“All the world is a circus, and all the men and women merely clowns.” ~ William Shakespeare I read the quote as I stood outside the gate. Shakespeare? That does not sound right. “Welcome,” a voice caught my attention. It was the gatekeeper. “How much for the ticket?” The words came out compulsively. InContinue reading “The Social Media Circus”
Category Archives: Fiction
देशभक्त बनो बुड़बक
Proud feel करो. किसलिए? किसलिए पूछते हो? मूर्ख, देश के लिए, और किसके लिए? महात्मा गाँधी के लिए? नहीं, वो तो मुसलमानो का चमचा था. टैगोर? अंग्रेजों का पिठलग्गु था वो… नेहरू? उसी के तो कीड़े हैं ये सब. इंदिरा गाँधी? पगला गए होContinue reading “देशभक्त बनो बुड़बक”
Note to a Stranger
A letter I wrote to a stranger. For you, I mean.
Aman Ki Aisha
Illustration by: Nidhi Chanani 1 1 April, 1998 “Stop! Stop! Stop!,” shouted Mani, at the top of her voice, before turning her gaze, upon the TV screen. Aman obeyed the instruction, and stood at the edge of the veranda (on his bare feet), holding the bamboo stick (with a TV antenna clamped to it), in hisContinue reading “Aman Ki Aisha”
Lost and Found
It was not the best place to be in. I was in the back pocket of this little boy Sanju. He had recieved me as a part of his prize money in a school competition. The exact amount was one hundred and twenty, and if you take one hundred (which he had secretly hidden inContinue reading “Lost and Found”
That Creepy Voice!
I am that creepy voice in your head. Want to hear me?
One of these days
One of these days, I received an invitation for an event, or a ‘grand event’, as it was conveyed by the messenger. Sometimes, I worry about the extraneous usage of adjectives – a practice started by the marketers that has now crept into the common man’s daily dictionary. These days ‘best’ means ‘good’ and ‘good’ meansContinue reading “One of these days”
A Flight So Cruel…
She called me, it seemed. She spoke words which were not decipherable to me, but I could easily tell that she was inviting me. Her hands were waving provocatively, her face was ascending and descending as she made those undecipherable sounds and something inside me kept telling me that it was an invitation. The soundsContinue reading “A Flight So Cruel…”
The Modern Tale of Eklavya
It was a miserable morning for Eklavya when the JEE results flashed on the website and he was prompted to check them without any delay. He could not believe his eyes when he saw an embarrassingly low score, which was not sufficient to make it to any IIT. The dream had shattered! The tears started toContinue reading “The Modern Tale of Eklavya”
Three Parrotriotics of India
When the three parrots saw each other for the first time they had little clue that they were supposed to be caged together. Pappu who was the youngest of all, was naïve and equally dull. He could not utter a single word by himself and only recapitulated what was told to him. When Shankar, theContinue reading “Three Parrotriotics of India”
I Am Yours and You Are Mine
He whistled. It was not the usual whistle that he blew to sing his favorite Kishore Kumar songs, with melody, romance, and emotions in the right proportions. It was a harsh one. The melody was missing completely and the tone was as inappropriate as the words of a newborn baby. No one including him hadContinue reading “I Am Yours and You Are Mine”
And I Almost Got Married…
She is sitting across the table and I am still trying to figure out how she would look like if she gets pregnant. In that case the baby inside the womb would appear more prominent than her. You could call her skinny but I assume some fat is also required for your survival. And IContinue reading “And I Almost Got Married…”
An Unending Love Story
The rain has come again. This time the drops are tumultuous, unlike the first time I saw you; they followed a melodious song back then. Drenched in the raindrops, struggling to hold your umbrella upright, you were tittering and trying to make your way forward. I gaped at you for a while and the firstContinue reading “An Unending Love Story”
A Suicide Note
Dear world, I hope this letter finds you well. I will be gone and will no longer be a part of you. Nevertheless you have to move on. You never stop, for anyone, and you shouldn’t. For all that I know, you don’t care about anyone. The problem is – I did. Probably that isContinue reading “A Suicide Note”
When I Waited…
My heartbeats had gone faster. I tried to hide my emotions behind the luster of my eyes and stash them in the safest place – heart. It has been my best friend ever since I realized that I needed someone to converse with me every day and obliterate those conversations, those secrets, slowly within itself.Continue reading “When I Waited…”
Good Things Happen In Kashmir
It was a tough morning for someone like me who had never been a morning person. I could be one, had mornings started at 11. But it was 6 am. And instead of lying unconscious on my comfortable bed, where I belonged, I was somewhere else. I was sitting on a worn leather seat, rightContinue reading “Good Things Happen In Kashmir”
In An Unreal Realm
The coins dropped off the table. I closely observed the supremacy of the gravity, before the coins surrendered themselves to it and the tantalizing sound slowly faded. I pestered my lethargic body to tilt, in order to pick those coins. I wasn’t parsimonious, but then I wasn’t affluent either. Also, I didn’t want any unprecedentedContinue reading “In An Unreal Realm”
He Lived, I Survived…
This story is about me and Sonu. Sitting quietly on my chair and looking outside through the window, I am thinking about him. I wonder where he is now. Is he around, staring at me from the opposite corner of the room? It scares me. Sometimes I secretly cry and I curse myself for beingContinue reading “He Lived, I Survived…”
From Your Old Lover
It’s still a matter of joy to go out for a walk, even though I can barely walk. I need help for the slightest of tasks. Today when I walked in to our café, a young boy had to open the door for me. I was dismayed to see how things had changed. Remember whenContinue reading “From Your Old Lover”
The Ghost Inside Me
I put my finger on their way and moved it back and forth, while they were crawling on the dusty ground, following a long trail of their fellow ants. It interrupted their caravan and blinded their ability to sense the surroundings. Some of them lost their way and never found it. I always enjoyed thatContinue reading “The Ghost Inside Me”
Deepak Rana 