Threads and Layers

“Don’t use drugs to numb an entire generation. We need them to execute our plans. We need that one ideology, one common thread that binds them together to spark a revolution that overthrows existing power centers.” “I beg to differ”, he lights up a pipe which holds something other than tobacco, “they need to be … Continue reading Threads and Layers

Projection

“Neurotic projection was only a phrase for me, before I saw Manan practicing it regularly. I’m accused of things which are so evident in his own behavior - maybe it relieves him of guilt or inadequacy, but it’s getting completely intolerable,” I sense desperation in her message. Is she asking for professional help? Will it … Continue reading Projection

A day in life, not ended yet

A writer sends me stories of people with physical deformities who take to crime; he calls them ‘broken people’ who need salvation.  The news talks about the arrest of an unusually venomous guy who developed a huge Twitter following, and makes a living out of publishing vitriolic remarks on celebrities, and then getting paid to … Continue reading A day in life, not ended yet

Time to go

The loudest voices are the ones that speak a different language in different places. The camaraderie is unmistakable, as I see in the backslapping and guffawing. The superior lateral vision I’m born with (some people call it intuition), helps me see the passing empty look on faces as soon as another face turns away. The … Continue reading Time to go

Amoeba

“This is the kind of chase that both enthralls and perplexes me… the criminal is one of a kind who leaves no easy trail”, the lady police officer affectionately called Madam Sir, plonks herself in her chair. “You are in the hot seat, Madam Sir…. the Chief Minister has announced a prize of 5 million … Continue reading Amoeba

Drumrolls

Let the drum beats pierce eardrums, develop an anthem and get everybody singing it to proclaim alignment. Let not going with the majority feel like blasphemy. Songs replace divergent thought processes, and guilt compels them to put in extra effort. Show them images to incite anger or devotion, and watch some of them write corollaries … Continue reading Drumrolls

Fiction

It feels great to be on the seaside jotting down thoughts, the feeling of anonymity exhilarating, as I shed the burden of ego and constructed self. Stories flow smoothly with a pen-name - it’s not seen as confession or spilled secrets. Somehow, the characters evolve into different beings and act in a manner not envisaged … Continue reading Fiction

Space

It’s an exotic island with picturesque beauty spread out in front of her, and her eyes can’t stop gorging on it all. The scenic beauty makes striking pictures for social media, but there’s no device of any kind …. it was one of the conditions for her to own this island. How could she accept … Continue reading Space

PATH

This is the most intriguing relationship.  You’ve never complained about being walked over, stamped on, trodden every day. You always take me to my chosen or desired destination. If my shoes have spiky heels, I wonder if a desire for revenge will possess you, and you may send me off in wrong directions … some … Continue reading PATH

Growing Within

“I feel let down,” sighs Karan, “sometimes the things you trust are not there when you need them most.”  Idly, he fingers the books on the expensive shelf he bought on his last trip to Italy, and an intricately designed miniature painting falls from somewhere in between. The face of the artist and her voice … Continue reading Growing Within