The lockdown had been announced just a few days ago. People were still trying to reorganise their lives around the restrictions.

Few apartment complexes formed volunteer teams to deal with COVID.

In one such apartment, a volunteer signed up to help people struggling with grocery logistics during the lockdown. Bustling with enthusiasm, he approached a septuagenarian couple and offered them help to procure daily essentials and medicines.

“Thank you, we’re fine,” came the reply, almost with a pride of self-reliance.

The volunteer was a little unconvinced. “Perhaps they are hesitant,” he wondered and asked them again.

“Very nice of you to ask again. But, no! We’re fine!” This time, the old man felt a little annoyed, and his abilities questioned! He stared long at the volunteer until he was out of his sight.

The next day on his rounds, the volunteer was unsure whether to approach them or not. He paused at their door hesitatingly, stood there for a while and decided to ask them again.

Same reply!

Feeling rebuked, the volunteer walked away without uttering another word.

Few days later, the old couple realised they needed help. However, they were a little uncomfortable to ask him.

“We turned him down several times, how can we go to him now?”

However, the need was such that they decided to ask finally and called him on his phone.

The volunteer listened to them without interrupting and took a long pause as if he was trying to process something in his head.

“Oh, I’m busy today. Sorry, I won’t be able to help!” he quipped and cut the call, abruptly!

It was his first TEDx speech.

He rehearsed yet another time on the way to the venue. A lot of people already knew about his achievements. This was his chance to let them know the story behind it all – the pain, the hardships he had endured to make it all happen!

“Dreams don’t just fructify out of thin air! They need intense effort, discipline and dedication! They need a lifetime of sacrifice!!!” A sense of pride creep into the corner of his lips as he rehearsed his lines. Continue reading →

Should I do it? Would I be able to live with the guilt? I thought to myself.

My mind wandered to the day when I first met her.

I work as a consulting neurologist and movement disorder specialist here. It would have been just another day in the hospital, but for this particular case.

Adhira was referred to me by our neurology resident Dr Kumar.

Continue reading →

Part I

I received a memo from head office today. It makes me nervous.

They have marked Surya homes private limited as a red-flagged account and have asked me to prepare a report for the Central Fraud Monitoring Cell.

Making it worse is the fact that this case will be directly reviewed by our Deputy General Manager, Mr Bharat, a long-timer in the bank known especially for his honesty. Continue reading →

“ஏன்டா! உனக்கு இதெல்லாம் தேவையா? படிச்ச பையன் தானே நீ!”

“இல்ல சார், இந்த ஒரு தடவ விட்டுருங்க சார், தெரியாம பண்ணிட்டேன்!”

“என்னடா தெரியாம பண்ணிட்ட?! விசயத்த பாத்தா ரொம்ப ப்ளான் பண்ணியில்ல செஞ்ச மாதிரி இருக்கு? இதுக்கு முன்னாடி மாட்டியிருக்கியா?”

Continue reading →

“Why don’t we start at the beginning?” the psychiatrist told me.

Hesitatingly, I began my humiliating tale.

A couple of days ago, I visited the nearest SBI branch. I went and stood in front of the “single window operator”.

She appeared busy. Continue reading →

“You’ll soon be with someone you truly love,” her friend read the fortune cookie aloud after snatching it from her.

She tried to smile, but her inability showed as she snatched it back and stashed it away. She turned her face towards the window and wiped a silent tear. They all turned silent. Continue reading →

“Which idiot is calling me at 2am?”, he muttered annoyingly as the phone rang, piercing the silence of the night.

“Hhhelloo?”

“Listen to me carefully, Simon. Don’t waste time trying to understand whats happening now. There’s been a murder… your best friend Vishal is dead. Dress up immediately. Go to 14th cross and locate a brown coloured Maruti Omni. They are running away. Go now… gooooo”

“Whhh, whoo is this!?”

Dead tone. The person on the other side hung up.

He called Vishal immediately.

“The number you are trying to reach is switched off”, an automated voice answered.

“Smitha, Smithaaa, get up! Get up!”, he nervously shouted.

“What is it? Another emergency case?”, Smitha woke up annoyed by her husbands sudden action. “It’s time you quit your police job!”.

“No, this is serious. Someone called me and said Vishal is dead. His phone is switched off too. I need to go and check.”

“Ah.. that guy! Might be a prank of his. Or another attempt to create content for another novel that no one wants!!”

“Smithaa, don’t waste my time. There was something strange about that voice. It didn’t sound like a prank call. Oh, Smithaa, there’s no time. I am leaving now.” Continue reading →