The Crossroads

‘

The Crossroads’ : My entry for the Get Published contest’

This is the story of the youngsters who grew up seeing strife, Second World War and India’s Freedom movement around them, as they opened their eyes. Their struggles in a world of turmoil took them to pursue their dreams in the Promised Land. Strange coincidences bring them together to Boston, USA where love blossoms. They grow and are pushed on the center stage of the world. This is the story of Pavel, a Polish Jew, Sudhir and Sudha the Indian brother and sister, Maya the dusky beauty whose brains and beauty are spellbinding, and Masood the mastermind Jehadi who has an evil mind. An unusual saga of love where the main protagonists travel the continents to meet at the crossroads where terror and intrigue await them!

A teaser of the story:

Nek Chand who was a deeply religious man had just come out of his small house near Burrabazar (the Big Market), when he saw a group of about eight youth all in their twenty’s brandishing swords and iron rods. Seeing a vermilion ‘tilak’ on his forehead, one of the youth shouted’ Kill the bastard!’

There was no time to react. Before Nek Chand could shout, a sword had pierced his heart and he lay motionless on the ground in a pool of blood. Sudhir, his son stood transfixed in horror at the sight of what he just saw as he peered from the window. He shouted ‘Amma come quickly, they have killed pa!’

Nek Chand had a small business dealing in cloth, which had been handed down to him by his father. He had been doing well and had planned to educate his son. His wife Mamta was a beautiful woman and looked stunning, with big almond eyes and a very fair skin. She would dress up in the traditional Indian sari each day, perform morning rituals, and assiduously took care of her husband and two children, Sudhir and Sudha. Sudhir was five years and had just started attending nursery class at the Hindi High school. Sudha was two years old and was a rotund child having her mother’s angelic features and beauty.

One shout of Sudhir, had brought Mamta’s world crashing around her. She rushed out to see the horrible sight which she could never have imagined even in her worst dream. Nek Chand lay motionless in a pool of blood as the crowd ran in the opposite direction. Mamta fell on the ground and tried to feel the pulse as she cried incessantly. The hand was still warm but the body was lifeless.

The ‘Great Calcutta Killing’ had just begun, leaving a trail of more than 4000 killed in a bloody phase of the ‘war of succession’between Hindus and Muslims in the days that followed. It made the governance by the British rulers even more difficult.

This is my entry for the HarperCollins–IndiBlogger Get Published contest, which is run with inputs from Yashodhara Lal and HarperCollins India.

PS :  Image kind courtesy Google

If you like the story idea kindly promote at the Promotional link: http://www.indiblogger.in/getpublished/idea/378