“Shilpa’s concepts are like the muddy waters collected under the subways post a downpour. IX standard would be tough,” the teacher said with all the solemnity of announcing an impending disaster. Shilpa’s and her mother Aarti sat and poured over the mathematics books,...
Tara applied the kohl. She tapped gently the hanging flesh below her eyes, the puffiness was all too evident. Well, I can’t do much about that, she thought to herself as she used her compact to touch upon them. She sifted through her collection of Bindis and took her...
Shilpa had few vices and one of it was her morning chai. She had to have it at 6 AM and it had to be the Lasa-Lamsa Chocolate Tea. She had lived in Hyderabad all through her growing years and it was the tea that she swore by. She had a lot of “ought to” and “should,”...
Smita was in a tizzy. The maid, as usual, had passed on the information that she wouldn't be in today. Really! Shanti had a penchant for choosing the most awkward of days. She wished she could do without her, but she sighed knowing that it was only wishful thinking....
“Dadi!" Riya rolled her beautiful eyes and sighed exasperatingly. "You really don’t know what a real adventure is! It is great to experience the unknown… jumping from heights and racing in water with the spray on your face...” She tossed her luxuriant hair with great...
Susan walked into the huge kitchen with its gleaming glass-topped stove and walnut cupboards. It was a far cry from her tiny place in Los Angeles. Looking around, she thought, her little studio apartment would fit into just this room! The deep aroma of roasted Jeera...
I stroked the hair from the lifeless body. The little cherub looked peaceful. It was all over really quick. The cough syrup must have done its job. The struggle of carrying her and giving birth to her was all too raw despite the three years that had gone by. I...
We walked into the din, too early for the previous train’s departure. The steady announcement of departure and arrival of trains in three languages- English, Hindi, and Kannada increased the noise. The vendors zipped in and out of compartments with their flasks and...
When the feeble knock came on the window, Rupesh thought that it was just something he heard in his head. He couldn’t be blamed for the mistake, for it was almost a decade since it was shut. The tales of most windows are intriguing. They are often the only connect to...