Gold

Granny loved experimenting with emojis, and her incorrect usage was often a subject of humour in the family. She learnt FaceTime long before Zoom arrived, to stay in touch with her grandchildren who lived abroad. Then, one day, the emoji pack she had downloaded disappeared from her phone. Maybe one of her grandkids decided to … Continue reading Gold

Troubled Waters

Business empires are built by close-knit lobbies, those who act in unison and do not leak information. But loyalty dissolved like sugar in troubled waters. No wonder, for a key member was the competitor’s implant in the system. Weekend Writing Prompt #446

A Toast to Herself

She did not recognise herself in the mirror, and she knew why she received cold or lukewarm responses in meetings and at social events. Epiphany struck—she was shedding skin and not feeling guilty about it, discarding the weight of expectations. Each layer that fell away revealed a pulse of freedom, raw and unashamed. She took … Continue reading A Toast to Herself

Spilled Secrets

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

Expressions

Fluency mattered in elocution competitions, especially when they were educated in a foreign language. She scored well, and then she did not stop. She was called garrulous, so she picked up a pen and structured her thoughts. She writes fluently and brooks no interference from editing tools. Weekend Writing Prompt #444

No Shortcuts

 “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

Blow My Skull

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

Impending

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

Shunned

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