almost immediately while he was thinking about this there was another powerful lightning followed by a roaring thunder and a power cut - pitch dark -'Oh My God!!!' thought Kumar.

There was rigorous show of prowess with lightning and thunder outside. Kumar's heart was raising, he felt a very strange kind of sensation as if something strange was flowing quickly from his head to toe inside his body - a heightened sensation of fear? may be....Kumar was curled up at the edge of his bed where the wall and the bed were meeting, he had covered...more like he hid himself with a blanket.

As he looked outside, he could see that the trees outside were casting strange shadows on the wall where the light from outside was falling. Being the imaginative kid he was, his fear of darkness adding to the equation, his mind was quickly making up ghostly shapes from apparently simple shadows of the trees - mostly like clichéd horror films. As if the shadows cast by the trees nearby were not enough , the Batman action figures that Kumar had kept near the window were casting tall dark shapes when there was lightning. Breathing heavily, his heart racing, eyes randomly switching views from one place to another, Kumar was feeling as if he was in a real horror movie except that he felt he was 'in' the movie - the wrong side of the screen :(

Just as Kumar was going through the best horror movie experience in real 3D, he heard a scream/ shrieking sound from the adjacent room. The fear was getting worse...Afraid of the dark and unable even step down from his bed in the dark, Kumar was trembling - he was already drenched, not by the rain but by the rapid sweating he was experiencing. After a few seconds he heard a loud cry. Kumar heard it like it was the echo of a ghostly wail from next room - his mind was completely in overdrive trying to make him stay in where he is now, by instilling fear. So he was reluctant to step aside from the safety of his bed and blanket.

But even in that moment of fear and desperation, it struck his mind that he and his sister were all alone in the house and being the eldest of the two - a big brother, he had to go and help his sister if she was in trouble. His eyes were wide open, heart still beating fast, Kumar slowly stepped down from his bed, dragging the blanket along with his body. The blanket was covering half his body, as he held the blanket with both hands very tight. He knew where the torch was because he always kept one in his reading desk drawer for situations like these. Trembling with fear, he made it to the desk drawer, picked up the torch and switched it on. Somehow, after seeing the bright light of the torch lighting up that dark room, it made him feel less feared of the dark - maybe he was thinking himself holding a galactic light saber or something.

Kumar slowly gained confidence and started to find his way through in the dark to the hallway that leads to the next room. As soon as he was near the door of his room, he stepped on a toy car and almost fell down, dropping the torch in front of him on the floor. But he had managed to grab the sides of the door. He was thankful that he didn't fall completely - maybe he should have cleaned up his room as his mother said. When he managed to pull himself up and moved his head up he saw the silhouette of a strange figure walking towards him. It looked like a small goblin wearing torn clothes and having tentacle like things hanging from all over the body. The lightning and the torch on the floor seemed to exaggerate the shape of the shadow of that strange figure. Before Kumar could make sense of the events happening before him and before he could think of what to do next - he was already screaming (Aaaaaaaaaaa!)  with fear, this strange figure was screaming back and running towards him!

He tried to turn around and run, but this strange figure seemed to have caught him from behind. Kumar didn't just stop screaming or stop shaking from fear, but he had just increased the amplitude of both. Suddenly he heard the voice of his sister saying 'I'm very afraid Kumar'. It was then he realised that the strange silhouette was his sister. He turned around and saw that it was indeed his sister who was crying, she was afraid of the dark too, his screaming had made her even more afraid and hence she was running towards him. Kumar was afraid indeed, but he managed to put up a fake sense of courage and told his sister 'Don't worry sister, I'm here'. There wasn't a hint of fear in his words. He took the torch from the floor and pointed it towards his sister - she was wearing a small blanket and was having some clothes hanging from her head - she had apparently tripped and fell down on a pile of clothes that his mother had put down in their room, that were to be ironed and folded later. She had fallen over the pile of clothes and in a desperation came out tangled with lot of clothes on top of her...

Kumar then looked briefly at the hallway, pointing the torch up and down, looking at the trail of clothes that her sister had dragged along, then lead her back to his room. They both sat down on his bed and Kumar started telling one of his favorite Batman stories where the Dark Knight saves a small girl from the Scarecrow. Just as he and his sister were slowly becoming forgetful of the fearful incidents of that evening, the power came back on. His sister hugged him immediately and started laughing saying thanks to her brother. Kumar felt like Batman.

Kumar wouldn't have eliminated his fear of dark following this incident, but he has changed the way he reacted to it - he now had the courage to confront his fears.

Our Choices

"We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act" 

~ Swami Vivekananda 

I always wanted to write stories/fictions that I keep imagining. And so here goes: My first(ever) fiction writing, Inspired by Cloud Atlas...

Hint: Not everything is fictional. After all, I should have a writing style of my own right? can you find what I mean?

August 6th,2380 - somewhere in the Uriht forest:

Technology had enabled man to colonize another planet. It was the 368th anniversary of the curiosity rover mission to the red planet. Long after the findings of micro-organisms in a hot spring under the glaciers of Ismenius Lacus (now the forest of Urith), humans have successfully colonized the red planet. emergence of the depletion of resources,high temperatures, rising population,the 2043 war over the control of Antarctica for fresh water,and other frightful events left a devastating effect on the life forms on the blue planet. The leaders of various countries had agreed to put in motion the plan to completely colonize the red planet,leaving the blue planet to 'heal' over time. The already established MSO ( Mars station one) was expanded to start the ambitious climate seeding project that would eventually lead to creation of a life sustainable climate on the red planet... There was an ongoing war between the Harukans and the Miztah colonies for MSO II The MSO II contained most of the 'technology' that was reminiscent of the blue planet.

As he was lying down on the grass, Naramuk was thinking of his childhood - memorable days he did training with his father Arnauk. Being 'wielder' people who worked as fighters/guards, his father had the knack for fighting.He taught young Narumuk especially how to fight with a dagger. It was a kind of knife/dagger/sword, longer than a knife but short enough not to be called a sword. It had a beautifully carved handle made of brass(which is very scarce on the red plant) with the character T embossed. The other wielders always made fun of Naramuk carrying around the knife - being ancient human tool. Naramuk kept it only because that was the one thing which has been handed down to generations. It was a symbol of remembrance  'a sort of connection back to our ancestors in the blue planet' his father had said. Naramuk's father had shown him how to use it. Naramuk had followed his family's traditional job of being a wielder  He was on duty stationed at MSO II, that day was the end of Naramuk's first week at patrol outside MSO II. Naramuk was looking at the bright blue star and wondering what it would be like to go back to the blue planet that was once abandoned. It was then that he heard the growling sound of the mighty Vyperwulf - A large beast that looked like wolf but was more like a wolverine and five or six times the size of the wolves that once lived in the blue planet. 

He instinctively knew that it should be one of the Harukans. He had been hearing stories of the Harukans from his childhood. Harukans were a group of humans who were the radicals. They wanted everything and they wouldn't hesitate to use force. Only the Harukans had the telepathy to control the Vyperwulves. Naramuk prepared himself since it is going to be one hell of a night. He quickly got his ultrexoskeleton on - the fighting gear that the wielders use, it was a protective shield similar to the knight's armor, but with all the bells and whistles of a technically advance armor. Naramuk was feeling restless, having his twitchy finger on the trigger of his auto-mazeron gun, he was looking keenly towards the direction from where he could hear the Vyperwulf. 'May be it is a single Harukan soldier who is scouting' he thought. With a sudden thud, the Vyperwulf jumped from nowhere and Naramuk was taken aback, he fell down in fear and surprise, but got himself back on his feet again with some effort - the ultrexoskeleton he was wearing did not help with his agility.

The Harukan was riding on the back of the Vyperwulf. He got down from the Vyperwulf. This harukan was almost seven foot, heavily armored, fists that looked hammers - like they can crush Naramuk's head with one hit, he was HUGE. Naramuk had not seen a Harukan not at-least in such an encounter that he was having with the seven foot Harukan. Naramuk always believed that brute force was not the answer to conflicts. Naramuk lowered his weapon slowly, trying to show that he didn't want to create a threat to the Harukan. But before he could step forward to speak, the Harukan took swing with a telescopic rod that looked like a spear, glowing at both the ends. That was a plasma rod that almost shattered the ultrexoskeleton Naramuk was wearing. The force of the blow from the Harukan threw Naramuk onto a rock behind him. Staggered by the hard hit and looking that his armor was rendered useless (almost), he removed it and quickly got on his feet. He felt more comfortable as it is, without the ultrexoskeleton. He moved swiftly avoiding the successive swings by the Harukan. The Harukan was no slouch, he too moved swiftly for a huge man. Before Naramuk could take a shot with his mazeron gun, the Harukan was fraction of a second faster - he hit Naramuk on the shoulder with a forcible top-down swing. Naramuk was down, his shoulder cracked and unable to lift his hand, let alone the mazeron gun. Bleeding heavily Naramuk thought that his day had come. In a split second - in a trance he suddenly realised the knife he had in his belt. Naramuk did a swift hand gesture to pickup the knife and blocked the next swing by the Harukan 'That's one damn fine knife' the Harukan thought. With moves that seemed to come to him swift and naturally, Naramuk had rolled between the legs of the Harukan. He then made a quick jump onto the shoulder and thrust the knife into the head of the huge Harukan. He had saved the precious lives and knowledge trove inside the MSO II for now...

March 10,1876 - Brookline Bridge Boston:

One could almost feel the cold biting, walking on the bridge over a river on a winter morning walk. It is very calm, and the only sound That one could hear is that of the slow flowing water below and the wind whispering in the ears. Thomas Watson, young man in his early twenties was about to take a plunge from the Brookline Bridge(now Boston University bridge). His hair fluttering in the early morning wind, calm river below him, he was reluctant to let go not because he was afraid, but because he wanted to change it all - if he had a chance again. While Watson was in his own turmoil between life and death, an elderly man taking his morning walk noticed Watson. Having experienced life for so long, he was not a bit surprised at Watson. He yelled at Watson 'Son if you are going to jump, you should know that the water at this time of the year is very cold... if you're going to do it, then get on with it already! or... if you are having second thoughts then come with me'.

This elderly man happened to be a professor, who was well versed at teaching the deaf and the mute and hence he knows giving a little hope for a man in difficult times will always help. After convincing young Watson not to jump from the bridge, the professor heard to Watson's long story.

'Watson, I believe I'm late for something. Would you mind if we had this conversation whilst we are walking?' asked the professor. 

'Where are we going Sir'

'To my machine workshop of-course. Looks like you could have some help with finding a job'.

Watson was puzzled.

'What kind of job?' he asked, trying to know why this stranger is helping him.

'Something exciting...Watson, did I... mention that I am doing a research?'

'No you didn't!' exclaimed Watson.

'Well now you know... You'll be working as my assistant and we will be researching about sending voice over the wire'

Puzzled, confused and excited young Watson, not knowing how to react in that situation where in one moment he was at the verge of ending his life and another instance where he is being offered a new and exciting future. He just followed his intuition and said 'When do we start?'

They both went on to invent what they intended to, Watson had been very instrumental in the invention. We could even say that if was not for the meeting at the Brookline bridge between Watson and the professor, the famous 'first words' over a line of wire wouldn't have been spoken. Praises were coming from every corner of the world for Watson and the professor. They had invented something truly revolutionary and it would have a huge impact on the future of communication technology....

July 21, 1864 - Calcutta:

A ship that was made fully from Iron was rare and it was mostly only used by the East India Trading Co. One such was the huge 'Scindia', a iron full-rigged ship. The ship was docked at Calcutta (now Kolkatta) in a busy port. Deprived of the now 'tall' buildings, one could easily see the entirity of Calcutta by standing on the deck of Scindia. Busy fishing market nearby, seagulls qualing, waves gently kissing the shore and the docs, occasional voice of the travelling condiment sellers, sound of the bell from CTC trams, women and men in brightly colored dresses...the variety that was and is India.

Watson was on board the ship Scindia. He was with his family on a trip to India and now returning back to London where his father was working for the East India Co. Being a young boy, he was indeed very excited to travel on the ship. His father did advise him to stay away from the main deck - but being a young boy, curiosity always kept him busy around the forbidden places. The ship was bound for London. It was carrying goods ranging from animal hides, tea, sugar, cotton to special commodities like jute, silk, indigo etc., in huge amounts. It was supposed to be a long journey of about two and a half months. But about half way through the journey, Scindia got caught in a gale storm off the cost of S.Africa. There was heavy wind blowing, followed by a thunderous storm. Water was being thrown at the ship at rough sea and the crew had a hard time pumping the water out of the ship. Most of the goods were soluble, but they were mostly the ballast for the ship. The ship was dangerously close to capsizing and hence it had to be abandoned. Everybody in the ship was being evacuated in the life boats available. 

George Baker, part of the ship's crew, was helping people get into last of life boats when he heard a women cry that her boy was missing.The crew was the last to board the life boat and the Captain had warned that they had to leave as soon as possible but George insisted otherwise. He went on to do a final sweep on the lower levels of the ship where some of the travelling passengers were given cabins, he didn't want to regret losing a life when he could have saved one. Watson who was asleep at the time of the storm was carried away from his bunk bed. Half asleep and half awake, Watson was constantly jumping between worlds - the dream and reality. He was not aware of the situation on the ship. 

'Where Am I, and why are you carrying m...? where are you carrying me? let me down...!' Watson cried as he slowly drifted into reality.

'Calm down kid. I'm George Baker and I'm carrying you away from a sinking ship kid...open your eyes and keep sharp'.

By the time he was back at his senses he realized that he was separated from his family. He insisted that he'd stay and find his family. But he was forced to get on board on of the life boat with the other crew men. When they reached the coast near by, Watson later learnt that a large number of people didn't make it to the shore. 

'Sir do you know where I could find George Baker?' asked Watson to the captain who was busy jotting down something on a notepad. 

'He didn't make it kid, so were many others. We had sent some of our crewmen to search for any survivors - but in vain...'

Watson was a young boy then... injured, confused, all alone...

November 30, 2013 - Tokyo:

Early 21st century seemed to be leading to more innovation and technology in a few decades than the innovations and technologies that were developed over a span of centuries. Every other human had a remote communication device. A device that could interact with the environment basically giving a HUD full of information or a communication device that would contain so many features like the ability to store data, music, pictures, etc that it would make many other devices of yesteryear obsolete or redundant. The hugely hyped, aluminium clad mobile was just released in time for the holiday. People were standing in huge queues to get the communication device on the first day of retail launch. Togo Ugawa a young man in his mid twenties, with spiked hair, a JBL stereo headset around his ears and a satchel - more like a messenger bag on his shoulder, was also standing in line and excited to be there on that day which was the launch day of supposedly the most innovative smart device yet.

Togo was having a friendly conversation with the girl standing in line before him, when suddenly the guy who was standing behind Togo pushed him and ran away hurriedly. Togo didn't realize that he was robbed, the only thing he was thinking was - why the damn would he give up his place in the queue? was he in such a hurry to go somewhere?. It was then he realized that there was something fishy going on. He quickly checked his pocket and noticed that his purse was missing. Togo panicked, not because all his money in the purse was lost or because he wouldn't be able to buy the phone he was eagerly waiting for or because his current phone was robbed too(the previous generation sleek phone) but because he had his mother Roanmaam's gold chain in it. It contained a single 22 carat diamond. He was going to gift it to her during her birthday. 

Excusing himself, he moved in a hurry towards a payphone. He dialed the numbers of his brother who was working at the police station, but it didn't strike his mind that for a payphone one has to 'pay'to use the phone. Realizing the senseless state he was in, he tried to calm himself, kept the payphone back. As he walked absorbed in his thoughts about what to do next, now that he lost a lot of money, and the diamond...he saw the pick pocket standing just around Hama Rikyu garden handing over some package to another guy. Togo wanted to yell at the pick pocket to make him stop. But thought that he was already doing too many foolish acts lately from morning that day. So he just hid himself and slowly mingling with people walking around, Togo tried to go near the pick pocket and the other guy he was talking to. Before Togo to get to a spot where he could hear their conversation, he saw that the pick pocket was leaving and the other guy was walking towards Togo now. This other guy was average built with a scar in his right forehead almost like a knife wound or something. He didn't look like a guy of Asian descendant. He was more Caucasian, yet slightly Asian. Togo was sure that this guy had his purse and mobile phone. But Togo was hesitant to approach him since Togo was never before in a fight, even during school days he was best standing away from any fight.He didn't know what to do immediately, so he decided to follow him.

Togo followed the guy across the road from Hama Rikyu garden to another road that lead to a residential block, and then into a big alley that looked more like an abandoned car parts storage area. It was full of rusting car parts piled up. Taking advantage of a pile of metal, Togo crouched and hid behind one of them. That's when he came to know that this guy had come to the alley to make a private phone call. That guy was using Togo's mobile to make the call. Togo was furious, but waited patiently behind the pile of metal. 

The guy said over the phone: 

'Is this the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office?' after a brief pause he again said in a slightly elevated voice 'I'm carrying 5 pounds of M112 C4, stop me before I can do any damage to the publi..c' 

He almost immediately cut the call while completing his sentence, threw the mobile on ground and stamped it. Being a brother of a policemen in a city like Tokyo  Togo knew what a C4 is...Shell shocked by what he just witnessed, Togo sat 

quietly behind the pile of metal for a brief moment. His heart was pounding hard, he knew that he was trembling with fear. he slowly lifted himself up and poke his head above the metal pile. To his relief and surprise  the guy with the scar had left the alley long time back. Thinking that things haven't especially gone his way that day and realizing how quickly a bright sunny day could turn into such a bad day, he slowly put his hand into his satchel to take his water bottle. Instead of taking out the water bottle he took out a shell - a metal pipe - a cylindrical casing rigged with some kind of wires and electronics on it. He didn't know what this strange thing was - but the paranoid that he is, within next few seconds the events right from the time he was shrugged by the pick pocket and robbed - to the moment the guy said over the phone 'I have a M122 C4, sto...' flashed in his mind. Togo was just a patsy, he was being framed so that the bomb can't be traced back to the actual people who put the C4 there in Togo's bag. Now the officials know that Togo made a call from his mobile phone and Togo was stupid enough to follow a stranger into an alley and be at that very place from where the threat call was made. Togo needed to do something and fast. he ran across the alley, he saw a elderly man entering his house. He was carrying some groceries or looked like groceries since it was all in brown bags. 

Togo went to that man and asked:

'Excuse me sir, I'm in a real crisis  I don't have my mobile phone with me now but I need to make an urgent call. Can you give me your mobile phone?' 

the elderly man said 'Hello young man I'm Heiro Mikado, what's your name?'

It seemed that the old man was not paying attention to the body-language of Togo or to the nervous way n which Togo was speaking. Frustrated and angry Togo replied 

'I don't have time for socializing old man, please tell me if you can give me your phone or not...'

The old man replied 'Calm down, calm down...I do have a mobile phone, but the charge is down. you can come in and use the telephone if you want...'

With a sigh of relief Togo took the old man's things inside, quickly called his brother. He explained the situation he is in and the things he saw and heard. Luckily for him, the C4 was not yet detonated - 'But why?' he wondered. His brother had immediately sent police and bomb squad to the place. A major disaster was averted. 

Togo said that he was grateful to Mr. Heiro Mikado for his help. 

'No no...it is you whom a lot of us people should thank'. 

'No...I think anyone in my position would have done the same i guess...'. 

In a gesture that seemed that he was laughing but controlled it somehow, he said 'May be you should thank the person who invented the telephone'. 

After a few months, Heiro got the chance to meet Togo again. Heiro Mikado had invited Togo and his brother to his house. When they arrived at Heiro's house, Heiro presented them with a refreshing cup of tea and gave a dagger to Togo. He said that even though one might not exhibit bravery through brute force, his deeds may speak louder than his words. Heiro said that the dagger represented a symbol of courage. 

The dagger had a brass handle with the initial T embossed in it.