DATING AFTER DEATH - Final with reviews

Dating After Death Compiled & Edited By Shubha Sagar (English Section) & Rachana Kulshreshta (Hindi Section)



Conceptualized By Meena Mishra

Dating After Death 1st Paperback Edition Impish Lass Publishing House Published: 2020 Copyright: The Impish Lass Publishing House Dating After Death is a work of fiction. The names, incidents and characters portrayed in it are the product of the author’s imagination and their personal experiences and opinions. Any resemblance with actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved in all media. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, without the written permission of the authors. It is the writer’s /poet’s responsibility to ensure that their WORK is free and clear of any counts of libel, plagiarism, breach of privacy or misrepresentation of facts. The Publishing House is not responsible for it. The writers can be challenged in Mumbai High Court in case of plagiarism. Cover page design by Meghal Walendra Printed at The Impish Lass Publishing House

Disclaimer Dating After Death [प्रयाण के बाद प्रणय] is a work of fiction. The names, incidents, and characters portrayed in it are the product of the author’s imagination and their personal experiences and opinions. Any resemblance with actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental. These stories, encounters, and writeups in the book are of twilight, the juncture between the day and night, a sublime and seamless blend of reality and imagination. No authors or the publication house claim that the contributions or narrations are totally based on real life incidents or encounters. All rights reserved in all media. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, without the written permission of the authors.

CONTENTS 2 3 A] EDITOR’S SECTION 5 A Date with the Editors: i) Editor for English Section 6 9 1. SHUBHA SAGAR 10 11 ∗ Meet the Editor  ∗ About the Editor  14 ∗ From the Editor’s Desk  15 y Editor’s Contributions 17 ∗ “A Dream Date After Death” ∗ “We Part to Meet Again…” 19 ∗ “कु छ अधूरे से ख़्वाब...”  21 ∗ “एहसास”  22 24 ii) Editor for Hindi Section 2. RACHANA KULSHRESTHA ∗ Meet the Editor  ∗ About the Editor  ∗ From the Editor’s Desk  y Editor’s Contributions ∗ “Incomplete is Complete”  ∗ “Longing”  ∗ “निरुत्तर प्रश्न”  ∗ “नामकरण”

B] OUR GUEST WRITERS 28 3. RATNADIP ACHARYA... 35 ∗ Midas Touch  41 44 4. N.S. RAVI… 47 ∗ The Bioscope  50 52 C] BILINGUAL SECTION 54 5. SUJATHA SANTHANAM 57 ∗ The Unfinished Chapter  62 ∗ रॉंग नंबर  64 ∗ इंतज़ार रह गया  67 6. TEJI SETHI 68 70 ∗ The Goodbye I Never Said  72 ∗ तारीख़  7. NEETI PARTI ∗ An Evening of Mystery  ∗ दिव्य प्रेम  8. KANISHKA MALLICK ∗ Déjà vu with A Diva  ∗ डगमगाती कश्तियाँ  9. Dr. PRITI CHAHAR ∗ Soaring Imaginations  ∗ Untimely Love  ∗ प्रेम : मिलन या जुदाई?  ∗ एहसास

10. Dr. RINKU SHAH 75 77 ∗ Knitting a Dream  79 ∗ हमारी कहानी  ∗ प्रयाण से प्रणय तक  81 83 11. PRANITI GULYANI 86 ∗ The Geometry of a Bruise  87 ∗ अरमानों की सरगम  89 12. KANCHAN BHOJWANI 94 ∗ Promises to Hold Hands Again  99 ∗ सच्चा मिलन  105 107 13. MADHU JAISWAL 110 ∗ Unrequited Love  112 ∗ तुम्हारी सुम्मी  115 14. MEENA MISHRA 119 ∗ I Love You Barbie Doll  ∗ Her Secret Lover ∗ अतुल्य उपहार  D] HINDI SECTION 15. NEHA GOYAL ∗ ख़त  ∗ प्रेम का अन्त  16. SANGEETA MISHRA ∗ अंत का आरम्भ : एक काव्य गाथा  17. RUPALI PATWARDHAN ∗ एक अलग सफ़र

18. JITENDRA DEV PANDEY ‘VIDYARTHI’ 122 ∗ रे गिस्तानी आँखें  125 127 19. RAHUL CHHABRA ‘RAAHI’ ∗ उसी मोड़ पर  131 ∗ क्या हो अगर  135 140 E] ENGLISH SECTION 147 151 20. Dr. BISHAKHA DAS 160 164 ∗ Death: A Constant Companion  168 172 21. VISHWAS VAIDYA ∗ Date with A Crush  22. S. KRISHNA KUMAR ∗ Pyaar Ho Gaya...Library Mein...with ‘Anamika!’  23. Dr. (MAJOR) NALINI JANARDHANAN ∗ Love Beyond Death  24. ABHINANDAN BHATTACHARYA ∗ Pilgrim’s Peregrinations  25. MANASI SAMUDRA ∗ Dance with Me  26. BHAGVATI RAMAKRISHNAN ∗ Utopia  27. SONAL JHAJJ ∗ A Dreamatic Escapade  28. ISHIKA GOYAL ∗ Saudade

29. RODMAN HENRY D’SOUZA 175 179 ∗ Strangers in the Night  181 185 30. YUTIKA BHANSALI 189 194 ∗ “Yes!”  198 199 31. ISHANI BEHARI 202 205 ∗ On My Way  208 212 32. APARNA BHAT 215 ∗ Mesmeric Eyes Say It All...  33. AARTHI V. KARANAM ∗ Ambalika, My Love!  34. SHREYA JAIN ∗ By Fate, for True Love  35. M. NAVANEETHA SRINIVASAN ∗ Who is He?  ∗ Dating with The Divinity in Heaven  36. SHANTI CHANDRASEKHAR ∗ Dream Come True  37. BALAKIRTHIKA JAYAKUMAR ∗ The Lord Knows  38. MADHURI GODBOLE ∗ Once Upon A Time in Heaven  39. FARHANA ASHRAF ∗ A Historical Date  40. ARAVIND GUNDHALLI ∗ Spirit of Date

41. NEETA SRIVASTAVA 219 222 ∗ The Spirited Love  226 229 42. MEENAL MOGHE 233 236 ∗ Lost Without Your Love  240 243 43. MEENAKSHI SALIAN 246 249 ∗ The Bridge  251 254 44. KAPIL G. THAKORE 259 ∗ Dating after Death: A Different Take  45. VAISHALI CHANDORKAR CHITALE ∗ Romancing the Husband  46. DIVYA VENKATESWARAN ∗ Taste of Heaven  47. SHWETHA RAMACHANDRAN ∗ Rendezvous in Heaven  48. POOJA SANT ∗ Love in the Times of Coronavirus  49. SHEILA BHATTACHARYA ∗ The Coffee Date  ∗ Lover’s Thoughts 50. SREELAKSHMI IYER ∗ The Night Train at Elan Vital  51. PUSHPANJALI A. PATIL ∗ A Rendezvous  52. PARVATHI RAMACHANDRAN ∗ Love Eternal

53. Dr. VIBHANSHU DUBEY 263 266 ∗ Lost Cinderella  269 272 54. SIMRAN ASNANI 277 280 ∗ The Girl with Keychains  283 286 55. KOUSANYA DHAR 289 292 ∗ Intangible  294 56. MOUSUMEE BARUAH ∗ Homemaker- Dating with Death  57. PRIYANKA SHARMA ∗ Immortal Love  58. RAVI RAGHUVANSH ∗ Let’s Meet One More Time!  59. POONAM KANWAL ∗ Dating Beyond the Gates of Heaven  60. SHARVARI SHANKAR ∗ Propose in Heaven  61. HIRAL NANDU ∗ Casual Date  62. Dr. SANAM VASEEM SHAIKH ∗ Eternal Love  63. SHAILA BAJPAI PANDEY ∗ Happy Birthday

Editors’ Section “A Date with the Editors” 1

Editor for English Section Meet the Editor... SHUBHA SAGAR 2

About the Editor... Shubha Sagar is an educator, counsellor, author, poet, Reiki Master and Tarot Reader currently living in Bangalore. A Postgraduate in 'Zoology' and 'Psychotherapy & Counselling', she worked in the capacity of a Biology teacher during most part of her career. During the last decade in her career, she headed an International school in Mumbai for seven years and was Cambridge (IGCSE) Head in another International School in Mumbai for nearly three years. Having been appreciated for her English language skills in all the twelve reputed schools she worked in, across the country, during her career spanning twenty-five plus years, she developed the love for penning down her thoughts. A poet at heart, she loves writing poems with an occasional indulgence in stories and anecdotes. She has contributed poems and short stories to over three dozen anthologies till date. She has also participated in poetry contests and won several prizes for the same. She owes her passion for writing to her parents and wonderful teachers who instilled the love of the English Language in her. She has published two solo books, 'Heartfelt Poems' in 2015 and 'Soul Stirring Stories, women with extraordinary spirit' in 2017, both of which are available on Amazon. She has also authored G K Books for Chetana Publishers. As an Executive Editor with Impish Lass, she has ‘compiled and edited’ NINE BOOKS- Are We Mere Spectators, The Young Bards- Book 1, SMC’77-A Beautiful Bond, Broken Bits of the Moon, Within the Cocoon of Love, The Teacher I Will Never Ever Forget, Hat tip- A Dream Come True, The Young Bards Book 5 and now Dating after Death, for The Impish Lass Publishing House. The Impish Lass Publishing House has bestowed upon her two awards, the “Best New Editor’ and the ‘Best Female Editor’ in recognition of all her contributions and efforts. 3

She has travelled extensively across India and abroad and attributes her insight into the various facets of life to this exposure. Five years back she chose to give up her long-standing career and plunge headlong into writing and editing. She is of the firm belief that writing is therapeutic for her, for all the fellow writers she is associated with and for the readers. She loves creativity in all forms whether it is art, craft, embroidery, stitching, nurturing plants, just about anything that comes with the beautiful feeling of creating something new. A life-long learner, she believes in drawing inspiration from all around her. She may be contacted at [email protected] 4

From the Editor’s Desk... It is indeed a proud privilege as an Executive Editor, to be editing the Second Anniversary Issue of The Impish Lass Publishing House, titled ‘Dating after Death.’ The fact that this is the first Bilingual Book under this banner, made this project even more interesting. My association with this publishing house goes back to the time of its inception and with Mrs. Meena Mishra, the CEO & Director of the Publishing House much before that. The Impish Lass Publishing House was born on 15th August 2018, with the release of its first anthology, ‘Are We Mere Spectators?’, a section of which I was privileged to edit along with several other talented coeditors. Right from day one the theme, ‘Dating after Death’ excited, intrigued and enthralled everyone associated with this book. Needless to say, that my journey of ‘association, communication, coordination and compilation’ as an editor has been equally enthralling and exciting, if not more! The opportunity to ‘soaking in’ the romantic (and some mysterious) tales of our prolific writers being an added bonus. I thank Meena Mishra for this great opportunity, for having shown her unstinting faith in me time and again. A special thanks to Rachana Kulshrestha for being such a wonderful coeditor. It was a pleasure working on this book along with her. Our guest writers, Mr. Ratnadip Acharya and Mr. N. S. Ravi need a special mention for their wonderful contributions. How can I forget my fellow editors not only for their valuable contributions, but constant support lent throughout? Last but not the least my immense gratitude to all the writers for sending their contributions without which we would never have been able to put this beautiful book together with 60 plus contributions. Hope our readers enjoy reading the book as much as we enjoyed putting it together piece by piece. Shubha Sagar 5

Editor’s Contributions: SHUBHA SAGAR “A DREAM DATE AFTER DEATH” As claimed by ascetics, death is nothing but a transition, Masterminded and monitored by the Supreme magician. After enacting an assigned role for a specified duration, The soul embarks on a journey to an all new destination. Death is believed to take us to places minus boundaries, Liberating us from unwanted limitations and quandaries. It is undoubtedly associated with unprecedented vagaries, A doorway to help us in unveiling life’s many mysteries, 6

I have always had the desire of having a dream date, In a dream location devoid of boundaries and a gate, Where I may freely indulge in a romantic tete a tete, With one whom I instantly recognize as my soulmate. A peaceful destination away from chaos and commotion, Where I get intoxicated without having to sip a love potion. Where words are no longer necessary for communication, As words often fail to convey the essence of our emotion. What a surreal experience Dating after Death would make, Minus the fear of going through a heartbreak or a heartache, Or nagging doubts that the person would turn out to be a fake, And most importantly one’s reputation would not be at stake. A time when earthly matters would not hold any significance, A place where caste, creed or religion would not hold importance, A person whose thoughts with your own would be in congruence, And name, age and gender would not be of any consequence. A date that would be fixed and blessed by the heavens themselves, In the bewitching company of angels, fairies, mermaids, and elves When I and you can be totally at ease with each other and ourselves, Where we can stack the past memories and worries on cloud shelves. 7

A moment when the day is exceptionally beautiful and bright, And we know not when the day turns into a starry, moonlit night A moment when time stands still and everything seems just right, That’s the ‘Date after Death’ that I have for ‘you and me’ in sight! Shubha Sagar 8

WE PART TO MEET AGAIN … The parting was abrupt and painful, transforming deep love into hate, Of conflicting emotions and unrequited desires there was a huge spate. Minus the worldly restrictions, each one was just the perfect soulmate, But society norms and yardstick of morality, had sadly stolen their fate. When finally came the moment to bid goodbye to their earthly sojourn, The sparks emerging from the embers of buried love, like a fire did burn, To meet again one more time in congenial settings, their hearts did yearn, Unfulfilled desires made their souls in their earthly graves, toss and turn. Having transcended the boundaries that limited their body, mind and soul, They freely floated beyond the skies; their eyes firmly fixed on one goal. Of meeting, dating and mating in a divine setting atop a paradise knoll, Amidst silent conversations that spoke volumes, letting emotions enroll. Diving and delving deep into the depths of passion’s fathomless abyss, Completely immersing and soaking in the ocean of pure love and bliss, Exchanging glances and touches, that on earth they had to give a miss, Creating together an enigmatic aura of ‘theirs’, stronger than hers and his. So, you see, eventually their longings and yearnings, did not go in vain, It was this ‘date after death’, they had desired all along, again and again, Rising above every loss and gain, wiping away every single trace of pain, Keeping their promise of ‘parting to meet again’ and ‘never to part again.’ Shubha Sagar 9

कु छ अधूरे से ख़्वाब... चाह कर भी ि समल सके जो धरती पर इक िू जे से, समेट कर कु छ ख्वाब, जो रह गए थे जीवि मंे अधूरे से, उि ख्वाबोंॉ के पूरा होिे की उम्मीि को लगा कर सिल से, वो 'प्रयाण के बाि प्रणय' की आस सलए सिकले कब्र से। यूाँ गमि के बाि समलि उिका, क्या संॉभव हो पायेगा? या उिकी इि उम्मीिोॉं पर सर्र से पािी सर्र जाएगा। अाँधेरी काली रात के बाि क्या सर्र लौट सवेरा आएगा? अधूरे ख़्वाबोॉं को क्या पूरा होिे का अवसर समल पायेगा? पर उम्मीि की सकरण िे अपिी उजली सी चािर र्ै लाई, सिल मंे प्यार की रवािी चली, ति में एक खुमारी गुिगुिाई। आश्तखर समेटे ख़्वाब और बरक़रार चाहत िोिोॉं की रॉं ग लाई, ऐसा हुआ प्रणय सक प्रयाण के बाि, उिकी रूह मुस्कु राई । शुभा सागर 10

एहसास \"ससर्फ एहसास है ये, रूह से महसूस करो, प्यार को प्यार ही रहिे िो, कोई िाम ि िो।\" हर ररिा एक खूबसूरत एहसास है और ररिोॉं का एहसास ही सब कु छ है। ये एहसास हमें ररिोंॉ की एहसमयत ससखाता है। हम ररिे बिाते हैं, और उन्हंे संॉभालिे का खूब जति भी करते हंै। लेसकि एक सच यह भी है सक ररिोॉं को सॉंभालिा भी एक कला है। उन्हंे प्रेम और संॉयम के समश्रण से लगातार सीचॉं िा पड़ता है। अक्सर जीवि के संॉघर्फ मंे हम ररिोंॉ को सॉंजो कर रख िहीॉं पाते हैं और यसि सॉंजो भी लेते हंै तो उिका एहसास थोड़ा सा धँाुधला जाता है। ऐसा ही एक ररिा है सजसे मंै चार िशक से बड़े जति से सिभा रही हाँ। ये ररिा है मेरा और मेरे हमसफ़र का। ये बहुत सच्चा है और साथ ही खूबसूरत भी। लेसकि कभी-कभी मि में यह ख़्याल आ जाता है सक यसि जीवि की उलझिोंॉ मंे, ख़ुि को यँाू ि खो कर, थोड़ा असधक संॉयम रखा होता तो इसका एहसास और भी गहरा और बेसमसाल होता। काश! इस धरती से आगे, सब उलझिोंॉ से बहुत िू र, सभी सांॉसाररक झंॉझटोंॉ से परे , कभी मंै इस ररिे की एक ियी शुरुआत कर सकँूा और उसे उतिा खूबसूरत बिा सकँूा सजतिा मंै चाहती थी पर लाख जति करिे पर भी कर ि सकी। इतिा सॉंुिर सक मंै अपिी रूह मंे उसे महसूस कर पाऊँा । उसका एहसास कभी भी धाुँधला िहीॉं पड़े बश्ति समय के साथ-साथ और मुखर होता जाये। आज भी इस ख़्याल के संॉग सिकल पड़ी मंै.... याूँ ही ज़हि में, चलते-चलते जािे कब, मंै धरती से अम्बर तक आ पहुाँची? ये क्या, मैंिे बस सोचा ही था और मेरी इच्छा पूरी हो गयी, ये कै से और कब हुआ? मैंिे ख़ुि को एक सफ़े ि, कोमल बािल पर सवार पाया। अजब िज़ारा था। चारोंॉ तरर् ससर्फ िीला आसमाि और जैसे सफ़े ि बर्फ से बिे, उड़ि खटोले जैसे सिखिे वाले, उजले बािल। इतिा खूबसूरत समााँ तो मैंिे पहले कभी िहीॉं िेखा था। तभी मुझे अपिे हाथोंॉ मंे जािा-पहचािा स्पशफ महसूस हुआ। िेखा तो पाया सक मेरा हमसफ़र मेरे साथ है और और हाथोॉं में हमारा हाथ है। ि कोई सफ़क्र, ि कोई परे शािी, बस एक शाम सुहािी और प्यार की रवािी है। मेरी िज़रंे िीचे कीॉं तो क्या िेखा सक हमारी अपिी धरा, िीले गोलाकार सी सिखाई िे रही है। हवा ऐसी पुरवाई सी, जैसी पहले मैंिे कभी महसूस िहीॉं की। और सुिहरी सकरणें, वर्ाफ की बँूािोंॉ के पार जा कर, इंॉद्रधिुर्ी रंॉ ग सबखेर कर समााँ और भी रॉं गीि बिा रही हंै। इतिे रॉं ग मैंिे कभी इॉंद्रधिुर् में िहींॉ पाए, 11

सजतिे रॉं गोंॉ के पुष्प अपिा सौिॉं यफ पर इठला रहे हैं और अपिी सुगंॉध पूरे वातावरण को मिमोहक बिा रहे हैं। मैंिे मुस्कु रा कर अपिे हमसफ़र को िेखा तो उसे अपिी और एकटक िेखते पाया। \"सुिो! यह सच है या कोई सपिा?\" मंैिे उिसे पूछा। उत्तर में उन्होिंॉ े हौले से मुस्कु रा कर कहा, \"मािो तो सच, ि मािो तो सपिा, पर जो भी है ये, है तो अपिा।\" यह सुि कर मैं समझी सक यह तो 'सोलह आिे सच है।' सो बस जो अपिा है उस क्षण को जी भर जी लूँा। हर इक लम्हे का भरपूर आिॉंि ले लँूा। सर्र क्या था, सिल धड़किे लगा, मि गुिगुिािे लगा, ति सथरकिे लगा और रूह श्तखलश्तखलािे लगी। हर पल मंे, रूहािी प्यार का एहसास होिे लगा। मैंिे अपिे हमसफ़र के काँाधे पर अपिा ससर सटका कर आँाखोंॉ को मँाूि सलया। तभी मि में यह आवाज़ गूँाजी, \"इसी एहसास की तो तुझे आस थी, इसी लम्हे की तुझे तलाश थी, शायि यही तेरी जन्नत है।\" मैं उस पल की गहराई में खो जािा चाहती थी, ऐसी मिहोश हो गई थी सक होश मंे आिा िहींॉ चाहती थी। तभी अचािक ही बड़ी तेज़ हवा चलिे लगी, बािलोंॉ की उड़ाि भी बेकाबू सी होिे लगी, मैंिे कस कर अपिे हमसफ़र को थाम सलया। एक अजीब सा डर मि मंे समािे लगा... मि मेरा सहचकोले खािे लगा... \"अरे उठो! क्या हुआ? तुम इतिा कााँप क्योॉं रही हो? कोई बुरा सपिा िेखा क्या?\" जैसे ही ये शब्द मेरे कािो मंे पड़े, मंै घबरा कर उठ गयी। आस-पास िेखा तो ि कोई बािल है, ि इॉंद्रधिुर् के रंॉ ग, और ि ही कोई रंॉ ग सबरॉं गे, महकते पुष्प। िज़र आ रहे हैं तो बस वही मेरा कमरा, वही मेरा सबस्तर और वही मंै। तभी मुझे एहसास हुआ सक सजस एहसास को मैं उस पार के बाि का प्रणय समझ रही थी, असल मंे वो तो महज़ एक सपिा था। लेसकि सकतिा सुन्दर सपिा था वो। 12

मंैिे ज़रा ठहर कर, अपिे हमसफ़र की ओर िेखा तो उिकी आाँखोंॉ मंे ढेर सारे सवाल थे। मंैिे उन्हें पास बैठिे के सलए कहा और पूरा सपिा सवस्तार पूवफक उन्हें कह सुिाया। पूरा सववरण सुि कर उन्होिंॉ े मुस्कु रा कर जो कहा, उि शब्दोंॉ िे मुझे ि ससर्फ झकझोड़ कर रख सिया बश्ति मुझे उस प्रणय के एहसास से भी ज्यािा रोमाॉंसचत कर सिया। उन्होिंॉ े कहा, \"हाँा! प्यार एक एहसास है और साॉंसाररक उलझिोंॉ के बीच इसे सिभा पािा कभी-कभी मुश्तिल हो जाता है लेसकि प्रयाण के बाि ही क्यो.ंॉ .. इस एहसास को जीते जी भी तो महसूस सकया जा सकता है। जीवि की इतिी उलझिें के बीच, इस एहसास को जीसवत और उजागर रखिा ही अपिे आप मंे एक चुिौती है। प्रयाण के बाि, उस पार, कौि जािे क्या हो... पर ऐसे सजयो सक प्रयाण से पहले हर पल प्रणय का एहसास हो।\" ये सुि कर मेरे मि में कु छ शब्द उमड़ आये सजिको मैंिे इि पॉंश्तियोंॉ मंे ढाल सिया: \"प्रयाण के बाि प्रणय\" की है क्योंॉ आस, हर पल है एक प्रणय, जब तक है साँास, इस एहसास को महसूस करो, हर पल, जािे कब ये पल सर्र हो जाये सर्र ओझल शुभा सागर 13