What makes fear manifest itself in myriad mutations? The alarm in his mobile phone went off, disturbing the order that night had so laboriously built. He extended his arm, located the phone, felt the haptic key and used it to decide which side was to be kept up; and then as if by intuition, pressed... Continue Reading →
Of Dreams and Delirium…
I The ringing of the bicycle's bell was the first thing Shaman heard in the morning, the chirping of the birds came later. It had always been this way. Quite unlike what they showed in the Bollywood movies. He owed his acquaintance with the reel world to the 'screen on wheels'. An arrangement in which... Continue Reading →
A Grandma extraordinaire…
Today, 16th of May, marks the first death anniversary of my Grandmother. The below words are to her and to all the grandmothers in the world who make this world a better place to be alive in.
Fight against the coronavirus — Murmur
Here's something from an insider...
Something from a dear friend...
Thank you for penning this down Vera...
Love At First Laugh – Concluded
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 →
Love At First Laugh – One
The first time when Ronit and Akshita had met each other alone she had asked him to wait at some distance from her PG. Hers was a ladies' PG and the caretaker of the PG, Sunita, had a reputation of being a tattletale to the girls' parents. Sunita had ruined many relationships, even the nascent... Continue Reading →
Of Sounds That Stay – Part Two
In her village, across the street where Sri used to live, lived Mr Naresh. Till she was thirteen, she had thought that his name was ‘Seth Ji’ for everyone around her used to call him that. It was only when a few Christian Nuns had begun to come to her village, to teach students like... 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 Compromises and Love…
Shubhadra had always found the summers strange. It seemed to change everyone around her. Her father left for his office before his usual fixed time, and her mother together with her grandmother finished their morning chores by 9 A.M. and that gave them all the more time to monitor her actions and point out all... Continue Reading →
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 Motions and Emotions…
His stomach rumbled the third time in what could not have been more than ten minutes, convincing him that he'd finally have to get up and make his way to the toilet. The digital clock mounted on the wall displayed some numbers, but at his age and in his predicament, the numbers no longer made... Continue Reading →
Shadows and the diabolical lizard…
I never really understood what he meant when he talked about shadows. And he always talked about shadows. Like, a lot. Frankly speaking, it is not just about him or what he used to say. It has to be something with me. A foible. Like some people are bad with Physics, others with Maths. I... Continue Reading →
Love, Togetherness, and Time…
She would come on the balcony, her hair almost dried. Ruffling her hairs with the fingers of her left hand, in an attempt to drain the last drop of water that often sneaks through the strands of hairs and settle down as dew on the scalp, she’d then gather her hairs in her fist. For... Continue Reading →
Our final limitation.
Every single one around us, despite their popularity, valour, vulnerabilities and humour, become utterly helpless in the face of death and deal with it in their own peculiar way. Some prudent ones at once understand the frivolousness of life and even start living their own lives after hearing of someone's demise. Others simply mourn over... Continue Reading →
THE TIME, AND A FEW LESSONS.
Bits and fragments from numerous intermittent conversations I had with my Grandfather.