The crowd gathered on the banks of the holy river was a living, feeling organism in itself. It ebbed and flowed mimicking the dirty brown water and it glowed with spectacle not unlike the river.
Some cried, some laughed, some were relieved, some took selfies, and some just stood there taking in the scenes.
Most of them had come to say goodbyes to their loved ones, the lamps cast in the waters apparently guiding the departed souls to heaven.
One by one, the lamps flickered and vanished. The crowd too.
Tomorrow, new lamps, new crowd, new waters.
Different, but same.
Word Count: 100
Written in response to the picture prompt provided by Carla Bicomong for Friday Fictioneers hosted by Rochelle Wisoff – Fields. Please find other entries here.
Loved the opening.
#sindhureads #myfriendalexa
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Writing a story in 100 eords is a skill. My 100 word stories also got published couple of times. But I find it difficult to keep them below 100. But you have mastered the skill… Keep it up bro…
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All beautiful, but I especially liked your opening and closing lines–that the crowd was like a living, feeling organism, and that all were different, but the same. Nice!
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Like a stream of consciousness the water carried them off. Nicely done.
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Thank you for the kind comment 🙂
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A very tender and beautiful story.
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Thank you, Lisa.
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Everyone has their moment, and then it passes for another. like you say, the same but different. Like it
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Yes, the story never changes. Just the actors do. Thanks for the comment.
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An interesting and symbolic read.
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Thank you kindly
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A beautiful picture of the circle of life. Nicely done!
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Thank you, Brenda 🙂
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A sense of remembrance and respect in this, and the world trundles on into the next day. Does the past shape the future or do we know better?
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A good question to ponder. Thanks for the comment, James.
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“Goodbye is the hardest thing to say to someone who means the world to you”. Love the imagery. Well written!
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Thanks, Priya. Glad you liked it.
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I, too, loved the comparison of the people to the water. A most lovely piece… and so it goes, day after day…
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Thank you for the very kind words, Dale.
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Wonderful! I think we saw the same river but I loved your take on it.
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Thank you, Subroto. Will check your take as well.
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Lovely piece Varad! The comparison of the crowds and the water is simply beautiful.
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Thank you, Jennifer. You are very kind.
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The circle of life.
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The actors might be different, the stories that get played out are the same. Thanks for the comment, Anurag.
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Its filled with sadness.. our loved ones leaving us and departing into another world is really something so difficult to live with. A part of the heart remains empty.
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Thanks for the comment, Akshata.
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Sad, but the community of everyone saying their farewells together is a powerful energy of emotion.
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True. Same goes with mass prayers and violence as well. Thanks for the comment, Stu.
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Interesting how you compare the crowds to the river, stressing the crowd’s unified presence rather than the invidual parts. There is something about ritual that makes people behave more as a single entity, and you portrayed that beautifully without diminishing the individuality of each participant.
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Thank you for a great comment, as usual, Andrea. I enjoy reading your interpretations and musings.
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A nice and peaceful way to say goodbye.
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It indeed is. Thank you, Abhiray
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It’s like the circle of life, yesterday fades and tomorrow is the future. Beautifully told.
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The circle has no beginning and no end. Perfect metaphor for life. Thank you, Gabi.
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Varad, I think you get better every week. The palpable sadness in this piece is so well described.
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That was mighty kind of you, Linda. Any writer would be delighted to get such comments.
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Great description of the scene.
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Thank you kindly, J Hardy.
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Dear Varad,
This is simply a lovely, well constructed piece.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you, Rochelle. You are very kind.
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Nicely written, Varad. Your descriptive writing is excellent, and you’ve expressed your message very clearly. Kudos.
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Thank you for the kind comment, Penny. I’m glad you liked the story.
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And on it goes. More people, more lamps. A tender story.
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The only certainty of life. Thanks for the comment, Jilly
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That, as they say, is life. Nicely done.
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The never-ending circle. Thanks for the comment, Iain.
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Poignant …
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Thank you, Meha
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Excellent the way you brought out the soul of the time honoured tradition of aarthi!
http://www.kparthas.blogspot.com
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Thank you very much for the comment. I’m glad you liked the story.
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