“khushi?” asr stared at the girl in his arms tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. “what’s the matter… don’t cry like that…” his voice grew urgent, “i didn’t mean to hurt you, i was worried… are you upset about what i said… you know i didn’t mean that, you know…” “i know you didn’t mean it,” khushi said and looked up at him, then with a sob, she started weeping again. “enough!” he spat out sharply through gritted teeth…
INDEX Chapter 23 It was promising to be one of those mornings where silver tufts of clouds peppered an azure sky. The leaves on the trees bristled in the gentle breeze. Dew drops clinging softly tot the blooming plush petals. Om prakash and Mohan had been delegated the work of draping satin curtains around the madap. Then the fabric would be pulled closer together and tied to the orante columns with crocheted lace ropes in the darkest shades of lilac.…
kampong. i’d never heard the word till i came to singapore. but in the last eighteen years i’ve heard it and what it means so often, feels like it’s part of my memory too. “you live in jalan lim tai see, ah ? last time it was malay kampong, lah.” “these days no one knows their neighbours, leh… not like kampong last time.” “nostalgia for kampong spirit.” “oh, indi, kampong days were fun… real fun… we used to climb up…
but i love your feet only because they walked upon the earth and upon the wind and upon the waters, until they found me. ~~~ pablo neruda ~~~ darkness enveloped the the long narrow tunnel like corridor ahead… flapping of wings as asr held his wife’s hand and ran down into the blackness in front, pigeons flying out of nooks and crannies, disturbed again tonight. there was no time to lose. he figured shyam’s men would be lurking somewhere…
khushi sat head bent before devi maiyya. something inside her trembled even now. why was he so angry with her? and what was it she had felt as he had hauled her to him, his arms unyielding around her even as he shouted and berated her? khushi closed her eyes remembering the heat of his breath on her face, the fury emanating. she had felt bludgeoned by it, almost physically hit. perhaps when she decided to go to the temple…
INDEX Chapter 22 In her dream Khushi Kumari Gupta was busy eating from a plate full of crispy bright orange jiebis and a high heap of steaming hot crunchy samosas. Her brows furrowed. Vaguely she registered herself dreaming. Her last meal in Gupta house before her marriage, and even in her own dream she could not eat in peace! Buaji was shouting at her from far away. “Uff bauji humein shanti se khane do na“, she grumbled and decided to…
darkness was hidden by darkness in the beginning, with no distinguishing sign, all this was water. the life force that was covered with emptiness, that one arose through the power of heat. desire came upon that one in the beginning, that was the first seed of mind. ~~~ the creation hymn, rig veda ~~~ “khushi!” her name passed through him, brushing softly against his vocal chords, making him exhale, giving him breath. the pain of the words gushing out of…
Whether you are professor Atkin looking upon John Galt, Francisco D’ Anconia, Ragnar Danneskjöld (from Atlas Shrugged, the book you must read if you haven’t) or you are the local army coach about to send Milkha Singh off to the big leagues(I don’t much like the movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag) or you are a mother seeing off your kid to pre school the very first day (wonder how this feels).. You were or rather are his inspiration, but now it…
akash came tripping lightly down the stairs humming a song to himself. “don’t you love her madly… don’t you need her badly…” he could hold a tune well and in college he was always the one chosen to sing whenever the need arose. shyly pushing back his glasses on his nose he’d sing obligingly, never one to fuss or demand attention. “don’t you love her waaayyys,” he let his voice lengthen the note enjoying its essence… he did so love…
A simple story with not too many drastic twists, but what happens during the course of time, changes the lives of a married couple forever. An unlikely love triangle that wasn’t intended to be, but still it was. The story of Broken Nest starts in the courtroom where Mini is being sentenced. Bhupati, a newspaper editor, is sitting in the audience noting down the happenings in the courtroom. He belongs to an affluent family, but his dreams of running a…