Who wants to meet me?

There is someone still alive in that castle, who has watched people die. The walls are silent with echoes of footsteps long gone, and the air is heavy with secrets. Each window frames a memory—faces of people long gone pressed against glass, pleading for escape. The survivor moves like a shadow, carrying the burden of … Continue reading Who wants to meet me?

Trained Vision

Arjuna, the Archer, convinces his guru that he sees nothing but his target placed on a tree – the toy parrot’s eye. The student is well on his path to becoming a legendary warrior, with directed vision. A soldier once shared that they are trained to press the trigger on command, not think. For if … Continue reading Trained Vision

Discovery trip

She is no babe-in-the-woods. The internet and AI connect her to the world outside. She has friends, opinions, critics …. not necessarily in the same order. The family keeps warning her of the perils of over-exposure, and home is touted as the safest place in the world. A cryptic post from her, “Do people outside … Continue reading Discovery trip

On a ventilator? Good Lord, No….

The Ice AgesEarth’s slow breathingPerhaps it was a designPerhaps, it was undecided then, something happened-A gasp-A hot touchsomething fierysinged its lungshumans got ambitiousIn their quest to controlwhat they did not createthey needed the leverageto reach the sky and stars The Earth is not on a ventilator-As yetand humans celebratesmall victoriesAfter Moon and Marsthey eye other … Continue reading On a ventilator? Good Lord, No….

With Care

Shadows on the grass speak of a fence somewhere – boundaries that demand respect. Religion induces discipline, incites wars and sometimes turns sane people into maniacs. I wish it were more of a contract where offer and acceptance are both needed, rather than an accident of birth. Anything that divides humanity is subhuman, bordering on … Continue reading With Care

Follow the unexpected

She rode a bicycle all the way to audition for an ad to fulfil her dream of being a model. But Lolita Lolita Tulum, a skincare and fashion brand, had already chosen a celebrity as their brand ambassador. Her freshness and commitment had to wait for another opportunity. As she turned back in a dejected … Continue reading Follow the unexpected

Flame in the Waiting Room

Chocolate cake with a lit blue candle on a dining table

Are you the one I lost?But you always lived in my heart-the missing piece in the puzzleon questions about my childrenI look at the sky wistfullysee you romping aroundon grass greener than greenfresher than childhood You survived abortion attemptssometimes in the guise of a lawsometimes a mother's guilt rawbut failed to breathe under arc lightsof … Continue reading Flame in the Waiting Room

Reputation

The scion’s arrest was a major scandal in the township. Joan Gilt’s son was running a drug business inside the hotel his mother built after so much struggle in life. He pleaded innocence with tears in his eyes and his mother’s name on his lips as a shield. The police officer interrogating him said, “You … Continue reading Reputation

Out of Order

Tiny slivers of historical evidence cannot withstand the scrutiny of critics and the superimposition of meaning by those in power. Books are written, rewritten, translated, interpreted and destroyed till approved textbook versions take their place. Children memorise those not out of curiosity, but to pass exams. They have been programmed anyway, unwittingly and unconsciously. The … Continue reading Out of Order

Time and God

It flows with me, but I can’t keep pace with it. I am a dot. I ask the river to carry my story to the oceans. It accepts by touching my hand lowered over the guardrail. The sun takes away a part of it, and clouds rain somewhere else. Other stories are curious and want … Continue reading Time and God