Appy Stories

What a miracle she was!! Waking up at the crack of dawn, before the first ray could find its way among the dense blanket of darkness.  Splashing some cold water on her comely but tired face, she lighted the firewood to facilitate a warm bath for both of us. This firewood was a stellar luxury, for the zamindar granted us the comfort only on special occasions. And today was Diwali- light after a dark, moonless sky!  As she washed her long locks which were generally tied in a taut bun, Chutki my elder sister demanded to be taken in arms. Amma quickly winded up the bathing ritual and rushed to attend to Chutki. The first light that dispeled the darkness of the hut,  shuddered Chutki. It had become a rountine for her to wake up crying as the demons of the past brought out their ugly heads in her dreams.  " Kuruvi" Amma's little birdie that she was, "we are far far away from the torments. The ghosts of animosity have left for their graveyards." Amma clemently brushed ...

      A Solemn Promise “Mrs. Roshni Singh, why are you pacing in the verandah? There are fifteen more to go, before it’s your turn for the prick. Do not block the entrance that is the only source of fresh air in this peripheral OPD.” Barked the freshly graduated lab assistant.  “What is it with these assistants?  They consider themselves full doctors.” Muttered Roshni under her breath. The state of being full was never achieved by her until now when she is nine months full pregnant. No glass of full milk, no full covering clothes, no full education till matric and no full recognition of her identity. Life was always given to her in semicircles that too after a long wait.     Ghanshyamlal Chaurasia’s wife Sitadevi waited ten additional days after her full with no labour pains. The village midwife made her perform some cumbersome squats which broke the waters. Thus, the third Chaurasia offspring was born. Though named Roshni, her birth never brought any ...

 “Today is my first solo photo shoot. Look at my muscles and the full flesh…But hey wait! Why is this mass trying to stick to me?? Dude, just get away… You sticky, creepy parasite!!!” Uncle Uterus tried  shooing off Baby Embryo.  “ Mercy, My Lord… allow me a stay of only nine months.” Clinging firmly the embryo pleaded.  “ You are not my own skin. I’m nauseous. You look so alien!!” Uterine contractions. “Need to throw out.” “NO.... STOP!!! My landlord of nine months, if you abandon me, a dream of life time will be shattered. Be my generous earth and let me sprout.” A bloody tear trickled down the cervix.  “ Why me? Go grow in your family garden.” Argued the adamant uterus.  “ Can’t. My family garden isn’t fertile. All the seeds sown, never saw the daylight. If I don’t germinate, my mother will be labelled barren. Soon her life will be nothing, but a cold desert.  Keep giving me a little more space each month. Swear on, I won’t move about much. I will…....

“ANYBODY CAN RUN!!!” the words reverberated in Hemant’s ears. Though this sounded like the local sister concern of ABCD( AnyBody Can Dance) movie to Manish, Hemant wanted to give him the taste of his own medicine. “ How could he think anybody can run a Marathon?” Fumed Hemant in his bed. It takes tireless efforts, waterless perspiration to complete the Marathon aspiration. Determined to break Manish’s ABCR (ANYBODY CAN RUN) bubble, Hemant switched off the reading lamp.  “ Hey buddy, had a great thought last night. Why don’t you join me for the Tata Mumbai Full Marathon this year?” mocked Hemant while he addressed to a semi-shocked Manish. Collecting his dropped jaw,  “ Why not dude? I will. Why only join but we will win also…” Boasted a proud Manish. “ Bolne mein kya jata hai?” thought a negligent Manish.  Being a Marathoner, Hemant was well versed with the hiccups of initial morsels. He knew there would be many internal struggles Manish had to overcome before he proves h...