Shailaza's Blog

Tag: #WordsThatMatter

  • The Time Keeper’s Poem: Chapter Ten: A New Pairing

    The Time Keeper’s Poem: Chapter Ten: A New Pairing

    The next office meeting was held in the main conference room, the usual murmur of casual conversations filling the space as employees settled into their seats. Arin stood at the head of the table, his presence commanding yet calm.

    “Good morning, everyone,” he began, scanning the room. “As you all know, efficiency is key in everything we do—not just in our work, but in the way we live. With that in mind, I’ve introduced a new initiative. From now on, we will be organizing carpooling among employees who live in the same locality. This will help us reduce our carbon footprint, save fuel, and hopefully, make commutes more pleasant.”

    There were mixed reactions—some nods of approval, some hushed whispers of uncertainty. Astha barely looked up from her notepad, uninterested in yet another office initiative that likely wouldn’t last beyond a few weeks.

    “The carpooling teams have already been arranged based on addresses,” Arin continued, glancing down at his notes. “You will find your assigned partners listed in the group emails sent to you shortly. Please coordinate with your respective colleagues to arrange your commute.”

    As the meeting concluded and people began filing out, a coworker approached Astha with an amused smile.

    “Guess what, Astha? You’ve been paired with the boss himself. Arin Verma is your carpool partner.”

    Astha stopped mid-step. “What?” She turned to face the woman, frowning. “You’re joking.”

    “Not at all. You live in the same building, so it makes sense. You should discuss the details with him.”

    Astha exhaled sharply. Of all the people in the office, why did it have to be him?

    She wasn’t particularly bothered, though. She had seen plenty of these office initiatives fade into oblivion within weeks. This one would likely be no different.

    Later that day, she finally found Arin in the hallway near the break room. “So, I hear we’re carpooling,” she said, her tone neutral.

    Arin turned to her, his expression unreadable. “Yes. I’ll be getting my car this week, so I’ll drive us for the first few days. Next week, it’ll be your turn.”

    Astha shrugged. “Alright. Just let me know what time.”

    Arin studied her for a moment, expecting resistance or at least some level of discomfort. But she was indifferent, as if it made no difference to her at all.

    And that, somehow, made him more curious.

  • THE TIME KEEPER’S POEM

    THE TIME KEEPER’S POEM

    A New Online Novel by Shailaza Singh

    PROLOGUE

    The world Arin Verma came from had long abandoned the chaos of human emotions. Efficiency, logic, and precision ruled, governed by the Time Keepers—an elite order that monitored and adjusted the flow of time across civilizations. They were the silent architects of history, ensuring that the past remained undisturbed, the future untainted. In their world, there was no space for love, passion, or art—these things were seen as relics of a primitive age, distractions that clouded judgment and disrupted progress.

    Arin had always been the perfect Time Keeper. He had trained since childhood, mastering the delicate balance of time manipulation, able to navigate its endless currents with precision. His duty was to archive and preserve significant moments of history, ensuring that time remained untouched by interference. Yet, despite his success, a quiet hollowness had always lingered within him, a sensation he was never able to name.

    Then he found the poem.

    It had been buried deep within the archives of a dying Earth civilization, an unremarkable entry amid countless historical texts. He should have overlooked it, dismissed it as another meaningless fragment from a world that had long since faded. But something made him pause.

    The words were simple, yet they struck him like a wave crashing against stone:

    What we yearn to find, does it yearn for us?
    What we dream of, does it dream of us?
    What I seek, is it my seeker too?
    If that is true, will I ever meet you?

    The moment he read it, something inside him cracked open. The words pulled at something deep within, something long buried by the rules of his world. It was as though the poet had reached across time itself and touched the very core of his being. For the first time in his existence, Arin felt moved—a sensation foreign to him, yet impossible to ignore.

    Who had written these words? Did they understand the ache that now burned within him? He had to know. A search through the archives led him to a name: Astha Mehra. A writer from Jaipur. A poet. A woman from Earth’s past, from an era long before his own. She had lived, breathed, and written those words, never knowing they would find their way to him. The realization struck him like lightning—he had spent his existence preserving the past, but never had he stepped into it for personal reasons.

    Until now.

    His hands hovered over the time coordinates. The elders would never approve of such a mission, but they had no reason to suspect him. He was one of their best.

    For the first time, Arin Verma was about to break the very rules he had sworn to uphold.

    And he had no idea what awaited him on the other side.

    …To be continued in the next post

    This online novel with all its chapters is an original copyrighted work of the author Shailaza Singh. All rights reserved.