The postman loudly announced the arrival of fresh mail. Shreya was on her feet immediately. She brought the letter to her mother and asked her to read it. Once she did, Shreya and her mother found the news rather disconcerting. Shreya’s aunt was coming over with her husband and twins. She lived in Mumbai and Read more…

When the bus driver took his seat, every passenger in the bus heaved a sigh. The driver switched on the pocket transistor. An old Kishore Kumar song was being broadcast. He checked the volume and turned it up. However, a special announcement soon interrupted the song. ‘The police are still on the lookout for the Read more…

He stood at the Goripalayam bus stop every day from morning to night. He had a hideous face. His left eye was placed a little lower than his right one, and his teeth stood out in wild disarray. His unkempt hair rose from his furrowed forehead and cascaded like a lion’s mane. He wore a Read more…

Amin was an infamous thief. People dreaded him. Such was his notoriety that parents often used his name to frighten their children. One day, Amin committed a huge theft in a rich man’s house and made off with a lot of gold jewelry and cash. After this rich haul, he set off for his hideout Read more…

It was a dark, moonless night. There were very few vehicles on the road leading from Gwalior to Bhopal through the Chambal valley. A white Contessa was speeding as its headlights pierced through the darkness of the night. Mr. Praveen Joshi, a bank manager, and his close friend, Mr. Harish Bharadwaj, were in the backseat Read more…

When it was lunchtime, Jonas got in the line of food. The prison was high-security and his eyes kept darting to the corners of the walls, trying to pick up cameras and how the guards were positioned. Most of them held tasers in their hands, so that meant they either believed that tasers were good Read more…

Jonas was blindfolded, handcuffed, and dumped into a large SUV as all the soldiers got back inside the vehicle, leaving Jonas’ mother unconscious. Half an hour after they were gone, his mother twitched and called for her son in a weak voice, “Jonas…” When she did not hear a response, she tried to open her Read more…

The man sat there with an aghast look on his face. He could not believe what was happening. He struggled to keep himself on his feet and stepped back a little before finding his chair and slumping on it. Was this some sort of a cruel joke? Destiny? The memories of the day flooded over Read more…

The waiting area was eerily silent except for the labored breathing of some aged folks sitting anxiously on the uncomfortable chairs. The small space was cramped with desperate people who wanted to get done with it as soon as possible. While everyone kept glancing around, tapping their feet on the smooth, polished floor, a little Read more…

The cars and other vehicles formed a beeline along the small road as the sun above shone brightly. It was a busy day, and everybody was in a hurry to reach their respective destinations. Rehan rushed out of his apartment gate and waved at one or two cabs, but each one of them seemed to Read more…