The Soul Portrayer

Antoinette sat still. Her long, dark, silky hair spilling till her waist. Her fair complexion contrasted her flawless emerald eyes that had a hint of sparkly blue. Eyes that would hypnotize you the moment you looked into their depths. Her eyebrows were curved, and her eyelashes sprouted out-embellishing those mesmerizing, large eyes. Her cheeks were smooth and  rosy. Her cheekbones high. Her lips were satin soft, gentle and pumped. As a whole, her face glowed with radiance.
Her curved figure was exemplary. Her neck was long, and her breasts full. Her thin waist and broad hips took one's breath away. Her long and skinny legs gave her a grand height. She could not have been more than 20, but she  was beauty in its sheer form. Beauty that was acknowledged and appreciated by anyone and everyone.

About 3 feet away from Antoinette a simple portraitist stood in a white shirt. He had a life size canvas in front of him, and was capturing the heavenly angel. The painter was the most skilled gentleman in the whole of Paris. Kings and emperors called him and showered him with diamonds and jewels in return for just one of his portraits. He had gained a reputation to be the most accurate and realistic portrait artist ever known. 

The portraitist dipped his brush in the paint and set out for Antoinette's eyes. This would be the  most difficult part of the entire painting. Those eyes. There was something about them.

She sat elegantly on a blue velvet sofa. Although, she wasn't a princess, Antoinette was one of the richest and most beautiful people in the entire of France. She was always invited to the royal functions and treated royally, even better than the princesses. Now, she was wearing a long, sophisticated red dress. The floral patterns on the rich silk fabric completed it. Her one hand sat on her lap, and on the other rested her impeccable jawline. Her platinum bracelet dangled down. Her legs were crossed in a lady-like position, revealing her graceful glass sandals. It was all topped off by the gold and diamond locket, given to her by the king himself, for her eighteenth birthday.

The painter smiled. After a month nearly, the painting was completed. Now he would be able to go. He turned the final canvas towards the lady to see. His paintings had always been a mirror. At the sight of the canvas, Antoinette gasped. She choked. Her eyes widened. This was not what she had been expecting. Not at all.

The girl in the painting had red eyes, pale skin. She looked cold and evil.  Her lips were red and moist, as though she had just drank blood. Her skin was dirty and bruised and cut. The hair was very messy and her cheeks and eyelashes were a sight of pity. Crooked teeth and high eyebrows added a tarnish to the already traumatizing face. Her body was disfigured and bent. Her dress- black and ragged, and she wore a vile cape. The girl in the painting was standing amongst thorns and nettles.

But it was her eyes, that chilled the soul. There was something about those eyes. Painted in red, hatred and aversion shone out of them. Looking in, a malevolent, and devilish feeling came out. It was as though all the bad and destruction in the world was captured in those eyes.
When one looked at the painting, they saw the most cruel, evil, sinister witch. A diabolical figure that overflowing with pride and haughtiness. A person that was the furthest thing from beautiful.  And below that painting was written 'Antoinette' in a crimson hue- as though scribbled with blood.

Antoinette bubbled with fury. Anger overcome her. After all those weeks of posing and sitting still, this was what she got! How dare he? She would make sure his life was ruined. This was no joke to play on the most beautiful girl in the city. How could he ever portray her as this deadly girl in the painting? Was she not pretty? She could kill him with his bare hands for this!!!

Seeing her stunned in shock and rage the portraitist smiled and said,
"I only portray souls./je ne peins que des âmes"

Then he turned and left, leaving her there to stare at the painting, as the red roses bloomed out in the garden. 

THE END

Books- Why you should read more ?

“Seriously? Why are you dragging an 800 paged book along when you could pretty much see it all in a maximum 3 hours? " Well, comments like these aren't new to hear. Most people have discarded books and have rather switched to movies, or worse, social media. Nowadays, people don't really search for a book to escape into the 'Imaginary World.'

Guess what? It's high time people realize that books ARE NOT replaceable. Least by a stupid lump of metal. And they can never be. For, the magic weaved into words, reading on paper and then visualizing the scenes is an experience unattainable by anything. Well, except for books of course.

1. Books can teleport.
Books actually open the door to a sea of knowledge, wisdom and of course, endless imagination. When you read books you find yourself in a new world. You find yourself in Afghanistan in the terror. You feel the traumatizing fear. You visit Spain and take part in La Tomatina. Then you're in NYC following the man in the dark hood. The best part? You're sitting in your own room while doing all of these. On screens you sure might be able to see all them. But while reading, you're IN there and playing the main role. "Books are a uniquely portable magic." Undoubtedly.

2. Books are good for health.
While TVs, gadgets and other electronics are notorious for their adverse impacts on our health, books actually boost your mental health. Books are proven to help us remember things better. According to a research by the University of Sussex, books reduce the chances of Alzheimer's. Books are also known to boost your concentration power. Books make your mind focus on small details, and you follow a string of words at once. This makes your critical thinking, problem solving, decision making and analyzing skills stronger. "What exercise is to the body, reading is to the mind."  

3. Books are therapeutic.
The best part I feel about fiction books is that they're therapeutic. When your read, you're not in reality anymore, which eventually helps you forget your problems and tensions. Books actually help you de-stress by about 68%. This is because when you're not in this world anymore, the so-called "Worldly Anxieties" can't reach you.  Also, do you think the problems you're facing is faced by another fictional character? Does that express the way you feel? Ultimately, they reveal the solutions as well. 

Books help me be a more mature, calm and patient person. They help me discover myself. Books give me a different perspective to see the world. And I think if it weren't for books, I would've just been another ignorant little twit in this world. Just trying to take care of my basic needs. An animal.  But books have shown me things away from just food, water and fooling around. In, fact books are the reason I'm alive. 

And now, it's up to you. To choose if you want to read, thrive and live a more fulfilling, satisfying and meaningful life. Or to spend your valuable time on social media and gadgets. Running after petty things that actually hold no meaning. 

A trek through the lower Mustang

Everyone enjoys going to trips with friends. But a 7 day trek to the mountains? Simply irresistible.
One such opportunity was provided to the students, when John Dewey came up with this adventurous plan to take the kids to a one week trip. The students from class 6-8 would be  going to the lower
Mustang areas and Muktinath. This news spread excitement amongst the students like wildfire. It gave us a zest of adventure and thrill. We just couldn't wait to experience living the village life and learning many new things from the mountains!

We first went to Pokhara. It was amazing to be there with friends and friendly teachers. Pokhara is beautiful. The Fewa Tal serene and peaceful. After spending the day in fun activities like boating, cycling etc. and a good night's sleep, we left for Jomsom. On the way to Jomsom we came across a fascinating waterfall. The water was cold and pure -directly from the mountains, and flowing elegantly. I balanced through the slippery rocks and stood beneath the gush of the cool water. It was one my most beautiful experience in my entire life.

On the third day, we packed our bags and tied our shoelaces, ready to push the limits. We were trekking from Marpha to Kagbeni. It was an incredible path, filled with splendid sights and sceneries. The path to Kagbeni was filled with pebbles and dry mountains that reminded us of an ancient painting.  After some refreshments, and visiting a 529 years old monastery, we were on our way uphill to Muktinath.

The way was a little rocky and steep, and very dry. However, we were all eager to face the nature. We climbed the steep mountains and conquered the landforms. As we gained elevation bit by bit, we encountered the strong winds sent by Mt. Annapurna. But these only made the trek a lot more thrilling and exciting! We trekked our way up slowly amid the winds and picturesque sights.  A few of us also got sick along the way, mostly due to the altitude. But we were supported back up by our teachers and friends. We all did the best we could, encouraging, helping, climbing, and finally made it to Muktinath.

Reaching Muktinath felt like the biggest achievement. It was simply amazing to be up there, surrounded by mountains, hills, sceneries. We encountered the snow and beautiful stars spread on the black canvas. As unseen, unknown, charm of the place had began to dwell on us. It was a magical and surreal experience. We spent the night there, surrounded by mountains and snow.

The next day was equally splendid. We visited the legendary Muktinath temple with the taps and never ending fire. Then we trekked our way down, visiting a lake. It was blue and green surrounded by white mountains on the top. The lake was one of the most beautiful things we had witnessed in the entire trip.  We stood on the soft sand in the cool soothing water. After stopping for a bit, we hurried back to the Marpha village famous for its apples. The way back down was fab!

The rides from Jomsom to pokhara and the other places were also fascinating. We drove past the natural greens, hills, mountains and the spectacular scenery. The fresh, natural air gushed through the windows, and we felt truly alive. We didn't even realize how fast the 7 days went by. It seemed like we had just come yesterday. But, we learnt so much. We learnt to have fun, accept the things we have, and be grateful. We also learnt to live in the moment and not worry about the rest. These were some of the things you can't learn while mugging up definitions.

Talking to the local people, eating the traditional food, etc. was a whole new experience. It felt amazing to be away from the Wi-Fi, city and it's distractions. But above all, the affect that the mountains had on us, was mesmerizing. In fact, the spirit that these places have in them is hard to describe through words. You can only feel it within you when you're there, truly in yourself and the nature.

Way to Muktinath