Walking the Fine Line between Fitness and Foolishness When it comes to my morning walks, I don’t dabble in the conventional. Parks, jogging tracks, and treadmills? Pass. I’m a side-road connoisseur. Give me a narrow, potholed lane with a stray chicken or two over a smooth track any day. Who needs predictability when you can … Continue reading Walk, Don’t Run—The Dogs Are Watching
Category: CREATIVE FICTION
Stories written for the pleasure of imagination — where characters wander freely, moments bend, and meaning arrives quietly. Read, pause, and enjoy.
The Hole-y Grail of Truth
Why Life, Bagels, and Elevator Pitches Are Better with Gaps You know what’s brilliant about bagels and vadas? The hole. Without it, you’re left with something undercooked and downright disappointing. And that got me thinking. Why not apply the same principle to truth? Add a hole, make it lighter, and easier to chew on. After … Continue reading The Hole-y Grail of Truth
The Buzzing Negotiator
He came for blood, but stayed for the conversation Every evening, I light frankincense in a brass vessel, letting its earthy aroma drift through my home. It’s my peaceful little ritual, not just for the calming scent, but because it keeps the mosquitos at bay. Well, mostly. Last night, I’m mid-procession, wafting the fragrant smoke … Continue reading The Buzzing Negotiator
Why Every Living Being Deserves a Slice of Equality This New Year
A Delightful New Year’s Tale About Cake, Kindness, And Cosmic Balance As the final sunset of the year cast its golden glow, the ants, the world’s tiniest powerhouses, decided they’d had enough. Enough of being stomped, squished, and swept aside. They were done being ignored as life’s footnotes. On that final night of the year, … Continue reading Why Every Living Being Deserves a Slice of Equality This New Year
Santa’s Polar Portal: A Magical Journey from Antarctica to the Arctic
Experience the enchanting adventure that brings together friends from both poles! As Christmas approached with its usual jingle and jangle, Santa Claus was busier than a one-horse sleigh in a snowstorm. He was knee-deep in gift-wrapping and cookie sampling when suddenly, his jolly old phone rang—a sound as rare as a reindeer with a sense … Continue reading Santa’s Polar Portal: A Magical Journey from Antarctica to the Arctic
The Gruen Effect Chronicles
How Festive Malls Turn Everyone into a Shopaholic. Imagine stepping into a mall during the festive season, the air rich with cinnamon and pine, twinkling lights twirling overhead like stars on a sugar rush. It’s enchanting. It’s magical. It’s a trap. Welcome to my life, where the “Gruen Effect” isn’t just a phenomenon—it’s a recurring … Continue reading The Gruen Effect Chronicles
A Woodstock for the Soul: World Meditation Day 2024
Sitars, serenity, and a global pause for mindfulness. December 21, 2024, is almost here, and the world is preparing for World Meditation Day—a day when everyone, from toddlers with sticky fingers to grandparents with creaky knees, will attempt to sit still, breathe deeply, and master the ancient art of... doing absolutely nothing. For me, this … Continue reading A Woodstock for the Soul: World Meditation Day 2024
The Day Frampton Came Alive in Kerala
How a Two-in-One Player and a Cassette Changed Everything It was the 1980s, a glorious era of bad haircuts, epic road trips, and cassettes as life essentials. My friend and I were cruising through Kerala on one of those broke-but-blissful adventures where every dosa felt like a banquet, and our cassette player was the crown … Continue reading The Day Frampton Came Alive in Kerala
A Life in Full Stride: A Dad’s Odyssey of Defiance and Determination
The Journey of a Man Who Walked His Own Way When I first heard about the longest walkable route in the world, I nearly choked on my coffee. Picture this: a jaw-dropping stretch from Cape Town, South Africa, to Magadan, Russia—a staggering 22,387 kilometres of uninterrupted land. No planes, no ferries, no boats—just you, your trusty … Continue reading A Life in Full Stride: A Dad’s Odyssey of Defiance and Determination
ASK NOT WHAT YOUR CAT CAN DO FOR YOU
"When Cats Aren’t Just Pets but Secret Architects of History" You know, I’ve never quite understood the cult-like devotion some people have to cats. For me, they’re just tiny dictators wrapped in fur. And Amma? Well, she’s their most loyal subject. Every day, she sacrifices the best of her pantry to appease her feline darlings, … Continue reading ASK NOT WHAT YOUR CAT CAN DO FOR YOU
A Howl of a Night: The “Dead Dogs Day” Bash
The Ghostly Gala of Dogs Gone By The sky was Labrador-black, and the moon shone like it was running for "Most Dramatic Celestial Body of the Year." The wind howled a tune so catchy even tone-deaf dogs joined in, setting the perfect mood for Dead Dogs Day—the ultimate reunion for every doggy who’d ever wagged … Continue reading A Howl of a Night: The “Dead Dogs Day” Bash
The Fly and the Sweet Tooth: A Buzz-worthy Mystery
I claim to visit the bakery for bread—a noble cover for my illicit love affair with cakes and peanut chikki. My wife, ever health-conscious, buys the “essentials,” while I sneak sweet treats into the basket like a sugar-smuggling ninja. Last week, amidst our usual routine, I spotted something odd. Perched near the cash register, sat … Continue reading The Fly and the Sweet Tooth: A Buzz-worthy Mystery
My Unwelcome Housemate: The Spider Saga
For weeks now, I’ve had a roommate who refuses to pay rent, refuses to show himself, and worst of all, refuses to leave. My very own spiderly Houdini. That's right—I have a resident spider, an elusive, web-slinging escape-artist who’s turned my nightly routine into a slapstick horror show. Now, I know this little intruder is lurking about because … Continue reading My Unwelcome Housemate: The Spider Saga
I’m Temptation
You love me. You hate me. You need me. I’m greed, I’m speed, I can help you succeed. But you can’t stop me burning. I’m a wheel, I’m a deal, I can give you good feel. But you can’t stop me turning. I’m a weed, I’m a seed, I can make your insides bleed. But … Continue reading I’m Temptation
Candle in the wind
Will our stories survive beyond us? Arms wide open, I stand alone. I’m no hero. And I’m not made of stone. I stand here burning. Casting my warm glow upon the wrinkled skin of the frail old man.He is the lone inhabitant of this timeworn and run-down ancestral home. Now abandoned and forgotten.The old man is lying … Continue reading Candle in the wind
The Power of Silence: A Tale of Listening in a Noisy World
Noble Silence - Inner Peace – Peace on Earth Thousands of years ago, when the shadows danced and whispers echoed, and gods and demons roamed the earth, I was a mere mortal who dared to cross a line that no one had ever dared to before. When they were moving heaven and earth to set … Continue reading The Power of Silence: A Tale of Listening in a Noisy World
A LAMENT FOR THE MOTHER OF ALL TONGUES
The Eternal Elements Of Eloquence I lie here on my deathbed, a grand old lady with a legacy that spans the entire world. I am the mother of all languages. The one who gave birth to the words that humans use to communicate with each other. My once vibrant and lively spirit now flickers dimly like … Continue reading A LAMENT FOR THE MOTHER OF ALL TONGUES
Metamorphis of the Spirit and Mind – A Cats-eye view
Purr-fectly Blissful I’ve got a shiver in the dark. It’s raining in the park. But meantime, I scamper onto the shelter of the grand old tree. I’m a black cat. I’m nothing but bad luck. Something evil that is passing by. People get spooked when they see me in the dark. Or when I cross the … Continue reading Metamorphis of the Spirit and Mind – A Cats-eye view
NESSIE – NESTLING IN THE DEEP
Far from the madding crowd I’m drifting on the empty waters. I’m searching for the holy grail of leviathans. I know she’s waiting. Waiting below. Ready to attack, and my life is at stake. I’m armed only with the belief that this legendary creature is not myth. That there really exists this monster. I know. … Continue reading NESSIE – NESTLING IN THE DEEP
PERFECT STRANGER
Resurrected from the shadows of another day There was a great industrialist here today. Talking of cars and technology. For more than two hours he held everyone spellbound. He wasn’t talking about what is yet to come but what had already been achieved. I have a special reason to be fired with enthusiasm on this … Continue reading PERFECT STRANGER
How To Walk Into Infinity
Cracking The Ant Code In the misty mornings, I stand on the edge of time. I inhale a lungful of heavenly oxygen and prepare to follow my bliss. I live a few days here every month in this wooded area. Among dense growth of trees and vegetation. I step out into the haze, all geared … Continue reading How To Walk Into Infinity
Pea in the ground
You may call me by any name, but you got to serve me to everybody A sudden gust of wind blows straight from the heavens with great gusto, and we land on earth. Some of us fall on rocks. Some of us fall on thorns and bushes. And some of us fall on fertile land. … Continue reading Pea in the ground
The Red Dot
A gift of generosity from a real Santa I kick my car's tyre and blink at the moonless sky. How on earth did this happen, I exclaim under my breath. I’ve always been checking tyre pressures while filling up fuel at the pump, and nothing ever seemed wrong with these fairly new tyres. The long stretch … Continue reading The Red Dot
How to conquer the world, (well, almost!)
Napoleon reveals his secret weapon to Josephine This really may have happened. Nobody apparently recorded this in history books, but for now, let us imagine that this may really have happened. It's no secret that Napoleon Bonaparte was eager to conquer the world. His war strategies were perfect. According to legend, his strength lay in … Continue reading How to conquer the world, (well, almost!)
Urban Dilemma – to smile or not to smile
Is a smile still your first instinct when you make eye contact with people? She was standing in the bright sunlight. Picture-perfect. Peaceful and tranquil. Totally at peace with herself in the barbecue-hot summer sun and the busy traffic, displaying the greatest of smiles that could halt traffic. The traffic signal anyway was doing just … Continue reading Urban Dilemma – to smile or not to smile
N’oubliez Jamais (Never Forget)
We live. We forget. Yet we survive. Over the centuries I imagine there was a time when generations traditionally yearned to listen to stories, songs, chants, and poetry that were passed down from generation to generation from elders. The accumulated experience and expertise in survival were crucial to be passed on through oral storytelling. How … Continue reading N’oubliez Jamais (Never Forget)
Every once in a while…
Picture courtesy - Pexels Free Photos There's strength in numbers Every once in a while, there's a power outage in my village where I spend a few days every month. Tonight, it’s rainy and windy, and the place has gone dark. Instinctively, I glance at my neighbour’s house. It’s dark there too. Greatly relieved, I … Continue reading Every once in a while…
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