“Nandini, why don’t you restart your car driving practice?”
“No Aarav. Don’t you remember what happened the last time you taught me driving?”
“It was just a slight nudge on his bike. Nobody got hurt”
“No. I don’t want to kill or paralyze anybody. End of discussion”
This was a regular discussion between Aarav & Nandini and would always end like this.
“Aunty, come outside, quickly. Arnav has fallen unconscious & is not breathing”
Nandini took one deep breath, grabbed the car keys, got Arnav in the back seat, and drove him straight to the hospital – nobody got killed.

Being natural is absurd
being absurd is natural

The setting sun which usually shone with an orange yellow hue seemed to be engulfed in flames of scorching red. The house was brimming with an unsettling quietude.
“Sheela! Where are you?” Rohan’s voice bellowed as he entered.

Sheela’s scarred body had several untold stories to tell. She came out from the room carrying a suitcase.
“ How dare you?”, Rohan lifted his palm to slap her.

But Sheela mustered all the courage required to finally find her voice.

“ Enough is enough!” she said as she unapologetically left her mangalsutra on the coffee table and walked out. She was finally free.

The day I turned 40, I mentally replayed the years gone by. Aghast, I realised, I had spent most of my life in role-play… of a daughter, sister, student, friend, wife, daughter-in-law and mother. I no longer recognised who I was or what I wanted. I was merely engrossed in playing all these parts to perfection. So the questions arose,” What now? Who am I? Is this how I want to be remembered? “ The search for the answers helped me create my new identity – one which I am proud of because it is not modelled on any role.

Days,months, years passed in the household drudgery. There was no going back for Radha as hers was a love marriage. Her beauty and talent slowly died down in the huge joint family, where she was made to realise their greatness in accepting a girl of lower caste. “ Take this brat away.” When she heard her father-in-law shouting at her four year old, she decided to take the plunge. How could she let her child be insulted by his own people. She made up her mind to give him a dignified life all by herself.She walked out leaving them aghast.

It was 19th December, looking at the date reminded Karan of his buddy since childhood, Raj. It was a month since both the friends had spoken to each other, the longest time of silence for both of them ever since they were friends. A misunderstanding over a trivial issue drove a wedge between them. Raj tried calling Karan many times, but Karan didn’t answer.

‘Why should I answer, it was he who started leveling accusations,’ thought Karan.

The very next day Karan received the news of the death of Raj in an accident, he just collapsed on hearing the news.

“O, let him be. Why do you always scold?” Ashu’s father always supported him while his mother was dead against his carefree approach to life.
“You never know when times will change. We should always be prepared.”
“He will learn with time.”
…
That day, on returning home, he found the bodies of his parents in a pool of blood. He was flabbergasted. He howled and cried.
After some time he got up, wiped his tears, and jumped into action. He knew the murderers.
…
And, in one day the happy-go-lucky Ashu transformed into a sober and revenge-seeking man.

“I can’t agree to this.How can you be so cruel?” lamented Smriti.
“I can’t support another one, I already have two to feed.Ma and me have already told you regarding our decision,” yelled Aman. We don’t have much time to brood.Tears rolled down her eyes, as she gently stroked her belly and looked out of the window.A fellow passenger in late fifties, who was quietly listening to the conversation gently remarked.
“Let her come Sahib.They are born with their own fate.”
“Today, I am going to attend army’s passing out parade for my daughter.”

Years of being married yet same abuses and insults. The very things he once called virtues -her charm, intellect, unbridled laughter, unaffected behaviour were humiliating vices now!
She had tried walking-out but he would stalk her begging for mercy, another chance …for the sake of their daughter.
Empathising she tried to make him happy. Marital-rape and abuses followed. Life became a dump-yard of stinking filth.
Then, she planned a surprise-trip to Nainital where he ‘accidentally’ drowned to his death in Bhimtal! She hugged her daughter.
One day changed what years of patience and loving loyalty couldn’t. Life smiled with hope.

Anaya had to re-learn dancing. When she had first learnt salsa dancing, she had followed the beat through vibration. Not anymore. Now she trains herself differently. It takes hours of listening to music and practicing dancing. Her strong determination had paid off. A born deaf Anaya could hear and dance to the beat.

Her hearing disability had deprived her from enjoying life for twenty long years. Then one day, she received a cochlear implant and her life changed for good. She can perceive sounds; loud and clear which helps her dance better.

She continues to hear and dance.

Reva and Sumit were travel junkies. When their alliance was fixed, it was touted as a match made in heaven. They both wanted to explore the entire world. Married for 12 years, with their passports and hearts full of memories, they now longed to settle and quit the nomad life.

In the mundane routine, they realized they had completely different personalities with only a common love for travel. Small tiffs turned into major fights, and the once-smiling couple was now at loggerheads. After one such major episode, they finally realized in a day what they couldn’t during their years traveling.

“I am nothing who dreams of something and will take chances to make it everything. Everyday isn’t a battle, few days are to check and assess from top and bottom.” I read this on the glass window of a public toilet, I think it’s written by someone who is in deep pain. Then I heard some screeching sound, I turned and manoeuvred towards the corner. There stood a small girl. She seemed ambiguous when asked why is she doing this?
My mother in heaven taught me this! One day I’ll run from new aunty who loves my dad but me.

‘I cannot permit her to go with you. If she goes, who’ll cook and clean.’ Her mother-in-law was thundering, and her father was bearing it in silence, for Malati’s sake.

‘Her mother is critical. Please let Malati see her. One last time,’ he pleaded, tears flowing down his hollowed cheeks.

Malati turned towards her husband. He was nonchalant, as always. Years of traumatic memories floated in front of her eyes – the abuse, the ill-treatment.

She had put up with everything for the sake of her parents, but enough was enough! Saying nothing, she held her father’s hand and walked out.

“Why are you giving way to everyone on the road, allowing people to cross at every junction?” Nithish frowned seeing his friend drive leisurely.
“What are we going to do saving that one minute by getting past these vehicles? My father never listened to my mother who insisted on cautious driving and was always thrilled to overtake trucks and cars on highways that led to my parents die right in front of my eyes. Society renamed me from ‘Arjun’ to ‘An Orphan’. I was just twelve. Something that happened within seconds but could not be changed even after fifteen years.”

Was it her bewitching beauty? Or her stupendous skills as a dancer? Or the thrill of the illicit? Kovalan would never know! For on that fateful day, he lost his heart to Madhavi, and his love for his wife Kannagi flew out of the window.
What followed next was passion. Amour. And yet, Kovalan, tired of all this, yearned to return to Kannagi, he found that his loyal wife accepted him. Without a complaint. The ever-dutiful Kannagi even offered to accompany him to Madurai.
On that fateful day, something had changed. And somehow, everything was the same as before.