Naradmuni. I couldn’t check my WhatsApp messages. The networks were down, and the towers, destroyed. Everyone around me examined their devices in vain. The data
Author: Natasha Sharma
Hope Factory
Somewhere between the heaven and earth. Nireeksha frowned, it partitioned her glabella. Her mouth was pinched with her face setting into a sour expression. Christmas
Aaj Mere Virus Ki Shaadi Hai, Yaaron
Virus spread far and wide, eliminating everything standing in her way. She was on a quest to eradicate. Annihilation was the sole condition. It was
Death Comes Before a Fall
Yamraj was happy, it had been a good day, no goof-ups at all, everything went smoothly. He slid off his water buffalo, Paundraka, patted him
Objects in the mirror are inverted
The table shuddered under the impact of the fist. The cups and saucers shook violently. The room reverberated with the echoes. The violence spread across
Sardaron ka sar, Hinduon ka zar
22nd November 1947, Srinagar. Surrounded by the Himalayas and the Pir Panjal range, Srinagar valley was an idyllic yet bustling town. Shikaras dotted the city
Ethics Educator
I open my black book with delight, penning details about the 21st sinner. I pause to gaze out of the window at the mountains. They
A Love by Any Other Name
The metal rods in the jail taunted her, yelled abuses. They were in tandem with the noise pollution around her. Women were weeping or screaming
The Transformation
08.30 AM. “The passenger manifest reports 145 passengers, almost full capacity. We have a flyer with a Service dog in the flight,” the stewardess informed
The Pursuit of Moksha
The Pursuit of Moksha. Moksha Bhavan, Varanasi. The doorbell rang impatiently. Ting-tong. Ting-tong. Ting-tong. It urged the inhabitants within to hurry. But the days of
By the Pricking of My Thumb
Lakeview Camping Grounds. Six months ago. The rain had tapered off by the time dawn broke through. It left a heavy mist in its wake,
Everyone Blames the Aliens
Phomoron Galaxy – 160P. Board room, Administrative block. The table was pentagon-shaped. It matched the shape of the room it resided in. Its surface gleamed
A Period of Ovar(y)-Action.
Sometimes, I could just cry. My proverbial heart ping-pongs between the need to be fertilized versus my yearnings for freedom. It is a tough line
Anything Worth Doing Good Takes a Little Chaos
Chapter 1: Hatch a plan. Arthur Jail, 1st December 2000. The eggs were uncooked, the yolk raw and drippy. The cook had dropped the pretense
Who controls the past, controls the future
Patalaloka. Martya, his grandmother, narrated stories of Bhuloka, where the humans lived, prospered, and died. Tales of their valour, love, and the epic wars they
A Walk Down Memory Lane
Our soft lips graze each other Tender yet unsure Our noses, they stick in between Always, a meddler. Our hands, they caress hesitantly In fumbling
The Wings of Despair
The chains around my neck Slowly suffocate me Deprive me of the air I so desperately need. I struggle, wring my hands My protectors laugh,
Boldly, go where every story has gone before…
The image fell on the lens. The light reflected off it into the retinas. “Image alert, captain. The body has intercepted an image. Capt. Brain
Ulta Palat
Bandya leaned against the cow-dung laden wall as he wrestled with the homework. Mathematics was the bane of his existence. He re-read the question. If
Unspoken Love
The letters lay crushed Regular visitors of trash Any chance of salvation Washed away by tears. They knew our love was All I wanted But
Meter Down
Present-day. Suresh. The package calls out to me. It sings to mine, its aura, warm and inviting. I can hardly keep my eyes off it