“It takes decades to realise you started at the wrong place”, whispered the woman in the ICU in a reflective tone. “It is not a crime if you had no choice”, the attendant was supportive and empathetic. “It was my job to find the right launchpad. Time is not a grant, but a loan we … Continue reading Redemption
“The biggest reason for failure is not finding the right platform.” The words kept ringing in her ears as she submitted her manuscript to the publisher. She had been maligned with false allegations in a carefully engineered social media offensive. Replying to each offender would have meant dragging herself into a cesspool. Who can utter … Continue reading Her Story
The Story As It Has So Far Unfolded : Chapter 1 by Savio Paes – Welcome to Apartment no. 4402 Chapter 2 by Rajeshwari A housewarming Party gone seriously wrong Chapter 3 by Lalitha – Enter Arjun the initial owner dead forty years back Chapter 4 by Sri – One Apartment two ‘existing’ owners – … Continue reading Under Redevelopment
The surge of courage marching on the streets puts awareness in perspective. The megalomaniac vision of a single person cannot determine a nation’s rendezvous with destiny. A nation of one and a half billion, with a majority of people who have seen less than four decades, is willing to shed the burden of the past … Continue reading Continuum
Monika smirked as reporters packed the gallery. “Nobody would be surprised if a bullet caused bedlam in the courtroom. But here it was a description deemed to be offensive.” The transcript glowed on every screen. The accused hadn’t shouted or lied. She had called the president “below average.” Gasps rippled harder than gunfire. By noon, … Continue reading Honest
Remove the blindfolds slowly, lest bright light blinds me again. I’ve crawled underground for ages, not because the gates were shut, but I was not aware that another world exists. I wonder if I was genetically programmed, or cultivated in the petri-dish of ignorance and inactivity. I did not see a reason to suspect anybody’s … Continue reading Point of No Return
He watched her back as she walked out of the door, knowing he would always have her back without letting her know. Not very long ago, she had arrived broken, certain she would drown in the weight of grief, and he offered what she lacked most - a steady shore where she could rest her … Continue reading Bonds that set free
The last train at 1.30 am never failed to show a world that did not exist – at least during the day. He was privy to many secrets of the night – petty criminals sharing the booty on railway stations, movement of contraband goods on the roads, hookers trying to lure customers and the paanwala … Continue reading Nocturnal
She stubbornly refused to let the kids go out. She insisted they were allergic to sunlight. “You’ve returned after decades. Only I know how I’ve raised them.” He couldn’t gather the courage to talk about his amnesia. He did not recall having a family, but was learning to accept them. He often wondered what made … Continue reading Overlaps
Success conceals unpleasant truths. Edited highlights make it difficult for anyone to raise a finger, as the accuser lives in mortal fear of vociferous attacks by the servile majority. But the dark shadows need to be acknowledged before being swallowed by Time. The crowds compel a passing vehicle to drive into a cesspool, and the … Continue reading Unscathed
