Maya had no clue what a cold reception meant. But the sharpness of her step-mom’s sarcasm stung like leafless twigs on sore skin. Suddenly, the Destitute Childrens’ Home felt like a better place, where she’d friends and a matron who loved them. She’d to share a dorm with seventeen other inmates, and two washrooms between … Continue reading Cold Reception
Spooky is whatever our senses are not trained to interpret or understand. It lies outside the domain of ordinary life. My maternal grandfather had to reach his village where his wife was counting her last breaths. The bridge on the river he had to cross had broken down, and he was wondering if he will … Continue reading Spooky
This is Paundraka, no ordinary buffalo… Where does it come from? Lord Yama, the God of Death rides it as a vehicle. It starts moving when a human is born, and takes a lifetime to reach the person. Then, why not a turtle? Buffaloes signify ignorance, and that is how a major part of the … Continue reading Paundraka
I don’t remember the date or month we last. Yes, life is divided into two parts – before you and after you, turbulent and peaceful, demanding and relaxed, gaslighting and left alone. This alone-ness is so all-encompassing, that I’ve never felt a need t0 look back. I truly don’t remember when you absquatulated. I’d rather … Continue reading Absquatulated
All the required elements are available. You need to put them together in the right combination and proportion to achieve success. She is intrigued by the words in her late mother’s diary on the last page. Her mother was neither a scientist nor a great cook to give tips. Then, what was she trying to … Continue reading Wisdom
I see a shaggy tail mid-air, and there …. She has landed on the sofa or bench. It doesn’t help much that it is covered by a shaggy cover. Remnants of calcium bones get lost in it, and my girl has to work hard to retrieve it. It’s not easy for me to separate hair … Continue reading Shaggy tails
Turn off all the lights. Do not document barbarism, or give it a place in history. Destroy all records of past enmity induced by colonialist rulers who walked away after leaving nations to consume themselves. Let future generations not know what happened before. Silence the souls that cry for revenge. Invite them to participate in … Continue reading Obliteration
It was a vacation from life. I watched friends and foes drown in uncertainty, rise up to the surface, find tools to reach the bottom of the ocean, while I flew around soundlessly. I don’t know why the flight felt like a suspension, like I was a kite - not a bird with wind under … Continue reading Holiday
What a pity people live in dark corners while the sun and moon light up planets mechanically, with no intended recipients. You need to place yourself in the direction of light, grab it with eyes and hands and tools, store it in containers with fancy shapes, manage temperatures in specific time zones. You cannot pluck … Continue reading Limitations
She wished she could have said No to a dear friend showing off his research pursuits. She regretted visiting the Zoology lab and seeing life forms pickled in formaldehyde. And now she lived in perpetual fear of revenge being plotted by those mercilessly killed. One of them grows up to be a dinosaur attacking her … Continue reading What kind of -noia?
Creative Experiments and More 