Her father’s love for burgers and wraps in Dunkin Donuts was a joke in the family. He visited the outlet regularly, but never opted for donuts. “Breakfast time”, he would enthusiastically declare as he headed out after his morning walk. “Dad, get something packed for us” was an occasional refrain in the house, and then … Continue reading Donuts and Wraps
It was a dream. She looked at the building wistfully on her visits to the city, and wished she could live in a house so large. She looks at the dilapidated wall splattered with graffiti, and sighs. It took a wrong turn, being conned by a trafficker and inhuman torture inflicted, to realize that it … Continue reading Home
The light filtering in from the skylight kept her alive. It was 1971, the year of war and the year of blackouts. At night, the window was covered with a black paper to avoid light filtering out. She longed to see the moon, but heard the drones of aircraft flying low. What if they dropped … Continue reading End of the tunnel
“Kids can’t understand your philosophy. Please don’t pollute their minds.” The school Principal is upset with me. A notice is circulated, re-emphasizing that politics and religion not be discussed in classrooms. Classrooms? There is a huge field out there, where I influence students. I’m their fave, friendly mentor. The administration has no clue about my … Continue reading Long-term plan
Get off the turtle, if you want to move ahead in life. I am moving constantly. The speed is imperceptible to you. Moving to where? I’ll be outta here, before the water reaches my neck. Do your arithmetic right. The tank fills up at a faster rate. I start leaking after that, and some of … Continue reading You’re impossible
The sky outside is stormy and dark. Lightning flashes in the sapphire blue of your eyes. My palms and soles are cold. You are furious about something. The stewardess pours a steaming latte in the Styrofoam cup, and it wobbles a bit. Is it going to be my last sip of life? Suddenly, you smile … Continue reading Independence
Tuberoses have an interesting name in Hindi – Rajnigandha (fragrance of the night – ‘Rajni’ is night, ‘gandh’ means smell). I always placed these flowers in the rooms of houseguests I cared about. It ensured a good ambience in the evenings, as we often spent the day outdoors. One such couple returned after years. “There’s … Continue reading The missing fragrance
“Why is the young man hanging from the window?” “Maybe he’s a thief. Maybe his girlfriend is in there.….” “But he has to get in or come down. I don’t see a pipe on the wall to climb.” “That exactly is the moral of the story. One should not climb on a moving base to … Continue reading Not interesting
Curiosity takes me wherever I go. It also makes me whatever I am. And this glass with moving images has opened up new worlds. I was once tempted to break it, on seeing a fishbowl, but the lovely sight disappeared when I reached there. It felt like a kind of mirage. But I’ve learnt to … Continue reading Cattiness
I saw this young man, let’s call him X, on a past life regression show, wanting to know about his bonding with a guy he met on the train. Somebody requested him for a change of seat with an enticing smile, and X willingly obliged. As fate would have it, the train was derailed, and … Continue reading Destinies
