Appy Stories

 Sundri pressed her face against the smooth glass plane. Everything looked so crystal clean. The sales girl was going about putting on the lights. She looked every bit like a fairy illuminating the stellar bodies. As each LED shone, under it a glittery, shiny outfit came to life. There were so many mannequins adorning designer frocks and skirts, suits and pants, all for the little ones of those who had bedrooms as large as this showroom. Sundri had her eyes on a white frock whose frills were pristine white like a fresh, frothy sea wave. So engrossed was the pauper in admiring her dream frock that she never realized her muddy palms were creating smudges on the polished glass pane. “Bhago, idhar se!” The sales girl shooed Sundri away. It was an everyday ritual for Sundri to worship her dream standing on the fringes of the shop as the sales girl went about organizing the showroom for the day. In those ten minutes, Sundri in her superlative imagination would have worn the frock, her fr...

The redevelopment keeda had made a home in every heart and hearth. Not a sane human was left who wanted to exist as a chawl dweller or a modest kholi owner. Everyone desired to be an occupant of a high rise that would be named as Falcon Heights or Eagle's view or something similar. Falcon and eagle was only that was possible as sparrows had long left the city. Soon it had to vultures hovering the skies. With so much of affluence in the air, how could God not fall for the trap?  After all, he was the man's God. If man wished to shift to a high rise wouldn't God want to go a bit higher. Thus, God too decided to sign the redevelopment contract with the Heavens Building Developer. God was promised a huge territory spreading from the temples of Hindus to the mosques of  Muslim.  The builder said, "You royal entity, one abode isn't sufficient for you. You must exist in the Temple, Mosques, Gurudwaras, Church, Agyaris and what not." God asked, "And what are thes...

 It is quite early in the morning. The moon has not completed its walk. It is now slowly regressing. The water puddles are basking in the glory of the moonwake. I'm trying to keep myself awake in the wee hours of my morning walk. The last night has been a difficult one. Sleep eluded my worked up brain. The war inflicted against humanity is getting worst. My anxiety is scaling. I need to find a solace. My sleepy eyes find something.  There it lies with ordinariness laced into it. The narrow jagged lane and its ragged fringes seem to be the perfect place for it to rest in peace. Tumultuous treks and quite a lot of running affairs must have exhausted it. It looks royal in its disowned status as well. Frankly speaking, I don't think anyone must have disowned it. It has an aura of walking away with pride. When faced humiliation, it must have disowned its owner. But where was its partner? Unless, the sneaker belonged to Cinderella and she was at a ball last night this mystery of a l...

"Bawa, don't you drive on the roads alone now. Can't you see what damage you have done to the car and yourself!" Sardarji admonished Bahman Lakdawala. The septuagenariun stood quivering like a wet cat while his good old friend, the garage mechanic gave him an earful. Half his body trembled from Parkinson's while the other half rattled in anger. "Gandi chokri...If they can't drive why do they prowl on the road as if it was their father's Persian jahangir? I tell you Sardarji, girls these with their new found freedom feel they have rocketed the sky. Cars are one thing and space travel another. These girls drive as if they are about to take off." Vrommmm...a girl zoom passed them on her bullet and Bawa's trembling now resembled a convulsion. "Oye Papaji, calm down. Whatever you say, you need a driver. You can no more handle this car and the driving. Come let's have lassi till my boys mend your gaddi's broken teeth. Look how she is c...

 The brooke of murky waters gushed in the hollow of the bulging expanse. The ebb and flow tickled his sleepy self. The gurgling waves disturbed his quietitude. The wind made its way noisily, echoing in his ecosystem. His nose twitched from the offerings of the wind. Nature should never be suppressed, he thought.  For sometime, the turbulence felt silent. He rested his back on the bark and was about to doze off when the dam broke. All the hell broke loose, too, as the brooke decided to embarrass him post a hearty meal at his saali's house.  Bhilavi Prasad Chaurasiya rushed to the toilet where already somebody was digging gold. He banged the precarious door with precaution as he had no intention of being the goldsmith today. His own precious mines were melting. From tapping to bombarding the door with his fiesty fist, Bhilavi demonstrated his internal conflict externally.  'Arey bhaiya, please come out soon. The rivulets are now flooding my distraught banks.' Bhilavi c...

 Long ago in the land of India, there lived a billionaire couple called Chandanis. It was quite sometime the couple was happily married but gloom soon invaded their kingdom. The glorious couple was unable to bear a child. It was the era when the morbid virus ruled the world. Repeated protocol of social distancing was a big hurdle that tormented their reproduction reputation.  No assisted reproduction techniques worked as the laboratories were over-burdened with Covid samples. The shame and helplessness of not bearing a child hovered over them even in the 30th century. Whom to approach? How to address the problem? They were clueless. Years had passed by, yet the country still had tantriks and Babas that comforted the illusioned minds. Finally, after the efforts of a virgin Baba Mrs. Chandani experienced morning sickness. Amidst, the 300th lockdown she gave birth to a handsome, little dusky boy. The naming ceremony was a hushed affair where only the elite  doctors of the co...

 The weather was misty wearing a veil to shroud the morning's beauty. The sun was still under the blankets of foamy clouds. Kallu lay coiled up under the huge banyan tree which had spread its giant boughs in the blue expanse of the sky. The winter had frozen his blood and he waited for her warm touch to thaw his shuddering bones. I drank his blood happily as he didn't have the nerve to move even to scratch his brown fur. My breakfast was lavish today. In one of the chocolate dark folds of his skin, I feasted at the expense of my host. She was late today. Maybe, the wintery mornings were holding her back from bringing Kallu's breakfast. Every morning she dawned with a pet pug by one arm. It was a royal parade, the pug flaunting her.  She would stop to feed Kallu, the stray mongrel, some biscuits and cool water. She would kneel down next to him and with gloved hands scratch him. Kallu in response would wag his tail and grunt in satisfaction. The biscuits, the touch, the lady ...