“Every time I am unhappy with the work scene, Raichand calls me and gives me some pep talk,” Swami told me and Jigneshbhai over his coffee the other day. We thought maybe he was telling us how he felt like a wanted employee due to that. But it turned out that he was not happy … Read more
When she bent down to clean the floor beneath, her eyes were drawn towards that drawer again. The drawer was open when the bell rang. She knew what was inside it. She took a deep breath. “Shanthamma, give the keys to the driver,” she heard from the other room. She took the keys from the … Read more
Why did God give the human species the intelligence to invent the mobile phone? Sitting alone in a plush restaurant in despair, young Rakesh Oswal threw his phone away. Even in the AC of the restaurant, his forehead had a few drops of sweat. Lots of questions filled his tormented head. In a moment, he … Read more
That is (was?) the most frequently asked question (FAQ for short!) nowadays. Everyone at home needs Wi-fi. Actually not everyone, but everything needs it, which is, more or less, the same thing. Because everyone is using everything. The phones need it, the laptops need it, even the TV needs it. And so the users of … Read more
Someone said there are three types of lies. There are lies, damned lies and then, there is statistics. And then, beyond all those lies, there is work from home. Now there is work from home, plus there is home work. And that is no lie. A friend of mine told me on a walk yesterday … Read more
There are two types of people in this world: morning types and evening types. There are two types of morning types of people in this world: the breakfast type and the no-breakfast type. There are two types of breakfast types of people in this world: the poha-idli type and cereal-sandwich types. I am a morning … Read more
A few days back, I started going for a morning walk. I walked down the stairs of my apartment and found another walker coming out of the lift. He waved at me and I smiled back. But I had a mask on and so he couldn’t see me smile. He thought I was giving him … Read more
Whether I have my haircut at the salon or at home, the first question he asks after wrapping me up is “Short or Medium?” I haven’t been able to answer this question with confidence all these years. Earlier, I used to say ‘medium’ just to be sure he doesn’t cut it too short. But when … Read more
This story “Aryan” was published by Ariel Chart International Literary Journal in their May 2021 issue. Ariel Chart is a journal of short fiction and poetry read in 59 countries. You can also read “Aryan” on their site at this link here. The boy shivered on my sofa when he heard it. I was relieved. … Read more