The mortals are a peculiar race. The rich and the powerful are always right. They decide what is right and what is wrong. If something is terribly wrong then the rules bend to make it right. Justice is sick. Justice remains the only cripple in our 'class' for justice is blind. He doesn’t want to be a part of it anymore though they love to say 'Justice has been served!' 

These mortals like to be in control. Some of them think they control us and we think we control them. Pride tricks them into thinking they have their way. In the end, victory is always ours.

The only doctor in our world is Time. After all, time heals everything. Time likes to fly. He teaches us life lessons. His service is priceless, precious yet his treatment is free. Time is impartial and is actually the same for the rich or the poor. Most mortals do not have the wisdom of spending time fruitfully. They tend to waste the service given by time. Time was an exceptional athlete in his heydays and it is practically impossible to catch up with time. Time is the only friend you will find beside you if want to spend a life wisely. He is always there for you, but if you waste his service he might not be there by your side in the long run! Time might ensure that you reach your true potential, achieve the goals and dreams!

Politics, even in our world of emotions is too hard to understand. Happy and Joy have grown up to be the best of friends. Mortals rarely even distinguish between the twins. Happy and Joy are not really that good. They are absent when you need them the most. They are lazy. Yet, they are so handsome and charming that everyone loves to be in their company. They seduce you into believing that they are your lifelong friends yet they don’t stand by you in the darkest of hours. They don’t deserve to be your friends, yet the mortals admire them the most.

When I was young, Mr Deeds our teacher told me, 'Death, my son you are as good as your deeds!' Birth had overheard it too. I stand by mortals in the darkest of hours and do my work with clinical efficiency. Few mortals appreciate this. Neither do they appreciate my honesty. I sometimes leave them in the arms of suffering my good friend.

Birth and I are the only coloured pupils of our class. They took us in when they realised they couldn’t do without us. The class had another apt pupil like me. He was Hate. I myself, have become the victim of hate so many times. He, like me, was a truly apt pupil of Mr Deeds. He uses his devices so cunningly, that no one was spared. Not even Happy and Joy. They have ganged up against me with Fame. They are happy to hate. The saying goes, that Hate is the brains behind these all. Some say it is Greed. Hate and Greed are conniving bastards, they change their minds with the changing winds. To protect myself I have to fight them all sometime or the other. I hate being tricked by Greed. Hate enjoys it the most when I fall prey to Greed. Yet, Justice does all in his power. He is fair they say. I like him and sometimes give him a helping hand. If you are a cripple, how much would you have to do to speak about your deeds proudly in this world?

I am possibly despised, by Fame ever since I followed Fate. I try to take away everything he has worked on and leave him with memory, hapless as a wretched cripple. Fate has taught me how to do it. Memory is the lost neglected soul who roams about aimlessly. You will find him if you are lost in the desert of thoughts. He is my favourite guide. Strange are the ways of this emotional world.

I adore Love. She has far too many admirers. She has that kindness with which she touches every one’s hearts. Her presence is felt sometimes or the other. Her absence is so very dominant, that some seek refuge under Hate, Suffering or me. She is the daughter of Beauty and Fame. Some say her father was Fate. I think she enjoys the company of Happy and Joy too.

Suffering is my only buddy who understands me! However, he is a pathetic fool. He hugs everyone so very often that they despise him. He leaves no room for privacy. He possesses some sort of nagging personality. He tries to please everyone and ends up pleasing none. He is one individual who never really deserts you even if you are lost in the desert of thoughts. I say, 'Make him your friend'. When you try to do that, he vanishes too. He is a coward who doesn’t know if he can really value friendship. He sells wine to survive.

I love to roam like a loner when I can. Suffering follows me most often like a shadow. He is a very good tracker, rarely does he fail to track me down. He says, 'I am there to fill you with the void for your desire to love!' I think he created the pangs of love to be with Love. However, I love to play hide-and-seek with him. It is one of my entertainments. Unlike him, I have many followers. They seek my help to accomplish what they want. Hate and Greed sometimes cajole them into doing that, and they remain mesmerised by their magic.

Fate, however, is the most manipulative of them all. He has developed into a shrewd and cunning personality. He sometimes directs me to steal love from Beauty and Fame. It is then that I realize that after all he has emotional attachments too. I think he craves for love when he is alone.

Fate is a painter by profession. He is by far the most observant guy among us. He paints on the foreheads of men with his long brush. He is moody. Though he may not be the most dependable guy, yet he remains to be a very hard working man. Every day I have to fetch booze from the bar of Suffering. Suffering’s ale makes him craving for more. He has slowly turned into an alcoholic. Sometimes he drinks too much and doesn’t know what he is painting. He has stopped using only the gorgeous colours, which he once used. Now he is mixing them all.

He had painted the most beautiful pictures on the foreheads of Happy and Joy. The riot of gorgeous colours makes them handsome. It was a long time ago when he met Beauty. Some said they had made love! Fame and Fate were the best of friends before Beauty came between them. She now walks alongside Fame. Everyone knows what a beautiful couple they make. Beauty doesn’t stay long nor does Fame. Is it why they make a perfect couple? Well, Fate had it all and Fame stole her! They say, “Fate painted my forehead when he lost Beauty!” He used shades of black and gray to paint. Black reminds him of Beauty. Yet, when Fate and Fame meet they leave all their misgivings behind and chat like long lost friends. True diplomats always have their way.

Everyone rejoices these meetings apart from me and Suffering. Fate would then break down on Suffering’s lap and cry his heart out after that. Fate would then create the weakness for love in each painting. He has painted my weakness for Love too! Birth only comes close to Fate in terms of creativity. Birth is the creator and Fate paints the destiny for the creations. Mortals say Love is in the heart. But when I search it, I only find my empty creation of fear. Suffering told me, love flows in the caresses of the lovers. I try to steal her whenever I meet her! Is it why she runs away from me? Is it why she is so very timid? Sometimes she appears white as a lily and red as a rose! Is it a crime to take away my love?

I love to hunt. A thousand eyes stare at me. Some even pray that I hunt well in the hunting grounds. They cherish the moments when they shoot it with those long lenses. They are what the mortals call the “Photographers”. They are just like Suffering my friend, they leave you with no privacy. I try to stay away from them, yet they are so many, it is hard to hide.

Some of my victims accompany me willingly. Some struggle because they are too much bound to Love. Some embrace me with open arms. Some don’t even care. Sometimes I love to go in circles to try and confuse Suffering. I run in a circle until he is just ahead of me. The search is futile, as the shadow of Suffering envelops me with his huge frame. I am a weakling in the hands of Fate the creator. Yet can anyone blame him? Fate had it all, is what they say!

Fate sometimes plots with Hate and Greed. He would pit me and Suffering against Happy and Joy. We would fight with each other. Usually, we win. We use fear and they fight us with humor. Hope is the perpetual optimist. He would act as the referee. He would encourage both the sides. He would help us to our feet if we lose balance. I have so many times defeated Happy and Joy. Yet they stand up again to fight against me with the inspiration from Hope. I don’t think Love enjoys these fights much. She runs away whenever she hears there will be a fight. Don’t we all fight for love?

I feel all of us are running in circles. These circles would intersect and at some point, we meet with each other. Briefly, though it may seem, these transitions are all but natural but the wide-eyed mortals can rarely distinguish them. I sometimes feel envious of the mortals. They are bound to us. They can still prolong these but we are bound to go around in circles. Who is the most fortunate? For once I need to feel what it is to be alive, for once I need to see what it is to carry Love in my heart and for once I need to be with Love. I will search for her till eternity. Hope always says so! He is a magician who sells dreams. Is that why we all like him so very much? Joy is actually the father of Hope! When everyone deserted, Joy would give hope! Would you like to buy dreams?