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the Thinker
Thursday, April 06, 2006
'Off to Neverland'-Final part
The elderly lady looked at Rain in a strict, grandmotherly manner and said,"Where had been so long, young lady?" I looked at Rain; she swallowed a gulp as aunt Nebula's piercing glance waited for an answer.
"Err..I, I had gone to see my friend, aunt..aunt Nebula," trembled Rain.
"Which friend of yours is this one?" Aunt Nebula's glance narrowed down on Rain.
"Err..my friend, aunt, here she is," Rain pointed at me. "She lives at the galaxy near Jupiter, aunt. She was longing to see the our fairy carnival, so I thought I would bring her along..," Rain continued.
For the first time, she noticed me. All this while, she was busy interrogating Rain. Her gaze transformed from an angry to a curious one, as she observed me. I wonder whether I had imagined it, but I felt that there was a certain amount of softness in her glance, which she cast at me.
"What is your name, child?" she asked me.
"I, err..I..," I had forgotten the name we had decided on.
"Her name's Bloom, aunt," said Rain.
"Bloom, yes, I remember now," I blurted out and then, realised my mistake.
Aunt Nebula looked at me suspiciously and said,"Tis strange that you fail to remember your name, child."
"But, it's a nice name," she added with a smile on her face. She then reverted back to her previous form and asked Rain in a commanding fashion,"But where is the rest of the gang? Where are Ben, Marble, Sunshine and Crimson?"
Rain had a dumbfounded look on her face. Though she might have expected aunt Nebula to ask this question at some point, she had not anticipated this bouncer so soon. She scratched her head nervously.
"Well, er...they said they would see go straight to the carnival and we will meet up there," replied Rain nervously.
"Well, then they better be there. Now get dressed for the carnival, we are late," said aunt. She then turned at me,"I wish you had been here some other time, child. I could have prepared honey and almond cookies for you. But I still have some bit of that blue berry syrup left; the one I had made during Christmas. Would you like a sip?" she asked in the gentlest tone I had ever heard.
"I would love to have it, aunt Nebula," I replied.
It was the best drink I had ever tasted in my life. It was not completely sweet, but slightly sour and tangy. A sudden sense of happiness overcame me as the liquid went down my throat.
After the drink, we all were ready to go to the carnival. I was really looking forward to this moment. I started believing in magic and transformed into a sprite, just to see this fairy carnival of Neverland. We walked through the forest again. I presumed that the carnival was being held somewhere in the center of the forest. Anyways, after nearly a 10-minute stroll, we arrived at the spot.
I had never witnessed a place that was more colourful and beautiful. Perhaps, it will not be sufficient if I try to describe the place in words. But still, even I attempt to do so; there are only three words that came to my mind at that point-fascinating, enchanting and magical!
There was this huge enclosed area where bright, colourful tents had been set up. If any of you are trying to imagine circus tents, then I will say that these tents did look like them to an extent. From outside they appeared so small that I almost felt that only one person might be able to enter in it at a time.
However, my imagination was befuddled, when I entered those tents. They were far larger than what they appeared from outside. These were the stalls where 'fairy-things' were put up for display.
While aunt Nebula stopped to chat with some of her friends, Rain caught my hand and dragged me along, showing me all the things that were up for display.
"Its better to keep away from aunt right now; or she might start asking about Ben and the others again," said Rain as we hurried our way through the crowd.
And here, I cannot help mentioning the crowd that was present at the carnival. It was the most lively, cheerful and unusual crowd that I had ever seen. There were all fairytale creatures. Elves, fairies, sprites, wizards, witches, giants (not of my kind), princes and princesses, satyrs, fauns, dryads and all other kinds. I cannot help admitting that some of the guys (whom Rain called Princes Charming) were really striking to look at. Now that I think of that event, I often wish that there were men on earth who looked half as good as them.
Anyways, men were not the only beings, who drew my attention in the carnival. There were lots of interesting things put up for display. One of the stalls had a bright coloured board on top of it with the following caption-'Classic saviours to damsels in distress.'
I was really interested in knowing what was up for display in there. As I went inside, I saw different sections of certain objects, which were not even remotely connected to each other. At first, I wondered whether this was a departmental store. I moved towards one section where a lot of shoes were showcased.
However, there was something very funny about these shoes. These were ladies' shoes and were transparent (as if made from glass). But, the most unusual thing that I noticed about these shoes was the fact that all of these were for the left foot, i.e, they did not have an accompanying shoe for the right foot. They were not in a pair.
"Yes, ma'm. Would you like one for your left foot?" I turned around saw an elderly dwarf (I suppose), standing behind me with a smile on his face.
"I..I was just wondering...are not all these shoes only for one's left foot?" I asked, curious.
"Yes ma'm, that's what they are meant to be," the dwarf replied. Meanwhile, Rain, who was surfing through the other sections till now, came back and stood on my side.
"What miss, are you buying Cinderella shoes?" Asked Rain.
"Cinderella shoes?" I asked, astonished.
The dwarf, who saw the look on my face, looked at Rain, and then back at me suspiciously.
"It seems, ma'm is not really accustomed to the fairy carnival, though she looks like one of the fairies?" said the dwarf.
"Err..she is not from Neverland. She has come from another galaxy, the one near Jupiter, to see this carnival," said Rain as she pulled me to a vacant corner.
"Miss, you should not be asking such questions openly," said Rain.
"What questions?" I asked, perplexed.
"See, people here think of you as a fairy and they think you would be knowing all about the great fairy carnival of Neverland. So you should not give them the impression that you do not know about these things; or they might get suspicious," Rain explained.
"Oh, alright. But Rain, why have they put up shoes for only one's left foot?" I asked.
"Miss, we are celebrating the greatest of fairy tales today. That's why these things are put up in stalls. Those are Cinderella shoes. Have you read Cinderella's tale?" asked Rain.
"Why, yes, that was years ago," I answered.
"Well then, don't you remember the glass shoes in Cinderella's story? She left the shoe on her left foot behind, in the castle, when the clock struck twelve. Later, when the Prince’s soldiers bring the shoe to her house; it fits no one in the house, but only Cinderella. And then she gets married to the prince," said Rain.
"Yes, I know," I said.
"That's why all those shoes are there and they are only for one's left foot. If any damsel wishes to reach out to her Prince charming, she can get one of them and keep them," said Rain.
I was really amazed. Never heard of such a strange custom before. But things got stranger as we checked the other sections. One section was full of green apple pieces. Rain told me that they were the one's that fell out of SnowWhite's mouth, when the seven dwarves were about to bury her, thinking that she is dead. Rain told me that those pieces are supposed to possess healing qualities.
There were other sections that showcased long braids of smooth and beautiful golden hair, large green kidney beans and spindles. Someone with a slight bit of fairy tale knowledge would know that these are reminiscent of Rapunzel, Jack and the Bean Stalk and The Sleeping Beauty.
There was an Arabian section, which showcased things like Alladin's lamp, miniature ships and oil barrels. The ships and oil barrels were reminders of Sinbad, The Sailor and Ali Baba and the 40 thieves. There were loads of other things in that section, related to stories that I did not know of.
There was one stall, which was in memory of the most notorious villains of fairy stories. In there, there were sections that showcased talking mirrors (that belonged to SnowWhite's evil step mother), mini ice castles (reminders of The Snow Queen); and at one small corner, there were sharp and pointed hooks that were molded in the shape of a question mark.
I picked up a hook, when a gruff and coarse voice startled me. It said,"Yes dear, care to take one?"
I looked at the person who asked me the question. He was wearing a strange hat, had a tiny black cloth over his left eye; his moustache was narrow and pointed and looked like two swords stuck in an opposite direction to one another. One of his arms did not have a palm or fingers. In their place, there was a cold, steely and rigid hook, and it was similar to the ones kept for display. In a strange way, he appeared familiar.
"Excuse me sir, but may I know your name please?" I asked, hesitantly.
The man muttered something with contempt under his breath. He gave me a murderous look and was about to say something, when Rain pulled me to a side.
"Phew! That was close. What were you doing, miss? Don't you know him?" asked Rain, looking slightly agitated.
"No, that's why I asked him his name," I replied.
"That's Captain Hook, one of the greatest villains of yesteryears. Ever since Peter Pan took his case and defeated him, he went into a hiding. It is believed that he was hiding deep into the forests for years," said Rain.
"When they called him for the carnival this year, he was not at all willing. I guess that when they told him that they will be showcasing some of the most feared and famous villains of fairy tales, he agreed to come with his hooks," added Rain.
"But why was he so angry when I asked him his name?" I asked, still puzzled.
"He did not like it that he is not known to someone. You know miss, villains, who are of great repute, need no introduction. But since you asked him his name, it showed that you had not heard of him; or in other words, you did not fear him. That is why he looked so cross, do you understand?" said Rain.
"Hmmm, got it," I replied.
We then strolled to other stalls. I was amazed to see that there were separate and impressive stalls, set up for Harry Potter, Narnia and The Lord of the Rings.
"Whether earth or Neverland, these people are popular every where," I thought.
However, I would be wrong if I say that only the kinds of Harry Potter were drawing all the attention. I am saying this because there were stalls that showcased the fairy legends produced during the medieval and Elizabethan era.
One stall was named-Shakespearian Enchantment. There, beautiful paintings, which exhibited the sprightly acts of Puck and Ariel, in the Midsummer Night's Dream and The Tempest, were put up for display. In the same stall, there was another section, where darker forms of wizardry and magic were showcased. They had put up boiling cauldrons and strange creatures like toads, dead lizards etc, to create a supernatural atmosphere. These were obvious references to Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Hamlet.
Stalls representing a certain country's mythology and 'fairy-worthiness' (as Rain called it) were also set up. We visited the Greek mythology stall, where an entire array of beautiful wax figures, was set up for display. These appeared to be figures of Greek Gods. There were figures of other magical and supernatural creatures from Greek legends and lore. I was really impressed with all of it and wondered whether there was a stall in the carnival, which showcased Indian fairy-tales and legends. Unfortunately, I could not see one.
There was one stall, which was dedicated exclusively to fairy creatures and animals. There was a section full of long gumboots in there. It reminded me of Puss In Boots. Then, there were little white mice (from Cinderella's tale), dragon scales and horses with wings. I looked at the statue of a beautiful white horse with wings, with awe.
"That's Pegasus, miss," Rain whispered in my ears.
Then, there was the beast from Beauty and the Beast. At one corner, the three little pigs were engrossed in their conversation. And behind them, the evil black wolf was casting shrewd glances at them.
There were separate stalls for fairies and fairy godmothers. They were of all types; including the one who had helped Cinderella and the one, who had cursed the sleeping beauty.
I was really enjoying my visit. Suddenly, there was a loud noise out side, as if someone had blown a horn. Rain and I rushed out to see what was happening. A huge crowd had gathered around a circular podium. Over the podium, hung magical lanterns, illuminating it with different colours. I call them magical because they were hanging in the air, without a string or any support, all on their own.
Everyone was curious about the set up, and were chattering among themselves, trying to find out what was about to happen. After a few seconds, the curtains of the podium were drawn and a little young sprite came out, with three other sprites.
"That's Ben and my cousins," cried Rain, delighted. Before Rain could say more, a voice started to speak,"My dear and merry folks of Neverland, it is great to see all of us gathered here, on this stupendous fairy carnival night. Every year, we get to see a lot of new entries in this carnival, from other fairylands. Methinks, it was time for thanking all of them for coming and sharing their fairy-skills with us, the mirthful folks of Neverland." It was Ben, who was speaking. He was effective enough, as the entire crowd applauded his speech with loud cheers and claps.
He continued,"So, here we are, me and my brothers and sisters, ready with some nice little pieces for all of you. Hope you all shall sing and dance with us as well."
This time, the crowed screamed more loudly than before. Everyone was waiting for the show to begin.
Ben and his cousins began singing as the magical orchestra tuned in, on its own. But to my surprise, when I heard the song that Ben was singing, I broke into fits of laughter.
Rain, who was enjoying the show till now, paused for a moment and looked at me, bewildered.
"What's the matter, miss? What's so comic?" She asked.
I tried to control my laughter somehow and answered, "I..I am sorry Rain. I did not mean to laugh, but couldn't help it. That..that song Ben is singing; I have heard it many times before. It is from a Spice Girls' album, is it not?" I asked, still giggling.
Rain appeared slightly embarrassed now. She said, "Well yes, our trips to your world were not all in vain, you see," she admitted bashfully.
"Its alright Rain. I am laughing because I expected something original," I said.
Ben and his troupe went on singing English hits, one after another; and everyone was having a jolly good time.
Suddenly, there was loud noise that shook my senses. It sounded like some bell or something to that effect. I fell on the ground and Rain rushed to hold me.
"What's the matter, miss? Wake up," she said. "Wake up," I heard her say again.
I opened my eyes slowly to see my mother bending over me and shoving me."Its half past eight, wake up," she said. I woke up lazily. The alarm was still ringing. The wretched thing had transferred me back to my same old, boring world.
"Go, brush your teeth and have a bath. I will be serving breakfast in half an hour," my mom said, as she walked out of the room with the dirty laundry. I sat up on my bed and looked at the alarm clock. It was almost 8:35 AM.
I was still dazed at the events I had experienced last night. "Was it a dream or...," I thought.
I looked out of my window, up at the sky. The scorching sun shone with all its brilliance in the cloudless sky. There was no sign of a single cloud or rain. For a minute, I felt despondent, as if I have lost something precious. But suddenly, a silly thought came over me.
Standing in front of the window, I spread my arms, closed my eyes and uttered the magical words in a spirited manner,"Off to Neverland."
"Err..I, I had gone to see my friend, aunt..aunt Nebula," trembled Rain.
"Which friend of yours is this one?" Aunt Nebula's glance narrowed down on Rain.
"Err..my friend, aunt, here she is," Rain pointed at me. "She lives at the galaxy near Jupiter, aunt. She was longing to see the our fairy carnival, so I thought I would bring her along..," Rain continued.
For the first time, she noticed me. All this while, she was busy interrogating Rain. Her gaze transformed from an angry to a curious one, as she observed me. I wonder whether I had imagined it, but I felt that there was a certain amount of softness in her glance, which she cast at me.
"What is your name, child?" she asked me.
"I, err..I..," I had forgotten the name we had decided on.
"Her name's Bloom, aunt," said Rain.
"Bloom, yes, I remember now," I blurted out and then, realised my mistake.
Aunt Nebula looked at me suspiciously and said,"Tis strange that you fail to remember your name, child."
"But, it's a nice name," she added with a smile on her face. She then reverted back to her previous form and asked Rain in a commanding fashion,"But where is the rest of the gang? Where are Ben, Marble, Sunshine and Crimson?"
Rain had a dumbfounded look on her face. Though she might have expected aunt Nebula to ask this question at some point, she had not anticipated this bouncer so soon. She scratched her head nervously.
"Well, er...they said they would see go straight to the carnival and we will meet up there," replied Rain nervously.
"Well, then they better be there. Now get dressed for the carnival, we are late," said aunt. She then turned at me,"I wish you had been here some other time, child. I could have prepared honey and almond cookies for you. But I still have some bit of that blue berry syrup left; the one I had made during Christmas. Would you like a sip?" she asked in the gentlest tone I had ever heard.
"I would love to have it, aunt Nebula," I replied.
It was the best drink I had ever tasted in my life. It was not completely sweet, but slightly sour and tangy. A sudden sense of happiness overcame me as the liquid went down my throat.
After the drink, we all were ready to go to the carnival. I was really looking forward to this moment. I started believing in magic and transformed into a sprite, just to see this fairy carnival of Neverland. We walked through the forest again. I presumed that the carnival was being held somewhere in the center of the forest. Anyways, after nearly a 10-minute stroll, we arrived at the spot.
I had never witnessed a place that was more colourful and beautiful. Perhaps, it will not be sufficient if I try to describe the place in words. But still, even I attempt to do so; there are only three words that came to my mind at that point-fascinating, enchanting and magical!
There was this huge enclosed area where bright, colourful tents had been set up. If any of you are trying to imagine circus tents, then I will say that these tents did look like them to an extent. From outside they appeared so small that I almost felt that only one person might be able to enter in it at a time.
However, my imagination was befuddled, when I entered those tents. They were far larger than what they appeared from outside. These were the stalls where 'fairy-things' were put up for display.
While aunt Nebula stopped to chat with some of her friends, Rain caught my hand and dragged me along, showing me all the things that were up for display.
"Its better to keep away from aunt right now; or she might start asking about Ben and the others again," said Rain as we hurried our way through the crowd.
And here, I cannot help mentioning the crowd that was present at the carnival. It was the most lively, cheerful and unusual crowd that I had ever seen. There were all fairytale creatures. Elves, fairies, sprites, wizards, witches, giants (not of my kind), princes and princesses, satyrs, fauns, dryads and all other kinds. I cannot help admitting that some of the guys (whom Rain called Princes Charming) were really striking to look at. Now that I think of that event, I often wish that there were men on earth who looked half as good as them.
Anyways, men were not the only beings, who drew my attention in the carnival. There were lots of interesting things put up for display. One of the stalls had a bright coloured board on top of it with the following caption-'Classic saviours to damsels in distress.'
I was really interested in knowing what was up for display in there. As I went inside, I saw different sections of certain objects, which were not even remotely connected to each other. At first, I wondered whether this was a departmental store. I moved towards one section where a lot of shoes were showcased.
However, there was something very funny about these shoes. These were ladies' shoes and were transparent (as if made from glass). But, the most unusual thing that I noticed about these shoes was the fact that all of these were for the left foot, i.e, they did not have an accompanying shoe for the right foot. They were not in a pair.
"Yes, ma'm. Would you like one for your left foot?" I turned around saw an elderly dwarf (I suppose), standing behind me with a smile on his face.
"I..I was just wondering...are not all these shoes only for one's left foot?" I asked, curious.
"Yes ma'm, that's what they are meant to be," the dwarf replied. Meanwhile, Rain, who was surfing through the other sections till now, came back and stood on my side.
"What miss, are you buying Cinderella shoes?" Asked Rain.
"Cinderella shoes?" I asked, astonished.
The dwarf, who saw the look on my face, looked at Rain, and then back at me suspiciously.
"It seems, ma'm is not really accustomed to the fairy carnival, though she looks like one of the fairies?" said the dwarf.
"Err..she is not from Neverland. She has come from another galaxy, the one near Jupiter, to see this carnival," said Rain as she pulled me to a vacant corner.
"Miss, you should not be asking such questions openly," said Rain.
"What questions?" I asked, perplexed.
"See, people here think of you as a fairy and they think you would be knowing all about the great fairy carnival of Neverland. So you should not give them the impression that you do not know about these things; or they might get suspicious," Rain explained.
"Oh, alright. But Rain, why have they put up shoes for only one's left foot?" I asked.
"Miss, we are celebrating the greatest of fairy tales today. That's why these things are put up in stalls. Those are Cinderella shoes. Have you read Cinderella's tale?" asked Rain.
"Why, yes, that was years ago," I answered.
"Well then, don't you remember the glass shoes in Cinderella's story? She left the shoe on her left foot behind, in the castle, when the clock struck twelve. Later, when the Prince’s soldiers bring the shoe to her house; it fits no one in the house, but only Cinderella. And then she gets married to the prince," said Rain.
"Yes, I know," I said.
"That's why all those shoes are there and they are only for one's left foot. If any damsel wishes to reach out to her Prince charming, she can get one of them and keep them," said Rain.
I was really amazed. Never heard of such a strange custom before. But things got stranger as we checked the other sections. One section was full of green apple pieces. Rain told me that they were the one's that fell out of SnowWhite's mouth, when the seven dwarves were about to bury her, thinking that she is dead. Rain told me that those pieces are supposed to possess healing qualities.
There were other sections that showcased long braids of smooth and beautiful golden hair, large green kidney beans and spindles. Someone with a slight bit of fairy tale knowledge would know that these are reminiscent of Rapunzel, Jack and the Bean Stalk and The Sleeping Beauty.
There was an Arabian section, which showcased things like Alladin's lamp, miniature ships and oil barrels. The ships and oil barrels were reminders of Sinbad, The Sailor and Ali Baba and the 40 thieves. There were loads of other things in that section, related to stories that I did not know of.
There was one stall, which was in memory of the most notorious villains of fairy stories. In there, there were sections that showcased talking mirrors (that belonged to SnowWhite's evil step mother), mini ice castles (reminders of The Snow Queen); and at one small corner, there were sharp and pointed hooks that were molded in the shape of a question mark.
I picked up a hook, when a gruff and coarse voice startled me. It said,"Yes dear, care to take one?"
I looked at the person who asked me the question. He was wearing a strange hat, had a tiny black cloth over his left eye; his moustache was narrow and pointed and looked like two swords stuck in an opposite direction to one another. One of his arms did not have a palm or fingers. In their place, there was a cold, steely and rigid hook, and it was similar to the ones kept for display. In a strange way, he appeared familiar.
"Excuse me sir, but may I know your name please?" I asked, hesitantly.
The man muttered something with contempt under his breath. He gave me a murderous look and was about to say something, when Rain pulled me to a side.
"Phew! That was close. What were you doing, miss? Don't you know him?" asked Rain, looking slightly agitated.
"No, that's why I asked him his name," I replied.
"That's Captain Hook, one of the greatest villains of yesteryears. Ever since Peter Pan took his case and defeated him, he went into a hiding. It is believed that he was hiding deep into the forests for years," said Rain.
"When they called him for the carnival this year, he was not at all willing. I guess that when they told him that they will be showcasing some of the most feared and famous villains of fairy tales, he agreed to come with his hooks," added Rain.
"But why was he so angry when I asked him his name?" I asked, still puzzled.
"He did not like it that he is not known to someone. You know miss, villains, who are of great repute, need no introduction. But since you asked him his name, it showed that you had not heard of him; or in other words, you did not fear him. That is why he looked so cross, do you understand?" said Rain.
"Hmmm, got it," I replied.
We then strolled to other stalls. I was amazed to see that there were separate and impressive stalls, set up for Harry Potter, Narnia and The Lord of the Rings.
"Whether earth or Neverland, these people are popular every where," I thought.
However, I would be wrong if I say that only the kinds of Harry Potter were drawing all the attention. I am saying this because there were stalls that showcased the fairy legends produced during the medieval and Elizabethan era.
One stall was named-Shakespearian Enchantment. There, beautiful paintings, which exhibited the sprightly acts of Puck and Ariel, in the Midsummer Night's Dream and The Tempest, were put up for display. In the same stall, there was another section, where darker forms of wizardry and magic were showcased. They had put up boiling cauldrons and strange creatures like toads, dead lizards etc, to create a supernatural atmosphere. These were obvious references to Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Hamlet.
Stalls representing a certain country's mythology and 'fairy-worthiness' (as Rain called it) were also set up. We visited the Greek mythology stall, where an entire array of beautiful wax figures, was set up for display. These appeared to be figures of Greek Gods. There were figures of other magical and supernatural creatures from Greek legends and lore. I was really impressed with all of it and wondered whether there was a stall in the carnival, which showcased Indian fairy-tales and legends. Unfortunately, I could not see one.
There was one stall, which was dedicated exclusively to fairy creatures and animals. There was a section full of long gumboots in there. It reminded me of Puss In Boots. Then, there were little white mice (from Cinderella's tale), dragon scales and horses with wings. I looked at the statue of a beautiful white horse with wings, with awe.
"That's Pegasus, miss," Rain whispered in my ears.
Then, there was the beast from Beauty and the Beast. At one corner, the three little pigs were engrossed in their conversation. And behind them, the evil black wolf was casting shrewd glances at them.
There were separate stalls for fairies and fairy godmothers. They were of all types; including the one who had helped Cinderella and the one, who had cursed the sleeping beauty.
I was really enjoying my visit. Suddenly, there was a loud noise out side, as if someone had blown a horn. Rain and I rushed out to see what was happening. A huge crowd had gathered around a circular podium. Over the podium, hung magical lanterns, illuminating it with different colours. I call them magical because they were hanging in the air, without a string or any support, all on their own.
Everyone was curious about the set up, and were chattering among themselves, trying to find out what was about to happen. After a few seconds, the curtains of the podium were drawn and a little young sprite came out, with three other sprites.
"That's Ben and my cousins," cried Rain, delighted. Before Rain could say more, a voice started to speak,"My dear and merry folks of Neverland, it is great to see all of us gathered here, on this stupendous fairy carnival night. Every year, we get to see a lot of new entries in this carnival, from other fairylands. Methinks, it was time for thanking all of them for coming and sharing their fairy-skills with us, the mirthful folks of Neverland." It was Ben, who was speaking. He was effective enough, as the entire crowd applauded his speech with loud cheers and claps.
He continued,"So, here we are, me and my brothers and sisters, ready with some nice little pieces for all of you. Hope you all shall sing and dance with us as well."
This time, the crowed screamed more loudly than before. Everyone was waiting for the show to begin.
Ben and his cousins began singing as the magical orchestra tuned in, on its own. But to my surprise, when I heard the song that Ben was singing, I broke into fits of laughter.
Rain, who was enjoying the show till now, paused for a moment and looked at me, bewildered.
"What's the matter, miss? What's so comic?" She asked.
I tried to control my laughter somehow and answered, "I..I am sorry Rain. I did not mean to laugh, but couldn't help it. That..that song Ben is singing; I have heard it many times before. It is from a Spice Girls' album, is it not?" I asked, still giggling.
Rain appeared slightly embarrassed now. She said, "Well yes, our trips to your world were not all in vain, you see," she admitted bashfully.
"Its alright Rain. I am laughing because I expected something original," I said.
Ben and his troupe went on singing English hits, one after another; and everyone was having a jolly good time.
Suddenly, there was loud noise that shook my senses. It sounded like some bell or something to that effect. I fell on the ground and Rain rushed to hold me.
"What's the matter, miss? Wake up," she said. "Wake up," I heard her say again.
I opened my eyes slowly to see my mother bending over me and shoving me."Its half past eight, wake up," she said. I woke up lazily. The alarm was still ringing. The wretched thing had transferred me back to my same old, boring world.
"Go, brush your teeth and have a bath. I will be serving breakfast in half an hour," my mom said, as she walked out of the room with the dirty laundry. I sat up on my bed and looked at the alarm clock. It was almost 8:35 AM.
I was still dazed at the events I had experienced last night. "Was it a dream or...," I thought.
I looked out of my window, up at the sky. The scorching sun shone with all its brilliance in the cloudless sky. There was no sign of a single cloud or rain. For a minute, I felt despondent, as if I have lost something precious. But suddenly, a silly thought came over me.
Standing in front of the window, I spread my arms, closed my eyes and uttered the magical words in a spirited manner,"Off to Neverland."
Posted by Amrita at 1:15 PM 
Dear Amrita,
I had anticipated this ending loong ago..lol
this was quite an escape from the humdrum world of routine existence...
looks like we have another Enid Blyton in the making...! do try out fiction for children a la Blyton...
best wishes
SARVAM SRIKRISHNAARPANAMASTHU!
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hi Anand,
nice to have u back again. I am no enid blyton in the making. it was just an attempt at exploring realms of fantasy to a certain extent, a very minuscule attempt. i know many people might have anticipated this ending long ago, but i guess that is quite comprehensible as such things cannot be experienced in our daily course of life. thanks for ur wishes, SARVAM SRIKRISHNAARPANAMASTHU!
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was transorted to a whole another world for a while......
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Was WAITING all this long for the final part...
That's why I had not commented on the previous posts.
Really enjoyed reading 'Off to Neverland'. Its been a long time I had read a fairy-tale and now it's i-just-read-one mood.
Kudos to ya!
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hi girl interrupted,
welcome to my blog. i am glad my little story could transfer u to another world.
hi 1.618,
i could see how long u have been WAITING! but u would agree that the post was equally long. am glad u liked it.
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I had a wonderful trip to Neverland... Wish u hadnt woken up :)
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hi art,
i wish so too. who knows i may go there again..
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im in awe...this is such an enchanted story!
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hi adhocquirks,
welcome to my blog...am glad u liked the story.
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aowwwww. You messed it up. That end was so predictable. Anyways that w'd still make a wonnnnderful bedtime story for my kids in the future. But i won't tell them it was just a dream ( neither w'd i tell them it was a story written by a person called amrita). It w'd be my real life experience then :)
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i really think that i will get a copywright for this one now...well, u can only live such a life in another world and not this one...if u have a better end, then pl suggest.
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Ummmmmmmm... If i was amrita (not that i have such vivid imagination and the precious patience to write long stories), i w'd have ended it like "... then i looked longingly at the earth and said a half-hearted (quarter-hearted maybe) good-bye to it and stayed in neverland for all my life and happily married a handsome sprite :)" Yeah. And maybe i'll even add that i took my friends there too, later. And how a witch magically transformed me into a sprite too. (BTW, coming to think of it, what if my kids ask me why i came back here!? (they will surely) Any ideas amrita?)
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hmm..u have a point...good that u suggested another ending...u could write one fairytale urself manoj, believe me...nice ending u thought of. but being a realist, i tend to come back to the real world in the end...maybe u could add ur ending to the rest of the story and tell them to ur kids...i am sure they will still love it.
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Thanks for visiting 1.618 Amrita.
Point noted, I'll increase the font size asap. as of now, I am a little busy with the task of modifying a website.
Will change the font size in 1.618 for sure.
As for III I, It is not a spy blog!!! :)
I guess i need to change the name to III I Design Labs or something... ;)
have fun & keep bloggin'
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hi 1.618, haha, i just wrote about my first impression about you blog-The Third Eye, the posters were pretty interesting though. i do not know why they remind me of James Bond of something of that sort. anyways, nice blog.
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You sure have a beautiful mind!!!:) Thoroughly enjoyed reading this 1!!
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thanks xena,
i do not know whether i have a beautiful mind or not, but such compliments certainly make my day better. am glad u liked reading it.
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