Darkness never scared her. As a child, she had spent countless hours in the narrow, dark space between her parents’…
Ghost
‘Your usual, ma’am?’ She nods like she does daily – head tilted half an inch to the front and her…
The Thirsty Ghost
Unfortunately, there are no supernatural entities in India starting with the letter ‘T.’ There are mentions of the monstrous creature…
Fade Away
I had always been interested in photographs. No, not the images captured on the photo paper, but the way chemicals…
Skondhokata
The last train of the night slowed down to a stop in the Keshabpur railway station. Amar yawned and waved…
Qliphoth
‘Majestic! Absolutely majestic!’ Vishal Kapur exclaimed on seeing the scenic vistas from the balcony of the Skyline apartments. His daughter…
Pisasu – the flesh-eating demon
Inspector Mudassar Basha was stumped. Nothing made sense in the case. There was a crime and there was an accused,…
Odiyaan – the animagi hitmen
It was a dark, moonless night. Somewhere an owl hooted and a stray dog howled. The man walked with brisk…
Naale Baa – Come Tomorrow
‘Sujith, how are you coping up man?’ Ravi’s beaming face filled up one of the four squares on his mobile…
Mohini – the insatiable lover
Ganpath hated his master. As an Indian, he was programmed to hate the goras. They did come into his country…
Kutti Chathan – the prankster
My father was an honest man. He was a goldsmith, but an unsuccessful one. Despite possessing the skills to make…
Jann is a Jinn
Abu was a poor fisherman. Every morning, he rowed his boat to the middle of the ocean, where he cast…
Ichadhari Naagin, the shape-shifting cobra
Are you a writer? Here’s a great opportunity to get published. The Hive is inviting submissions for their next anthology.…
Hadal the female goblin
Are you a writer? Here’s a great opportunity to get published. The Hive is inviting submissions for their next anthology.…
Ghoda Paak – the Assamese Centaur
Rain poured like a thousand watery whips lashing on his skin. Yet the rider didn’t stop. He urged his horse…
Evil Eyes aka Buri Nazar (Drishti)
When I was a kid, my mom used to apply the most hideous makeup possible on my face. First, she’d…
Daayan – the fiendish female spirit
The hunter watched as the couple lay down exhausted after their lovemaking. The girl’s lustrous black hair was spread on…
Chir Batti – the ghost lights
The great salty landscape of the Rann of Kutch stretched like a huge white canvas under the stars. Talhah pedalled…
Brahmarakshasa – part scholar, part demon
The fierce afternoon sun scorched the parched earth, leaving cracks and dead plants in its wake. The couple labored along…
Asura – Indra vs Vritra
The sky’s blackish-indigo canvas was peppered with flashes of lightning. The sound of the crashing thunder was drowned by the…
AtoZ 2020 – Theme Reveal
I have a love-hate relationship with the AtoZ challenge. In 2018, I participated for the first time, wrote a bunch…
New Home
The home we left had no doors or windows. That’s where we ate, slept, and procreated. Anyone on the…
The Promised Land
They alighted the rickety jeeps at midnight. The man to whom they had bequeathed their money pointed the way forward…
Box Office
He left his home to become the first filmmaker of South India. He faced obstacles at every corner. He lied…
The Burden
Usually, I’d have left long back. A honeymooning couple holding hands, whispering and giggling without a care in the world.…
The Kettle, The Iron Box, and The Ladle
‘Ma, not these again!’ I cringed at the the old item trifecta displayed prominently on the showcase of our new…
Sailfish
Bart was supposed to be a star! Scratch that – a superstar! Coach used to claim that Bart’s mother had…
The Tipping Point
The barbed wire fence was cut after the war that had raged for half a century came crashing to a…
Snow!
‘Grandpa! Look, It’s snowing!’ Five-year-old Emily jumped in glee, her little hands coming together in a joyous clap. I smile…
Jump
‘It’s all about your core and balance,’ Ralph murmurs. ‘Parkour is tapping into the courage you didn’t know you had.’…
Hate Prevails
‘Do you know that Hamburg was nearly wiped out of the map during WWII?’ My parents were impressed. They had…
Bluebeard
They said that he never remained married for long and his wives vanished mysteriously. When his eyes fell on me,…
I’m Done
Thank you for your best wishes and concern, my friends! Unfortunately, I haven’t enjoyed a moment of this year’s AtoZ. Last year’s…
Hand-holding and Handhelds
The short vacation after the term tests came to an end just as it appeared it had started. The little…
Goobaloo
‘Our forests were much different than the ones around Vanarapuri,’ Fathi took a swig of fresh tender coconut water and…
Fatty and the Flying Monkey
The next few weeks went in a blur for Suri and Nila. First, they had their term tests and the…
Escapades and Excitement
The ruins of Vanarapuri were precisely that – just ruins. Though they did have a dark history attached to them,…
Desperate for a Friend
It was a cool Sunday afternoon in Vanarapuri. Suri woke up after his siesta and sniffed the pleasant smells that…
Cool Down, Cool Girl!
‘Nila, what is that you are wearing?’ A curious expression hovered on her mother Tara’s face. They were having…
Bets and Buts
It was a warm and sunny day in Vanarapuri. Suri was gamboling on the branches outside. His mistimed leap during…
And, Suri Loses A Race
Inside a deep, dark jungle, hidden to the outside world was the beautiful monkey city of Vanarapuri. It was home…
Monsters
The monsters are killing us. We were a proud community who made fabric that was appreciated everywhere. We were the…
Theme Reveal A To Z Challenge 2019
Time has indeed flown in a hurry. I had quite the eventful debut in the AtoZ Challenge last year (read…
Relics
Mom and Dad were already awake and bustling when I woke up. I lumber down the stairs to see Mom…
The Legend of The Scooter Assassin
‘Ever heard about the Scooter Assassin?’ ‘Who?’ ‘Only the greatest hit-man ever.’ ‘Really?’ ‘Yup! Ninety-nine perfect kills. An absolute legend.’…
Of Past Things
‘Do you see that old building there?’ Don nodded eagerly to his Grandmother’s question. ‘Si, Abuelita! I do.’ ‘That was…
Glass Roses
The package arrives precisely at 3 PM. There is a ‘Fragile’ sticker plastered on it. Sometimes, I wonder at his…
Spark the change
I saw a spark and decided to keep it safe in the hollow of a forest tree. The forest smoldered and…
Three Reclining Chairs Outside Humanity
They gazed at the desolate landscape around them and sighed. Their faces were weary and weathered. They felt old, not…
The Car
He walks at a steady pace, tapping his cane on the mud-caked road. The car is still there, a grotesque…
L.E.R.T 
