The empty train thundered its way onto the platform. He was riding on the steps of the engine cab, as he loved to do. He felt as if it was he bringing in the train for all the people waiting. A seven year old home-less ragamuffin like him bringing a train for all those big […]
Dagny
Jogger’s Park
The park was nearly empty this early in the morning… but for the girl. She was sleeping on one of the benches. She lay on her back with her face was turned towards the back-rest of the bench. Her long, curly hair was hanging loose over the edge of the bench, the soft curls raveling […]
Venerated and Enshrined
Mitali threw herself down on the stone slab under her favourite tree in the park. The park was a serene and soothing place. She thought she’ll sit there for a while and let her office seep out of her before going home. She’d had a long and tiring day. She was vaguely surprised to find […]
Inspired Living
The phone was ringing and I was in an agony of impatience for him to pick it up. This was typical of me of course, I want everything yesterday. “Hellloooo”, Kakka’s (Father’s brother- Uncle) hoarse voice exploded in my ear. With a start I held the cell away from my ear. “Kakka…?” I asked irrelevantly. […]
The Bond
Two years ago, polio struck Namrata. By the time her fever broke, her left leg was paralyzed. In the intervening two years, the leg had deformed. She was now confined to a wheelchair for life. They were a family of four. Parents Rahul and Asha, a twenty-year-old son Namit and a thirteen-year-old daughter Namrata. It […]
The Driver- Concluding Part
Continued from The Driver- Part I , The Driver- Part II and The Driver- Part III “Let me tell you my part of the story. Listen, and don’t interrupt”, Prasad said and Amrit nodded. “I am a retired public sector executive. On the night of your accident, I had just arrived from Bombay and was […]
The Driver- Part III
Continued from The Driver- Part II “What happened to the bag carrying the drugs and gold…?” the man asked again. Amrit stared at the man confused. While recounting the story, he had only said the bag carried gold. He hadn’t mentioned the drugs at all. Then how did this man know…? In his agitation, Amrit […]
The Driver- Part II
… Continued from The Driver – Part I… With a start Amrit stood up to leave. He could have sworn he felt a hand on his shoulder bringing him out of the brown study he had sunk into. When he turned around, there was no one. He looked at his watch again. It was nearing […]
The Driver- Part I
Amrit moodily threw pebbles, trying to make them skim and bounce on the surface of the gurgling river. He had been sitting there for over two hours, yet could see no silver lining to the dense cloud that his life had become. The buoyancy of the pebbles was in keeping with the buoyancy of his […]
The Spirit of Mumbai
Just as the spirit of a person is the essence of that person, so too is the spirit of a city. When we understand the core to a person, we can predict their reactions to some extent. We can say, “Oh I know what she will say when she hears this news.” Or… “I know […]