Wordplay: The Reading Spot

Note: The countries referred to or mentioned in this story are entirely fictitious and weren't used with the intent to hurt any person's sentiments or to target any particular group of people. II. Portal Developments Calonia and Argenia were two countries that were always at war. Now, the reason for this enmity was the very formation of Argenia. Calonia used to be a huge country...but due to some political and religious differences in the outlooks of the people, a lot of the states split up to form individual countries. Argenia was one of these newly formed countries, and what remained of Calonia, wanted its territories back. Anatoly and Egor drove around eastern Pentin for about three hours, but to no avail. Although some people did tell them the locations of the people with the names "Antin" and "Nina", none of the sources located ones that were twins or with the surname "Gregory". The scientists were on the brink of giving up, but halfway throug...

Why We Need Bad Things However advanced humans have become till date, there are certain questions that we just don't know the correct answers to.  Maybe it's because they don't have a single answer....maybe it's because these questions are better off as questions, for the answers could be something totally unexpected. However, that doesn't stop us from trying to find explanations for them. You see, one of the most primary characteristics of humans is "curiosity", and we just don't stop looking for an answer. One such unanswered question is: Why do bad things exist?  One may say: "Well, God accidently dropped some bad stuff into Earth (like lizards for example [sorry, lizard lovers]) before drifting off into his eternal sleep." One could also say: "Life is one long bad thing with little intervals of happiness that act as sedatives." While we may never know the correct answer to the question, it doesn't hurt to come up with your o...

Note: The countries referred to or mentioned in this story are entirely fictitious and weren't used with the intent to hurt any person's sentiments or to target any particular group of people. I. The Chamber It had been three days since the mysterious, purple colored cardboard box was brought to the Calonian research facility, just a week after the Great war had ended. Egor and Anatoly would normally have discarded the box, but the mysterious purple fumes coming out of it compelled them not to. Ever since the box had been brought to their chamber, Egor and Anatoly had kept a constant check on it; its sudden vigorous movements, the way the fumes fused with the air, the often light pounding noises coming from within...they noted down all of it. Every detail was to be recorded, for they couldn't risk the possibility of letting out a potential spying device. The end of the war  didn't necessarily cancel out the chances of revolt attempts. They had to be a hundred percent su...

Gold with the heart's touch.... Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there lived a young and poor farmer named Horatio. Horatio was a very hardworking man, but lately his business had been going really rough for him. This was because his land had been infested with the seasonal pests and a strange crop killing virus. Due to this, most of his plants died out before he could even collect them. Despite his losses, he made it a point to help anyone he came across who was in need. He was very generous at heart, and never let someone leave his home with an empty stomach. But things had changed now. He barely made any money, and was really worried about whether he'd have to leave the kingdom. The kingdom, Avion, was ruled over by the ambitious king called Matthew Naples. Matthew was a very ambitious ruler, and like every other ruler, wanted to conquer most of the southern continent for exploiting its metal ores. This was his ultimate goal, and each month since he became the ruler, ...

Hello Reader...here's a story 1. The Shoemaker  In a small town, one shoemaker was walking back home to his little hut on the outskirts of the area. It had been a long, sad day, for the shoemaker had received just a handful of customers, barely making him enough to buy some breadsticks the next day. Tired, he trudged back home, freshened up, and starting pouring out his soup, which was the only supper he could afford.  It was twelve minutes past midnight; normally, the very thought of staying awake would be enough for the person to bail on the idea, but not this man. After years of staying alone and being up till late at night, nothing fazed the shoemaker anymore. Not the sleep, and nor did the rumours about the monsters that lurked at night. According to the rumours, there was once a trader who was denied refuge due to his appearance during his short visit to the town. He died of starvation in the woods, and now his ghost would return to haunt the town.  It's been two ye...

You wish you could, but never truly can... Today was Blue Ridge College's final year farewell event. All the students and teachers of the final year batch had appeared at the college for one last night of academic togetherness. Hordes of students strolled through the corridors, reliving the past few years of their lives, essentially the last of their childhoods. Due to the pandemic, many had missed a considerable chunk of college life, but had already caught up with reality. To some extent, at least. A bittersweet aura had filled the air. Students were eating, drinking, chatting away with friends for what could be the very last time they'd see each other, as nobody knew where their lives would take them in the future.  Amidst the reasonable chaos, Amit sat in a corner of the building, near the stairs, deep in thought. It was clear that Amit was different from the rest. Quiet, always thinking, reserved, academically weak; these were the labels assigned to him by the people in hi...

Rest in peace, Ms. Lata Mangeshkar (1929-2022) I still remember that day When I was new to this town Nobody got out of their way Nay, didn't even show me 'round. The town's people were a quaint folk Did nought but incessant work And the only signs of esprit were  The Nightingale and these trees of birch. The Nightingale, o, what a divine soul! Seemed as though she channeled light Her sweet and melodious harmonies, They'd drown away the blues of the nights. Each night I returned to my home Exhausted, drained and in a sulk, The only soul out there for me Was that little bird in the tree pulp. Whenever I wandered through The darkest alleys of my mind, The soft voice of the Nightingale  Would help me leave the past behind. It had been o'er a few decades since She'd been singing songs for me But good things must leave you once, As when I returned one day,  She was nowhere to be seen... It had the voice of an angel Had returned to where angels belong, "But, true ...

Life However advanced humans have become till date, there are certain questions that we just don't know the correct answers to.  Maybe it's because they don't have a single answer....maybe it's because these questions are better off as questions, for the answers could be something totally unexpected. However, that doesn't stop us from trying to find explanations for them. You see, one of the most primary characteristics of humans is "curiosity", and we just don't stop looking for an answer. One such word, or rather question, has been one of the most challenging of them all. Life.  What really is the meaning of life? One may say, "to exist in this world". Well, some entities that "exist in this world" are labelled as non-living ones...to explain that, people say that they cannot carry out the basic functions of life. But...what exactly defines these functions, because these objects still continue to exist. Lets try and dive deeper in...

The darkness gives light meaning... My hands drenched in blood And my feet all pale and sore, Because of me, tonight A soul lay dead and no more. I think about how it happened About how I'd scarred his head, About how a little girl's father now In the freezing snow, lay dead. He'd tried to move after the stab, Told me to get him help, But I paid his request no heed "It's for the greater good",  I said. At least the man was now set free His soul was free to roam, But I can't trudge back to my place Since my house isn't my home. I cover my mouth, let out muffled screams, Tears forming in my eyes, Never listened to all of them before, But now my actions, I criticize. I collapse into the snow The knife heavy in my coat, The man who I murdered today Didn't he deserve a cut throat? Yet, I scream in agony, Unable to forgive myself What's been done can't be thrown away, Or buried behind the shelves. The knife looks sharper to me, Sparkling with a d...

"Going Dutch" refers to each person involved in a transaction contributing to the total sum by dividing the amount among the people equally, rather than one person paying for it entirely. Today was going to be an awesome day for two reasons; firstly, my company was going to give us a vacation starting from tomorrow, and secondly, for the first time in 5 years, I was going to meet my cousins for dinner!    Ever since I moved to this state, my days have just been full of meetings, breathing, and more meetings. Especially this year, we worked on a new project and it was literally hell. Even our vacations were short lived, unlike the one that would start tomorrow, which would last for a whole fortnight.    So I left my place in a very happy and cheerful mood, very hopeful and excited.     ***     After work was over, I quickly went home to freshen up. 5 whole years! Even though we're all grown up now, I just couldn't stop thinki...