Above and Beyond

We know of those listless moments when life seems humdrum and filled with extreme ennui. Some of us learn to accept the flow, so as to not stick out like a sore thumb.But well,there are the others...

                        ABOVE  AND  BEYOND
          
                                 PREFACE

    Maya was at a loss. After a string of failed relationships, numerous highs with pot and alcohol and countless visits to the psychiatrist, she did not know where she was headed. Sure, she had a good house and a well paid job..but her mind was never at ease. Sleepless nights were nothing new to her, neither were the constant nightmares and their aftermaths, which included waking up flushed and tired in the morning, bleary eyed and a haggard mind. Her routine usually consisted of quickly gulping down two cups of wickedly dark coffee to get relief from splitting headaches, a quick meal of toast and her favorite black currant jam, a scrutiny at the newspaper to drink in what yet another day had made difference to the planet, brooding over those facts, a quick hot shower and donning a well tailored dress, fussing with her rough hornet's nest of a hair which seemed to have a mind of it's own and then rushing to the elevator, which would save her a good flight of steps.

    Today was no different. Her work as a veterinary surgeon demanded her one pointed attention to operate upon sick animals as well as comforting their owners that now their pet was in an expert's hands. The latter part was never easy, with the owners seeming overly emotional and insisting to stay put and look at the proceedings of the operation. For two days she has been working upon a labrador who had a tumour in his brain. His condition was rapidly worsening and Maya noticed that the animal seemed to have made peace with the numbing pain. The dog no longer whimpered when he was administered with injections nor did he fight with the attenders when his bed had to be shifted. He just lay there with listless eyes and this threw Maya off guard. She was used to animals kicking and howling in her hospital. But this dog was different. He seemed strangely calm and peaceful, fully aware of his impending doom yet gracefully accepting defeat. His diseased body with a few tufts of hair showed the raw skin beneath where once a glorious coat of golden yellow fur had grown. No medicines seemed to make him better and a disconcerted Maya broke this news to the pet's owner. The family of three was visibly shaken and a tiny girl with jet black hair, through her tears, wistfully looked at Maya and blurted out "So, is he going to grampa? I don't want him to leave me but momma said grampa feels pretty lonely in his new place and he would love to have Barney for company." Maya choked back her tears at the little girl's innocence and said "I absolutely agree with your momma, sweetheart. Barney has been very brave through his sickness and he deserves a warm place. A place like a couch just beside your grampa near the fireplace." That seemed to cheer up the little girl considerably and the family went into the room where the dog lay frail and fragile, to say their last goodbyes.


   Driving back home, Maya opened the door of her house and flopped on the sofa. Barney seemed to be haunting her mind for weeks. Granted, she had worked on many sick animals during her twelve years of life as a veterinary surgeon, curing many of their misery and yet putting some to a permanent sleep when nothing seemed to work. But Barney, the dog, was different. His way of leaving the Earth seemed nothing less than a graceful finishing act to a book called life. Maya smiled. She had read many self-help books, listened to various spiritual discourses and taken part in various solitary retreats..but none of it had helped. And here was this dog, making her think about the profound aspects of life. She could not, for the love of God, forget those solemn set of greenish-blue eyes moments before they closed forever. A roiling set of various emotions swirled within her. She felt an irrational fear of dying without knowing some of the terrifyingly true and perfectly insane yet a roster of important facts about life. And as clear as a lightening bolt, a streak of a crystal clear thought surged through her " Go to India."

                                  CHAPTER 1: CALL OF THE EAST

Maya was in a fix. This morning was different. She felt an innate desire to skip work and sort things out which had rendered her sleepless the night before. The exciting idea of going to the East sure seemed quite adventurous and from what she had seen on TV about this mysterious country called India with its numerous festivals and diverse cultures, it only made sense to explore this land. Maya had been inquisitive ever since she had stepped out of her cradle, often getting bruised and chastised for her never ending patter of feet. But all this never stopped her from questioning about the true nature of things. She also had a playful imagination and used to create stories in her head about anything that caught her fancy.

Author's Note

This is the first time i am writing a story. Sometimes i get so far into my head that i forget anything else exists. And that is true with words. This is just the beginning of my short story/novel (i know not what this is). Feel free to point out the mistakes and i will correct them right away. Thanks :)