AnuKathaa

Story for this month.  Prompt: Delete   Word count: 1250 words “I’m here… to …see… Ms. Verma,” the deep voice stuttered. Rakesh looked up from his computer screen. “May I have your name, please?” “Puja.” Rakesh did a doubletake. From the voice, the muscles, the baggy pants and loose-fitting T-shirt, he’d assumed the visitor to be male. The name clearly indicated it was a woman. She pretended not to notice his reaction and stared stoically ahead at nothing in particular.  Calm before the storm , thought Rakesh, for no particular reason. Gathering his wits, Rakesh took Puja into Ms. Leela Verma’s office, did the introductions, and fled, eager to get back to that article he’d been reading online about his favourite cricketer. A few hours later, it was time to go home, but the visitor hadn’t left. Rakesh sighed, cleared up his desk, and took a few moments to delete his browsing history. No point in letting Ms. Verma realize how he’d been spending part...

The prompt for this month's story was "I never knew." Pretty simple and straightforward, and definitely easy to write about. And then, one of the writers on our writer's group came up with an idea that suddenly made it very challenging.  She suggested that writers who wanted to push themselves, must: Write in the first person (narrate the story saying, "I...") Use the future tense !! ("I will...") Incorporate a twist at the end... The narrator must be Marilyn Monroe !! There was no compulsion to take up the additional challenge, but I couldn't resist the thought of taking it up. Besides, I anyway had no other ideas, so let me go with this writer's suggestions, I decided.  As the decision took root, Google helped research the topic, and after 3 hours of frenetic writing, here's the story I came up with.  It's designed like the excerpts from a diary of the star, and of course, heavily fictionalized. If reading ...

The prompt for this month's story was simple: Cats and Dogs Word count was very low too : 300 words only And yet, no inspiration struck. Probably because (new realization) my love for animals does not extend beyond the boundary of the homo sapiens variety. As I sat with my son watching the FIFA World Cup semi-final between England and Croatia, a part of my mind fretted over not having a single story idea even worth considering. I even began thinking along the lines of how the sky wouldn't collapse if I failed to post a story this time. But the Universe had other plans, I suppose. For, when I woke today morning, it was with the thought of a story that seemed write-able. I suppose I should be saying thank you to FIFA ....... Soni's Smile Soni toyed with the food on his plate. “Cats,” called Seema. “And dogs,” whispered Soni. “Eat,” said Seema, and watched her son Soni tuck into his breakfast with gusto. Seema sighed. 368 days since that fateful accident. The one that took...

This story was written in a hurry. An hour and a half before the deadline, to be precise. Any plot holes you may point out will be blamed on this by the writer.  Enough warning - time to get reading :-)                                                              xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Prompt:Forbidden Places l Word Count: 1800 words  The shrill ring of the phone jolted Neha out of her reverie. A calm voice asked, “Is this Mrs. Arora?” “Yes, I’m Neha Arora. Who’s calling, please?” “I’m the receptionist from the Sanjeevani Medical Centre. One of your older medical reports is missing from our file, Mrs. Arora. You know how particular we are about our records. So, Dr. Devi wanted to know if you’ve carried it away with you after your consultation with her yesterday.” “Oh, I see. I’m rushing somewhere right now. ...

Dear readers, A good friend of mine, Saiswaroopa Iyer, is releasing her 3rd novel "Mauri" on the 9th of June, 2018. Sai's stories explore the lesser known stories of the timeless epics of India, from the perspectives of strong female protagonists.  Here's a sneak preview into what to expect from this book.  About Mauri She wanted to kill the man who others called a God. Love is but an obstacle in her path With her father’s death shattering her world, Mauri is torn away from everything she had once loved. Anger replacing every emotion within her, she seeks only one thing. To kill her father’s killer. Even if the man is none less than Krishna Vaasudeva, the man who people worshipped as a God! Someone stands in the way, reining in her bitterness when she is the least prepared for it. The Rakshasa Prince Ghatotkacha! But by the time love sprouts within her, Mauri has gone too far in her thirst for vengeance. Can Mauri save herself and Ghatotkacha before t...

My last story, written from the 2nd person point of view, evoked quite strong reactions. At the time, I did intend re-working that piece in my usual style so that readers could enjoy the story, without any stress 😀 However, I got so busy with other things, that before I realized, a month had passed, and it was time for my next story submission. Yesterday, in the middle of writing an academic paper for a national-level seminar, I managed to churn out this story because I didn't want to miss the deadline. As usual, I'm waiting to hear what you think of it !                                 xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx Prompt:Distinctive markings l Word Count:1200 words exactly Varun paced the floor outside the restaurant. Too nervous to go in. Tormented by memories of previous encounters that had bruised his confidence. They had agreed on 11 am, and he hated being late. ...

The way I've written this story is different from my usual style. So, it calls for an explanation so that you, the reader, are not left confused.  I've experimented - for the first time in my fiction writing - with using what is called the Second Person Narrative or the Second Person Point of View. This is a style of writing that uses the words 'you' to put the reader into the shoes of the narrator. If done right, this technique is supposed to give a richer sensory experience to the reader.  I'd love to know what kind of an effect it had on you; so, feel free to share your feedback!            Prompt: Buy or Sell      Word Count: 750 words exactly We are doomed. No one says it loud, but you know. Heaviness in the air. Your father’s long-drawn sigh. A vacant look in your mother’s eye that tells you she’s done with shedding tears. You hate this hopeless waiting. “Do something,” you cry. But, only in your mind. For, the qu...