“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”
Tag Archives: short story
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”
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”
In An Unreal Realm #2
Note: If you have not read the first part of this story, please click the link below: Click here for first part Part 2: She was wrapped in a fluffy piece of cloth. The unusual white dress glittered mystically, but even more peculiar was the glow of her skin. The vibrations of enchantment were spurtingContinue reading “In An Unreal Realm #2”
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”
The Power Of A Story
Imagine all human beings swept off the face of the earth, excepting one man. Imagine this man in some vast city, New York or London. Imagine him on the third or fourth day of his solitude sitting in a house and hearing a ring at the door-bell. The above text by Thomas Bailey Aldrich tellsContinue reading “The Power Of A Story”
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…”
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”
From the diary of a beggar…
As I hear the sound of footsteps, my body naturally gets in to an attentive state and words start flowing out of my mouth. It’s not a proud feeling to plead for money but my life has not been about what I want. It is more about silently accepting what comes my way. There have been timesContinue reading “From the diary of a beggar…”
A Secret Conversation of Mother and Child
I love the feeling of you inside me. I and your father, dreamt of you when we fell in love and imagined you coming in to our lives. I secretly pray that you wear a smile like the one your father has. Though he keeps hoping that you turn out to be like me, soContinue reading “A Secret Conversation of Mother and Child”
This is My Day !!
Dear people, You scream at me, you shout at me, and when I try to speak out something, you kick me, throw stones at me, or thrash me to display your bogus strength. Yes, I am a dog. So what? Do I do the same because you are humans and drastically different from me? DoContinue reading “This is My Day !!”
If it’s love, it’s never too late…
Note: Based on a true story There’s something special about it. It’s like a horror movie which gives you butterflies in the stomach, but you enjoy them in certain way. It’s good, it’s scary, it’s attractive, it’s appalling. Ah teenage love! So many colors you have. Today I am able to express what it isContinue reading “If it’s love, it’s never too late…”
Bombay To Goa – an altered story
The morning couldn’t have been any better when the Mandovi Express left the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. The fresh air coming through the window also brought the hints of debris spread near the station. The Indian railway stations are well known for their unsanitary surroundings. And the interiors of the trains are equally bad if not worse, specially inContinue reading “Bombay To Goa – an altered story”
Deepak Rana 