MOONLIGHT DANCE In Manipur on the last day of ‘Holi’ festival, there is a big dance event called ‘Thabal Chongba’ at night. The literal meaning is ‘moonlight dance’. It is organised in every locality. Though the name is moonlight dance, there is an open ground well lit with artificial lights and there, young men and women in their early twenties or late teens will make a big circle by holding hands and dance together to the beating drums and clarinets following the traditional steps. The women are required to wear decent traditional attire. On one such occasion, a group of women stood out from ..read more

DEPARTURE ‘The best way to predict your future is to create it.’ I found this amazing quote and thought that hard work, careful planning and ‘seizing the right moment’ is the key to success. But there is something called destiny or fate which cannot be altered. Ultimately it is ‘Man proposes and God disposes’ dictum which we should live by. Our time on earth is all marked and fixed. Still we forget and become emotionally attached to a lot of situations and things. In the medical institute where I work, I heard this touching story about a case which occurred in the ward for terminally ill patie ..read more

  Car Dash Memchoubi phanjoubam In Imphal, the fault always lies on the four-wheeler in any case of accident. In other parts of the world the responsibility is properly fixed. I have been driving four-wheelers for the last fifteen years or so and thus have been involved in many such occasions. The first instance occurred when I had just started driving my brand new car. It was a lovely blue car. Its makers called the colour ‘Deep Pearl Blue’. I loved it and enjoyed driving it. One day, in the hospital campus where I worked, an auto rickshaw passed by me and made a deep scratch across both ..read more

  The Persistent Shadow When a student reaches class 10 in Imphal, there is a mad rush for private tuitions. There seems to be no exam bigger than the Matric exam. Everyone in the whole state knows who tops the Matric exams every year but no one is that bothered about who has cleared the NEET or JEE or the various competitive exams conducted by the UPSC. So, my point is Matric exam is like the queen of all exams. So, the daughter of a friend of mine is in class 10 now. So, private tuitions start at 4 A.M. in the morning and ends by 6 P.M. These extra coaching classes are before and after ..read more

A Ride in the Rain The idea of a ride in the rain connotes various scenarios. The romantic rides of young couples come first to mind even if I am well past that phase of life. At this stage, it could either be a lone soul-searching ride or a frantic home bound journey in the downpour. The latter is the theme of my narrative today. ‘Bandhs’ or ‘general strike’ or ‘public protest and agitation’ with road blockades and closing of shops and markets are a daily routine in my homeland. I am pained to think that my place is a very disturbed area. There are so many unresolved social issues and the on ..read more

The fish trail A hobby is something which we do in our leisure time. Passion is something which we make time for. The following story will elucidate the difference between the two. I have a doctor friend who is so crazy after fish. Not for eating but for rearing them in his little pond where he will watch them swim in lovely patterns every morning in the warm morning sunlight. So, one day, he set out to procure a lot of tiny fish from a village pond, the owner of whom was a friend of his office staff. Actually, he had a busy day lined up in office but he made the time for the very important tr ..read more

  The flying bed: Episode 5 Annihilating the Guns   A bedtime story for every night is indeed a tall order. But, it must be done somehow. So, here goes the spinning yarn at work once again…   A small state lying in the border of two countries is literally burning. There is not a single day which passes by without the news of a village being burnt down by arsonists in the name of a communal clash between two communities. What appeared in the beginning as a communal riot between two ethnic groups has literally turned from a mole hill to a mountain in no time. Bullets are sprayed f ..read more

In the stillness of the night When darkness itself becomes bright And silence raises a cadence A yearning begs to be heard Demanding for peace among fraternity. In the din and cacophony of the day An echo reverberates from all around Asserting itself repeatedly Demanding for peace among fraternity. The world is adamant Human whims are mean Egos are unaccomodative But still, the yearning persists. Some man's toil is turned to dust By another's hunger for power Forgetting foolishly that one day We all will be dust Still, the yearning persists Demanding for peace among fraternity. Deep down i ..read more

  The Flying Bed-Episode 4: The Tigroid Cloud   We are about to retire for the night. Much as I try to ignore it, I can’t help but notice the boys’ ears perking up for the ritual bedtime story which is nowadays nothing other than the nightly adventure of the flying bed. The flying bed is a little crowded these days with the addition of Snowman and Panther, Columbus and Maximus’ dogs on board. Everyone is excited and can’t wait for the flight to take off. There is rumour of a strange turbulence in the hills of Ngariyan, a range of hills on the eastern boundary of the state. Ever ..read more

  A sort of Condolence A doctor friend of mine is a popular practitioner in his neighborhood. His humble and modest nature and helpful attitude make people like him a lot. He also truly honors people’s trust in him. Here’s one incident that proves the point. There’s a man in his locality, who has been quite helpful to him, like working as a driver for him and dropping his daughter to school, running small errands, etc. Moreover, the two families have been associated for a long time helping each other in their own days. One day, the father of this man passed away. ‘Shradh’ ceremony is usua ..read more