Let the drum beats pierce eardrums, develop an anthem and get everybody singing it to proclaim alignment. Let not going with the majority feel like blasphemy. Songs replace divergent thought processes, and guilt compels them to put in extra effort. Show them images to incite anger or devotion, and watch some of them write corollaries … Continue reading Drumrolls
“This is Indian food for me, not Chinese”, exclaimed a Dutch guest in an Indian restaurant. A friend’s family asks for ‘Indian Chinese food’, on a holiday to India from Thailand. They’ve been missing it so much. There was a ‘Boycott Chinese’ wave in 2020, when the world held China responsible for the pandemic. Consumption … Continue reading Blended
It’s that moment when you are made to feel less human - for not following a code of conduct devised by other humans. You don’t understand why the majority matters more than your originality, your right to be. You’re unable to achieve your goals because you are excluded from the club. And then you make … Continue reading Shame
He is crestfallen, not finding anyone inside there. He remembers the girl who guided his boat to anchor on the right spot. She might have some clues about his quest. He sees her helping the locals with their daily chores. “If you’re hungry, there’s enough food for everyone.” “I’m looking for a princess who was … Continue reading Release
“Shouldn’t the night sky be midnight and silver, rather than blue and yellow?” My husband is being critical as usual. He has never liked this interior decorator. “This is soothing on the eyes. And my baby is going to shine like gold, not a subdued silver.” His arms engulf me in a split second, and … Continue reading Wallpaper
It feels great to be on the seaside jotting down thoughts, the feeling of anonymity exhilarating, as I shed the burden of ego and constructed self. Stories flow smoothly with a pen-name - it’s not seen as confession or spilled secrets. Somehow, the characters evolve into different beings and act in a manner not envisaged … Continue reading Fiction
“Uncle, how long will you wait in the queue on a sultry afternoon? Go home and rest. I’ll collect the cash and deliver it to your house.” The old man looks grateful for the offer. He is tired and sick, but desperately in need of money. He hands over the signed cheque to the young … Continue reading Story Swap
Someone told me seashells carry sounds of the sea. I hold it close to the ear for secrets nobody’s ever heard. A crashing sound hits the ear drums, but only to distract. Those are the waves hitting the shore to get scattered and gather themselves again. I ask the shore what stories it absorbs and … Continue reading Who knows?
Winds blow in a different direction, making me struggle to retain balance. The world on the other side is unfriendly. So what if I’ve been there a couple of times…..I don’t like it. It seems perfectly natural to some … fluttering of a butterfly’s wings or a movement like floppy puppy ears. I know that … Continue reading Stormy winds
“She is in a coma,” informs the doctor, “but try and say positive things when you are around her.” Is it a case of suspended consciousness? I suddenly become aware of my own consciousness that makes me feel alive. I exist and know that I do. But physicists have not been able to see and … Continue reading Comatose
