Ammu and her father have a candid conversation as they travel to Shimla, about why he never quite managed – or bothered – to learn Hindi. Vani Viswanathan pens a story that offers a peek into the life of a rebellious student during Madras State’s protests against Hindi as the official language of India.
Eighteen-year-old Mayukh unexpectedly bumps into Rakesh Verma, an astronaut who has been missing since his space mission to the moon in 1989. Parth Pandya tells the story of how Mayukh familiarises the man from space on India as it is today.
We fancy collecting different things but here’ someone who is different. Meet the ‘Shoe Millionaire’ in a work of flash fiction by Shikhandin.
Selina George, an avid reader and reading club member, calls The Last Goodbye to help her draft a decent suicide letter as she decides to bid adieu to the world. Philip John tells us her story, set in 2023, in a world where depression is driving up suicide rates and a group of charged people are reaching out through the internet to add meaning to their lives by creating theme-based groups.
Shreya Ramachandran tells us what’s problematic about portraying all women in Hindi movies as “good” women: it is lazy, inauthentic storytelling.
A husband watches on as his wife negotiates her way through a difficult life; does he feel remorse? Shruthi Saklecha tells us his thoughts.
A seed resists coming out of its comfort zone, but its innate nature pushes it out into the glorious world anyway. Is this the story of, well, every story too? Bhargavi Ravishankar pens a piece of flash fiction.
Mohan surely thinks he knows it all. An ‘assignment’ to fetch a jackfruit from the forest however makes for an interesting encounter that, quite like the jackfruit, might prick – his pride. Prashila Naik pens the story.
Deepu used to be shamelessly mortified of insects, but today, she takes pleasure in killing them – and maybe doesn’t even have to kill them every time. Vani Viswanathan tells you how that transition happened.