...shoOOonya...

Untitled Very Short Story (VSS) 011   Some stories in life remain untitled. These are relationships which are not bound by a definition. A friend who is more than a friend but not exactly your lover. A spouse who becomes your best friend but there is still something missing. A sibling you fight with but share secrets with while jealousy bakes you.   A colleague who is fast becoming a best friend and dangerously close to becoming a love interest but you haven’t yet figured out the other person. We live simple lives with complicated relationships. The story of our lives is just like this story. Untitled.  

Shadow Life   Very Short Story (VSS) 010   I sit at my desk. Contemplating the next string of words to weave a story. Across the street, I see a man trudging along the road towards the street light, deep in thought, his shadow shortening with every step. He comes to the street light and holds the lap-post with his unsteady hands. For a few moments, he stands still and then staggers before collapsing on the ground. Seems like his shadow was indicating the life left in him. He died when directly underneath the lamp-post with the shadow hiding completely under him. In life’s tragedy, I find my next novel. ----------------------- Quick Note: Very Short Stories are approx./max. 99 word stories that i am going to write through the year. These very short stories are part of my writing resolutions of 2017. My target is to write at least 50 VSS this year. Currently I am way behind my target :-(

Mhaari Chori ka Baapu (My Daughter’s Father)   Very Short Story (VSS) 009   Aamir Khan’s dialogue “mhaari choriyan, choron se kum hain kai?” inspired me. I had always loved my daughter more than my son but had always thought of them as a financial burden (huge marriage expense). While there have been movies about women and girl power; Dangal gave me the father’s perspective. It told me that before the women or girl showed their power, their parents had to show their confidence in them. Only then does the girl power get a chance to surface. Don’t know how many people realized THAT. Now my daughter will also rise and shine. ------------------------------ Quick Note: Very Short Stories are approx./max. 99 word stories that i am going to write through the year. These very short stories are part of my writing resolutions of 2017. My target is to write at least 50 VSS this year. Currently I am way behind my target :-(

Morning Walk Motivation   Very Short Story (VSS) 008 The morning walk was prescribed by the doctor for my ailing heart. The pollution in the city had gone up so much with smoke, dust, smog, fog, fine construction debris and what not; that even the early morning was not devoid of these lung punishers. During these walks, I would see this lone cycle rider selling tea to joggers and walkers. His face beamed with smiles and he brought laughter on the otherwise silent stretch of jogger’s lane. His smile and the ringing laughter became the reason I would step out every morning. They made my day. ---------------- Quick Note: Very Short Stories are approx./max. 99 word stories that i am going to write through the year. These very short stories are part of my writing resolutions of 2017. My target is to write at least 50 VSS this year. Currently I am way behind my target :-(

Gandhi, Ambedkar and the Four Legged Scorpion by Rajesh Talwar   ‘Gandhi, Ambedkar and the Four Legged Scorpion’ is a play on Untouchability in India during the pre-1947 era. Its not a novel or a regualr story. Its based on real life incidents with a little bit of writer's creativity thrown in. A Warning : First things first. This book is NOT a novel and not a story. It relays a part of history – about Bapu and Babsaheb – in the format of a play. It took me some time to get my head wrapped around the ‘stage / theatre / play’ format but once I got into the groove, I enjoyed it. It was indeed refreshing to read the play. It has been a long time since I have seen a play and would love to see soon. So don’t be discouraged when you are slightly uncomfortable reading the play format. Give it time and you will enjoy it. Yet Another Warning: The summary or book blurb tell you everything about the main theme or plot line of the play that you are about to read. And th...

The Bearded Prince by Rajesh Talwar   I guess my expectation was high and the book did not deliver as per my expectations. It was a nice little short novel/novella about a princess caught up in her prejudice and perception. She is finally released from the same but along the way, ends up letting go a good match due to astrological hindrances. In teaching one lesson, the author ended up highlighting/promoting another thing which should have been discouraged.   For me, the climax of the story was pretty anti-climactic. The story had a dull ending with no impact. In fact, the reasoning given at the end for the princess’ decision is neither eye opening nor logical. I definitely did not see something in there that I could convey to someone as a learning.      I kept wondering what the key message was ... it did not even seem like 'dont judge people by appearance' (which I thought it would be) and the life changing thought process of the princ...