Zoi's Window

It wasn't often that the ten boys got a chance to sit down and relax in each other's presence. After all, matches didn't win themselves. All the same, time and again, things happened that brought all the teenagers to the same room with no intention of destruction whatsoever. This time, it was Varun's sprained ankle. Said ankle had been sprained in an unfortunate incident which involved Varun toppling down a few stairs, and then a few more, owing to the weight of his bag. Centre of gravity and momentum too had a role to play, but nobody was inclined to give that a thought. Fortunately, nothing had been broken. The doctor had advised him to rest his ankle for a few weeks. His friends had insisted they would keep him company during that prolonged time period because that was what good friends did. And so, Saturday afternoon found all ten boys lounging in Varun’s living room while the young master asked Harshit, “Dude, what would you like to watch?” Harshit’s presence w...

It was an endeavour destined to end in failure, Shirsho decided, as the ball fell inches away from its target. Judiciously ignoring the snickers of his friends, he jogged towards the ball which was bouncing away. He would have reached it too, had Varun not decided to give an ear-piercing shriek. As it was, Varun did decide to scream, resulting in Shirsho falling facedown, and the ball rolling away. “What was that for?” he asked angrily, getting up and rubbing his sore nose. His eyes met Varun’s which were brimming with fear. Everything had gone horribly wrong even before it started. It was supposed to be a simple basketball match, not a matter of life-or-death, though Abhinav, Shirsho, Gourav and Harshit would disagree. All the same, no one was supposed to die, for heaven’s sake! The ten boys gathered around the fallen body. Varun and Aditya looked scared and upset respectively. Tarun and Aarush looked like they were trying very hard to keep the contents of their stomach within. ...

Hiraeth, you call me home To a distant land beyond the shore, A place where I belong. Hiraeth, you call me home. Everyday I wake up in a stranger's bed; Familiar sights never stop being foreign. My surroundings seem distant, veiled by mist. Hiraeth, you call me home. You tell me of a land where the sun shines right; The grasses are green, the water a dazzling blue. The birds sing a song even I understand. Hiraeth, you call me home. I'll set sail for your golden sands, Follow the pull on my heart. Maybe one day I'll make it there... Hiraeth, you call me home. The nearer I am, the softer your voice, Till I feel nothing but a whisper. Your soft music hums through my bones. Hiraeth, I call you 'home'.