A series in which I share some thoughts triggered by Brene Brown’s Daring Greatly.
Betrayal
Broken Wings (Fin)
Continued from Broken Wings (I) and Broken Wings (II) A week after her elder sister had been married off, he had forced himself on her. She took her sister’s place who was his ‘plaything’ before Malti. He had formed an incestuous relation with his first daughter even before the child had turned ten. In that […]
Broken Wings (II)
Continued from Broken Wings (I) Raj and Meera were school teachers. They also conducted private coaching classes for which they used the old house where Meera’s mother used to live before she passed away. Opposite that house was where Malti lived with her family. Malti had a father, a step-mother, an older sister who was […]
Broken Wings (I)
She was a painfully thin girl. That’s the first thing I remember about her. The rest of the things I remember have mashed together into one huge ball of raw pain. I never wanted to remember any of them, but I do. Oh, but I am telling you the story from the wrong end! Let […]
Mother Earth
The Earth has been called Mother. She is the symbol of patience, endurance and unlimited giving. She provides a static platform for the dynamic dance of life. She remains stoic and unmoving as life moves over her skin, now slithering, now galloping, now walking with a firm, deliberate step. She breathes; her breath misty and […]
In Order To Live
“Don’t you hate her, the underhand, deceitful back- stabber!” “Don’t talk of her that way! No, I don’t hate her. Why should I?” “Do I have to tell you why?! !!” “Why are you so livid with her?” “I just don’t understand you! How can you take it so lightly?!” “I can take it lightly […]
It Could Have Been Me
I had been married three years on that sultry June afternoon. Delhi and I had come to the conclusion that we couldn’t get along. We parted ways with equal determination on both sides. We still cordially loath each other, which is very fine with me. I relocated to my hometown while my ex was still […]
Words And Actions
Arvind stared at his mother in utter confusion. She went on talking rapidly, noticing his look and ignoring it deliberately. His brain seemed frozen. He felt stupid as if not only his power of comprehension but also of hearing had shut down. He couldn’t deal with the intent of her words. Shutting down seemed the […]
Not Just Words
Have you noticed how language- centric we’ve become? There is such an endless stream of words in our lives. There is increasingly less personal, face- to- face time we have for each other. We ‘communicate’ more than we ever did because we have a myriad ways to touch base with those who matter to us. […]
Life in 55 Words
ONE “Dad, let me take this summer job.” “What?! You’re just sixteen! People will think I can’t provide for my family.” “It’ll be good for my future, I’ll learn so much. Please?” “I’ll become the laughing stock of town. I’ve said no, discussion over.” The child fell silent, spirit crumpled under the weight of society’s […]