It has been eight years since Ronit had last seen Akshita. He is sitting in front of his Laptop, his eyes fixed on a particular photo from a series of photos of all the girls named Akshita. He hovers upon her profile picture but something prevents him from clicking on it. Entering her profile would... Continue Reading →
An Imitative Act…
From the sixth floor of his office, Saksham sees people, dragging themselves towards their office. Most of them dawdling, as if reluctant to enter the place. They seem to have forgotten the time when they had laboured to be given a chance to work there -- revision of the concepts, shortlisting of the resume, calls... Continue Reading →
Of Dreams and Love…
The clock in the hall room sprung to life, its speaker chimed four times, and then turned silent again, leaving the house tranquil. Arun was already up, struggling with his breaths. The post-monsoon season aggravated his sinusitis, and so he kept switching between the sides. Restive, he sat atop the bed for some time, adjusted... Continue Reading →
The Absence Of Light…
The table lamps stood at an awkward angle to each other and together with the paraphernalia -- the books that he had read, the book he was currently reading, the book he had decided never to flip any more page of, the kindle, the empty pen stand, a Rubik's cube that had jammed for not... Continue Reading →
That Feeling Called Love…
The last time he had let anyone touch him, Tanishq was 27 and had nothing on his body. And after the session of the passionate lovemaking was over, it had begun to rain outside, and it had continued to rain like that for some time. He was sitting on his bed, wiping the sweat off... Continue Reading →
In Conversation With Nadine – Part 2
This post is in response to a few questions asked by Nadine.
Of A Voice and Faded Songs…
It was a Sunday, and it was a melancholic voice that woke Samaksh up from his slumber. 'The kind of voice that he would have otherwise only tolerated if he were drunk' he told Pradhaan -- his colleague -- when they later met at the workplace. 'Who sings such songs in the morning, yaar?' he... Continue Reading →
Of Sour Relationships and Dirty Tables…
There was something overwhelmingly disappointing about the movement of the sun that day, or perhaps it was the movement of the clouds, enshrouding the sun like a mother protecting her son from evil eyes. He stayed atop his bed, struggling with his breaths, taking turns between his sides, and this continued for long, for almost... Continue Reading →
Of Scaffold and the first steps…
Ramesh balanced himself on the scaffold - a temporary arrangement of sticks and ropes built around the naked and ugly building that he was to paint and transform into a beautiful house. The same building that he and a few others like him had worked on persistently and had erected in over a year. And... Continue Reading →
OF CLOCK, LAUGHTER AND LEGS…
He had moved out of the previous apartment when it had become impossible for him to touch anything in it without feeling her touch on his hand. And this, he came to learn, as is the case with most of the other things a man learns only with the passage of time, happened to a... Continue Reading →
Of Rats and Awakened Conscience…
The room was reeking when he returned from the office, and the moment he unlatched the front door, the smell reached to him like a gust of wind. He retched, and though his ribs ached nothing came out from inside. He had never vomited in his life, not even when he was an unweaned child.... Continue Reading →
Of Alcohol and Love…
It was only when she roared did he first realise of the fury she contained within. Some people manage to hide their other selves for so long, and then surprise everyone around them when they finally reveal it. So calm had she been all the while they have had been together - a face that... Continue Reading →
Of a girl and a bird…
The girl. If one were to capture a panoramic view from where she stood and saw the birds go about in their daily chores, three-fourths of the captured image would be filled up with tall multi-storeyed buildings, full of people, working inside them. The remaining quarter would show something that now resembles a hill. Atop... Continue Reading →
Of Sweat and Dogs’ barks…
Dogs, as they say, happen to be a man's best friend. This post is to the music that their (dogs') band produce all through the night.
Washing Machine and Life…
I stared into my washing machine while the clothes were whirling inside it. What came out along with the washed clothes has been jotted down.
Sister, Songs, and Phone Calls…
This piece is very close to my heart, just like all my sisters. It has been lying in the drafts for over two months, for no particular reason. What makes it special are not the nuances of the words used, but the nuances of the story which will come out differently to each one of us. To all the sisters - whose smiles keep us moving and makes life bearable.
Of School and Spitoon…
This story, amidst other things, centres on the hopelessness of the entire process of growing up, and all the disappointment it brings along. As a child, I had always wanted to rid myself of the ritual called examinations. I achieved it at a high price - my childhood.
Hospital, Ganesha, and Hope…
This blog took birth in the hospital and grew outside of it, much like us.
Of Journeys and Pilgrimages…
This is as much of a piece on Hope and Courage as it is on what the title suggests. But, I believe, that the only way to overcome anything is by moving towards something, a place, a person, or even a void if one firmly believes in it.
Writing, and Accepting the Rejections…
Acceptance. And once, he was advised by a friend to write on topics that would be well received. Accepted by all unanimously, or at least, be read. Of course, he knew of such topics, and above all of the importance of being accepted. He didn't blink while his friend did the talking. He listened intently... Continue Reading →