Category: Let Me Tell You A Story
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Choose One of Us!
I sat down with a sigh, savoring my hot cup of masala tea, quietly saying a prayer of thanks for Shanti, my cleaning lady who knew how to brew tea just the way I liked it. The fragrance of spices and fresh ginger intermingled with the woody scent of tea.…
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A Father-Son Relationship
I was born in 2003, and even as a young and sprightly thing, I was the son who was the apple of my father’s eye. He would take care of me with so much love and care that I purred like a cat and responded to his every whim and command, never…
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The Dream Cupboard
1910 A small village in South India. A 10-year old bride. And me, a humble wooden cupboard by her side. Ready to carry her belongings wherever life takes her. Her name is Alamelu. And her mother is readying everything she will need in a few years. She is married to…
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A Mother-Daughter Moment
Author’s Note: Trigger Warning. This story is to remember the month of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Shobha’s eyes were brimming with pride and joy. She felt a bittersweet heart-wrenching emotion, that of imminent parting. Her daughter Swati looked resplendent in a simple but stunning kurti ensemble. Preeti’s face…
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Front Row Seats
He walked into the theatre with the air of someone who had just bagged a treasure, a very expensive treasure. She walked demurely by his side. They settled into the front row. Romeo and Juliet was about to begin. She was full of anticipation for the night. What could be…
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The Kitty Party
Barkha glanced around, exasperated. How had she managed to gather such an eclectic bunch of friends over the years? She didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry! There was Yashi, looking all glamorous and carrying around an afterglow from her trip to Cape Town with the husband. There was…
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Second Love – Part 3
Author’s Note: Catch Part 1 and Part 2 First! Ajay and Seema settled down at the icecream parlour with their grandchildren. Ajay was gallant and thoughtful. He even asked Seema if she wanted a sugar-free option. Their “first date” was followed by a few furtive meetings at coffee shops and…
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Second Love – Part 2
Author’s Note: Catch Part 1 Here Seema had a new spring in her step when she accosted the two little brats to the park the next morning. She was trying her best to ignore the glaring reason why. Embarrassed at her own reactions, she fought her natural impulse to glow…
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Second Love – Part 1
Seema sat on the park bench watching the little tots playing in the sandbox. Sanjay would have been so thrilled to see them so full of joy and life! She quickly shifted her thoughts to happier memories when she felt her soul welling up inside her. Just thinking of him…
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Letting Go
Anita sat beside the window sill, tears streaming down her eyes. The myriad of emotions going through her was too much to contain or display. She had to get a grip, now! She could hear the commotion outside her room. She had surreptitiously closed the door on the pretext of…
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Hell on Earth – What If…? – Part 2
Author’s Note: It has taken me nearly a month to gather my thoughts around this story. I discussed the possible end to this remarkable alternate with many ladies. No punishment we devised seemed nearly suitable enough for the crime they were about to commit before the girls disarmed them. After…
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Hell on Earth – What If…? – Part 1
Author’s Note: Thank you to all those women who wanted to read something more life-affirming and stronger. In my first story, I tried to depict the stark reality of today. I now attempt to write an alternate version that speaks of hope and victory of good over evil, the very…
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The Other Woman
1960 Abha stood up and faced him, eyes blazing. They had been talking for hours now on this… situation they found themselves in. They weren’t getting anywhere and it seemed like they were stuck in a mire, neither could move or stand in the same place without getting pulled in…
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Hell on Earth
She glanced to her left at the pandal. The evening Aarti for Ma Durga could be heard along with the drums and cymbals. Fragrant smoke filled the air from the incense burning in clay pots with which the devotees danced in circles, spreading the incense far and wide with each…
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Neelima’s Special World
Neelima was three years old when she saw twins. Everywhere around her. So much so that she looked around herself to check if she had a twin too. While walking down the road, she would tug her mother’s hand, yanking it to share the excitement and wonder that was her…
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A Raksha Bandhan to Remember
Lali looked like a little angel. Her mother Roopa had spent a significant amount of time getting her dressed up in a traditional lehanga-odhni. This time of the year everyone wore the lehariya odhni, which was adorned with bursts of several bright colours in stripes. But the beautiful outfit did nothing…
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The Celebration of Spirit
Somewhere deep in the netherworld: “Sire, welcome back! How was your journey this year? Do they still remember you, your words, your principles? Did you enjoy the feast? Will it be another great year?” The king raised his downcast head and looked up at this minister who could only gasp…
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The Opportunity of a Lifetime – Part 4
Joey felt that the door of The Crack Room literally opened with a loud crack sound that shook him up. The first thing he noticed was that the room was white. Pristine pure white. The work tables, the furniture, the lights. All the whitest white. With his efforts in the…
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The Opportunity of a Lifetime – Part 3
Joey’s eyes were sore and red in the first few minutes. With a determination that surprised even himself, Joey willed his eyes and his entire being to stay strong despite the three-pronged assault of these horrible smelly and sharp things. At times he felt like it was an out of…
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The Opportunity of a Lifetime – Part 2
“Ready” Joey had whispered, feeling nothing but ready. But it was all the cue Linda needed. In a flash the room swallowed him up and the timer on the wall began to count down. He took a deep breath and walked towards his victims with a steely determination. He couldn’t…