They always knew when it was happening. At first, it was never obvious. However, it began even before the door opened—before the unfamiliar hands, before the shifting light, before the quiet that followed. Instead, it began in the way the air changed. In the way their humans moved differently. Slower. Softer. As if something was Read more…

The invitation came on a Tuesday — not through email or a message, but as a handwritten note tucked inside Mira’s old diary. The strange part wasn’t that the diary hadn’t been opened in years; it was that she didn’t remember putting anything inside it. The note was short. Just twelve words: You are invited Read more…

Vidya was a bright and studious young girl who had recently moved to Bombay with her family. While she took months to make new friends at school, her mother settled into the neighborhood with ease. She quickly formed bonds with neighbors and shopkeepers. The family also hired a new domestic helper, Dhanalakshmi Amma, who was Read more…

About the Author Mieko Kawakami was born in Osaka in 1976. She’s a Japanese novelist, poet, and former singer-songwriter known for her fearless storytelling and sharp insights into gender, class, and the female experience. Kawakami began her creative journey as a poet and blogger before making waves in the literary world. She gained widespread recognition Read more…

Bondunath lived in a small, remote village surrounded by lush green hills and dense forests. Despite repeated warnings from his friends, Bondu always carried his gun around, believing himself to be a sharpshooter. However, his aim was terrible, yet every bird and animal feared him because their lives were at constant risk! One day, Bondu’s Read more…

Raju was a mechanic with a fascination for cars. What he loved most about his job was test-driving cars. In fact, only that morning, Dr. Sharad Shah, the owner of a Cielo, had asked him to check his car’s brake system. Dr. Shah wanted the car back by noon, and it was nearly twelve. Raju’s Read more…

The villagers of the Sundarban are extremely poor. Poverty, however, is not the biggest of their worries. Human settlements border the marshy forests of the Sundarban. The swamps are home to poisonous snakes and man-eating tigers on land and crocodiles in water. Often, the villagers cross creeks, canals, and rivers to move into the villages Read more…

Ajay had been promoted from grade seven to eight. He was, after all, a bright student. However, he had a secret fear gnawing at him. It was practical science. He had begun to loathe this class, simply because he was allergic to the human skeleton kept in the biology laboratory. Ajay loved science as a Read more…

Preeti, Santosh, and Ashok at their great grandpa’s place for the summer break. Great Grandpa was, after all, the kids’ favorite. He was gazing at a portrait on the wall. The man in the portrait was his father. Santosh and Ashok walked in just then. They sat around Great Grandpa as he began speaking. ’76 Read more…

Mother shook me gently. ‘Get up, Raju! It’s Ganesh Chaturthi today. We must go to the temple.’ ‘Oh! So, you’re going to make modaks, aren’t you, Mom? I love them!’ Even at twelve, I still loved Ganesh Chaturthi. Mom smiled. ‘Yes, yes. I’ll make plenty of them. You can eat as many as you want. Read more…