It was here that the Queen of International Cuisines wrote her first recipe. She glanced at the ingredients on the shelves and painted poetry on paper. She felt the fragrance and flavors emanating from the notebook. She hired two assistants to implement her culinary design. Lo and behold, she became the most popular author of … Continue reading Spilled Secrets
It’s a pleasure to see flowers bloom in the unlikeliest of places. Look at the reflection. Water carries memories, and its freshness will go a long way toward touching all those who use or consume it. I see rocky reflections too… Take a deep breath, pause and watch the rocks float. They are not as … Continue reading It’s not what you look at, but what you see
It is Christmas again, the first after her husband’s departure. The house opposite hers has distinctly changed. The new owners strung lanterns shaped like moons and stars, not snowflakes. No inflatable Santa, no blinking reindeer—just quiet warmth. Curious, she watched them humming tunes she didn’t recognise. On Christmas Eve, they left a small box at … Continue reading Immigrants
They emerge from shadowed alleys of ambition, cloaked in charm and stitched with silence. Their pasts are inked in midnight—untraceable, unspoken—but their voices gleam like polished silver. They speak of galaxies, of futures spun in gold thread, of destinies that shimmer just beyond reach. With practised grace, they lift the sun and cradle it like … Continue reading Fraudsters
the whimper of the last firecrackercuts through sleepy windowsas tired revellers go to bed A hazy smog challenges visionwhat’s coming next-appreciation for hospitalityinsufficient to last a seasonor credit card debt? I check the heatingtear off dry-cleaning labelsfrom last year’s laundry-The wedding season startsI need a warm wardrobe readyto look my bestwith well-moisturised skinand a colourful … Continue reading It is smoky outside
Doors that open or closeDoors that respond to knocksor don’t-each door hides a storystories that deserve a mentionor a coffin underground Did their hearts stop beatingor I chose to un-listen?-decibels well-adjustedbelow my hearing range Did they migrate to receptive soilsor transmute to strange forms?Each act of mine speaks volumes.Each word echoes the underground What lies … Continue reading Ab initio, Ad Infinitum
Loops offer reconciliation with established patterns and estranged elements. They sat on the picnic table to share a packed lunch, and looked into each other’s eyes before they solemnised the bond. Unfortunately, they could never see eye to eye on anything after that. Tangents are invitations to take off somewhere in the unknown; they attract … Continue reading Loops and Tangents
I was told water finds its level, but no one warned me that the subconscious does not. It fills up uneven places—behind the eyes, beneath the lungs, blocking oxygen, struggling to find its space in speech, in the silence between words. It disregards all the logic I was raised on — logic that connects me … Continue reading Spaces
“Arches in architecture always fascinate me – under a bridge, on doorways or elsewhere. At another level, the arc tempts me to complete the circle and let people jump in”. “Passing through an arch brings good luck”, chimes in my mother as the temple bells ring. “Then why do you pray for good luck after … Continue reading Arches
He realized that she had seen him and he couldn’t let her get away. This is a hackneyed story plot for a thriller, and the author decides to ditch the familiar today. The protagonist follows her to see what she is up to after seeing him. He is ever grateful to that momentary thought. He … Continue reading The story goes on
Creative Experiments and More 