Smoke choked the morning sky as artillery fire rumbled through the ruined village. Soldiers marched past, with hardened faces, oblivious to the misery in the eyes of those whose dear ones were at war. Maria looked at her husband’s picture in uniform on the mantelpiece. The thought of seeing a garland hanging on the picture … Continue reading Gains and Losses
On a stage lit in neon, drowning in kaleidoscopic noise, Samaira found solace in her mother’s artwork.She had discovered woven elegance in her attic, uncovered forgotten stories from an era long past. Each design held depth, contrasting with the fleeting scroll of social feeds. Knotted deliberately, some stories did not give in to untangling and … Continue reading Un-knotting stories
28th January, 2005, was the day I felt hurt and ignored. 12th June, 2007 ……… She wondered if she was talking to a human being or a talking calendar of events—events she could not remember or relate to, but had trapped his weak mind in repetitive cycles. Sahil kept talking in loops and failed to … Continue reading Black Monsters
Welcome back! PROMPT #379 Mangus Khan shared T.S. Eliot's Cold, Snobby Guide to Poetry in response to last week's prompt. I'm enticed by the following lines. Kill Your Ego, Save the Poem Now for Eliot’s hottest take: great poetry isn’t about you. It’s not your diary entry. It’s not your breakup in verse. The poet should … Continue reading Reena’s Xploration Challenge #379
“I don’t believe in this mahurat nonsense,” Ajay hissed. “It doesn’t harm us in any way. We are already living together. This event is meant to be a social declaration in India.” They wanted to get married at their annual vacation home, but the priest said there were no auspicious dates during the month. Her … Continue reading The Perfect Date (Mahurat)
Welcome back! PROMPT #378 I've chosen a genre today, instead of a topic or picture. CREATIVE NON-FICTION It is also known as literary non-fiction, narrative non-fiction, literary journalism or verfabula. In short, it is a true story that is well told. You may choose to protect the identity of characters by changing names and other … Continue reading Reena’s Xploration Challenge #378
The laptop screen flickered as the lights went out. She turned back to open the windows, and froze in her tracks as the reflection in the glass was not her own. Words appeared on the device screen unaided by text or voice input – “You left the attic door open and invited me in, so … Continue reading Fiercely Private
I find him gasping for breath under the bridge. He could barely keep his head above water. “Who threw you under the bus …er bridge?” I feel almost like a monster when asking this. “Pull me out first. I’ll spill the beans.” I haven’t asked for a scoop. I recall his speech in a conference … Continue reading The road to power
When the soul’s lease agreement with the body nears its expiry date, I see the irrelevance of other contracts. Duality has never been so transparent and evident as in the almost posthumous messages invading my fading consciousness. The internet enthuses me as a carefully orchestrated image stares back at me. Mirror it is not, as … Continue reading Navigating the Unknown
It is a place where relationships lived, revived or died with conversations. Connectedness was the keyword. Plants in the same space are watered regularly, but are starved of oxygen. What kind of oxygen are you referring to? I remember how I felt renewed and invigorated after hearing your voice. Texts do not have the same … Continue reading Enablers
Creative Experiments and More 