Christina

Ten year old Christina is again in a fight with a boy. He is winning hands down but then an unabated kick from Christina between the legs ends the fight instantly. She decides to go back home but not before making her daily stop to the mall, to stare at the little Guitar with a $25 price tag. Upon reaching home she peeps into her Brother James’s room. He was not in, but his personal diary was. She picks it up and opens the bookmarked page when James whacks her from behind with his walking stick. Christina throws the book and runs away.

Later, when Christina’s mother was not present, Christina sneaks into her mother’s bedroom. She opens the closet and takes out $25 from her mother’s purse and runs to the mall. She returns a little later with a big bag, which she hides in the bushes and sneaks into the house, without anyone noticing that she was gone.

BEEP-beep, BEEP-beep, Christina’s alarm goes off around midnight. She springs out and immediately switches it off. She goes into James’s room and wakes him up. Startled he immediately reaches for his walking stick and takes a swing at Christina, She catches the stick, pulls it away from him, and whacks him on the head and says “don’t ever do that again”, James is taken aback and also a little scared. She says, “follow me now and don’t make any noise, otherwise I’ll whack you again”. Both of them slip out of James’s bedroom window, Christina fetches the big bag from the bushes. She takes his hand and carefully guides him through the thorny bushes and the long grass until they land up behind the house on the far end. Nervously James asks “what are we doing here”?? She gives him the “keep quiet or I’ll whack you again look”. Christina takes out a water bottle and a comb from the big bag and washes her brother’s face, and combs his hair, while James just stands there with a bemused look.

Next Christina grabs the big bag and takes out a shirt with some plastic pieces on it and a wire with a switch attached to it. She hands the shirt to James and gestures him to don it. Though befuddled but scared of being whacked again, James quietly obliges. Then she takes out a box out of the big bag and asks him to hold it. She takes out a stick from the big bag and crouches on the ground. Seeing James hesitate, Christina says “quick now, we don’t have much time” unwillingly James mounts on her shoulders. Christina gets up and rushes to the window of the house. James’s head could just about reach the high window. She knocks on the window with the stick. James’s classmate Susanne opens the window completely bewildered. Christina presses the switch and “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” starts glittering in bright lights on James’s shirt. Susanne looks baffled but before Susanne could react, Christina says “oh it’s just us, James just wanted to wish you happy birthday”, James himself pleasantly shocked; with a big stupid smile on his face gives the neatly wrapped gift to Susanne. Susanne accepts the gift, smiles and thanks him with a small peck on his cheek.

Piyush Kalia

destiny

I woke up wishing I was dead. If dreams come true then why am I not an actor? I dream that I win awards, I’m a star and I’m married to the superstar Antariksha. And then I wake up.

My current job is so unglamorous, it’s ironical. I’m an accountant. Accounting has set rules; certain items can only be debited. If an amount meant to be debited is credited, the account won’t balance. But once everything balances, I can go home knowing that everything is in order. Except that everything isn’t in order. Instead of living a dream, I’m living a nightmare.

I tried really hard to become an actor, but gave up when dad got cancer. I had to for my “parents”. It’s hard to believe that we’re related; I don’t look like either of them and I certainly don’t think like them. They’re content with three meals a day. I want more.

Antariksha is getting married today to that “superstar” or superstar’s son rather; Abhinav. He doesn’t deserve her. He doesn’t deserve any of it. It’s my life he’s leading. I feel it in my gut.

Abhinav’s diary

January 01, 2010.

My life is over. I’m getting married. I hate Antariksha. The conniving little…got pregnant. If she was a nobody, I’d stay uncommitted. But she’s as big a celebrity as I am.

My fate was decided the day I was born. Rajdev’s son had to become an actor. I’m tired of lying. I lie about my love for Antariksha and about my love for acting. I have no in-born talent. Whenever dad stares at me, I know what he’s thinking. He can’t understand how his son could be such a terrible actor.

I prayed hard that the stupid DNA test would prove that Antariksha’s child isn’t mine. But it is. I woke up hoping that this was just a nightmare. But it isn’t. This is my life.

Dr. Nathwani’s diary

01 January, 2010.

Rajdev and Maya’s son is marrying Antariksha because she’s pregnant with his child. I conducted the DNA test. Then Rajdev asked me to match his DNA with Abhinav’s, too. When I questioned him, he said ‘I’ve always had my doubts’. I conducted the test; their DNA didn’t match. But Maya couldn’t have cheated on Rajdev. So I found the file containing information of children delivered in my clinic the day Abhinav was born. Abhinav was born before Rajdev and Maya had made it big and so was delivered in my tiny clinic. That day four children were delivered and only two were boys. The other boy was born to a middle class family. Luckily, they still had the same phone number. I called that child for a check-up. I lied about the Government making regular check-ups compulsory. He was suspicious but he came. I conducted a DNA test; his DNA matched Rajdev’s.

This Akash something, is the real son of India’s biggest celebrities, Rajdev and Maya. I didn’t tell anyone. It’s too late. I just asked God for forgiveness. I’m sorry for what this child has been deprived of due to my mistake. I wonder would have happened if he had led the life that rightfully belonged to him. I couldn’t help but wonder what it was like to lead a life that was not yours

Anjali Kirpalani