I was told several stories about “bhoot bangla” since I grew up.Our parents insisted that we avoid that broken bungalow at all costs. Everybody had their story about “bhoot bangla.” The broken house sits in the center of Andheri in Mumbai.It has survived 70 years like this.Nobody knows the original owners, but everyone has a …
Category Archives: Fiction
freedom
Aslam is in his early 40s, a chubby man with a beard and a big smile.He reminded me of Santa Claus but in a white kurta pajama.He was a co-passenger on the train to Mumbai. I am not sure if he was fasting during Ramzan.His lips were dry, and in a monotonous tone, he greeted …
U-turn
So, are we moving on, asked Shreya?As if we have any other option, replied Sanjay. Shreya got admitted to a college in the US and wanted to reboot her life. She had no time for long-distance relationships. Sanjay stayed in India to build a non-profit providing education to unprivileged kids. They were together from the …
thulla
Sirji bas English me baat karna zaruri hai kya, wo thulla thulla bolte hai hame aur batamezze karte hai. (They speak in English and treat us disrespectfully). Early morning I was at Ber Sarai sipping tea and eating bun-omelet after a night out; sleep and hunger were killing me. Mukesh Yadav was sipping tea next …
Rangdari
Paisa bhejo 5 lakh cash Nahi to kidnap kar lenge.(send us money else we will kidnap you). The call kept coming. It was an era of Jungle Raj in Bihar. Dr. Kumar is a well-known physician in North Bihar. He has a god-like love among patients, especially those who get treated for free every Saturday. …
double
I have lived in Delhi for over a decade, did schooling and my first few jobs but never visited Sanjay Van. This time around, Ayush took me there for a walk promising to show Delhi I had not seen before. And he was correct on all the accounts. I have known Ayush since his secondary …
beta
Apart from mouth-watering food, proximity to Lalbagh has been my reason to move to south Bangalore. For the past few years, I have become a regular. Earlier it was all about running, which I have cut down and mostly into walking. The knee injury has been on and off. Some faces, families in the park …
Naukari
Ratnam had every qualification needed for a sepoy role in UP police. It was his last attempt. He had no plans to follow the path of his elder brothers and cousins, who were successful gym trainers and part-time bouncers at clubs in Noida. He had his dreams and wanted to pursue them at any cost. …
Chota Hanuman
We all would call him Chota hanuman. Somehow on Tuesday, he would show up in our mohalla visiting door to door, wishing everyone good luck. When happy, he would read our palms. I remember mom feeding him and slipping some coins into his pocket. Like a baby, his face would light up. What was his …
outing
It was one of those yearly team outings, where the entire organization heads for a retreat. The management talks about the roadmap, growth plans over lots of alcohol and food. For Vishal, the senior analyst, it was a special occasion. He wanted to propose to Rajni for marriage. They both have been at the firm …