It happened to Anarkali, aeons ago. The palace maid was punished for falling in love with a prince. The legend has lived on, with stories about her underground escape, facilitated by none other than Emperor Akbar. Maybe, she returned to be a part of the harem, when her lover became King. While I was buried … Continue reading Re-emergence
He tiptoes to come close, and deliver a surprise. He grunts to express disinterest or disappointment. He slurps with a look of satisfaction, on the dining table. He hammers and nails, to fix things around the house, even if it disturbs my writing. The whirr of the car engine reflects his mood for the day. … Continue reading My Spouse
Be grateful just when you have to. They’ll subjugate you into being indebted obliged consigned to slavery to suit their purpose. Life is a series of give-and-take, scrap that guilt if you can return favors to even it out. You are not responsible for choices which they made peculiar to conditions prevailing … Continue reading Only when you have to
Being watched is an uncomfortable feeling. I do not like voyeurs or dictators peeping into my life and privacy. George Orwell painted a scary picture of “Big Brother” watching us, as a means to induce fear, and a slave mind-set in the targeted population. But I would like somebody to have my back. A friend … Continue reading I am the Watcher and the Watched
A star performer, Aditya Kapoor, in the sales department had suddenly quit. His incentives had not been credited on the due date, and he needed the money to pay his father’s hospitalization bill. He was piqued by the incident, and the competition had been smart enough to instantly lure him with a better offer. The … Continue reading The New Recruit
The systems had been hacked, despite installing firewalls and meticulous planning. The experts were called in for damage repair, but her professional credibility had immensely suffered. Sheila had never found herself in such a pickle before. She spent the next one week working with the experts, learning more about the vulnerability of each component, and … Continue reading The Pickling Process
The stage that was set with great care, and illuminated so perfectly, lay in shambles after a public outrage. The people who had teamed up to create the magnificent structure, shed silent tears, but no disappointment is greater than the artists not showing up, after building great hopes. God is as guilty as the artists, … Continue reading The Guilty
Dr. Martha had answered all the messages with great care, with a special personalized touch of appreciation and gratitude. There was so much that close associates had added to her life in the last thirty-five years. She had chosen to remain single, and devote her life entirely to work. Back home, she looked at the … Continue reading Starting afresh
The lean tree, the semi-spherical huts with a twig and bloom garden outside – it is all the stuff of childhood fantasy. We created this with our mother, and spun stories around the quaint little setting. The best storyteller was rewarded with a cupcake. This was the springboard for all my creativity. Lost in my … Continue reading Inspired Creativity
Sleep eludes me on balmy, moonlit nights, when the soul is hypnotized by greed and desire, and the beast awakens within. Inspired by Elsie Hagley at Weekly Tanka Prompt Challenge #Week 56 Pic: renegadetribune.com
