Short Story

By Dr Aruna Kumari B MARRIAGE ---- A MIRAGE  Dreams in life are like goals, if worked hard they would materialize That's a common saying and very strongly by all great people or elders to the young ones.  Of all the dreams it is "Marriage", one of the greatest dream in all young girls' lives.   Satya Sai Baba said marriage cannot be a mirage, it is a seven fold promise to each other. “A binding that goes with emotion, moral, intellectual and last the physical plane”. Dr. Kris

By Shri Siva Prasad Sahoo It was a rain-lashed October evening in the year 2000, the kind that turned Calcutta—now Kolkata, though in my heart it would forever remain the chaotic, resilient city of my youth—into a trembling watercolor of greys and ochres, blurred at the edges by veils of soft, unending drizzle that fell not in drops but in sheets of grey regret. The air hung heavy with the mingled scent of wet earth, diesel fumes from sputtering buses, and the musty odor of d

By Tapabrata Das – “ হে ব্রহ্মা, আমাকে এমন এক বর দিন যাতে আমার মৃত্যু কোনো দেবতা, অসুর বা মানুষ দ্বারা না হয়।” – “ অমরত্ব সম্ভব নয়, কারণ এটি সৃষ্টির নিয়মের পরিপন্থী। প্রতিটি জীবেরই একদিন মৃত্যুর সম্মুখীন হতে হয়।” – “ তবে পিতামহ আমাকে এমন বর দিন যাতে দেব হোক কি দানব, মানুষ হোক কি পশু, কোনো প্রজাতির নর আমাকে না মারতে পারে।”  ব্রহ্মা মৃদু হাসি দিয়ে বললেন, “ তবুও মৃত্যুকে এড়ানো সম্ভব নয়। বর দিতে হলে আমি সৃষ্টির মধ্যে কোনো দুর্বলতা রাখতে পারব না। তাই বলো, আর কী চাও?” মহিষাস

By Tapabrata Das – “বাহঃ দারুন!” – “এই নে…” – “আরও আছে? দাঁড়া দেখতে দে এক এক করে প্রত্যেকটা…” – “হ্যাঁ হ্যাঁ ধীরেসুস্থে, কোনো তাড়াহুড়ো নেই! এখানে দেখ, যতোবার খুশি দেখ, বাড়ি নিয়ে যা…” – “মানে?” – “কিছুনা, তুই দেখ! আমি একটু ওদিক থেকে ঘুরে আসছি।” বলে তীর্থ পার্কের বেঞ্চটা ছেড়ে উঠে পকেট থেকে মোবাইলটা বার করতে করতে একটু তফাতে বুড়ো আমগাছটার সামনে এসে দাঁড়ালো। মোবাইলটা সামনে মেলে ধরতেই স্ক্রিনে ভেসে উঠল একটা মিসড কল। রক্তিম! তাড়াতাড়ি কলের বোতামটায় চাপ দিল তীর্থ। – “হ্যালো, তুই দেখলি

By Meghbarna Ghosh I]The musing of Leto She was different. She didn’t choose a nice homely domain and settle down nice and quick. The daughter of Leto and Zeus always had been a little bit too outspoken, or so they thought. Her twin brother Apollo had followed a more conventional path for young gods. Having chosen archery as his domain, he was rather popular. But the girl, Leto was worried about the girl.                ______ Ever since she had given birth to Artemis, she ha

By Jaish Goutam The pitter-patter of the rain on the window glass — always so soothing — was interrupted by the loud thunder that came from the heaven itself. It disturbed the slumber of a woman. She had long black hair, quite young — 24 or 27. The sudden noise woke her with fright. “Ugh... it’s still raining,” she groaned. “Well, let’s get some things done.” She got out of her bed, checked the time, and walked to the kitchen. In the hallway, there was a tall mirror in front

By Sindhuja Rai Setting: A Museum in a Big City Rachel, a woman who worked for an old museum, had ordered a painting which was pretty old. It came with a cracked wooden frame. The painting was of a lady who looked pale, delicate, eyes almost too perfect to be painted. It was so perfect that the veins of the lady were as visible as if it was a real woman. It was a busy day as Rachel had ordered many things for the museum. After unboxing everything, she placed it according to t

By Avelyn Miraal I had been in operating theatres before, but mostly on the edges—an intern wistfully passing instruments, scribbling notes, or quietly holding retractors until my arms ached. That night was different. That night I stood close enough to see not just the science of medicine, but its soul—raw, desperate, fragile. She had been wheeled in just after dusk, her pregnancy barely into its thirty-second week. She was only twenty-five, young, very impressionable and bre

By Arvind Dewangan The Rainy Morning Riya always had a rhythm. Wake up at 6:30, jog for 30 minutes, shower, and take the bus to her office. But that Tuesday, the rain changed everything. She dashed down Maple Street with her umbrella, trying to dodge puddles, and found herself at the little corner café she had passed hundreds of times but never entered. The warm scent of coffee and baked bread was irresistible. She stepped inside, shaking off her umbrella. “Wow, it’s really c

By Arvind Dewangan Lila loved the garden behind her school. Every day, she watered the flowers, pulled out weeds, and watched the butterflies dance among the petals. One sunny morning, she noticed a tiny seed lying in the soil. It was smaller than a grain of rice, but Lila decided she would help it grow. “Don’t worry, little seed,” she whispered. “I’ll teach you how to grow big and strong.” The next day, Lila showed the seed how to drink water from the soil. She sang songs to

By Avirupa Basu Maya had gotten up early to bake her husband a chocolate cake on his birthday. Each year, she did the same. Why should this birthday be any different? She carried the three-tiered chocolate delight to their bedroom. “Happy Birthday,” she wished him. “I told you I am not in the mood,” Ayushman growled. “Go away.” Placing the cake on the table, Maya started putting the candles on. 36, she would need. “I am dying from cancer! This could very well be my last birth

By Divyansh Nawaria An unknown fire of energy burns through my soul, whispering that I had left something behind. I couldn't recover what it was. So I let it go.   Then, in the middle of the night, as I walk alone down a quiet road. I saw someone. Their presence felt strangely familiar. A question of trust arose in my mind. Is that...?   I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe. Suddenly, I was a rock of flesh in the middle of the breeze. The betrayals from my past refused to let

By Anu Radha साधारण सी दिखने वाली चोकोर आकार की यह खिड़की समाज का वह दर्पण है जो हर समय हर दिन हमें समाज का दर्शन कराती है। हर दिन घटने वाली घटनाएं ,हर दिन इसके सामने से गुजरने वाला वह पल कई कहानियां ढूंढ लेता है। कहीं गुदगुदाती हंसी मोहल्ले की, कहीं रोना बिलकना,गरीबी, आंसू , कहीं बच्चों की किलकारियां ,कहीं शोरगुल, कहीं बाजार की रौनक है, कहीं खुशी ,तो कहीं गम। यह खिड़की जो सब सहती है सब सुनती है पर फिर भी खामोश है चुप है किसी से कुछ नहीं कहती, किसी से शिकायत नहीं करती कि यह क

By Amrusha Acharya The canvas before the painter stood empty. It had been empty for months. The young painter stood by the window in his studio, gazing at the busy street. Half of his face was hidden in shadows and no matter how long he stared at the canvas, he couldn't see anything on it. Long, exhaustive nights, dreamless slumbers and the pain in his eyes had drained his soul out of him. The emerald eyes sparkled like a twinkling star and the next moment, darkness would con

By Amrusha Acharya 26th November, Tuesday.  Dearest,  Have you seen how beautiful the moon appears tonight? Have you noticed how all the stars twinkle so brightly? The wind is cold like the sweet embrace of death; it reminds me of your hands, so desolately cold when you wrap them around mine. It's been a year since you planted the poppies here. They seem to be doing well, so precious in their scarlet hues. I can still see you sometimes, walking barefoot through the sparkling

By Dinny Once, some parents went to a guru to seek advice about their child who wouldn’t listen to them. They said, “We’ve tried everything, Guruji. We’ve scolded him, we’ve beaten him, we’ve even given him gifts for good behavior — but nothing seems to work.” The guru listened quietly without saying a word. After a moment, he asked the parents and the child to accompany him outside. They followed him to the garden, where a beautiful rose plant was in full bloom. It had many

By G S Sai Saran The rain was loud that night, the kind of rain that made the world  outside vanish into static. The thunder came in slow, deliberate rolls  that shook the windows of the small apartment. The air smelled of paint and anger. Arjun slammed his bedroom door. The sound shot through the house like a gunshot. “Shut up!” he yelled, his voice trembling. “You and Pa are nothing but rotten apples hanging on a tree!” The words burned his throat as they left him, and yet

By Anshul Purvia The house buzzed with celebration. It was my parents’ 30th wedding anniversary. Three decades of love, fights, and life lived side by side. To top it all off, my father had just been promoted, so naturally, a grand party was in order. He had made the announcement a day before, his voice carrying that familiar authority. “Twenty-five, maybe thirty guests will be here tomorrow. The house must be spotless, and the food — perfect.” And that was it. His word becam

By Indrani Biswas      The day is as ordinary as any other. Sitting by the window, staring at the blank page on my desk, I am lost in my thoughts. The thought is to discover a new world — a magical realm filled with many characters. But in this quiet battle of imagination, no one seems to emerge victorious. My eyes can no longer bear the blank page; they wander away in search of something real. It is a winter afternoon, and the sunlight is slowly fading. The air feels heavy w

By Rishan Roy I feel like I am drowning. I can make out the summer sky through the murky blues of water. I struggle to stay afloat, my hands desperate to hold on to something. The water reeks of seaweeds, the scent of prey waiting for salvation, fish oils and desperate thirst. My auburn curls fall over my forehead obscuring my limited sight, and then rise up in the water again, flowing like tendrils. I could feel the burning pain in my leg, and I feel a strange desire to let