Quintessence
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When Love Fades, Life Stays
Love, they say, is a beautiful thing,A song the heart just longs to sing.A promise, a bond, forever to last;Until it fades, until it’s past. Is love so noble, selfless, and kind?Or just…
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The Summers We Once Knew
Summers once felt like a festival,a season of open skies and unending joy.The sun’s first rays woke us,and we spilled into the world barefoot,chasing shadows and climbing treesthat bent low with promises of…
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The Little Girl and the Nest
In a small town filled with simple joys and quiet streets, stood a modest house with a tiled roof, whitewashed walls, and a veranda shaded by bougainvillea. The garden around the house was…
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Petty Tales and Pakodi: Life in Venkatapuram
The village of Venkatapuram was known for its mangoes, its temple festival, and most of all, its people’s unrivaled ability to compete over the most trivial matters. Life here was like a never-ending…
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God Bless the Mess (and Me)
It all started with a suggestion from my elder brother, Ravi. “Kamakshi, why don’t you visit Swarnagiri temple? It’ll bring you peace and prosperity.” Ravi’s advice always came coated with good intentions but…
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The Taxman Always Rings Thrice
Ah, the joys of saving!I once saved a rupee, no, a thousand, no, a lakh.Tucked it away in my old locker, guarded by dust and a loyal cockroach.Then came the demonetisation hurricane,And overnight,…
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Melancholy in the Stillness
Feeling melancholy; the kind that doesn’t come with a clear reason but hangs like a mist in the heart, heavy and unspoken. Inside me, there’s a silence as deep as the ocean, as…
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Cozy days of Winter
The long-awaited guest had finally arrived as the year neared its end. Even the sun seemed to take a break from waking early. The days were short with long starry nights. The cold…
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War: A Cost Too Great
What are wars for?They crush dreams under boots of pride,Homes crumble into dust,And lives built with careVanish in moments of fire and fury. Children dream of becoming Scientists,Artists, healers, creators of hope,Yet war…
