TheBanyanTrees April2010

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From the Editor’s Desk: Ever since TheBanyanTrees started spreading its roots, we have been toying with the idea of an abstract theme. What if, we asked ourselves, what if we pushed the envelope and gave our writers an abstract theme? The theme that is nothing but a thought. We asked our writers to create content around that thought. That is how April's theme of 'An Empty Box' came in to existence. Our writers have come up with a variety of very creative content created around the thought, 'an empty box'. When you read it, think about what you would write , if you were given this theme. Hop on board and be mesmerized with the content. We sure were. Here's presenting to you, 'An Empty Box'.


Contents

Shored………………………………………..Debleena Dasgupta Unclaimed Baggage ………...…….…………..Aditya SriKrishna Boxed……………………………………….Macademia The Nut Imminence……………………………….Raghuram Godavarthi Prize winning entry from creative writing workshop…………………………………………….…….....R.Swetha Draupadi………………...………………………………..Manasa The not so empty boxes……………………...Nivethitha Kumar Dude Where is my Coffee?....................................DreamVendor Hello, I’m from the United States of America …...Priya Venkat How Empty is an Empty Box……...Archana Ramasubramanian Just an empty box …………..………………. Dhivya Arasappan


SHORED

Iâ€&#x;ve travelled to the shores of men, Travelled beyond the seas; The world is such a festive fair, Bright lights looming everywhere, Whetting dreams bold and bare, Billowing, never to cease. My mast stood tall, my flag flew high, My journey seemed unending; Each nook and cranny had I searched, Atop the towers had I perched, Had pushed my sails until I lurched, And watched the flame ascending. Gems and jewels strewn about, Grabbed them lest they vanished; Each dawn spelt a gilded chase, My face etched in frenzied craze, Stopped not I to cast my gaze, Upon the walk I banished. From time of yore have I sung, The song of wretched lives, Hauled too did I the trove of might, Slept in power many a night, Thrived in sniggering, dark delight, That quietly, masked, arrives. I trod upon the cringing men, Felled both friend and foe, What kith, what kin, all skittle clan, My stride guides me to grander plans, My shadow flickers, dim and wan, As alone on I go.


Past my purple coloured days I lie now spent, ashore; My ship has sunk, my flag is torn, The trove has rotted, all gems gone, The king is dwarfed to a mere pawn, My torch burns no more. An empty box, all thatâ€&#x;s left Of me, a dismal stance; Bereft of all jewels am I, Those folks with whom I learnt to fly, My soul utters a plangent cry, And looks at me askance. And were I to rise again And cross the tides of fate, A chest to hold my humble past, My yawl would glide in oceans vast, Awning sky would see my last, An empty box my weight. -

Debleena Dasgupta


UNCLAIMED BAGGAGE

How much does your life weigh? Imagine for a second that you're carrying a backpack. I want you to pack it with all the stuff that you have in your life.... You start with the little things. The shelves, the drawers, the knickknacks. Then you start adding larger stuff. Clothes, tabletop appliances, lamps, your TV.... The backpack should be getting pretty heavy now. You go bigger. Your couch, your car, your home... I want you to stuff it all into that backpack. Now I want you to fill it with people. Start with casual acquaintances, friends of friends, folks around the office ... and then you move onto the people you trust with your most intimate secrets. Your brothers, your sisters, your children, your parents, and finally, your husband, your wife, your boyfriend, your girlfriend. You get them into that backpack, feel the weight of that bag. Make no mistake—your relationships are the heaviest components in your life. All those negotiations and arguments and secrets, the compromises. The slower we move the faster we die. Make no mistake—moving is living. Some animals were meant to carry each other to live symbiotically over a lifetime. Star-crossed lovers, monogamous swans. We are not swans. We are sharks.

successes, failures, regrets and so on. And how we don't need to carry it. Or probably should not. Ryan Bingham lives his life that way. He wants you to live it that way because that makes it easy for you and everybody around you. He wants you to carry nothing but an empty box. What do you get when you draw up a pros and cons list of travelling with the baggage? You put up with people, whether you like them or not. You put up with everything they dole out to you, whether you like it or not. You get to share your joys and sorrows with them. You feel your happiness grow many-fold when shared. Or you could be someone who doesn't like sharing even the not-so-intricate details of your life with other people. You are better off being left alone in that case. You may be a loner.

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) in Up in the Air You probably keep to your books, your music, your car, your pets, your computer and What could the full-time corporate down- so on. And you really don't find life worth sizer, also a motivational speaker, possibly living for other living things. Apart from be talking about? Obviously not about find- your pets. That‟s why the whole baggage ing a huge bag that can physically hold all theory cannot be blindly followed. the stuff he mentions. Not the minor fact that we are all sharks and definitely not swans. It's an extremely individual perspective. Ryan Bingham is talking about the baggage The importance of people in life comes we carry. In the forms of people—minor, un- from an individual's need for acceptance important, major, important—wealth, dependencies, liabilities, compromises,


love, care, and mutual respect for one another. And yet there are individuals who think they are better off without any form of emotional human interaction. Their relationships are not layered but are born out of a mechanical dependency on one another. And it is opened and closed as easily as opening and closing a bottle. One such seemingly innocuous relationship is explored by Alex (Vera Farmiga) and Ryan, but that is until Ryan realizes that he got too sucked into the relationship, ignoring the agreed albeit unspoken disclaimers. In real life, Christopher McCandless tried something—though not entirely similar—that was not in the realm of what is generally considered to be civilized human interaction. He moved away from people, away from a life of trivial pursuits, and inched closer to nature. In the movie adaptation of his life, Into the Wild, Chris says he wants to face the blind death stone with only his hands and his head for help. We don't know for sure what he learned and what he realized. But conventional wisdom has us believing that ultimately the reality must have dawned on him—he must have realized that happiness is real only when shared. The movie adaptation leans towards this interpretation. But we will never know the truth. And even if we did, it might make little sense to us, for we would never know the real McCandless. Christopher McCandless died alone in the Alaskan wilderness. In Up in the Air, Ryan Bingham believes that everyone dies alone ultimately, and so there are no incentives to take away from things like love, relationships, and people. Sometimes you are defined by the company you keep. But what if you keep no company? Do you become a statistic? Some-

one who also lived. Someone who had no one to live or die for. The question is whether that someone can be replaced by something. It's an automatic choice to go for flesh, blood ,and soul instead of something metaphysically intangible. Ryan Bingham lived for his frequent flier miles. Five million miles was his target and that was the only focus he had. Chris McCandless lived to embrace nature in its rawest form; that gave him his high. The question we need to ask: would you rather be defined by a desire that involves you and only you, or will you go for a greater collective good born out of relationships that, in this day and age, come with all that baggage. The Holy Grail would be something that combined the best of both worlds. Ryan Bingham and Chris McCandless were not conventional men. They obviously were not for conventional wisdom. That is why both of them are perfect case study material. The secret to living without baggage is to find that one thing that gives you the feeling of home. Some people spend their whole lifetime trying to find it. Some people don't experience any enlightenment even after finding it. For Chris, it was in the wilderness. For Ryan, it was all about being up in the air: The stars will wheel forth from their daytime hiding places, and one of those lights, slightly brighter than the rest, will be my wingtip passing over. - Aditya Srikrishna


BOXED You may not believe it now, but the Box once contained precious little sparkles. Sparkles, which made it glow with an iridescence that drew everyone to it. People were curious. “What,” they wondered, “is making it shine so?” But there were others who were not happy. “We cannot let the Box become so popular,” they said, “It‟s we who much possess the sparkles that are within the Box! It is we who must glow!”

So they began to spread rumors. “The Box contains sins,” they said, “It‟s the devils own trap.” “It will be the downfall of us all,” cried others. Slowly but steadily, the crowd around the Box dwindled. “There can be no smoke without fire,” they all said. Day by day people stopped visiting the Box until, one day, it was all alone.

So they plotted and schemed to break the Box and take away its sparkles. They waited and waited, until one day they found the little Box all alone. They took it up a hill and threw it down from the top. The Box fell hurtling down. It hit boulders, rolled over thorns and stones and slid to a stop at the edge of a “Why don‟t you like me anymore?” it cried. “Go away!” yelled the people and pelted it huge lake. But it did not break. with stones. This enraged the people further. 
“Use a Two tiny teardrops rolled out of the Box. As they trailed down its side, a secret latch hammer!” popped from within and the Box slowly “No use a saw.” “Set fire to it!” they yelled. 
But the Box re- opened. mained unbreakable - battered, torn, and sulThe watching people drew back with a collied; but still locked and glowing. lective gasp. Suddenly they heard voices. The others were “Sorcery!” they whispered as they backed away. coming in search of their Box. Run they whispered. We will find another way to get the Box alone again.


For a second or two nothing happened. Then, out rolled two of the most beautiful things they had every seen in their lives the sparkles that were inside the Box. They shimmered and blazed with an unearthly radiance.

One was called Happiness, the other was Love.” “Today you‟ve taken both away from me. You will never revel in my glow again, nor will you ever possess your own little sparkles!”

Saying this the Box turned away and walked. It didn‟t know where to go but The people ran to posses them. They it kept walking. It walked from the only fought with each other to be the first to family it had known. It walked from its claim the two sparkles. But when they friends. looked up the next time, they were gone! And I walked and I walked until I could “Where are the sparkles??” they asked the walk no more. Box. I had no tears left to cry… just a hollow “What were they?” where I once held love for my people. The Box said nothing at first. The people I am just an empty Box now. advanced angrily towards it demanding an answer. And the Box began to speak. “You were my people,” began the Box, “My very own. The two sparkles were planted inside me because of the way you made me feel.

Macademia The Nut


IMMINENCE Imagine the pain of a leaf, bearing upon its tip, the very last drop of rain is it the pain of separation? or is it the last bit of pain suffered from carrying so many raindrops? Imagine the creak of a door hinge, about to be shut for the day, and locked up for the night is it a sigh of relief? or is it yet another gasp at being swung about all day? Imagine, the thudding of a felled tree, upon the unrelenting, hard ground is that the final utterance of an unrewarded life? or does the tree finally express its anguish at having to stand motionless all life long? For voices never heard, for actions practiced only in shadows, and for thoughts formed only within cerebral walls there is but one release - Imminence and such is the travesty therein! the overwhelming cry of chaos, the chitter-chatter of change drowns all other sounds in its crashing wave none can ever truly distinguish an utterance from anguish relief, from disbelief separation, from transportation In the gushing wake of Imminence life hereto, and hereafter, could very well just be an empty box, devoid, desolate, disparate -

Raghuram Godavarthi


CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP: PRIZE WINNING ENTRY Writing has always been a passion for us at the TheBanyanTrees. When we started this venture, one of our goals was to promote, if not introduce, the pleasures of writing to students. As a first step, one of our editors, Anuradha Chandrasekaran, went back to her alma mater, Jawahar Vidyalaya Senior Secondary School in Chennai, to conduct TheBanyanTrees' first writing workshop. The March issue of TheBanyanTrees featured an article in which Anuradha talked about her experience of interacting with the young adults of Jawahar Vidyalaya and also about the subsequent creative writing competition we conducted. We awarded prizes to the three best entries and will be publishing them, one-by-one, in our April, May, and June issues. Here is our third-place entry:

If I were Harry Potter How would it be to be a part of a fantasyland? It would be a yes for all those annoyed by the normal hectic lives that they are forced to live in. Well, it is not bad to at least dream of it when nothing of this sort is possible in reality. One character whose way of life I envy is Harry Potter. I have always dreamed of being a part of the wizarding world where the lifestyle is enviable by us (muggles). Everyone wonders at one point of time why he/she was born as a normal human being and not as one with magical powers. Things we toil for day and night are simply achieved with the wave of a wand by Harry Potter. A magical word and a whoosing of the wand and tada… your work is done. If I were Harry Potter, just imagine! I would be ruling the world. Anything would be possible for me. I would fly in a simple broomstick instead of standing in queue to get air tickets for a flight. I would dream up magical spells and use it to make me successful in a snap. I would be a Quidditch seeker instead of sitting here watching a boring cricket match on television. I would be on an adventurous mission, tracking my enemy Voldemart who craves for my blood and not be someone who has nothing interesting happening in life. If I were Harry Potter, I would solve numerous mysteries, figure out ancient secrets and would be the „boy who lived‟, „the chosen one‟. If I had been Harry Potter, why would I need to dream up all this? - R.Swetha IX F, JV


Draupadi The rays of the bright round moon slant across the beams of the narrow room. I lie on the best blanket they have to offer me, next to Kunti stretched out on my side. She is fast asleep, snoring, slightly flatulent. She’s the noisy kind, not the noisome one. That’s a relief. Let me mention here that this is the first time in my life that I have slept next to someone; slept in a room with six people rather. Back in the palace, Shaktima used to sleep with me till I was 6, but then I insisted of a room of my own. No one minded. I was never afraid of the dark like some kids. I was not afraid of ghosts and monsters under the bed. I am not afraid of many things, actually.

by Manasa

go into the house, but Arjuan stopped him. ‚Let’s wait for them,‛ he said. ‘It would be unfair if we showed her to mother without all of us being there. After all they helped us win her.‛ ‚Us?‛ Bhima laughed. ‚Brother, you won her. Next, you would be saying let’s marry her together,‛ he winked at me. I laughed. I was growing to like Bhima already, that rough and ready face, the twinkle in his eye, the wide smile. He went and sat under a boulder, tore a piece of grass and chewed on it. I stretched my arms and walked around aimlessly, looking at nothing in particular. Arjuna was solicitous. ‚Would you like to sit down a bit?‛

But here I am now, unable to sleep on the first night in my new surroundings. My ‚No, I’m fine.‛ husbands snore lightly, sometimes in rhythm. That’s right, you heard me right, ‚I’m sorry you have to wait here so. We my husbands. Every one of the five of them. want our brothers there when we introduce you to mother. The five of us stick together, I guess I should fill you in on what hapno matter what. That is the only way we pened this evening. have survived.‛ Arjuna paused. ‚After father died, mother raised us single handedly. Our makeshift chariot rolled up outside a And it has always been such that we stayed row of mud huts. Each of the huts in the row was indistinguishable from the next. I together, under her wise guidance.‛ could sense people in the huts peering out; their eyes on me, but no one actually stepped out. I wondered if I was still in Panchala, whether I was these people’s princess, whether they knew me, whether they knew that their princess was to marry the mighty Arjuna. Arjuna held out a hand to me and helped me down from the chariot. Bhima made to

‚I understand,‛ I said. ‚Are you sure you don’t want some water from the well, maybe?‛ ‚Well?‛ As we stood there, we heard hooves, and in a moment we were joined by two horses.

Episode 5


There was something about the offhand way he mentioned the well, mother and my being tired in the same sentence that was a little disturbing. Why show me the well? So that I could draw water from the well? Don’t take me wrong, I am not a stuck up princess who thinks doing chores is beneath her dignity. Considering that I had never done such things, and considering that I was marrying, but you would never know it, a prince. But it was the offhand way that he said it that irked me. ‚Oh, you are the woman, you must work for us now.‛ Somehow, drawing water from wells had never been a part of the picture of my marital life. Yudhistrarode the first one, the twins were on the second. The horses were evidently from my father’s stable. ‚Good that you waited for us,‛ said Yudhistra, as he dismounted. He was a man of fair height, a pencil thin mustache gracing his upper lip, a riot of boyish curls on his head. Yet it was the eyes which gave away the maturity of his person; sad owl’s eyes.

Kunti to our arrival. ‚Who’s there?‛ we heard a female voice sound from the interiors of the house. ‚Mother, it’s us!‛ shouted back Bhima. ‚Look at what we have brought home today!‛ Mother Kunti’s voice sounded from inside the house again. ‚Whatever it is, share it among yourselves equally, children!‛

Nakula and Sahadeva jumped down to, and Sahadeva rubbed down the horses lovingly. Bhima and Arjuna started laughing convul‚Gifts of your brother,‛ he said to me, with sively. Nakula joined in too and even Yudhistra was smiling. ‚No, mother,‛ said a wide grin. Yudhistra, and motioned me to follow him. ‚Really?‛ ‚This is what we got home,‛ and opened the door. I walked in first, followed by all ‚Yes, it was becoming a bigger fight than the brothers. we expected. Drishtadymna told us that he would take care and told us to get away,‛ A thick haze of smoke by the fireplace said Nakula. ‘So here we are!‛ parted to reveal a woman, old, yet beautiful. The elegance of her youth had not left ‘Good, now we can go in and tell mother,‛ her; the lines under her neck were the only said Yudhistra. Sahadeva was at the back of indication of her age. She was frail boned the house, putting away the horses and the and pale skinned, with her certain haughty chariot, but Yudhistradid not seem to miss air about her eyes. Sahadeva. Moreover, the horses were neighing and whinnying, so that alerted


This woman, trying to make a fire in a mud Arjuna refused to look at me, and I sat silently kitchen and cook for five sons (and a daughter- in a corner, taking in my surroundings. Five in-law), was no doubt a queen. husbands! How would that work anyway? Who was she, Kunti, to impose all of her sons ‚A woman?‛ she laughed. ‚What’s your name, on me when it was one of them who had won child?‛ me by right, and when, indeed, it was one of them that I was interested in? ‚Draupadi‛ ‚Ah, the daughter of Drupada, the Panchala princess. I knew your mother, Draupadi, a fine woman she was.‛ She turned to her sons. ‚A fine alliance, boys. So was that were you went when you said you went hunting?‛ ‚Yes mother, though Arjuna was the one who hunted her,‛ said Bhima, grinning.

While Kunti spoke to Bhima, I waled over to Yudhistra and Arjuna sitting at the back of the house, talking. How would I get to tell him what I wanted to? I cleared my throat. The two men looked at me, Yud almost embarrassed, casting his eyes to the ground almost and Arjuna giving me a weak smile. ‚I’m sorry it’s so confusing,‛ he said, always the well bred cavalier.

‚No matter, what I told still stands. Arjuna, you do understand, don’t you?‛ She turned The words rushed out of me before I had the her face to his and gave him the Look. ‚Share time to think. her with your brothers, I will arrange for all the five of you to be married to her soon.‛ ‚Do you think I could talk to you for a second?‛ I stood there, dumbstruck. There were discussions before the decision was made final. Kunti and Yudhistra went outside and talked first. I could hear Bhima’s voice when it was his turn. ‚But Arjuna won him. It is not fair to him.‛ Nobody asked me if it was fair to me.

They were addressed to Arjuna. But Yudishtra sprang forward first. ‚Yes, my lady, please feel free to be open with us. We shall not do anything against your wishes.‛ I hesitated for a minute, not sure what to say. fixed my gaze on Arjuna steadfastly.


Never have I seen a man’s face fall so fast; that peacock feather first and knew from the jaunty was Yudishtra. ‘Go on,‛ he murmured, and walk who was around the corner. Kanha, of left us in the shadow of the big tree. course. ‚It’s not fair. Why don’t you talk to your mother?‛ ‚I can’t,‛ said Arjuna. ‚You don’t know my mother. She always has her will. I can’t go against her. Bhima went against her and married that forest girl. She made him leave her behind. I can’t leave you behind.‛ The last few words caused my head to reel for a minute, but I gained my composure. ‚But I can’t be a wife to you and all your brothers as well!‛

‚I saw the feather walk into the house through the doorway, and talk to Kunti. Poor boy, how tired he must be! There were no horses or hooves, he must have walked all the way over. I ran to the back of the house to get him some water from the despised well. Sahadeva stood next to the well, looking at his own reflection, or at least trying to. He started when I called his name. ‘Sahadeva, Krishna is here. Could you please show me how to draw water from the well?‛

‚Certainly, Draupadi,‛ he said. I liked the way ‚Well, if mother wills it so, then it can’t be any he used my name, without the averted eyes other way. We will see what we can make of and inhibitions of his brothers. He was a boy, the situation.‛ closer to my age than the rest of them, very conversational. ‚I don’t like this business one This man, this warrior that men from the tips bit, Draupadi. Really, why is no one asking of the Himalayas all through the spread of the what you think? Do you want to marry all of Ganges were afraid to duel with, the son of the us?‛ legendary Indra, was this the man who stands before me so, wishy-washy, not able to make This frank youth, drawing water for me, cerup his mind? Afraid of standing up to his tainly pleased me. I warmed to him at once. mother? Indeed why did he even need to have ‚No, Sahadeva. Much as I like and respect all allegiance to her? Was he not a grown man? of you, I don’t know if I can find it in me to Could he not, with his prowess, carve a king- treat you all with equal fervor were I to be the dom for himself anywhere on earth as he saw wife of you all.‛ I hesitated. fit? Would he rather share me with his brothers to maintain the integrity of their family rather ‚I will take up your case with mother, Drauthan give his woman her due and assert his padi,‛ said the boy to me. ‚She does these own independence? Did he even care for me, things at times, and I am sure she has her reaor (for the first time doubt started creeping in) sons. But your desires cannot be blown away was I just another trophy? just like that. Besides would we be happy with a wife who is not happy with us?‛ It was at that moment that I felt my most helpless and vulnerable. There was nobody that I I said nothing, but smiled, and took the pot of could turn to, nobody else in the house that I water into the house, struggling under its trusted. My father or brother would not care; I weight. Sahadeva taught me the correct way to was the wife of the Pandavas. More strength hold the pot. As I walked in to the house, I nofor them when my father would attack Drona. ticed Yudishtra standing by the door, lost to the world. To be Continued ... But I was wrong, of course. I saw the strutting


Dude Where is my Coffee? DreamVendor "Empty box." That is supposed to be the flavor of my coffee this month. I scratched my head, chased bubbles in the air, stared at the empty Coke can, buried my broken tooth, and finally found an empty box … to empty my mind in. A daring attempt at verses (wouldn’t be brave enough to call it poetry yet). PS: Adding sugar to this serving is not going to make it any better! They said... They said – if you like something, set it free. It will come back to you, if it was meant to be. I put my dream in a bubble and let it go. They said – when you are in pain, let go and feel the rain. I spent a lot of time trying to let go, but it was all in vain. I sat under the shower all day, holding an umbrella, in my bathtub. They said – put your memories in an empty box and stow it under your bed. I tied them all in a golden thread and put it under my pillow instead. I emptied all my worries into that box and floated it in the river. They said – when you cannot move ahead, seek God. I prayed, day and night, so I did not have to be a lightning rod. I began to move again, gradually, backwards. They said - music is the perfect panacea that heals. All night, I stayed awake, to see how it feels. I put the volume low and my spirits high. They said – to empty your mind, write it down. I did it, pages after pages, like a clown with a frown. I ran out of paper and ink just to realize my life’s missing link. They said – if you are feeling blue, call a friend. I browsed through my phonebook, one page after the other, hoping it would all end. I picked up the phone but did not know what to say. They said – take some sugar with your pills to make it less bitter. As if the magic potion will not make you look like a quitter. I trashed the pill, threw the sugar in my Mojito and called myself a winner. They said – if winter is here, spring cannot be far away. I sat by the window, with coffee and cookies, to watch the flowers sway. I never had a garden outside that window. I drew one on the window instead. They said – so many things about life, love and loss. I heard everything and thought enough was enough. I said – Shut the F up! - DreamVendor


The Not So Empty Boxes Flash Fiction by Nivethitha Kumar

One by one, we moved each one of them. Carefully so as to not break or mishandle the contents of the boxes. For as ordinary and dowdy they seem, they contained within them, a large chunk of our lives. Like it or not, our whole lives can be packed in to boxes. With each packing and unpacking, comes reliving the moments, sipping nostalgia along with some tea, and telling, retelling stories. Tens of stories and many memories later, we had finished unpacking. As I looked at the numerous empty boxes lying around, I couldn't help but think, how they helped fill the entire house. They had transferred all their wealth to the empty house, thus making it our home. Empty boxes? I think not.


HE LLO,I ’ M FROM THEUNI TE DS TATE S OFAM E RI CA! -PRIYAVENKAT I C981i ss etf ordepa r t ur ea t10. 30p. m.f r om Sa n F r a nc i s c oI nt er na t i ona lAi r por tonaMonda y . The c hec k i nc ount eri sa buz zwi t ht hei nc es s a ntc ha t t erofNRI sonahomeboundj our neyf orav a c a t i on. Thec onv ey orbel tt a k esi nt hes ui t c a s es , ba gs ofv a r i ouss i z esa ndc ol our s , onebyone, s t oi c a l l y . Monot onydoesc os toneal ot ! Ai r l i nef or ma l i t i esa ndpr oc edur esc ompl et ed,I C 981i snowz oomi ngi nmi da i r . Si l enc epr ev a i l edi nt hec a bi n, i nt er r upt edonl yby a n oc c a s i ona lc ough her eorahus hed gi ggl e t her e. Suddenl yabur s tofc ha osa ndc ommot i on!L oud v oi c es ,boi s t er ous l a ughs ,f a mi l i a rc l i ngs ,a nd ex c i t edmov ement ! Wel l , i twa sa l l ha ppeni ngi nt heunder bel l yoft he a i r pl a ne.I ns i det heba gga gehol dsoft hea i r l i ner . Andt her e ’ snopr i z ef orgues s i ngwhowa sc a us i ng t hec a c ophony .F ort hes ui t c a s eswer et henoi s ema k er s . L oa ndbehol d, t hebox eswer enowT AL KI NG!

T hegr e e nol dmons t e ra tt hec e nt e ra dj us t e d hi ss pe c s( a r r oga nc ec l oude dhi ss i ght ) t oge ta be t t e rv i e w oft hec r owdi nf r ontofhi m.He t r umpe t e d, “ We l l , I ’ magr e e nc a r dhol de r l i v i ng i nt heUSf ormor et ha nt wode c a de s . "Whi l e j e a l ousgl a r e sda r t e da c r os sf r omt her e dv a l i s e , hec ont i nue d, “ Ipi t yt heguy swhor unoutof t he i rv i s at e r ma ndha v et opa c kt he i rba gsf or good. "Hewa sde fini t e l yge nui ne… a tbe i ng s a r c a s t i c . Ar gui ngi nde f e ns e ,t her e dv a l i s e( e v i de nt l y out of v i s a )s a i d, “ Gue s sa l l i sf orgood. Atl e a s t y ouge t t ol i v ewi t ha l l y our ne a r a ndde a r one s . Andy oua r enot f or c e dt oe x pr e s sl ov et hr ough c y be r s pa c e . " Hi swor dst r i e dt oc ov e r uphi sdi s a ppoi nt me nt ,buthi st onebe t r a y e d hi m.I t i mpl i ed: ohmyGodI wi s hI hadagr een c a r dt oo! F a l s e ne s sa ti t sbe s t , onec oul ds a y !

Y es , y our ea di tr i ght ! Thebox eswer enowt a l k i ng!

But t i ng i na tt hi spoi ntwa sMs . Bl ue y Ba g whos ef a k ea c c e nts pok ev ol ume sofhe r . T he muc hde s i r e dAme r i c a na c c e ntwa sc ons t a nt l y e v a di nghe r , de s pi t ehe rpe r s e v e r a nta t t e mpt s . Mot he rT ongueI nflue nc ei sas i n, a c c or di ngt o he r . And‘ s oundi ngI ndi a n’ wa ss ha me f ul ! Voi l à ! T hebr e e dof Ne v e r Re gr e t f ul I ndi a n( NRI ) !

Howc a ny oua ffor dnott ot a l kwheny oua r ea ta pa r t y ? !The gr a nd ga t her i ng ofs ui t c a s esha d s pa r k edoffac el ebr a t i onofs or t s !Peopl e… er , s or r y… t hes ui t c a s esha dt hi ngst os a yt oo. Sol et ’ s j us tl i s t ent ot hem.

Ami ds tt hi spompos i t y ,t he r ewa sMr .Or a nge T r unkope ni ngupade l i c i ous l ys me l l i ngf oi l pa c k .I twa st he f a mousI ndi a n Dos a .But i ns t e a dofwol fingdownt hes uc c ul e nts pr e a d, hewa sfidge t i ngf ors ome t hi ngi nhi spouc h.

ht t p: / / www. fli c k r . c om/ phot os / s a l i ha n/ 3498543731/


F i na l l y , hegothol dofi t . Wi t hat r i umpha nts mi l e, hepul l edoutaf or ka ndak ni f e!Whi l et hek ni f e r a i dedt hedos ac r i s s c r os s ,hi sf or kr ol l edupt he pi ec est ohi smout h. Andt hea f t er t a s t e? ! Coul dnot l i ngerl ong,f ort he‘ ma gi c ’t ouc h,t het y pi c a l l y I ndi a nfingert ouc hwa smi s s i ng.

not hi ngt os a y , orpe r ha psbr a gof .

Al lofas udden,a wa r eoft hi sobs er v a ntpa i rof ey es ,a l lhea dst ur nedt owa r dshi m.I ni t i a lmur mur sgr ew i nt ol ouders t a t ement s .Bef or el ong, t hebi gt a l k er sbr a ndedhi m Mr .Empt yBoxwi t h

Af t e rl ugga gec l a i ma tt hede s t i na t i on,Mr . Br ownt ur ne da r oundt ogi v eoneme a ni ngf ul gl a nc ea thi sc ount e r pa r t s . E mpt ybox e sma k e t hemos tnoi s e .

E v e nt ua l l y ,t he s oc a l l e de mpt y box , Mr . Mode s tBr owns pok e . I nac a s ua l , una s s umi ng t onehee nume r a t e d, “ Asar e s pons i bl eNRI , e v e r yy e a rI i nv e s tc ons i de r a bl yi nI ndi a . I offe r c ommuni t ys e r v i c edur i nge v e r yv i s i t . I dona t e Addi ngt oy eta not herNRIi di os y nc r a s ywa st he ge ne r ous l yf ort hewe l f a r eofmyc ount r y me n. s wel l ed hea d,Ms .Bl a c k .Reflec t i ng herdi s da i n Ul t i ma t e l yIs oughta f t e rt hel a ndofoppor t ut owa r ds a ny t hi ng I ndi a n wa s her l a c k l us t r e, ni t yt oc r e a t eoppor t uni t i e sba c khome . " s c r a t c hedex t er i or . Herc ons t a ntc ompl a i nt sofdi s or ga ni s ed t r a ffic on I ndi a nr oa ds ,unpunc t ua l P i ndr ops i l e nc e . Noneda r e dt os pe a kt he r e a f t r a ns por ts y s t ems ,a nds t r a y i ngc a t t l ea c t i nga s t e r . Hewa sdoubt l e s s l ynol oudmout h. I ns t e a d, s peedbumper sma dea nendl es sl i s t .Si ggghhh! hewa si nde e da ni ns pi r i ngpa r a di gm wor t hy L i t t l edoess her emembert ha ta tonepoi ntoft i me of e mul a t i on. s hewa spa r toft hes a mepa ndemoni um.Sowhy ma k eaf us snow? ! I ti sne e dl e s st os a yt ha tt hes ui t c a s e smi r r or t hec ha r a c t e r i s t i c st he yha v es e e ns of a r i nt he i r Howev er , i nc ont r a s tt ot hev er ba l di ns of a r , t her e l i v e st ha tof t he i rowne r s . Wha towne r ss pe a k , wa sones i l ents pec t a t ori nac or ner . s ui t c a s e sr e pe a t ! L i k eowne r , l i k ebox e s !

HOWEMPTYI SANEMPTYBOX? -Ar c hanaRamas ubr amani an

AnE mpt yGi f tBoxi st of ool . . AnE mpt yL unc hBoxi sac ha nc et oes c a pet her out i ne . . AnE mpt yBl a c kBoxa dor nst r endyl i v i ngr ooms . . AnE mpt yJ ewel Boxi sagi r l ' sdel i ght . . AnE mpt yCompl a i ntBoxbr i ngsonaS mi l e . . AnE mpt yT ool Boxi si nnov a t i on. . AnE mpt yS c hool Boxi sr ea l educ a t i on. . AnE mpt yCer ea l Boxi shea l t hga i ned. . AnE mpt yPa i ntBoxl ea dst odel i ght edey esa nds oul . . AnE mpt yCha r i t yBoxc r ea t esahel pi ngha nd. . AnE mpt yWa t c hBoxi sa nAr t i s t ' s . . AnE mpt yT houghtBoxi sbl i s s . . AnE mpt yHea r tBoxi saf r es hnewl i f e . . AnE mpt yT i meBoxi sa nE a r nedper s pec t i v e . . AnE mpt yMi ndBoxl ea dst oul t i ma t eha ppi nes s . . AnE mpt yL i f eBoxi saL i e . . . AnE mpt yBoxi saBegi nni ngnev era nE nd!

ht t p: //www. f l i c kr . c om/phot os /r ber t ei g/43 21 641 03 /i n/s et 7 21 5 7 600023 3 5 5 906/


J u s ta nE mp t yB o x

-D h i v y aA r a s a p p a n

I twa s3 : 1 5pm, a ndMr s . Si l v e r ma ndi s mi s s e d he rt hi r dg r a dec l a s sf o rt heda y . Mi nag r a bbe dhe rba c kpa c ka nds t a r t e dwa l ki ngba c kho me . “ He y Mi na !Wa i tup, ”s hehe a r ds o me o ne s c r e a mo utbe hi ndhe r . I twa sCe l i a , t hene wg i r l i nc l a s s . “ Wa ntt owa l kba c kt o g e t he r ?Myho us ei s j us ta r o undt hebl o c k. ”Ce l i aa s ke d. Mi nal o o ke dt hene wg i r lupa nddo wn.She wa sdi f f e r e ntf r o ma l lhe ro t he rc l a s s ma t e s . He rc l o t he sl o o ke dl i keha ndme do wns ,he r ha i rwa st i e dupi nt wome s s ypi g t a i l sa ndhe r bo o kba gl o o ke dl i kei twa sf r o m at hr i f ts t o r e . He s i t a nt l y , Mi naa g r e e dt owa l kwi t hhe r . “ So ,whe r edoy o ul i v e ? ”a s ke dt hene wg i r l . “ Il i v eo nOa kSt r e e t ,j us tt e nmi nut e sf r o m he r e , ”a ns we r e dMi na . “ It hi nkt ha t ’ sj us tt wos t r e e t sa f t e rmi ne .Yo u wa ntt oc o me ho me a nd pl a ys o me t i me ? ” a s ke dCe l i ae xc i t e dl y . “ I ’ v eg o tabi gc a s t l et ha t wec o ul dpl a yi n. ” Tha tg o t Mi na ’ sa t t e nt i o n.“ Re a l l y ? ”s he a s ke d. “ Ye a h. I ’ mPr i nc e s sUr s ul a , a ndIr ul eo v e rt he e nt i r eki ng do m.Yo uc o ul dbemys i s t e r ,Pr i nc e s s . . . . ”Shepa us e dt ot hi nko fana me . ht t p: / / www. fli c kr . c om/ phot os / 275 24212@N04/ 3618960098/


“ Ho wa bo utPr i nc e s sI s a be l l a ? ”Mi nafini s he d. “ Oo o h, Il i ket ha tna me . ” Al lt hewa yba c kho me ,Ce l i at a l ke da bo uthe rbe a ut i f ulc a s t l e .Shet a l ke da bo utt hes pi r a l i ng s t a i r c a s ea nda bo utt het o we rwhe r ePr i nc e s sUr s ul as a ta ndwa t c he do v e rhe rpe o pl e .Shet o l d Mi naa bo utt hemo a ts ur r o undi ngt hec a s t l ea ndt hewo o de ndr a wbr i dg et ha tke pti nt r ude r so ut . Mi naj us tc o ul dn’ twa i tt os e ei t . Thi sc o nt i nue df o rt hee nt i r es c ho o lwe e k, t i l lSa t ur da y . OnSa t ur da ya f t e r no o n, Mi nawa l ke de xc i t e dl yt ov i s i tCe l i aa the rho us e , f o rt hev e r yfir s tt i me . He rf r i e ndg r e e t e dhe ra tt hedo o r .Whe nMi nawa l ke di nt ot heho us e ,s her e a l i z e dho ws ma l li t wa s , c e r t a i nl yal o ts ma l l e rt ha nhe ro wnho us ea ndal o to fhe rf r i e nds ’ ho us e s . Buts hedi dn' tg i v e i tmuc ht ho ug ht —a l ls hewa nt e dt odowa sg oo ut s i dea ndpl a yi nt hec a s t l e . Ce l i al e dhe rt ot heba c ky a r da nds a i d, “ He r ei ti s !Pr i nc e s sUr s ul a ’ sc a s t l e . “ Se e , t he r e ’ st hedr a wbr i dg e . Upt he r ei st het o we r , ”Ce l i apo i nt e do ut . ButMi nadi dn’ tunde r s t a nd. Shel o o ke da r o undt heba c ky a r d. The r ewa snoc a s t l et he r e . Al ls he c o ul ds e ewa sal a r g ee mpt yc a r dbo a r dbo x.Whydi dCe l i ake e ppo i nt i ngo utt hi ng st ha twe r e n’ t t he r e ?Wa ss hepl a y i ngapr a nko nhe r ? “ St o pi t ! ”Mi nai nt e r r upt e d. “ Whydi dy o ul i et ome ?Tha t ’ sno tac a s t l e . Tha t ’ sj us ta ne mpt ybo x! “ Whydo n’ ty o ug e tar e a lc a s t l ei ns t e a do fpr e t e ndi ngt ha tt hi ss t upi dbo xi so ne ? ”s hea s ke d a ng r i l y . Ce l i al o o ke da the rf r i e nda nds mi l e d. Akno wi ngs mi l e . “ Be c a us ewi t ht hebo x, t hi swe e k, Ic a nbePr i nc e s sUr s ul ai nac a s t l e . Ne xtwe e k, Ic a nbeapi r a t e i nmyo wns hi p, a ndt hewe e ka f t e rt ha t , Ido n’ tkno w, ma y beac he fi nmypl a yki t c he n, ”s hes a i d. “ I t ’ sno tj us ta ne mpt ybo x, Mi na !No ti fy o ul o o ka ti tr i g ht ! " Ce l i apul l e dt hes t i l lpuz z l e dl o o ki ngMi nat o wa r dst hebo x. " Co meo n, g i v ei tat r y , "s hes a i d, ho pi ngt ha to neda y , he rf r i e ndwo ul ds e et hema g ni fic e nt c a s t l et ha ts hedi d.


contributors Poetry Imminence—Raghuram Godavarthi Shored — Debleena Dasgupta How Empty is an Empty Box — Archana Ramasubramanian

Short writing: Just an empty box : Dhivya Arasappan Boxed — Macademia The Nut Hello, I’m from the United States of America — Priya Venkat The not so empty boxes — Nivethitha Kumar

Columns Dude where is my Coffee – Dream vendor Draupadi – Manasa Unclaimed Baggage – Aditya SriKrishna

Cover page design - Anuradha Chandrasekaran Magazine Design Anuradha Chandrasekaran Dhivya Arasappan Nivethitha Kumar Editorial Team Anuradha Chandrasekaran Dhivya Arasappan Nivethitha Kumar Webiste design Nivethitha Kumar Mail us your feedback and contributions to Editor@theBanyantrees.com


Picture Credits Imminence http://www.flickr.com/photos/spiritual_marketplace/2128816884/ sizes/l/ Shored http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrosimoes7/170348903/sizes/l/ Unclaimed Baggage http://www.flickr.com/photos/libertinus/410903364/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramansharma/3470748570/ Hello, I am from the United States of America http://www.flickr.com/photos/salihan/3498543731/ How empty is an empty box? http://www.flickr.com/photos/rberteig/432164103/in/set72157600023355906/ Just an empty box http://www.flickr.com/photos/27524212@N04/3618960098/ Draupadi http://www.flickr.com/photos/vaticanus/2073661803/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/26119123@N03/4244397394/

Mail us your feedback and contributions to Editor@theBanyantrees.com


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