It was here that the Queen of International Cuisines wrote her first recipe. She glanced at the ingredients on the shelves and painted poetry on paper. She felt the fragrance and flavors emanating from the notebook. She hired two assistants to implement her culinary design. Lo and behold, she became the most popular author of … Continue reading Spilled Secrets
Wish you all a peaceful Thanksgiving celebration with family and friends! SHOUT-OUTS Thanks to all my friends here for being a blessing to creativity and collaboration! The special mentions this week are Jude Itakali for creating magic on a single page with his mash-ups. We miss you when you are not around. Suzette B. for … Continue reading Reena’s Xploration Challenge #409
“Hitch your wagon to mine, and you’ll never be disappointed,” he would often brag in an inebriated state. It gradually became clear that he was referring only to organizational freebies, nothing more. “There is no choice but to do things as they are done here,” yelled a cruder version of the monstrosity called a boss. … Continue reading No Shortcuts
It’s a pleasure to see flowers bloom in the unlikeliest of places. Look at the reflection. Water carries memories, and its freshness will go a long way toward touching all those who use or consume it. I see rocky reflections too… Take a deep breath, pause and watch the rocks float. They are not as … Continue reading It’s not what you look at, but what you see
The New Entrant distinctly remembered leaving Halloween two weeks behind, before entering the Bistro, but the silhouettes at the corner table, with their indistinct features, sent a shiver down her spine, adding an intriguing layer of unease to the scene. She wondered why Denise had said something bad was going to happen, and Sister Aclima … Continue reading Blow My Skull
Welcome back! PROMPT #407 We have a sentence to kick-start your imagination. If I fall, I will take you all down. If I rise ......... tell me where you want to go? Who is the character saying this? What is the probable situation? This line could also be reframed as a metaphor for consequence—the idea … Continue reading Reena’s Xploration Challenge #407
Life is movement, but life is not always progress. We do slip back and catch up. What was unfathomable for me is life coming to a grinding halt, and it’s not death. These gasps, these moments of stillness, were not accounted for in my life goals. A change of geography and culture taught me how … Continue reading Impending
Welcome back! In a country where Halloween is not a popular festival, and is largely celebrated by the young, the richest family of the nation set a trend by hosting an extravagant affair (their parties can't be anything but extravagant), and celebrities had to fly out of Bombay to attend it. A majority of the … Continue reading Reena’s Xploration Challenge #406
The artist walked to the dais to receive the award, her gown's train carrying a not-so-glorious past. Despite being chucked out of her job for asking uncomfortable questions, and her marriage failing because she did not give in to gaslighting and unfair demands, she stood firm. She walked through a subway every day, and empowering … Continue reading Shunned
It is Christmas again, the first after her husband’s departure. The house opposite hers has distinctly changed. The new owners strung lanterns shaped like moons and stars, not snowflakes. No inflatable Santa, no blinking reindeer—just quiet warmth. Curious, she watched them humming tunes she didn’t recognise. On Christmas Eve, they left a small box at … Continue reading Immigrants
