“You have reached your destination” The crisp tones of Ankhi’s voice assistant informed her as she stood in front of the YamunaBai Mental Asylum. It was a tall unfriendly building that stood in a neglected part of the main town. Ankhi had located the area with the help of her GPS enabled phone. She moved cautiously and entered the reception area. “Excuse me” she said as she felt the hard edges of the reception desk.She didn’t receive a response. She assumed there must be a bell somewhere to intimate the…
A Ghostly Intervention – Part 1
The smell was sharp, strong, and putrid. It hit Aankhi as soon as she opened the door. She stood back in shock. Had she come to the wrong house? She stepped in gingerly. It was as if she stood in a fish market. The dank, musty interiors made it worse. She had bought the house on a whim. It was located a bit away from the main town and had a large open space surrounding it. It She had felt the wind brush her face as she walked across it.…
The House on the Hill
The house stood perched on top of the hill. The road that curved up towards it from the ground below was lined with houses on one side and trees on the other. None of the other houses could match the elegance of this one. It stood out with its stately elegance towering above all the others. Its white shaded balconies looked out on the world below from within their hooded interiors. It was as if they were laughing at the mediocrity of the lower dwellings which made its supremacy more…
When Love Came Calling
“Payoji Maine Ram Ratan Dhan Payo” the strains of the Bhajan filled her ear as Raka listened to her own voice in her mother’s ringtone. Meera’s love for the Lord shone through her clear voice that like her mother’s touched high notes with ease. At Raka’s last concert, Anuradha had recorded this song on her phone and had used it as her ringtone. She looked up at the clock and wondered why her mother was taking so long to pick up the phone. Ever since her father had passed away,…
The Prodigal’s Homecoming
Joel thought he would never be home again. He stood on the 17th floor of his plush condominium staring down into the street below. Traffic had reduced to half its usual flow. The virus had forced Dubai and the rest of the world to slow down. Joel paced restlessly and flopped down on the sofa. He looked around at the beautifully decorated room that had been his home for the last two years. Life had been so good. The job offer was irresistible. He knew it would give him the…
The Crow’s Nest – A story of hope
The nest stood hinged between the dark straggly branches of the Gulmohar tree in front of Minni’s balcony. The tree itself was like an eerie skeleton. It stood barren and dry exposed to the elements under the open skies. It was one of the most unlikely places to have built a nest. But the crow did not think so. Everyday, the crow couple would collect bits of scraps, dry twigs and branches, leaves and all sorts of rubbish to furnish their home. Things stolen from people’s houses, collected from the…
The Songs of Spring
Nusrat Naaz was born on the same day as her mother Nadira. However, the three decades that separated their birth day did make a lot of difference. As Nusrat, waited by her daughter’s writhing body, she let her mind go back to the moment 60 years ago when she had first held Nadira in her arms. Her pearly white skin nuzzling against her warm breast as she suckled tentatively at first and then with a new found gusto. It was a happy moment. The skies were ablaze with the colours…
The Special Messenger
“Don’t you feel afraid?” Kartik looked at the older man in awe as smoke from the piping hot tea mug he held in his hands, tickled his nose. Chellappan stood up smiling. He looked at his watch and swung his satchel across his shoulders. They were at the tea stall next to the post office for their mid-day tea break. While Kartik was a new recruit, Chellappan was a veteran and had been working as a postman since the last 30 years. He was 60 years of age, average height…
The Wings of Freedom
“Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare” The lilting strains of the bhajan filled the air as Soham waited outside the small makeshift temple, busy sketching. He desisted from entering the temple as he did not believe in the idol worship that his mother devoted herself to. As for Soham, he revered his mother more than any idols worshipped in temples. She was the only one before whom he was willing to bow. The other God in Soham’s life was – Art and he was devout in his penance…
Oh! Foolish Heart!
The letter stood innocuously on the table, unopened. Naina looked at it uncertainly every time she passed by. Its familiar monogram smiled back at her in a vain effort to break through the passivity of the observer. It was an invite for the annual alumni meet at St. Michael’s High school, her alma mater. Like every year she decided to ignore it “You cannot keep thinking of what happened ages ago,” her mother finally said “You have to let go. Besides, it’s been a long time Naina. I am sure…
