Compatibility

“How did the two of you meet, Mom?” Children get incredibly curious about their parents’ past lives at times. “There were no café dates, but everything to do with working together on a food truck. When we were all fagged out at close of business, Richard took the trouble of concocting something unusual from leftovers, … Continue reading Compatibility

Missing You

I stop in my tracks with squeaky sounds from Angel’s bedroom. But I remember having locked the door properly. I switch on the lights to see a few toys displaced. A toy car comes rolling towards me as if the driver has lost control. Teddy’s face looks crestfallen, and all other soft toys look deflated. … Continue reading Missing You

Anomaly

It’s not unusual for Sara to feel this way – as lonely as a blade of grass in a well-manicured lawn. She longed to be different, even if she was not worshipped, for belonging to an illustrious family. She envisions the arched eyebrows in her mind – the disapproving glance and pursed lips which will … Continue reading Anomaly

Presence

She appears to be in love with her words as she utters them. Maybe, it’s the glorious images those words conjure in her mind – her pristine superiority, pictures of herself and her loved ones ruling the world with an opinionated hand. It’s no joke, but a narcissist mind at work. I’m a criminal because … Continue reading Presence

Narcissist

She appears to be in love with her words as she utters them. Maybe, it’s the glorious images those words conjure in her mind – her pristine superiority, pictures of herself and her loved ones ruling the world with an opinionated hand. It’s no joke, but a narcissist mind at work. I’m a criminal because … Continue reading Narcissist

Too much too soon

His thoughts turn to his first visit to a candy store with the 500-rupee note his aunt gave him. Greedy is the only label he can put on that version of himself. He ate too much too fast, and landed in the doctor’s clinic with a stomachache. Sania’s message causes heartache. She is the best … Continue reading Too much too soon

The Black Diary

A damaged laptop, a watch that stopped working at 10.23 pm and a passport is all they find in the deserted bag. The passport carries the name of Adam Smith, which is not the name of the person they are looking for. The black diary that holds important details is missing. Has the diplomat been … Continue reading The Black Diary

Blatherskites

“If they don’t know about it, it doesn’t exist.” She leaves the room with a sigh after being told that she should not interrupt. Maybe they are right. She should not interrupt nonsense with logic. How can patriarchal frogs accept that a woman knows more than what they’ve learnt in their deep, dark wells? And … Continue reading Blatherskites

Greta and Gavin

Greta had many names, many identities and a trail of frauds unleashed on unsuspecting victims who fell prey to her beaming smiles and unabashed glamour. She was a widow who needed money to pay for her husband’s funeral, a student who needed tuition to finish her degree, a traveller who lost her passport and wallet, … Continue reading Greta and Gavin

Let the mob decide

The magnificence of curtains is unable to contain the discord inside, or conceal the beauty of the open sky outside. The contradiction is stark and conclusions unspeakable. He wonders if there is a proscenium outside, where a prologue on the drama is delivered to onlookers. It will prepare them for dialogues that are yet to … Continue reading Let the mob decide