Who doesn’t like reading or listening to a story well told? At Spark, we celebrate the short story this September. Read through our short and sweet edition this month for a fine selection of stories that capture people in varied situations and how they deal with what life throws at them. We hope you enjoy this issue!
Aditi’s story explores how as we take sides in a battle of borders, we often forget that the people with guns also have lives they would want to infuse with love, family, protection and safety. No matter what the side, at the end of the day, isn’t humanity losing out in our senseless battle over man-made ideals? What’s the point of all of it? What’s the point of any of it?
Four sisters get together to form a WhatsApp group. Anupama Krishnakumar writes a story about a special kind of sibling-bonding.
Anandhi, a young girl from Chennai at the turn of the millennium, wants to be a sports writer. But that isn’t easy, for more reasons than one. Vani’s story is about a phase in the journey of a young girl who has begun to question gender norms.
Sourav Pattanayak’s Blackie is a story borne out of our fascination with the colour of our skin, and the roles it plays in our lives – the obvious and otherwise.
Prateek’s story is about a bitter, resentful actor who recounts the events that led up to his arrest. Devoid of regret or remorse, he shrugs off blame and maintains innocence, tries to convince the police that he is just like the hero he plays in his films. But all that may matter for him at the end of the day is capturing headlines, because any publicity is good for the business.