The Oldest Game [A small Retelling from The Sandman by Neil Gaiman]

There once was a Duel of existence between The Lucifer Morningstar, Ruler of the Hell and The Dream. The dual was held on accounts of The Oldest Game.

[The Oldest Game isn’t a fight, it is most certainly aggressive, but, at its heart, it is a test of skill and imagination. The competing individuals can represent them as anything turn wise, the opponent has to counter by representing them as something that can predate its opponent’s representation. The competitor who fails to counter, gets defeated.]

Morningstar claimed I am Dire Wolf, enthralled with Power of Darkness, bow down before me and admit your defeat.

To that The Dream replied – Say no more to The Hunter with zeal to Hunt and thirst of Wolf blood, who surely enjoys this Feat.

Lucifer Morningstar was quick to respond The Hunter will now have to beg for merci as I am now The Venomous Toothed Serpent, with the agility of extreme order and the deadliest fangs.

Dream called himself The Predator Bird with claws so strong on which a mammoth can hang.

Angry but wise Lucifer replied, I am Anthrax - The Butcher Bacterium, warm life eater, sheer definition of dead, the epitome of cold.

As if Life was sucked out from the being of The Dream but somehow, he retorted: I am Space-Floating, Life-nurturing, a World which is cheerful and bold.

Agitated Lucifer at the peak of its voice – I am a NOVA, furious, fast, the absolute Prima Facie of destruction. I eat a World for appetizer. I am the All-Exploding, Planet-Cremating.

Dream said I am Everything there is, A Universe. Life is what I am embracing, and Life is what I hold.

Lucifer in its Mocking Laughter, You Fool, I counter you on Life. I am The Anti-Life. You say you are everything, I am the dark at the end of everything. The beast of Judgement. The color that is nothing but Black.

What are you Dream? Lucifer almost growled. The Dream then answered – That which can never be destroyed, that which cannot be killed. That which fills life with purpose. I am Hope. The one thing, oh mighty Lucifer, you and your hell Lack.

Lucifer had nothing to counter. With all the humiliation it admitted its defeat.

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What is a Human? What is Humanity? What sets us distinctively apart from any other being that exists?

A humans get inspired by its dream. It is a dream that keeps a Human alive. With Hope and Dreams, Humanity yields in aspects like caring, selflessness, creativity, the power of imagination. The essential ingredients of life as a whole and its nature to progress. But if you rob humanity of its dream, if you steal away the hope from humanity, it falls on its knees.

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Watch the Netflix adaptation of the Duel

Mother's Day / मातृत्व दिवस

There is an entity of supreme power; The creator. He takes care of everything, his plans are well set, we mere mortals are only following what he has set for us. There are certain things that he also needs help in. One such thing is being a mother.

Hi I am Ketan, and as I was the birthing partner to my wife, last week I witnessed her giving birth to my little one. I was stunned and was in complete disbelief of whatever was happening. She not just acted as a portal to bring my baby into this world but also she managed to do all the things with such ease. The entire process is so powerful that it gave birth to two individuals, one Kashi as my daughter and second Shreya was born as a mother. 

Studies have already proved that the magnitude of pain during birth and labor is of highest degree a human being can experience, but there was a time when she was so composed and calm that all the pain we talk about was practically non there. She was Durga in her full glory, she was Kali in her crude form, she was Saraswati in her own calming self. My perspective has broaden and deepened towards looking at a mother. All the filmy and bookish definitions of mother seems very less. 

It has been a week now and today we realised that it is her first Mother’s Day and all due to respect to all the mothers in this entire world, I bow my head in gratitude to thank you for all the selfless love and care you shower upon us, I join my hand in humbleness to pray to the divinity you are and I hold my ears in sorry if any of my actions have troubled you in any sense.

I also take this opportunity to announce the arrival of another Durga, Kali, and Saraswati in making, our Beautiful Little Daughter… Kashi

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हिन्दी संस्करण

सर्वोच्च शक्ति की एक इकाई है; निर्माता। वह हर चीज का ख्याल रखता है, उसकी योजनाएँ अच्छी तरह से निर्धारित होती हैं, हम केवल नश्वर उसका अनुसरण कर रहे हैं जो उसने हमारे लिए निर्धारित किया है। कुछ चीजें ऐसी होती हैं जिनमें उन्हें मदद की भी जरूरत होती है। ऐसी ही एक चीज है मां बनना।

प्रणाम, मैं केतन हूं, और चूंकि मैं अपनी पत्नी का जन्म साथी था, पिछले हफ्ते मैंने उसे अपने बच्चे को जन्म देते हुए देखा। मैं स्तब्ध था और जो कुछ भी हो रहा था उस पर मुझे पूरा विश्वास नहीं हो रहा था। उसने न केवल मेरे बच्चे को इस दुनिया में लाने के लिए एक पोर्टल के रूप में काम किया बल्कि वह सभी चीजों को इतनी आसानी से करने में कामयाब रही। पूरी प्रक्रिया इतनी शक्तिशाली है कि इसने दो व्यक्तियों को जन्म दिया, एक काशी मेरी बेटी के रूप में और दूसरी श्रेया ने एक माँ के रूप में जन्म लिया।

अध्ययनों ने पहले ही साबित कर दिया है कि जन्म और श्रम के दौरान दर्द की भयावहता उच्चतम स्तर की होती है जिसे मनुष्य अनुभव कर सकता है, लेकिन एक समय था जब वह इतनी शांत थी कि हम जिस दर्द के बारे में बात करते हैं वह व्यावहारिक रूप से अस्तित्वहीन था। वह अपनी पूर्ण महिमा में दुर्गा थी, वह अपने कच्चे रूप में काली थी, वह अपने आप में सरस्वती थी। मां को देखने के प्रति मेरा नजरिया व्यापक और गहरा हो गया है। मां की सभी फिल्मी और किताबी परिभाषाएं बहुत कम लगती हैं।

अब एक हफ्ता हो गया है और आज हमने महसूस किया कि यह उनका पहला मदर्स डे है और इस पूरी दुनिया में सभी माताओं के सम्मान के कारण, मैं आपके सभी निस्वार्थ प्यार और देखभाल के लिए धन्यवाद देने के लिए अपना सिर झुकाता हूं। मैं नम्रता से हाथ जोड़कर प्रार्थना करता हूं कि आप देवत्व हैं और अगर मेरे किसी भी कार्य ने आपको किसी भी तरह से परेशान किया है तो मुझे खेद है।

मैं इस अवसर पर एक और दुर्गा, काली और सरस्वती के आने की घोषणा करने का भी लाभ उठाता हूं, हमारी सुंदर छोटी बेटी ... काशी।