Poems & Short Stories

“I wanted to tell Mama that it did feel different to be back, that our living room had too much empty space, too much wasted marble floor that gleamed from Sisi’s polishing and housed nothing. Our celing was too high. Our furniture was lifeless: the glass tables did not shed twisted skin in the harmattan, the leather sofas’ greeting was a clammy coldness, and the Persian rugs were too lush to have any feeling. But I said, “You polished the etagere.” " The above text appears when Jaja and Kambili return from Nsukku, their Aunty Ifeoma’s house, and witness their place as dull and lacking warmth even though the house glistened like a palace. The warmth that Aunty Ifeoma’s house had carried during the days they spent despite having a nondescript house and where they prayed every day for Peace and Laughter. Laughter among all the things. Because Laughter was valued in their house everyday despite living with shortcomings something that Kambili hardly got to experience in own h...

Storytelling is one of the great form of expression of thoughts and ideas. From the ancient days, we all have been practicing sharing anecdotes with our friends and families. There is interesting exchange of anecdotes in informal or formal setting which always excites and charms the listener. It is said that humor added in our story shakes the indifferent from the stupor. So everyone adds their own uniqueness in every tale they share. The foremost element that captures attention in addition to the elements that we are going to read further is our own charm or uniqueness of story-telling. Same applies to Story-writing. A well-defined or written story should have necessary elements which will entice the reader to go further and shove it away. Every element is unique in creative writing. Each holds a significance that will highlight the stories and make it complete. To mention, story-writing, as a whole, has elements namely plot, character, setting, conflict, resolution and the...

On a silver shady night, when on a road So many thoughts flooded my mind The visage of the snowy ball that was on board Winked at me sitting far away in the heaven’s abode I stayed unmoved and untouched The memories swept over me,   Swirling wind brought the sudden rain Clambering all the way down from the clouds With a determined promise though To heal the hot soil and remove its pain I stayed unmoved and untouched Rains in November, I could not fathom Even when it brought lovely outcomes Playing with the paperboats, the merry hearted children Pushed and pulled each other in the downpour Ripples in the water shone in the white light Like the summer of good memories in the darkest night I stayed unmoved and untouched     Awashed with water, the path smelled freshness The trail of lights snaking their way in the inky darkness Everything felt calm in my senses Until you came with your traces Became heavy the air, ...

The recent trip to lingerie shop gave me a much needed insight towards life. Yes you heard it right. Lingerie shop! So here the saga goes, I have always had been in search of good bras which could give me a correct fit and comfort. And I found it really hard to get one. It was like discovering oneself or to an answer to much sought after question “Does god exists?” The argument is still on. So is the search for truth. The truth here being “Is there any correct fit for my cleavage? Can they ever feel home? I will tell you my encounter with the varied set of bras. Some act like they follow strict guidelines but the minute I get busy hanging out with my schedule, they let my cleavage leap out providing it a freedom. Putting their hashtag ‘breakfree’. Some don’t have strong support system and putting the straps at place becomes another routine work like keeping the tucked hair at place or like the parents of brattish children. They don’t listen to you yet you yell at them. And...

Maths has always been a hot topic in my household. South-Indian, you see. It is an indispensable part of our life right from the beginning. If Swaraj is the birth-right that Lokmanya Tilak was so fond of, Maths is the birth right of every South-Indian family. If you cannot score centum in Maths means there is some serious mistake in your genetics. Hence, the fact that you need to be a pro in Maths glared so bright that it blinded our vision. If you wanted to move ahead without faltering, you had no choice but to ace the subject.   There is a saying ‘we can hate it but cannot ignore it’. I can see you nodding at this and that is what exactly Maths is all about. The subject is everywhere and you cannot ignore. Right from our accounts, daily grocery shopping, maintaining bills and so many other sundry things, it highlights its glorious visage left, right and center. I can still hear my mother scream,” Does your one cup rice have 3 cups of water?”, when I was shutting the lid of...

Mindfulness. The word has made a buzz recently because of ever increasing stress on her lives. The busy days, deadlines, meetings, college exams, school projects, extra-curricular classes and what not. The list is endless. The common factor which unites these things enlisted is none other than time. Time is a greatest equalizer and we cannot hold back even one second out of the 24 hours. So where is the time to include mindfulness? Can it exist in our schedule? How does it fit? Time to think, ponder, internalize and put into action. That day when my trainer said something which came as a shock to some and surprise to many. The idea of 50 suryanamaskars was standing huge and tall in front of me. It was like a mountain to be conquered. But I thought that as a challenge and accepted it with full might. The day came and we all were looking at each other, smiling, chitter chattering, and giggling among ourselves. Everyone was wondering whether it would be easy or we will leave it righ...

Coorg historically known as Kodagu is a place to be definitely placed in the “To travel” list. It is a beautiful place with magical setting situated on top of the hills. The view is breathtaking at all levels. This is one of the alluring place and I am sure it will leave you speechless with its cool climes, historical significance such as ancient monasteries (Tibetan and Buddhist) and the fetching views of valleys. Coorg is 3 hour drive from Mangalore, Print capital of India. It is approximately 145 kms from Mangalore whereas 100 kms from Mysore. Mysore is the closest railway station and you can club the trip visiting most popular Mysore palace and Ooty. While it is run of the mill for the local folks out there, it was exotic for us. One cannot bring the view and experience in one’s camera but one has to truly be in that situation to embrace the magical delight that a place offers. Definitely a no frill village reveling in the basics, but it offered us an exquisite artistic beauty ...