Raghavan, a marketing executive was frantically looking for a small apartment in Besant Nagar. He did not like working men's hostels that go under the name of 'mansions'. He never liked the ambience, the noise even at unearthly hours and litter of beer bottles outside each door and the foul smell. Wherever he went on learning about a vacant apartment either from an advertisement or word of mouth or with a To Let board, the owners turned him away saying the accommodation was for a small family. There was a resistance to letting out to singles. It is almost three months since he has been ..read more

I was bored. The TV was showing an old action movie 'The Bad Day at Blackrock' with Spencer Tracy. I liked the role of a single-handed stranger who was on a visit to a small town that had a shady past and was prone to violence, if necessary to keep its past a secret. I love seeing the classic Westerns of the old. Then I watched the recorded Tennis match between Rafa and Djokovic at the French Open. I was hungry but had no mind to cook. I ordered some Chinese food from Wang’s with the instruction that it be delivered within 30 minutes. It was then the telephone rang. I took the extension of m ..read more

It was getting dark and cloudy with a nip in the air. I could see no one around in the park and did not wish to sit there anymore. As I got up from the bench, I saw a dark figure hurrying towards me. I could only see the silhouette signalling frantically with its hand to wait for him. I was a little jittery and wished to move away quickly. But, the figure was faster than me and was by my side asking me to sit down for a few minutes. It was a tall and big man draped in a black blanket with a scary look. The eyes were big and sharp and the white teeth were pronounced. He looked strange tho ..read more

Maddy was watching from his hotel with wonder the large casino with its glittering lights, lighted fountains, the moving marquee and the jostling crowd in and out and he felt he was in a dreamland. He had come to Connecticut on some project work from the Bay Area. He had another fortnight to stay here. He was tired of watching the TV and walked briskly towards the casino. He was in a mood to try his luck with a maximum outlay of a hundred dollars. One good thing about him was that once he decided on an upper limit, he was never tempted to exceed even if Lady Luck were to smile on him. He got ..read more

Madhavan dabbled in a small way in the stock market. He did not have the kind of resources to invest big. He used to sit in a broking firm whenever he had time and make a couple of hundred buying and selling the stock the same day. Some days he would also lose. One day when he made a cheque for investing a slightly higher sum than usual on what he thought was a blue-chip stock that was expected to zoom, he felt he heard a wisp of laughter behind his back. When he turned round to see none, he decided not to invest. On the second day, the stock crashed when the fudging of accounts of the compan ..read more

  Madhav Ji as he is known is a rich man owning a coal and coke company and presently leading a peaceful life after handing over the business to his sons. A kindly old man he spent his time reading spiritual books, visiting temples and attending religious lectures. His palatial house overlooked a large municipal park situated in sylvan surroundings. This park with its best-laid pathways for the morning walkers drew a large crowd daily both mornings and evenings. One could see joggers running, old men and women walking briskly, yoga sessions on green spots, children playing in the playing ..read more

Renuka was lying in bed after a hectic morning. Getting up early in the morning, preparing hurriedly breakfast and lunch, and sending her six-year-old son to school by 8 am was a bugbear. It was a big ordeal to wake him up, give him a bath, force-feed the breakfast with milk and send him with his books for the day without forgetting the lunch box. But she enjoyed doing it though it irritated her sometimes making her raise her voice. Her hubby would have no time for her in the mornings but he never troubled her for his things. It was only after 10 am she would be somewhat relaxed when she woul ..read more

There was a gentle knock at the door around 9 PM. Who could it be, Vinay wondered? He had neither friends nor neighbours in this complex ever calling on him. He opened the door to find a young woman in her late twenties standing. He had seen her many times in the complex during his morning walks but had never spoken to her. She smiled at him and asked with a certain hurry in her tone. “I live in one of the adjacent apartments. My telephone isn’t working. The cell phone is also not usable. Can I please make an urgent call to my mom who I understand is not well.” As she was talking to her mom ..read more

  Savitri was seen pacing anxiously between the living room and the front veranda till she finally called out to her husband who was watching TV,” Gopal, it is nearing 8.15 pm and there is no trace of Raju yet. He is usually back by 6 pm from the playground.” “Ask his friend Shankar who lives three apartments away down the corridor,” Gopal suggested without taking his eyes off the TV. ” Aunty, Raju did not come to play today,” was the reply from Shankar He has not gone to any place other than school and playground without informing. There were frantic calls to close relatives in the city ..read more

Vikas was posted in the 39 Mountain Division under XIV Corps situated in Palampur in Himachal Pradesh. There were occasional skirmishes beyond and soldiers were engaged in safeguarding the frontiers. The situation was mostly calm. On an off day every week, Vikas visited the nearby small town. It had nothing to offer except a small bazaar and some eating joints. There was a temple on a small hillock nearby. It was on one such visit to the temple he came across Rajwanti (Rajvi in short). As she was climbing down, she tripped and fell. There were none seen around. She had sprained her leg a ..read more