The Lost Kingdom: Short Story

“Tribhuvansinhji Bapu, my husband’s great grandfather was no ordinary man. During his time, the Raja of Domli got a 9-gun salute from the British wherever he went. Domli was no insignificant state, we had our own Coat of Arms,” she told Nikhil when he called her that morning. Despite his travels over the past so … Read more

The Ping War at Keshav Kunj

Ping. Ping. Ping-ping-ping. The phone wouldn’t stop buzzing that morning. I glanced at the screen. It was our apartment WhatsApp group — the one meant for “important updates only.” The thing about the Keshav Kunj WhatsApp group is this: it always starts with good intentions. Someone shares a helpful reminder, like “Garbage pickup time has … Read more

The Sleepless Night

At 2 a.m., the world outside was still. Inside my head, it was anything but. I was close to 11,000 feet above mean sea level, trying to sleep in my hotel room. The ceiling fan whirred softly above me, a steady rhythm that somehow made the silence louder. I thought I was sweating. I turned … Read more

The Tea Stall

There’s a little tea stall at the corner of our street. It is an old one. The paint is peeling, the wooden benches are wobbly, and the tea is always a little too sweet. But no one seems to mind. Every morning, the place fills up with people — strangers, neighbors, and regulars – all … Read more

When Memories Say Hello Again

The radio was playing an old song I hadn’t heard in years. Suddenly, it wasn’t just music anymore. It was the soft lilting of the song, the sound of melody drifting from the next room, and a presence I hadn’t felt in a long, long time. For a moment, I wasn’t sitting in my present. … Read more

A Lift Ride in My Apartment

I was not in a particular hurry, but closed lifts seem to do it to us. I tapped my foot as the lift doors finally closed, waiting to reach the ground floor. A few of us were crammed inside — strangers sharing a tiny metal box for a few seconds. Most of us stared at … Read more

Alexa, Stop: Unpublished Very Short Story

“Alexa, don’t run away from me. Listen.” “Playing, Run to you by Bryan Adams.” “Alexa, Stop.” “Alexa, will you pay attention here for once?” “I didn’t quite get that.” “Not you, Alexa. Alexa, you!” “I still didn’t get that. Could you…” “Alexa, Stop.” “Alexa, will you give me, for heaven’s sake, some break from this … Read more

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