Fiction: On Life, Love And Our Desires
I am a teller of stories and therefore an optimist, a believer in the ethical bend of the human heart, a believer in the mind’s disgust with fraud and its appetite for truth, a believer in the ferocity of beauty. So, from my point of view, which is that of a storyteller, I see your life as already artful, waiting, just waiting and ready for you to make it art. ~ Toni Morrison
I Buried Him Today – A Short Story By Rachana
I buried him today. Not the physical kind. But deep in my thoughts never to surface again. The first time I spotted him checking me out at a kid’s birthday party was in March. For the purpose of this story, I refuse to spell out his name. Because we both were engaging...
Nanna, Take Care of My Java – A Short Story By Rachana
I was sitting on my back porch this morning drinking tea, when I saw our neighbor, Vasu, walk over with Java tucked under his left arm. He was holding something bulky in his right hand. "Payal ji, here is a binder I made of all the letters we have received for Sid....
Agency – A Short Story By Rachana
I found out what happened to Nelson today. He was my gym buddy, but not in a way you would think one would be. "His family has moved him to another rehab center near Valdosta," his trainer at our gym told me as I checked in with him about Nelson. "If he can't find...
Yours Forever – Love and Reform Collide in New Delhi – A Short Story By Rachana
“When are you getting married Ky?!” These days, Anu texts him with her question. And her prank-playing boy was never far behind with a retort.. “It’s tomorrow mamma, didn’t you get my Evite?!” This time, the reply was puzzling. “Mom, I am moving to New Delhi at the...
This Time, Another Place. – A Short Story By Rachana
I Barring the phone, 4 year old Mira did not have to compete much with her brother for her father’s attention. 6 year old Rohan had his own iPad that he kept busy with. “Daddy, daddy, look, I am so sassy!! I am dancing, see? Daddy!” Mira screamed in thrills as...
A Novella – How Green Were Our Valleys – Part II
Continued from PART I - VII The next night, I lay in bed, wide eyed and wished for midnight to arrive fast. The night breeze gently blew the pale cotton curtains inside and out. I stared outside at the deep purple flowers in red potted plants in the...
A Novella – How Green Were Our Valleys
I I will try my best to not sound cynical. But, that's my natural monotone these days - never getting excited or disappointed about anything in life, in general. Call it the adapted bashfulness that comes with age, if you will. There is a prelude to every act...
Short Story Fiction: Some Dress Rehearsals Are For Dead Mothers – Part II
Continued From Part I HERE. - V In 2014, as the school year came to a close at the end of May , as I walked to the bus stop, I felt dreadful at the thought of the huge summer break of 10 weeks that was upon us. Children are a lot of fun, but aren't...
Short Story Fiction: Some Dress Rehearsals Are For Dead Mothers – Part I
I As long as I will live or drop dead tomorrow, no one will dispute the fact that I am an ordinary immigrant mother from India with spectacular hopes of raising my children with splendid grades on ALL their mark sheets, regardless of (for me atleast) whether my...
Short Story Fiction: Rwanda: Genocide, Love and Resilience
I It was a familiar voice on the other end of the phone. One that I had heard over coffee or lunch for many years, but missed in the past 7 years. “How have you been? I have a layover in Atlanta on the 9th, for a couple of hours. I am flying to Rwanda, and have...
Short Story Fiction: How Cupid Brought Lalitha and Jimmy Together: A Story of Love, Fate, and Family
I had never met Lalitha until last Thursday. When everyone around us was congratulating her, I did too. "Sooo… What are you celebrating, can I ask?!!" I asked her with a big smile on my face and my hand reaching out to shake hers. "Oh yeah, sure! Jimmy and I got...
Short Story Fiction: When I Die, Can You Cry?
On Saturday, October 9th, only a few hours after Tom and I had feverishly defended her choices for boyfriends with her mother, Sirisha had tied a knot around her neck just a few yards away from us. To imagine her as desperate and lonely enough to end her life in her...
Short Story Fiction: Metro: A Soft Key Radio And The Melting Pot
As an informal student of Ethnology, I was excited to start a three-month contract at a work place which was 30 miles away from home and that I will have to get there via our city Metro everyday. Just imagine what it would do for my blog! So between home and work and...
Short Story Fiction: Haunted and Helpless – A Journey In Autism
6 years old, tall, skinny and handsome, and yet, Arjun can be a monster. The world has to know what happens in the lives of people who care for him. So, Hema began shooting a video of him in the van. She didn’t care that her van was in the drive thru at Wendy’s and...
Short Story Fiction: Pregnant Brains, Infertile Bodies
Thinking of Amisha makes me realize I have bitter feelings for fate. She has the funniest and the cleverest anecdotes on any situation, can make a conversation out of any topic, even cars, football, watches, video games, – anything. But, babies? That’s something she...
Short Story Fiction: Turns Out I Am Dirt Poor
I heard the doorbell ring while I was cutting up the watermelon in the kitchen this evening. Almost immediately I heard my eager 9-year-old greet someone at the door. “Maa, can you come?!” He yelled back at me. I put the knife away and careful not to drip on my way to...