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 …

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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 …