Artist

This is the story of Aafaq. Aafaq,an artist of extraordinary talent! His paintings seemed alive!.As alive as anything that breathes and this was while he was totally untrained .Actually sometimes God bestows upon some of his people such extraordinary qualities that seem an extravagance.Aafaq green eyed and very handsome was the ultimate prince charming of the entire city1

Today Aafaq is sitting barefeet n blank eyed in a mental asylum .If any one wants to know why then one has to enter Aafaqs mind Aafaq as he screams and talks,aafaq as he whispers.." I can see walls "!,all white !oh where is the colour?I can see shadows,i like shadows The sun ,it should go away I like shadows,shadows dark n cloudy….they will creep and make me smile People say…they say I am insane he laughs., a wonderful heartwarming laugh ! how can I be insane?ha!ha!they know nothing If I touch colours i can grow rainbows ,,,,yess I can HA ha Ha ha Oh why isn’t the blue blue breeze touching my bare walls,aah wheres that golden rain …I need to stop burning ,he looks down wringing his hands in despair Slowly the sun goes down deepening shadows in the bare white room there is silence around ,even no sound of his breathing can be heard .There he is,still clinging to cobwebs sitting on the threshold of sanity theres still a step left to enter the oblivion the realm of nothingness the place where real and fantasy will merge in rainbow colors creating havoc ….a whirlwind of semi verbal words of un answered questions jammed in his mind“Ah..who is it?”Aafaq calls out suddenly” yes !there is someone ,who is it?who is there??????hey I am Aafaq.you know me don’t you who is it?he stumbles in the dark ..moving here n there..oh!!!its you Oh my dream! My sweetheart!Oh you came! How I waited for you ..beaming he grabs the thick window bars with his dainty artistic fingers n laughs out Oh! Tamanna At last you came!Where were you ?.i have been waiting since so long. Oh Tamanna .........he keeps talking in the silent night.Aafaq touches all the the bare walls lovingly whispering Tamanna again n again .Hours pass as night deepens and shadows become menacingly cold.Aafaq is oblivious .He is happy he talks to walls Tamanna do you remember?’yes?You do?  don’t you? yes You do! ,he seeks solace in her affirmative answer .You told me things!…I remember!II keep remembering always .Tamanna you said:I am a creator! remember? You said that …to me ,,Yes!you said I am a “creator” .i can create anything .i am a “creator” no less than the ultimate creator!You said it that evening.that golden evening That evening on the lawn of our college That evening when your eyes and your lips were so close to me..the green velvet of the grass was arousing all my senses through my clothes as you whispered “aafaq  you are a creator .a creator ,a creator as powerful as none!!Your smile had touched my heart as your fingers stroked my hand Aafaq looks at his own hands ….A very sad expression clouds his eyes ,tears fall on his handsTamanna why did you say that? .You did!You remember don’t yu?See how lonely I am. tamanna answer me please .i want to see you..where are you?Cant yu feel my loneliness ?tamanna.oh can you not? …Aafaq gets up n hits his head hard against the wall. The hospital staff is sleeping in shadowy corners its two hours past midnight!Soon Aafaqs face n shoulders are covered with dripping blood he picks up a red bloody finger n traces a few lines on the bare white walls.Then more n more he keeps sketching .A silhoutte emerges ,a female form with long open tresses "Tamanna" he keeps whispering He wipes his face impatiently on his sleeves and keeps sketching:”I will create because I am the creator …you said that didn’t you Tamanna? my dream, my sweetheart!What if you are lost to my eyes ,lost in the shadows i"ll bring you to life !.I will create Aafaq hums as he keeps at his work .Slowly he feels faints n stumbles forward ,bends and slumps to the ground .2

After 5 days Aafaq is sitting on the floor .He has clean clothes on and looks weak but decent he has been shaved .His thin face and green eyes stand starkingly against his white kurta.H e sits and he stares blankly .On a nearby wall is a sketch A rust coloured sketched!Two doctors enter his room they are discussing his case history .One doctor believes Aafaq is schizophrenic while the other says no he has just recieved a very bad shock which disbalanced his mind.If only Aafaq could talk. if he responded to therapy the doctors would find out what shock has made such an extraordinary artist loose his mental stability …the two doctors try to talk to him but Aafaq dosent respond One of them suggests that Aafaq be given back his paints brushes and colours…soon Aafaq is given all these…The next morning the empty canvas is filled with a beautiful sketch ..a girl dressed up as a bride but the colours are missing .Aafaq looks at this sketch ,skeptically..he whispers “Tamanna see I am creating you .Me .Yes Aafaq the creator !!.Your creator !!hey don’t you wish to talk to me Tamanna?remember that day we dreamt? we dreamt so many dreams !we wanted to create a baby .A baby in the monsoons Cant you remember? ..such beautiful dreams ?they were your dreams?the dreams you sang in the rains The day you were dancing in the rain as I gazed at you longingly .you laughed and laughed as I longed to hold you .where are you Tamanna? .My desire,I long to see you .3

A young doctor enters the room and comes near Aafaq.He looks at his painting .Aafqaq is not aware of his presence The doctors eyes are wet .He feels extremely sorry for this young very handsome very brilliant artist .He turns to leave .Aafaq goes and grabs his hand .Doctor  "stay with me ,I am scared. My tamanna dosent speak to me doctor.Can you make her talk to me ,Doctor gets aagitated and pulls his hand away Aafaq holds his hand tightly Doctor please stay ,Let me hold your hand for a while .I am so scared doctor I need to talk to you .see her!! That’s Tamanna .It was April Doctor April !7th I remember but she dosent ,I remember so well …And that day .That pleasant February evening .she told me I can create anything!…See I created her .Doctor see"i can create" See her!! .Her eyes .Her lips ..These eyes n lips that misled me !She told me …and I believed!!!!Asaafaq turns n looks at his painting the doctor slips away4

Aafaq moves forward n grabs a thin brush .he stabs the back of the brush in his wrist and smiles at the sight of the red blood gushing out.Picking a thick brush he fills it with blood n starts  filling the red in the bridal clothes of his sketch .He hums and he fills his blood in the picture . .soon a beautiful bride is ready shining in the wet blood shy in the bridal veil .covered yet uncovered!.Created!! At last!!Aafaq slumps to the floor slowly .the brush leaves his hand forever.5

Its April 17th .Tamanna is all dressed up n hovering around the dinner table talking on a phone ,,she is 7 months pregnantn talking happily .."yes yes its my first wedding anniversary she says ",,,6