She trembled with fear as she hid behind the tree, her face covered with a ‘dupatta’. If only one of her children would come out…
Her youngest saw her and, before she could stop him, cried with delight, “Amma!” Knowing that she only had a few seconds, she snatched him and ran away from their tormentor… again.
Rest of her brood would have to wait until the next time.
The Kiwi fruit smelled divine. For the hundredth time, she looked at the price tag–more than half a dollar for a single fruit!
She thought of her children and 90-dollar-a-month salary. She sighed and continued restocking the fruits in the display for those who could afford.
Looking at the mirror, she wondered what she had done to deserve the fate. People were petrified when they first looked at her, averted their eyes and avoided her the best they could.
Even a monster deserved love; but she would always be alone and that made her angry and murderous…
“Hey Girl!”
(Silence)
“What’s wrong?”
(Silence)
“I hope you did not give in to your mother’s threat. She thinks marrying a man will ‘cure’ you. But if you can’t bear the touch…”
(A gasp and silence)
“Look, I know! The entire group knows and we are okay!”
(A sigh and silence)
“I have a spare room if your mother doesn’t understand.”
(After a long silence) “Can you call an ambulance, fast?”
-Based on a true story
Before I met you, I wondered why I existed
As life dragged along slowly.
After I found you, I wondered if it was worth
The pain you caused each day.
Once I walked out of your door
I truly found a purpose: My ‘Self’.
She felt a stab of jealousy as her husband eyed a man with a longing he would never have for her.
If only the world was more resilient to people like him, she would have had a chance at love too.
-Based on true stories
As usual, he went to her cafe, asked for a pastry and sat there hoping she would notice him. It had been three months ever since the shop opened and she was always too busy to talk.
As usual, she brought his pastry to the table, unusually late though. She had decorated the icing on the top with tiny roses… and her phone number!
The anticipation made his hands moist and mouth dry. He felt unprepared as he slowly covered the space between the two galaxies to reach her home across the road from his.
She, the daughter of a Hindu…
He, the son of a Mohammadan…
-Dedicated to W
The rising Sun in the horizon made me ache.
It was such a beautiful day with no one to share.
I wondered if I would have noticed the colours
Had you never happened.
You brought beauty to my life and also the pain.
There was a time when I would walk the road
Holding your hand in mine without a care in the world;
Laughing over nothing at all, looking at the shops
But thinking of only your hand in mine;
Believing that you belonged to me completely.
Giving you over to another willingly
Had hurt deeply, but I did it anyway;
Believing that a part of you still belonged to me;
Until you belonged to him completely;
Leaving my hand, my heart, my life behind.
Short Stories | Fish-eye Perspective 