The sun is bright in the sky when I walk the perimeter of the lake the first time. The waters are a sparkling green and twinkling with sunlight. I stop to smell some wild roses and kick an errant pine cone. Dinner is a long way away. And I have been told to disappear tillContinue reading “FIREFLIES OVER NAINI LAKE”
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VENI VIDI FENI
The air around Mortin’s farm is enough to make a light hearted person swoon. Lucky I am not from that stock. I have been coming to his remote abode for years. It’s bang in the middle of the jungles of South Goa. The Feni distillery is in full production mode. The ground is covered byContinue reading “VENI VIDI FENI”
CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
The village of Sukhan was in its final throes of self preservation. The jury came out when the sun was at its highest. Everyone had gathered under the big banyan tree. Like they had ever since the oldest member could remember from their childhood. All big and small decisions had come to a pass here.Continue reading “CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR”
MIRACLE ON THE ROOFTOP
It seemed to be a fine night for dying. The torrential rain had started two days ago. And it had not stopped. Main Street in Camp was awash with swirling waters. It was sometime past midnight. There was not a soul to be seen. No people, no traffic, no dogs. Nothing was brave enough toContinue reading “MIRACLE ON THE ROOFTOP”
BLOOD ON THE CANVAS
The last chance at revenge, honour, and a little blood…wouldn’t go amiss at all. The house has that kind of crowd in here tonight. The stage is set for the Armed Forces Inter-Battalion, boxing championship finale. The best boxers fighting for the pride and glory of their paltans. It’s still early evening but the starsContinue reading “BLOOD ON THE CANVAS”
The Best of Intentions
My worlds start colliding in a bad way, every Friday night. The violence happens like clockwork. My bubble of urban living tears a huge rip. Right down the middle of my middle class consciousness. Overlooking my balcony is the local slum. Not too close that we have to smell the particular rank smell that emanatesContinue reading “The Best of Intentions”
THE LAST SPERM STANDING
Bankura, West Bengal, Jan, 2012 Anshul Das had a very wretched life. Nobody in his 14 years of life had really cared much about him. Or taken any notice of him. His being the third of five sons born to indifferent parents didn’t help. His father was an alcoholic, a pursuit that took up allContinue reading “THE LAST SPERM STANDING”
POINT 4700
I wrote this story in 1999, during the Kargil war. I could swear my father, an army officer, brushed away a tear when he read it. That could, of course, be just my imagination. But the chance that he did makes this my personal favorite and the reason I am debuting with it. Lt. RishiContinue reading “POINT 4700”
Cometh the Hour... 