Monday, August 27, 2012

THE COUNTER-STRIKE


THE COUNTER-STRIKE


           
It was not difficult for Leon to understand that his days at the top were over! He had the habit of assuming centre stage wherever he was! But, of late, Noel was proving to be more than just an irritation.
It all started months ago, with the former ridiculing the latter in front of a significant crowd. It was Leon’s nature to belittle other people who looked the type who could be overawed with high-decibel wordiness into figuratively kowtowing before him, which he preferred to occur in full public view so that as big an audience as could be managed celebrated his superiority while he basked in glory and the badgered unfortunate fellow was left nursing his mortal wound!
Once in a while however someone comes along who does not take loud words at face value!
Noel belonged to that breed and Leon failed to recognize and hazarded to play his usual game. After patiently suffering for quarter of an hour being at the receiving end of the tirade of vicious innuendos, cruel sarcasm, penetrating criticism, snide remarks and inexact and smoothly misleading comments and thus almost being demolished by that overwhelming armamentarium, Noel employed his counter!
Noel’s insouciant smile was the incongruously surprising opener of the riposte. He wore a carefree and even-tempered look and spoke in a soft but engaging tone and while he inwardly deliberated on every word that he chose to voice out, he enacted his performance with absolutely unhindered spontaneity! He dug out the half-truths in Leon’s much cheered speech and cleaned the grime! These were plentiful and slowly but eventually people gathered there could not deny the falsehood of many of Leon’s statements! Noel thus drilled a chink in Leon’s armour!
After three months, the buttress of Leon’s infallibility was no longer there. It was gradually dismantled and on every occasion, the mortar that shelled it came from within! It was merely deflected again and again to accomplish a successful counter-strike!


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