Patmaj

Strangers in a park

He sat on the rickety bench in the park, his hand fidgeting with a crumpled old photograph, as he reminisced. His mind was racing away with a thousand thoughts at that moment and he needed to calm down. He needed to take long deep breaths to cool down. “It’s a terrible thing to be cheatedContinue reading “Strangers in a park”

Perspectives

He saw her across the corridor. He was certain it was her. He was about to swipe his card to enter his room when he heard that laugh. It was too familiar for him not to look up and turn at the direction from where it came. And then he saw her. With her husband.Continue reading “Perspectives”

Charlie’s Motel (Highway 62 Revisited)

He knew he couldn’t reach his destination that day. It was evening already and he still had over 200 miles to cover. He didn’t trust his night driving skills too much and decided to take a halt. It was the dreaded Highway 62 and he wanted to stop and take shelter for the night inContinue reading “Charlie’s Motel (Highway 62 Revisited)”

Kidnap

She kept looking at him and carried on laughing. Her mouth was gagged and there were bruise marks on her face. Her hands were tied at the back. She knelt in the corner of the old store room. And she laughed and laughed. “Stop it!!! What the hell is wrong with you,” he asked her,Continue reading “Kidnap”

Amrita-Imroze: Love Unconditional

Amrita Pritam was married at a young age. Married to a cloth merchant in Lahore, her marriage was a loveless one and she moved with her family to Delhi after partition. Once in Delhi, Amrita began working with AIR on a radio programme of Punjabi poetry. She however soon fell head over heels in loveContinue reading “Amrita-Imroze: Love Unconditional”

The Window Seat

He always loved a window seat. Even if it meant sitting right behind in the bus. The jerks and bumps would be more he knew but he didn’t mind as long as he got to sit by the window. He loved gazing out in the open on a speeding bus. Meadows, fields, cottages, hillocks passingContinue reading “The Window Seat”

Pani Puri

Tears kept streaming down his eyes. He was embarrassed by it. Especially since she was sitting right opposite him at the table. He knew her eyes were on him. But he couldn’t help it. The tears refused to stop. “Still can’t handle the spice eh,” she laughed as she looked at his hapless face. SheContinue reading “Pani Puri”

Unbroken

He was sitting by his window when her call came. It had been cloudy all these days and finally the rains had come well and truly. He loved gazing aimlessly out his window watching the rain. He could almost feel getting drenched by them. He loved that feeling. His moments of solitude where interrupted byContinue reading “Unbroken”

Summer Rain

Summer Rain She looked around her in a wondrous mix of awe and apprehension. As she gazed at the tall buildings around her, she walked past the basketball court to enter the main campus. It was her first day in college and she was understandably nervous. And then she saw him. The moment she sawContinue reading “Summer Rain”

A Cup of Tea

“It was the worst movie I’ve ever seen”, he complained as they walked out of the theatre. “Disgusting, propagandist, and pseudo to the core”. He couldn’t contain himself once he started. “It’s just a movie. Why are you overreacting”, she asked, bemused at his reaction. “See it, enjoy it, forget it”. “I can’t you know”,Continue reading “A Cup of Tea”