Patmaj

A Fragrance of September

The café still smelt the same as always. Coffee beans, warm bread, and a faint trace of vanilla from the pastries in the display case. He sat by the window, just as he used to, stirring his espresso absentmindedly, his eyes drawn to the empty chair across from him. It had been years, yet someContinue reading “A Fragrance of September”

Whispered Promise

He had loved her for as long as he could remember. Since the days of scraped knees and stolen ice creams, through endless late-night calls where she poured her heart out about boys who didn’t deserve her, he had loved her. Quietly, steadfastly, without expectations. Meera was his best friend—laughing, free-spirited, unpredictable. She danced inContinue reading “Whispered Promise”

Sisters

The first time Nikhil met the Sharma sisters, he was instantly drawn to Meera. Meera, with her radiant smile and firecracker spirit, was impossible to resist. She was all warmth and mischief, a burst of colour and chaos in his otherwise structured world. In contrast, her sister, Aisha, was quiet, watchful—an old soul almost…with eyesContinue reading “Sisters”

The Corner Table

Every evening, at exactly six-thirty, he took his place at the farthest corner of the café—by the window, facing the street. The table was small, slightly wobbly, but it was his. The wood had darkened with time, the edges smoothed by years of elbows resting, fingers tracing absentminded patterns. A single overhead lamp cast aContinue reading “The Corner Table”

The Willow House

The train rattled along the tracks, carving a path through hills and rivers, through forgotten villages and nameless towns. Inside, the traveler sat by the window, his gaze unfocused, his mind adrift. He had no permanent home, no final destination—only the motion of the train, the quiet solitude of travel, and the occasional stops inContinue reading “The Willow House”

Double Cross

He kept calling her number and it kept saying unreachable. He wondered what had happened. The rain pounded against the windows of the small, dimly lit police station as Rohan Mehra sat across Inspector Priya Sharma. His hands shook as he clutched a photograph of his wife, Ananya. She had been missing for three agonizingContinue reading “Double Cross”

A Song for Yesterday

The café had not changed. The wooden beams still held the scent of old coffee, and the walls bore the same soft golden glow that once made everything feel warm, intimate. Daniel stepped inside, shaking off the evening chill, his fingers tightening around the edges of his coat. It had been years since he hadContinue reading “A Song for Yesterday”

Love, Unrequited

She, with pigtails and red ribbons. He, with scraped knees from innumerable bicycle falls. They, with shared lunchboxes and personal jokes which only they understood and laughed at. They were six. They were inseparable. Vikram and Saira. As they grew up, so did something unspoken between them. In high school, when a boy left aContinue reading “Love, Unrequited”

Happy Anniversary

The hotel room was quiet except for the distant hum of the city beyond the hills. Meera sat at the edge of the bed, staring at the golden flicker of the candle on the nightstand. It was meant to be a romantic gesture, yet it felt like a cruel irony now. Across from her, KabirContinue reading “Happy Anniversary”

The Second Wife

The first time he spotted her, she stood beneath the archway on the Rue de Rivoli, the Eiffel Tower outlined in the dimming Parisian twilight behind her. At first glance, she didn’t seem remarkable, but there was something about her posture—graceful yet elusive—that caught his attention. When their gazes locked, a spark ignited in hisContinue reading “The Second Wife”