Voices - By Suparna Ghansham

Written By: Suparna Ghansham

Category: Short Story

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the evocative short story "Voices," Suparna Ghansham invites readers to delve into a world of introspection and inner dialogue. As part of the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, this narrative explores themes of solitude, grief, and hope. Set in a seemingly mundane routine, the protagonist's interactions with her internal voices unfold a profound tale of personal reflection and emotional resilience.

About the Work

"Voices" masterfully captures the essence of inner dialogue, as the protagonist navigates her day with the company of intangible companions - Solitude, Grief, and Hope. Through vivid imagery and introspective musings, the story immerses the reader in a journey of self-discovery. The interplay between the character's thoughts and emotions creates a poignant narrative that resonates with anyone who has ever grappled with the silent conversations within.

Voices

Original Submission by Suparna Ghansham

The alarm went off.

The tedious continual beeping that greeted her every morning was promptly cut off.

She woke up, and asked herself what day it was. She turned towards the pile of clothes that awaited her that would give her the answer as she had particular sets of active wear for the different workouts she did.

She then realised she had woken up too early and lay back in bed looking at the ceiling. In a soft whisper a voice spoke over her right shoulder, “How are you doing today?” She heaved a what felt like burdensome sigh and smiled. A tear was shed.

She looked towards her right and said, “I’m plodding along, thank you. Her right replied, “That’s what they would have wanted.”

She spoke to her left, “How are you doing? Are you going to be by my side today? Or will you have to tuck yourself away because I may need to socialise?”

Her left whispered, “I am always by your side. If and when you do socialise, know that I am still there. Always. Who’s the voice on the right?”

“Oh, you’ll get to know them,” she spoke to her left.

She got ready anyway thinking she’ll spend more time at one of her haunts pondering over her double espresso while reading her book. She thought to herself, “Wow. What a change from the usual heavy duty stuff you read.” She took breaks between books. These breaks also consisted of books. She was beginning to measure time in books and had started telling herself things like, “I would like to hang out with that mate. The last time we hung out was five books ago.”

Whenever this happened, she knew it was the left voice. It had been around a lot longer than the right. She often looked to the left when these thoughts came to her and acknowledged their presence.

She was greeted by the usual ‘Good morning, beautiful’ or some other greeting to that effect from one of her many favourite baristas. She made her way to her favourite table at this haunt, which surprisingly and unsurprisingly was always waiting for her as at her other haunts.

Her coffee magically appeared with the usual brilliant crema floating at the top as though attempting to hide the magical concoction under it. It was steaming hot.

The right voice said, “It can never be too hot.” She looked to her right and replied in her head, “Yes, that is what she used to say. I can’t drink it that hot and she would patiently wait for me to finish mine after drinking hers the instant it arrived.”

She opened her book and started to read and she let herself listen to the voices of the characters in the book. She often visualised the stories she read but sometimes certain characters also took on a voice. This would be the voice of someone in her life or just a random voice she may have heard that day. Her left voice usually suggested these.

She started sipping on her coffee when Left said,” Have you got anything lined up to read once you finish this? You’re almost at the end. And God, that Elena sounds like a right bitch,” She acknowledged it and looked to the left saying in her head, “Yes, thanks, and yes she is.”

As she was reading, Right spoke. “She would borrow books for you.” She paused and nodded to Right.

A few more pages and a few sips after, she made her way to her Yoga class. Right again said, “Remember how proud he was of you when you said you were going to Bali to do Yoga?” She stifled a tear.

She went through the various poses her instructor told the group to do with Left blurting out the usual ‘What the fuck. I can’t do this’ or ‘Hey, this feels awesome’ or ‘Oh my God, I feel that.’ She always smiled when this happened. During the final pose, which is the corpse pose, she heard Right say, “How many actual corpses have you seen in your life?”

This is when Left looked over and stared at Right in the eye, and said, “I now know who you are. I knew you were going to make an appearance at some point in her life.” Right shook Left’s hand and said, “I’m pleased to meet you. Together we shall be with this authentic soul.”

Left replied,” She’s authentic because she has spent a lot of time with me. I’ve been with her while she has been with her books, her music, and her movies. I read with her. I dance with her. When she’s at the cinema alone, there’s always an empty seat on her left.”

Right then said, “I guess there will have to be a seat for me on her right now.”

She was slowly taking this all in as she was seated cross-legged during the final few minutes of class, which were always spent in a meditative state.

As the instructor chanted the loud ‘Aum’ he usually does at the end, she let out an audible oceanic exhale.

She opened her eyes. She looked to the left, and she looked to the right. Smiles everywhere from her Yoga buddies as if to inaudibly say in unison, “We did it.”

She packed her stuff and made her way to the station. As she stood on the platform, waiting for the train, she heard a voice speaking directly to her face, “You’ll be fine my love.”

She smiled at this voice, smiled at Left, and smiled at Right.

She gave Left a name. Solitude.

She gave Right a name. Grief.

She boarded the train hoping that new voice would make an appearance now and again.

It was Hope.

END (968 words)

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar celebrates diverse voices from around the world, providing a platform for writers to showcase their creativity and storytelling prowess. This esteemed competition seeks to highlight narratives that challenge, inspire, and provoke thought, fostering a vibrant community of literary talent.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Suparna Ghansham for sharing her captivating short story, "Voices," with us as part of the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Her exploration of inner dialogues and emotional landscapes is a poignant contribution to the art of storytelling. We look forward to seeing more of her creative work in the future.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.