Which is real?

“I’m a girl, I am a girl, I am a lonely girl”
“What kind of a song is that Martha?!”
“Dont you like it Mamma? I just made it up”
“No I dont! Now stop fooling around and do your work!”
“Yes Mamma”

“Whats up ladies?”
“Oh nothing. Just Martha fooling around”
“Oh no Father I wasnt fooling around I was singing.”
“Well let the little dear sing Gladdis”
“Fine! The little dear and her dear Pappa can go sing together. I have got work to do and it looks like I will have noone to help me”
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Tringgggggggggg
“Woah!”
“What what?!”
“Huh?”
“You said woah”
“Ohh.. Hi Munna”
“You woke me up to say hi?!! Get some sleep Vivek! Its 2 ‘O’ clock in the night!”
“I guess I was dreaming”
“Lemme guess! About the 6 year old angel who lived down the lane”
“Yeah! How did you know”
“Sigh! Go to sleep Vivek!”
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“You dont understand Geetha. This thing is real somehow! I just know it”
“I will tell you what this thing is Vivek! It has become an obsession with you! I am telling you, you have got to see a Doc! Now!!”
“Come on! I need someone on my side!”
“Dont look at me! I stand on the side of sanity! Bye Vivek! I dont have time for this”
“Sigh! I’m a boy I’m a boy I am a lonely boy!”
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“So what do you think Doc?”
“What I think is you have been working too hard Vivek. Sitting late and getting no sleep! Some people will have hallucinations as an after effect of alcohol or stopping alochol. You havent been drinking lately?”
“My God no! I am the president of No-Drinking-Association. I mean I will be when there is one!”
“Haha! Then you will be fine dont worry. Its not a recurring dream, its just the same character. Its alright! Maybe you can start a story about her! Heheh”
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“You are writing a story???”
“Yup”
“On her??! You are crazy”
“Hey you are the one who send me to the Doc! And I am just taking his medicine!”
“Great! All the men in this world and I get the world’s craziest lunatic! Why me!”
“You have got to take a look Geetha! You will know how real it is! I cant just dream it all up!”
“Yeah I will quit my job and you quit yours and we will both go hunting for a 6 year old Martha who worked all day and night!”
“Hmm I was thinking of taking a 2-day leave”
“Well you do need a vaccation but dont tell me another word about Martha”
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“Woww Vivek beautiful story!”
“You read it?”
“Yes I read all your stories and leave comments too”
“Wow Alice! You must be Miss-NoName!”
“Hihi yeah”
“Why didnt you tell me before?”
“Gee I dont know”
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“I should have come to you before!”
“It does interest me”
“Noone was ready to listen to me! Thank you for being there Alice”
“Oh its nothing! My parents call me half cracked too! So I can understand!”
“Yeah its hard isnt it?”
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“Alice! You know whats the latest from Martha”
“What what”
“She sees 2 lovers sitting on a tree and tells herself she could never sit like that with a boy”
“Haha! Oh boy I bet I did the same when I was 6!”
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“Marthaaaaaaaaaa! Where is that girl”
“Dear Mister Grass, you must be so sad,
But you cant even cry.
Dear Mister Grass, I’m also real sad,
Teach me oh teach me to smile like you do”
“Goodness Martha! I have told you a thousand times! No fooling around! Do you hear me”
“Yes Mamma”
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“She is sad eh?”
“Yes Alice! And I know its cause of that Mamma of hers! Wont take her to school and makes her work like a slave”
“Let me get my hands on her!”
“Me too!”
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“So?”
“Yea?”
“Vivek have you been listening?”
“Huh? Oh yea sure”
“Well?”
“Err?”
“God! I have had it Vivek! We are over!”
“Oh”
“Oh?? Is that all you have to say!”
“Oh no. I mean I..”
“Dont bother! You go marry Alice! You 2 can start an insanity club together! I will be glad to donate!”
“Oh”
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“She said that?”
“I think so. I heard only the last part”
“Geetha was a nice girl Vivek”
“I know Alice. Thats why she wasnt right for me”
“What do you mean”
“It needs a lot more than a nice girl to tolerate someone like me Alice”
“Oh”
“Haha now you are talking like me!”
“Heheh”
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“There was just one!
Now there is one more!
To see me and hear
And talk about me”
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“She was telling about you Alice”
“I know! I dreamt of her!”
“I dont believe this!”
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“Remember how I told you I will need something more than a nice girl with me”
“Yes..”
“I need you to be with me Alice”
“Not half as much as I need you Vivek”
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“They see me well
But they do not know
Its just me playing
They are toys of my game”

Little Miss Shyness!

She started sweating. This was not how she thought it would be.
“Come on you have to do this”
“You dont understand! I am not a singer! And stages are seriously not my cup of tea!”
“We dont have a choice!”
“What if I make a mess of it”
“Better than nothing! Trust me”
This was it. She had to do it now. Get on the stage and actually sing! He knew she knew the song. She had given him the lyrics once.
And she couldnt somehow say no to him.
“Alright. But if they are throwing tomatoes, I’ll be keeping them for you!”
“Deal”
Seeing the relief in his face she felt more confident.

She was allowed to choose a dark corner where she was only slightly visible. She was the only one they had so it had to be as she wished. She didnt want to be seen, she didnt have to be! Simple!

Was the microphone acting funny or was it just her. Alright easy does it. She decided to start humming and then start the song.
“Mmmmm” she started softly. Did anyone hear that?
“Mmmmmmmmm”. That was louder..
Slowly she took the humming to the song. Once she started, she forgot she was on a raised platform which meant people other than self saw her and heard her. She sang like she did when she was alone in her room. She let her voice flow the way it wanted to.. and it flew beautifully through different pitches.

The song was over in 3 minutes. There was a moment of silence before the audience gave a thorough applause. It seemed to last longer than the song. As she climbed down the stairs, she was surrounded by her freinds. There were wow-s and terrific-s and all sort of praises. Her eyes searched for him. As they found him, she had her eyebrows raised. He gave a small smile and clapped. She felt like she has just won an oscar! She smiled and looked down.