Hello Friends,
My short story, ‘Shopping with the baby’ has been published in Page & Spine. Thank you, Nancy, for the kind words of appreciation and the publication. Please find a link to the story below.
There are two adult characters in this story. If you read this, do let me know if you have come across such characters in real life.
Peter turned off the alarm clock in haste. It was 9. In 15 minutes, he was in the living room, ready for office. However, there was no sign of breakfast. “Maisy, where is my breakfast?” She stared at him and turned away. Peter had slapped her yesterday and she was acting up. The next day was the same and so was the next. If he made extra food, meaning to save some for the night, she ate everything. Anger rose in him, but he thought of its consequences. “Maisy,” he began in a low voice, “I am extremely sorry.”
This was written for the Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge.
“I want to thank my parents for encouraging me.” Cheryl’s eyes scanned the nooks and corners as she spoke what she had memorized before the concert. “A special thanks to my music teacher…” Aunt Thelma was huddled in a corner, her eyes shining. She had taken Cheryl to her piano lessons every alternate day, learned piano for her and practiced with her. But, there was no mention of her in the speech prepared by her dad and supervised by her mom. “Thank you, Aunt Thelma” whispered Cheryl. Thelma could not hide her tear-streaked cheeks and a subtle, victorious smile.
This is in response to a word prompt in Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge.
Dear Friends,
My new story, Sal and Vikas, has been published in Kitaab. Do share this short story with your friends if you like it. Thank you:)
They both huddled in a damp building
with fading, light green walls
away from the inquisitive eyes of the world
They held hands and spoke earnestly
and the wall came closer to hear them
He whispered incoherent words into her ear
which she half-understood,
but the green wall blushed bright green
as it understood the meaning of the each word
and its deep implications
Was that wall a woman?
Next he made promises
and the wall went further green
This time with envy
The wall was probably a woman
She waited for him
The next day, the following day
and the whole week
He never came
She wept with sorrow,
no companion to share her grief
but the wall shared her misery,
crying with her,
till its faded green color
further lightened
Yes, the wall was definitely a woman
Do not lower yourself onto this bench
It is not meant for you
Not for lonely people like you
It is a bench made only for lovers
who glide over the stormy waves of love
without losing their way to temptation
It is a bench made only for lovers
with the same focus in mind,
much like the emperor
who built the monument here,
a fruit of his passion
or perhaps his obstinacy
for the world to marvel
But, do not lower yourself onto this bench
Come with the perfect partner
As the bench awaits you, eagerly
You may get what you are looking for or not! However, there are more possibilities of your self-esteem being degraded in these sites.
People enter matrimonial sites with eagerness and high expectations. Most of them feel that they will be lapped up by prospective partners. It is human nature to be less self-analytical and more critical of others. However, once you have entered these sites, your attitude is likely to change. The members you like may not respond to your queries. Admit it or not, it is all about the photo you have uploaded in your site. You feel slightly disappointed and start self-analysis. You wonder what is wrong with your looks, height and weight. Or is it the wrong background? Should you have smiled more for the photo? Then, you upload a better photo, trying to incorporate all these aspects.
Still, it has very little impact on the members you are interested in. You are ideal. What went wrong? It could be that they are not looking for an ideal person. What may seem perfect to you may not appeal to them. After all, not everyone has the same set of preferences. Few people agree on looks. You may also have rejected those who expressed an interest in you.
Moreover, if you look around carefully, you will find that those looking for an ideal partner are likely to spend more time in these sites and thereby more membership fees. Also, is there a way to ensure that an attractive person is likely to be a nice person as well? Is it not better to look for somebody who meets your standards reasonably well and spend more time in exploring their character and other attributes?
Lucky are those who wait for years and still manage to find their perfect soul mates. However, it is more practical for others to set moderate standards and get themselves a partner when they are still young.
