My AtoZ Challenge Posts

A is for Absent Minded B is for  Boss C is for Con Artist D is for Dependent E is for Epicharikaky F is for Finish G is for Ghost H is for Help I is for Innocence J is for Journey K is for Komberi Mookan L is for Lonely M is for Mariposa…

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Z is also for ZigZag (Malolan Chronicles #5.2) – #AtoZ2018

8:30 AM (18 hours to go) Singapore Casey Teo was agitated. The doctors were running a plethora of tests on her over her protests. The reedy night attendant had vanished with his laptop after ensuring she transferred the money promised to him online. Casey tried to find out about the extent of her injuries and…

Z is for Zugzwang (Malolan Chronicles #5.1) – #AtoZ2018

Please read Part1, Part2, Part3 and Part4 before reading any further September 3, 1972 USP Atlanta ‘Oh, Delgatto! Dr. Gottleib’s here,’ Lab-coat opened the cell door and sauntered in. Alarm bells started ringing in his head as he found Delgatto unconscious, lying face down, in a puddle of his own blood and vomit. ‘Guards, guards!’…

Y is for stories of Yesterday (Malolan Chronicles #4) – #AtoZ2018

Please read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 April 6, 1972 USP Atlanta, Georgia, USA The thin, frail inmate housed in Cell 370 of the United States Penitentiary Atlanta looked at the sun through the tiny window and licked his lips. He pulled himself to a seated position with considerable effort. His nerves jangled…

X is for Project Xenia(Malolan Chronicles #3) – #AtoZ2018

Please read Part 1 and Part 2 September 2, 2017 10:30 PM The case was out of Malolan’s hands within five hours of the discovery of Nikhil Taneja’s corpse. Media was ablaze with the news once they knew who Taneja was and how he had died. Sudhakar could no longer keep Prabhu’s death under wraps…

W is for the Witch (Malolan Chronicles #2) – #AtoZ2018

Read Part 1 here September 1, 2017 Malolan pored over the huge mound of paperwork that lay scattered on his bedroom floor. He usually had a strict ‘No carrying work home’ policy, but exceptions had to be made. Three days back, he’d been presented with a case that merited breaking all his policies. Malolan’s rotund…

V is for the Video (Malolan Chronicles #1) – #AtoZ2018

June 26, 1973 Koshy Varghese yawned and stretched. His mind was feeling numb after watching three movies back to back. He looked to his side and saw his colleagues were in a similar state of torpor. They had one more movie to watch before they could call it a day. ‘I cannot sit for one…

U is for The Ultra – #AtoZ2018

Alessandro sliced the onions and tossed them into the pan to sauté them. He skilfully chopped the cooked sausages and added them into the bowl containing the spaghetti. He looked at her from the corner of his eyes. She sat in the corner of his couch, trying to make herself invisible. She was a frail…

T is for The Troubles of Time Travel – #AtoZ2018

‘Tell me about time travel,’ Martin sipped his cognac. ‘What do you want to know?’ Lyndon placed his brandy balloon on the mahogany table. He stuffed some tobacco into his pipe and used a tamper to press it down. ‘Everything! Starting with, is time travel possible?’ Lyndon struck a match and moved it in languid…

S is for Surprise – #AtoZ2018

'Psst, Leo. Did you hear? Mona is coming back for good,' Nosy little Betty sidled up to Leonardo, carefully sidestepping the little balls and broken pieces of toys strewn all over the floor. He didn’t respond immediately, instead, he looked over towards Don who was whittling away on another piece of wood. 'Should be nice.…

R is for Repairing Cushions – #AtoZ2018

‘Dad! What is repair cushions?’ Sharath’s six year old son Mihir had a puzzled look on his face. ‘What cushions?’ Sharath was busy working on a costing spreadsheet and didn’t pay much attention to his son. ‘Repair cushions, Dad! Anita told me about it.’ Anita was Mihir’s twelve year old elder sister who, like any…

Q is for Que Sera Sera – #AtoZ2018

Ana Maria looked forlornly into the Calle 8 that was bustling with activity. There were always people coming in and going out of the numerous auto parts shops on the road. Only half of them came for auto parts. Duvan used to say that one can buy anything from groceries to narcotics from these cleverly…

P is for Perfection – #AtoZ2018

Sayan Bhattacharya frowned. He had a queasy feeling inside. Whether it was because of the eight cups of cha he’d consumed in the past hour or because of the case reports he was studying, he couldn’t tell. But one thing was clear. He’d never felt this uncomfortable in his career spanning fifteen years as an…

O is for Once More – #AtoZ2018

I trudge along the muddy path carrying my beloved’s corpse. The inky starless sky reflects my mind perfectly. There’s a storm blowing inside me. I stumble on the uneven ground and almost drop her, but I land hard on my right knee instead to prevent that from happening. I let out a howl of pain…

N is for Night Ghoul – #AtoZ2018

It was just after midnight. He stood atop the tallest skyscraper in the city - his usual spot and a vantage point. He sniffed the night’s air and tasted the intoxicating mixture of happiness, pleasure, lust, fear, sweat, piss, danger and blood in it. Every night, he stood there and waited. Waited for a sudden…

M is for Mariposa – #AtoZ2018

‘My marriage is over, you piece of shit!’ Sarika flung the expensive Waterord crystal ashtray towards Alex. ‘And you are the reason for it.’ Alex had dodged the crystalline projectile with ease and looked at Sarika. ‘Calm down, Mi amor! I know you are in shock and disbelief. Pero, would it hurt to sit down…

L is for Lonely – #AtoZ2018

‘This is Major Tom calling Houston. Come in Houston! Are you there Houston?’ Nothing but stony silence greeted him. Tom sighed and flipped the radio channel to the European Space Agency (ESA) in Toulouse, France. He did not expect any reply from there either, but still went ahead with his ritual ‘Major Tom Jones from…

K is for Komberi Mookan – #AtoZ2018

‘Alright children, we are going to learn multiplication tables today,’ Lakshmi closed her book and turned towards her class, ‘If I have three boxes containing three mangoes each, how many mangoes do I have in total?’ After explaining the concept of multiplication, she set her class to work on the table of 3. A gentle…

J is for Journey – #AtoZ2018

The birds started chirping, announcing the impending arrival of dawn. Raghu walked along the lush green fields, shivering pleasantly in the early morning chill. He reached the river-bank and sat down. The first rays of the day lit the gently flowing water with a golden hue. These were exactly what Raghu missed in his life…

I is for Innocence – #AtoZ2018

Park Joo-Won closed the book he was reading and smiled wanly at his sister Park Ji-Woo. His eyes were half-closed as he sat under a King Cherry tree enjoying the mild breeze sifting through its branches. Joo-Won had suggested coming to the dilapidated park in Kanggye, the capital of Chagang province of North Korea. Joo-Won…

H is for Help – #AtoZ2018

‘Hello!’ ‘Suicide Helpline, this is Mike. How can I help you?’ ‘You cannot help me, Mike!’ ‘Ma’am, please tell me your name.’ ‘Shut up and listen, Mike! I have only fifteen minutes.’ ‘Ma’am, please let me know your location. I’ll send one of our grief counsellors right there.’ She snorted, ‘I knew this was a…

G is for Ghost – #AtoZ2018

Her high heels make a rhythmic clickety-clack sound, which increases in tempo as she picks up pace. I love that sound her heels make. It’s like heartbeat… clickety-clack….thump-thump… Ok! I’m not a despo! Please get that into your heads. If you cannot enjoy the different forms of music, well, I can’t help you! The road…

F is for Finish – #AtoZ2018

‘As both the accused are under eighteen years of age, this court is bound by the Juvenile Justice Act of 2015 and will recommend a specially convened Juvenile Justice board including leading Psychologists, Sociologists, Criminologists and social workers to determine whether the aforementioned accused be tried under the Indian Penal Code as adults.’ The Honorable…

E is for Epicharikaky – #AtoZ2018

  He looked at his somber reflection on the old mirror stained with age and neglect. A short, gaunt man in a loose-fitting black suit stared back at him. He flattened his disobedient hair that was thinning anyway and straightened the lapels of his borrowed suit. As he was about to go out he saw…

D is for Dependant – #AtoZ2018

‘Sonny! Get me an Aspirin, will you? This blasted headache is killing me.’ The old woman sighed and took a sip of her lemonade, ‘and get me last Thursday’s newspaper. I missed the comic strips.’ ‘Two minutes, ma.’ She loved her son. He was her rock. He did the cooking, and the washing, and the…

C is for Con Artist – #AtoZ2018

I've been overwhelmed by the support from the blogging community so far in the AtoZ Blogging Challenge. Thank you all very much 🙂 A quick note: This story contains some explicit material. If you are not comfortable with reading Adult content, please do not proceed beyond this point. Cheers 🙂    She trembled as his…

B is for Boss – #AtoZ2018

Let me tell you about Bhaskar aka Boss! Boss was someone who you could call a lifer. For well over forty years, he’s been employed at the same company. In those forty years the management has changed, the owners have changed, the technology has changed, heck even the products the company made have changed. But…

A is for Absent Minded – #AtoZ2018

‘I don’t remember, Inspector.’ He cupped his forehead with his hands in frustration, ‘She always called me absent-minded.’ Inspector Kay shrugged, ‘I see it simple. You injected your wife with an overdose of insulin. She died.’ ‘But, she needed intravenous insulin therapy,’ He protested. ‘Type-2 diabetes. I begged her to reduce her weight. We regularly…

The League

‘Tea, Clark?’ Diana smiled at her octogenarian friend. Beside her, Bruce was poring over the newspaper. Clark nodded and sat down. ‘Lovely day, eh?’ Bruce just grunted. ‘Bruce, don’t you think you’ve been grumpy enough?’ John sat next to Clark. ‘I’m not grumpy.’ ‘Of course, you aren’t,’ Barry placed his cane down and sat down…

The Lunatic

The sun scorched relentlessly on the rocky hills. The waiting crowd did not mind the soul-sapping heat one little bit. They were witnessing something very special. The constant, rhythmic ‘thunk’ of metal meeting stone was music to their ears. Dashrath Manjhi paused before delivering the final stroke. Twenty-two years of hard labour was about bear…

Theme Reveal – A To Z Challenge 2018

I came to know about the annual A to Z blogging channel from my wife, who participated and successfully completed it last year. At that time, I didn't even have this blog (which, btw, I started only to like and comment on her posts.) Somewhere along the way, I started writing too and, this year,…

The IQ of Losers

The two men watched in amiable silence from one of the ornate windows of Trinity Hall. Down in the grounds, students were spreading blankets and setting cameras on tripods as they got ready to witness and capture the oncoming meteor shower. ‘I’d give almost anything to be in one of those blankets,’ the frail man…

The Boy

‘Daddy, that boy keeps coming back,’ my six-year-old was grumpy. ‘Why don’t you let him play with you?’ ‘He stinks, Daddy. Like a fish tank.’ ‘Really?’ ‘Yeah! There he is.’ I looked at him and started screaming. I shouldn’t have pushed him into the lake all those years ago.

The Wages of Sin

‘What have you done?’ The young woman growled. The soldiers shuffled their feet, and none had the temerity to meet her eyes. She walked slowly on the blood-soaked floor and knelt beside a corpse, ‘What did the women and children do? Why did you kill them too?’ The leader of the mutineers stepped up, ‘Rani*,…

The Perfect Gift

‘What you doing?’ ‘Making a birthday day gift for Kara.’ ‘Making?’ ‘Yeah! I wanted to make something instead of buying off the shelf.’ ‘Very romantic, and unique. What are you making then?’ ‘I’m penning a poem.’ ‘Ah! Creative.’ ‘Keep the sarcasm to yourself, mate. I’m writing a miniature poem.’ ‘Even better! A small poem. Wouldn’t…

Change

Hugo smiled as he entered the gym. He sidestepped the faulty floorboard and strode forty-eight exact feet to the practice ring. Nothing had changed. Marcus was there, as Hugo expected, scrubbing the canvas. A legendary boxing coach, Marcus still cleaned the ring himself. It was his church, he claimed. Nothing had changed. Marcus looked up,…

Precious

Why am I holding this dry, withered carcass of a rose? Go ahead, ask. This is my most treasured possession. I will not trade this for all the riches in the world. What is its significance, you might ask? This was the first flower she gave me; ten years, seven months, and twenty-three days ago.…

Magic

He was holed out in the dusty attic of his uncle’s house. He spent most of his days there, with his books and his cousin’s hand-me-down toys. He could hear his aunt complain about his messy hair and messier room, and his cousin chortling. He did not like it at his uncle’s. They didn’t hate…

Hopes and Dreams

‘Anna*, how much for the Cricket Ganesha?’ I looked at the boy. He was dressed in cricket-whites and carried a kit-bag. ‘Hundred rupees,’ I answered curtly. Kids did not make good customers. ‘I have only fifty,’ His voice fell. I rolled my eyes, ‘Get another fifty if you want it.’ ‘Do you have a smaller…

The Scene

‘Let’s go over the sequence once more.’ Aman Khan, Bollywood’s biggest superstar, was onto his fifth cigarette of the day. ‘Sure, sir.’ The director pointed at the ruined carcass of the plane, ‘You’ll be on the top, Sir. Ma’am will come running from that direction.’ ‘Cool yaar!’ Aman stubbed his cigarette. ‘Where’s Shriya?’ ‘Ma’am is…

The Name

‘Grandpa, looks like we have to shut the hotel down,’ Noel closed the ledger. ‘We can’t bear losses anymore.’ Ninety-three-year-old Ethan D’Mello smiled ruefully, ‘This hotel was a tribute to my British employer, Noel. I named it after him – Henry Berrisford.’ ‘Surely a great man, wasn’t he?’ ‘Oh yes! A proper gent. He contributed…

Water

Muthu considered the reports and the accompanying photographs. ‘Let’s do a sample dig immediately.’ ‘Muthu, will we have any luck this time?’ Sannasi, the village elder, voiced the question that was choking in everyone else’s throats. ‘Hopefully, ayya!’ Muthu picked his mobile phone and made arrangements for the sample dig. ‘I’m feeling positive.’ Sannasi smiled…

Epicharikaky – Friday Fictioneers

Hey grass! Ever felt jealous of the tree towering over your insignificance? Felt hopelessly despondent that you couldn’t do anything about it? You have? Perfect! Now you know how I feel. It’s very easy to get trampled on, right? Oh well, at least I can drink my sorrows away. Hey grass, it’s me again. Did…

Skeletons – friday fictioneers

  Krish pointed the derelict house to his wife Mita, ‘I spent a lot of time here than in my own house when I was a teenager.’ ‘Why?’ ‘I have no idea. I used to come here straight after school to see Sheela-aunty.’ ‘’Was she related?’ ‘No! Her husband, Govind, worked for my dad. He…

Roller-coaster: Friday Fictioneers

I remember the first time I saw the roller-coaster. I was scared - terrified even. You asked me to face my fears. You sat next to me and held my hand. I closed my eyes as the roller-coaster started its ascent. You stroked my hair and told me to open them. You said that by…

The Body

Two Perky breasts That rose and fell In throes of passion   One Slender waist That swayed To a music of its own   Two Cherry red lips Luscious and tasty Fruits forbidden   One Aquiline nose That hooked anyone A man trap   Two Willowy hands That accepted many Wicked embraces   One Gorgeous…

Mistaken Identity – Friday Fictioneers

‘Ironic isn’t it?’ Mal spat. ‘You, an entomologist, killed by a spider.’ Her husband, Godfrey, lay thrashing at her feet - eyes scrunched shut and foam trickling from his babbling lips. ‘Phoneutria fera - Brazilian Wandering Spider. Did you recognize it as it bit you?’ She turned and picked her bag. ‘I’ll let you be.…

Herman Baxter’s Masterpiece – Friday Fictioneers

‘Looks like a city of weaver bird nests…’ ‘I’ll call this The Giantesses’ Pantyhoses…’ The art critiques milled about, muttering and wondering what Herman Baxter had come up with this time. His last few pieces had been summarily rejected by the contemporary art community. Herman took the stage. ‘Friends, welcome. This is my masterpiece.’ The…

Wheels – Friday Fictioneers

Pic by Ted Strutz ‘Dammit, Mark! Your grandfather is at it again,’ Lola screeched from the garden. ‘What is it now?’ Mark threw away his newspaper in disgust and trudged out. ‘Aha! Look at my masterpiece, Marcus. I call it Wheels,’ his grandfather, Derrick, declared. ‘Oh no! Not my limited-edition CDs. What have you done?’…

Covfefe – #MicroMondays 11

They said the ozone layer deteriorated so fast that Antarctica melted in a year. Australia went down under. There are people on streets with skin cancer. My daughter, the old cow, placed the blame for everything squarely on my decisions regarding climate change. Then I started thinking about the butterfly effect. I shrug! As usual,…