Patmaj

The Disappearance of Arvind Mathur

It began on an unremarkable Monday morning. Aditi called, but Arvind didn’t pick up. She assumed he was busy, perhaps immersed in his music or lost in a strange book. By evening, when Nikhil texted and received no reply, mild concern set in. Anjali, ever perceptive, called Aditi. “Have you heard from Arvind today?” “No.Continue reading “The Disappearance of Arvind Mathur”

His Story

He had always loved too much. As a child, he was the one who clung to his mother’s side, eager for a kind word, a lingering touch on his hair. She was busy, though, always too tired, too distracted. His father barely spoke, except to issue commands. It was the first lesson he learned: love,Continue reading “His Story”

Sunday Mornings & Green Tea

“How the hell can you spoil the taste of those heavenly biscuits with that warm lemon water?” she’d demand, hands on her hips, eyes gleaming with mock indignation. Sunday mornings used to be their ritual. The scent of freshly brewed green tea mingled with the warmth of oat cookies, and Dean Martin crooning softly on theContinue reading “Sunday Mornings & Green Tea”

A Flight of Memories

The flight was calm, the steady hum of the engines filling the cabin with a low, rhythmic lull. She adjusted the blanket over her sleeping son, her fingers brushing against the tiny hands curled into a fist. Her husband sat beside her, flipping through a magazine, oblivious to the storm that was about to crashContinue reading “A Flight of Memories”

The Right Man

She sat alone at the bar, her fingers absently tracing the rim of her untouched glass. The ice had long since melted, the condensation pooling beneath it like the remnants of her unresolved past. The low hum of conversation around her faded into the background as she drifted into a world of what-ifs and should-haves.Continue reading “The Right Man”

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”