The place hasn’t changed much in a decade. But an intriguing sight greets me. Two dogs are lounging around in the chairs which the senior Smith couple used to grace. I push the gate open and see a young girl serving their food in bowls on the table. “I haven’t seen you here before.” “How … Continue reading Stretching beyond life
The café of complexities never ceases to fascinate me. Fingerprints on menu cards belong to raised brows as well as beaming smiles. The feet that veer away from shared paths never turn back. The staff observes expressions more than counting the cash left behind in tips. They know it’s all linked – like the deals … Continue reading Cafe Complex
“It’s not possible”, pleaded the advocate helplessly, “all proofs and witnesses are against you.” “Tell me clearly if you cannot do the job, and I’ll hire another lawyer. I am paying you a bomb to manage the legal process.” “Whatever has already gone on record remains unchanged.” “Blur the background of incidents a little, circulate … Continue reading Influencing justice
I take pride in creating beautiful covers for household items – teapots, trays, scratched table tops or unsightly corners. It has evolved into a lucrative business, and my homemaker friends envy me for the financial freedom I gained through it. “Do I get any plus marks for creativity?” I ask with a smile in one … Continue reading Covers
“An unfinished story invites. It gives everyone the liberty to complete it as they like.” Henry’s words keep haunting me as I browse through his incomplete manuscript. Unfinished structures welcome every new brick or stone. They reach completion but not in the manner as perceived in the beginning. I call the publisher. “If this book … Continue reading Unfinished
“House-house was the most popular game in my childhood. I had no choice but to play as per preference of my playmates. It was better than isolation. I was often castigated and rebuked because I showed a marked preference for administrative and going-out tasks rather than cooking, cleaning and laundry.” “The story has not changed … Continue reading Wisdom
Those pages make a story for sure, but all are not written by me. How ridiculous is it to say, that I’m not the author of my own life? Am I blaming others for failure, or giving them credit for undeserved success? Maybe, I happened to be at the right place at the time to … Continue reading Whose story?
Silhouettes - the dark shape and outline of someone or something visible in restricted light against a brighter background. It’s not just a dictionary meaning. It represents the underground presence, hushed voices, crushed identities that lie beneath a story. They are the ones who created the outline, but disappeared either voluntarily or were compelled to … Continue reading Silhouettes
Denise gives me a ponderable quote. “A book should be an ax to chop open the frozen sea inside us” I go ahead and choose a book that seems relevant. I’m engulfed by dizziness, just when I’m on the verge of a breakthrough, landing in a whirlpool. My feet are shackled by guilt, as I … Continue reading Frozen Sea inside Me
The world looks so different from here. But what separates me from it is still a haze… I’m not sure if what I think or infer is right. The people who hurt me are floating around, showing me unknown aspects of their existence … unknown to me that is… altering my view totally. Is revenge … Continue reading Haze
