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16| Beyond the Surface
Last Updated:
2024-07-30 12:05:32
Masood Some of the events of this story have an autobiographical tinge of writer's life. You are welcome to give your valued feedback and suggestions. Thanks for reading.
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Striding Spirits 18| A Stoke of Luck - Part 2
'Hi, why you've turned up here?" Ashley's arrival stunned Vicky."Just for you," Ashley murmured. "I visited the Mayor's office for some family issues.""Have a seat, and wait for a moment, I have to see the Director" Vicky excused her.The Director had already met with Ashley as he had some family terms with Ashley's grandfather. So Vicky had to welcome her in his office instead of in the staff room. After a few minutes, Vicky and Ashley were also chatting carefreely as Sara, a newly appointed teacher, knocked at the door and entered. She paid a little attention put her lesson plan on the table for Vicky's approval and left the office immediately.He requested to leave the office immediately because he was worried about his reputation in the institution. Ashley's arrival was a nuisance for Vicky as both of them were alone, chatting and laughing. Ashley left the office by assurance of Vicky's meeting with her in the café in the evening. Vicky promised but his mind was blaming and s
Last Updated : 2024-08-01Striding Spirits 17| A Stoke of Luck- Part 1
"What a pleasant day!" Vicky exclaimed pleasingly as the sun's rays slanted towards the horizon, signalling the approaching noon heat, Vicky made his way to the office, his mind absorbed in planning the first-term break-up. Unintentionally, his eyes glanced over the sight of a waving hand but dismissed it and continued his relaxing ride. After crossing the overbridge, he noticed an elderly man sitting by the roadside, massaging his weary legs, which had been the sole energy that had kept him walking since very early dawn.He had almost covered fifteen miles on foot. The old man, too fatigued to walk further, had waved at Vicky in hopes of getting a ride. Vicky pedalled his bike with the elderly man sitting behind him, wondering what had compelled him to stop and offer a ride to a stranger. The qualms of his conscience had pushed his right foot down, and now he felt a sense of calm and purpose at once. The old man, seemingly grateful for the ride, began to speak in a low, raspy fatigu
Last Updated : 2024-08-01Striding Spirits 19| When Opportunity Knocks
"I'll come back, just wait here," the head of the vocational institution advised Vicky in the lobby. "Right, Sir," Vicky assured him politely. Vicky remembered his day of the interview while waiting for the principal, fidgeted with his tie, his undue anxiety escalating as he waited to be interviewed by the selection board of Vocational Institute. The principal's query threw him into a brief dilemma: "If you're let go from this private institution, what's your plan?" But Vicky's confidence quickly resurfaced, and he replied without hesitation, "That's not a concern; as a teacher, I have the skills to create my own opportunities wherever I go." The head of the institution, Mr. Benjamin Russell, had recently graduated from the University of Edinburgh. He also obtained his Master's in Business Administration from the University of Strathclyde Business School, Glasgow. Having both technical and administrative degrees, he was an excellent principal at the institution where Vicky got
Last Updated : 2024-08-02Striding Spirits 20| Beyond the Battlefields
"Vicky, hurry up, come on!" he was yelled at as he was being dragged away with his eyes still closed, lost in sound slumber. The voice broke his stupor and started walking with his mother's instruction. There was no time to linger in bed for some moments longer.There was cold outside but the inside of the dugout was better. He was torn from his peaceful dreams under the blanket, forced to leave his cosy heaven behind with all the other members of the family. Everybody was supposed to feel the urgency of quick action. So did he.Moonlight bathed the night, casting an eerie glow over the simple-structured houses. Then, a shrill air-raid warning shattered the stillness, its wail echoing through the streets.Vicky's heart raced as she sprinted towards the dugout beside his house, the thud of his feet mingling with the frantic footsteps of his neighbours. The night erupted into chaos: guns boomed, anti-aircraft fire screeched, and Vicky's breath caught in his throat.He couldn't help tremb
Last Updated : 2024-08-03Striding Spirits 22| A Great Lesson of Life
Vicky's eyes widened in frustration as the precious water spilt onto the dry earth. He glared at Akira, who landed beside him, her eyes gleaming with a knowing intensity. 'Why, Akira? Why?' Vicky asked, exasperated with some anger.Akira cocked her head as if to say, 'You know I'm trying to protect you, Vicky.' Vicky's thirst-addled brain slowly couldn't grasp the truth - Akira was trying to save him from something. He looked at the cliff, the moist patch, and the cup lying on the ground.Vicky's face darkened with anger as he glared at Akira. 'Why did you stop me from drinking?' he demanded, his voice low and a great menacing.Akira, sensing Vicky's fury, took a step back, her feathers ruffled. She let out a soft, placating cry, but Vicky was beyond reason. 'You always do this, Akira!' he shouted, his fists clenched. "You always try to control me! I'm the master, not you!"Akira's eyes flashed with a fierce inner light, and she spread her wings, as if ready to take flight. Vicky's ang
Last Updated : 2024-08-04Striding Spirits 23| On Death of a Dear One
A public announcement to all inhabitants and citizens: "Mr. Brown passed away last night, and his funeral service will be held at 2 P.M." The words barely noticed by Vicky at first; he took it casually and walked to the house to teach, but when he heard the announcement again, he was taken aback. "How could this be? How could this be?" he repeated, stunned and disbelieving.Vicky walked towards the gathering, his curiosity piqued by the news he had just heard. "Was it really Mr. Brown whose funeral was announced?" he asked, his voice laced with disbelief. His mind reeled as he struggled to comprehend the news, and he couldn't help but feel appalled. The revelation was too much to take in, and he found himself grappling helplessly to come to terms with it.The entire scene unfolded something else before his eyes like a vivid flashback with heartfelt voices. Just a few days ago, Vicky's face had gone slack, and he stumbled backwards as if the ground had been yanked out from under his fee
Last Updated : 2024-08-05Striding Spirits 24| The Simple Thrill
Fishing:The group erupted into cheers, hugs, and high-fives, their whoops echoing across the seasonal pond. Vicky beamed with special pride, his eyes shining with excitement. They had done it! Their crazy idea had worked!As they carefully collected their achievement, Vicky's friend, Tim, turned to him with a grin. "This is just the beginning, Vicky! We're going to be the best fishermen in the town!" Vicky chuckled, feeling a sense of camaraderie wash over him.The group's cheers and laughter echoed across the pond, giving a mellow smell of mudy water , attracting the attention of other visitors. Soon, a small crowd gathered to witness their remarkable achievement. Vicky's friends, Jim and Jeary , began to dance and sing, holding up their fishing satchels like trophies."This is the best day ever!" Jim exclaimed with joy. Vicky grinned, feeling proud of their ingenuity. The elderly man from earlier approached them, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "You boys have indeed created somet
Last Updated : 2024-08-06Striding Spirits 25| When Fate Reunites
As Julia's life quite slowly drained from her eyes, turning them motionless and blank, she gave Vicky a faint glance and a longer one as she was suggesting him to take care of her baby, lingering look at the baby in her arms, her little girl, before her gaze fell out. Vicky, holding her waist in his lab, tried to console her, reassuring her that everything would be fine and smooth and that the fiat aid was on its way to take her to emergency room....Ten Year AgoJulia and Vicky had been inseparable best intimate friends during their studies at the Art and Science Communal College in Glasgow, where they reasoned natural sciences together with all devotion and future dreams in their fifth semester, nearly ten years ago, unbeknownst about their fate. However, their friendship was put to the test and ultimately cut short when Julia's stepfather arranged for her to marry his cousin, a wealthy car dealership owner in the West Indies, near the coastal line. It was feared that this sudden t
Last Updated : 2024-08-08
Latest chapter
Striding Spirits 59| Vicky's advice saved Serena
Logan Murphy called Serena. Serena always started her day with his hello, but today she didn't pick up his call. Serena's thoughts drifted to Johnson again, the man she never expected in her life, but loved him so much.Logan was planning to marry in just a few weeks. He was a perfect match for Serena and she also loved his style and way of thinking. He was a bit more mature and older than Johnson. He loved her and was ready to get everything she wanted to settle their lives.Now, Johnson's sudden reappearance had disrupted their plans, sending numerous reservations into their minds. He disturbed their tranquil lives. Logan was repine about his recent missing chance of winning. Serena phoned Vicky and requested him to see her at the cafe. Vicky was sitting in the staff room of his campus during a break, going through the paper. He was interested in applying somewhere. He came across a passage that he decided to translate into simpler English for his next class. It was related to stu
Striding Spirits 58| Serena's Lost Love
Serana's phone buzzed and she received an unknown call. She didn't attend and scrolled off. Again, she received the call from the same unknown number and she handed over the cell phone to Vicky to attend it. Both Serena and Vicky were relishing the hot coffee under the shade of an open-air cafe. "Who's there?" Vicky asked in a low and quizzical manner. "Me Johnson's here." the voice replied. "Johnson?" Serena spoke wide-eyed. "Hi, What's up? " Serena took the mobile and replied to Johnson. "I'm here in your city, and want to see you," Johnson said. Johnson was the boy whom Serena loved so much and her entire life revolved around him. They wanted to get married and planned together. But his parents wanted to marry Johnson to Harper. So the match was rejected by Johnson's parents and Serena was disheartened. Later, she started her new job and shifted to the city where he met with Vicky. Here Serena met Logan Murphy and they were planning to get married soon. He was working in an i
Striding Spirits 57| When Hopes Remains Intact
Joe was already sitting in the Vice Principal's office, waiting for Vicky and seek some help. He was accompanied by his eighteen-year-old elder daughter. She was studying for a BS program.She needed some money for some dues to pay. Vicky did not know about the situation. When Vicky arrived, she sat down beside them on the office sofa. Vicky glanced around the room, expecting the person who wanted to see him to arrive. But Joe was already seated, waiting for him. At first Vicky did not know about the purpose of his visit, and after some pleminary compliments both talked about some other matters.There was pause and after a few minutes of silence, Joe broke the ice and Vicky was surprised to hear his narration. "Sir, do you remember our previous meeting?" Joe asked Vicky.Vicky's expression turned quizzical, unsure of the meeting's purpose still. But as Joe's words sparked his memory, a smile spread across Vicky's face. Vicky was sure that now it would be a matter of some 'money'."A
Striding Spirits 56| Vicky's made Jake laugh
Jake opened his bag and pulled out a bottle of perfume he had recently bought with his pocket money. Meanwhile, Vicky due to his meeting with Serena last, was running late, struggling to wrap up his last evening lecture. He was still thinking about the loss that he had made in contact with fraudulant Stephen Moor.The students were waiting for Vicky, Jake entertained his classmates with cups of coffee and proudly displayed his new perfume, jokingly spraying it around and teasing himself. His classmates were hurling and kidding him. Emma and Harper surrounded him, laughing and boasting to him.As Jake entered the classroom, he did not realize he had left his perfume bottle in the corridor. Emma pointed to him, "Oh no!" He muttered to himself, frustrated at his carelessness. Vicky was in the classroom, holding some worksheets, passing instructions. "Today, we're going to do an activity related to our previous lecture. Come on, hurry up!" Jake considered going back for his perfume, bu
Striding Spirits 55| Serena's instinct saved Vicky's debacle
Vicky's phone buzzed and he ignored the call because it was from an unknow contact. He just viewed and and dropped his cell phone in his pocketbook and moved on. Again it buzzed and Vicky scrolled and didn't speak any words.The voice informed him, "I'm from the 'writers community' functional by the Medium, and want to talk to you." Vicky asked, "Who's there and why you're calling me again and again?" "I'm an established writer and want to help you to grow as an established writer, too." she explianed with conviction.Vicky asked,"How?" After some conversation, the person requsted to shift to the Telegram for further negotiation. He also shared the Id of Stephen Moor on the W******p and Vicky switched to Telegram.After some exchange the Stephen Moor started his work to trap Vicky. He aptly offered Vickey to get registered in the community writers that belonged to the Medium, assuring him to earn $100 weekly.The offere seemed to be very attractive as writing was Vicky's passion and h
Striding Spirits 54| A Seren Enviornment
"Don't speak negatively about yourself." These words always haunted Vicky, and he always tried to find some reasons to justify his quitting the institute. During his one-month notice, he appeared in an interview and got the opportunity to teach. He read these valuable words spoken by Bruce Lee on social media, He started pondering over the statement about how one could speak negatively about oneself. "A man has a physical body that needs energy to keep fit, and his brain needs thoughts to keep it sharp. Vicky thought, "Just as our bodies require nourishment to function optimally, our minds crave mental stimulation to stay active and healthy." He had very good company with his colleagues and chatted well on all issues, yet he still felt himself a lone wolf. He talked to his colleague Jennifer, "But what fuels our minds? Simply thinking is not enough." Jennifer said, "Thinking is a continuous process, but how do we train our brains to think constructively and positively, to cultiva
Striding Spirits 53| An Innocent Culprit
Vicky stood calmed outside Oakwood Vocational Institute's grand entrance, his pulse quickening with expectancy and reservation. Having made the bold decision to leave Newokland Institute behind, he was ready to embrace new challenges and opportunities for personal growth.As he stepped onto the campus, a surge of excitement coursed through him. Renowned for its pioneering approach to education and skill development, Oakwood Vocational Institute promised an unparalleled experience.Principal Thompson's warm smile welcomed Vicky, "We're thrilled to have you on board!" The cutting-edge facilities and vibrant student life left Vicky awestruck. His new colleagues greeted him with interest and warmth. Mrs. Jeans was very happy and over-excited.During his inaugural week, Vicky studied headfirst into the institute's distinctive culture, impressed by its emphasis on:1. Interdisciplinary learning2. Project-based skill acquisition3. Community servicesPrincipal Thompson summoned Vicky to his
Striding Spirits 52| Betrayal of Trust and Demand of Justice
Vicky finished his lecture and browsed W******p, where a post from the head office caught his attention. The message announced a new policy, which he quickly shared in his group chat. Leaving the institution, he headed home, unaware of the stir his share would cause.Later, while checking his phone, Vicky saw a news report shared by his worthy colleagues: a disturbing rape case in the city where the head office was located. Intrigued, he opened W******p to find his group chat flooded with passionate debates and shocking views on the policy post he had shared just hours ago.Vicky's eyes scanned the messages in his inbox, a growing sense of unease settling in. He quickly reopened the post shared by the head office and re-read it carefully. Alarm bells rang in his mind as he realized the discrepancy between the post's content and the video attached."Without hesitation, Vicky rushed to his W******p status, located the offending post, and deleted it. The video had conveyed a completely di
Striding Spirits 50 | Seeking a New Challenge
"You look so gorgeous, sweetheart!", Vicky commented as he looked at Ashely. She looked back at him because she was walking to the corridor to meet her client. She had been working for a pharmaceutical company for three months. She was trying to complete her last semester at secondary high school."Hi, Vicky, where have you been?" Ashely asked Vicky. "I have been to a walk-in interview. I have recently applied for the job," Vicky replied eagerly. "Oh, I see," she did not comment. She looked back at her reflection in the tinted window pane and studied her facial looks that would warrant such an amazing comment that Vicky had just passed on her. She was beautiful, true, but Vicky was not interested in her. It was Ashely only who was making attempts to impress him with her cajolery before meeting with Jermy. Her manager, seeing the hesitation on her face, tried to know about her today's visits. He tried to coax her and made her speak. Ashely replied cautiously, "Only one client today,
