Extraordinary drama rarely announces itself in everyday life — yet it is often hidden in ordinary moments.
These short stories explore the lives of everyday people navigating love, loss, restlessness, humour, and unexpected change. Each piece offers a brief window into a moment that reveals something deeper about the human experience.
Browse the stories below and discover these everyday epics.
“The next ninety seconds are very critical,” Santosh Kumar told his friend as he waited for the green to turn amber and then red at Ejipura signal in Bangalore. As soon as the green turned to amber, he stood up with his wares and had a quick look at the three bikers who were nearing … Read more
“It is time for me to get ready,” Nandita told her mother after close to an hour on the phone. “Is it 6 pm already?” her mother turned her neck to see the wall clock. “Yes, dear, it is.” Nandita knew it was time for her Sunday dinner at the house of the eldest sister … Read more
She told them that she started bleeding due to him. They told her she shouldn’t have been there at that time of the night. She was a young woman. From a good family. She should have known better. She had a life ahead of her. She should have been careful. She told them that she … Read more
Pankaj Mehra waited with bated breath in the lobby on the mezzanine floor of the luxury hotel. On the surface, he ambled along. He took measured steps, adjusting his jacket every time he reached one end of the lobby. He tried to look as if he was waiting for someone important for a business meeting. … Read more
When Rahul went down forty feet under the water for the first time, he felt an inexplicable calm. The Great Barrier Reef has that kind of effect on people. He saw the colourful corals and sea life – a world of its own. He hadn’t experienced anything like this before his scuba dive. There was … Read more
He was a brave, intelligent and stable man except when it came to small spaces. In those small spaces, he always felt that he was in danger. That someone was out to get him. He was always on high alert then watching everyone and everything. He could do anything then, in those small spaces. Like … Read more
The choice was between traveling across Space or across Time. Both were possible for the nouveau-riche couple. The year was 2937 AD. Vihaan and Ahana chose time travel again. Space still had its risks. The masks, the gear, the breathing in made-up environments, the high speeds, the gravity adjustments, the distances so far away from … Read more
“Papa. Is killing someone bad?” my son asked when I was cleaning my revolver. I pretended as if I hadn’t heard him. My thoughts went back to that young man. He should not have tried to run away. That was the mistake he made. It wasn’t my mistake. If he didn’t have anything to hide, … Read more
“No Papa, I didn’t lose the pen,” I cried in agony, as Papa slapped my open palm with the cane he had in his right hand. “This will teach you that you shouldn’t speak lies. If you have lost the pen, don’t say you haven’t lost it,” Papa said. “Open your other hand,” he demanded. … Read more