The Sudden Disappearance of Arjun Basu

I. The Man Who Didn’t Fit On most evenings, Arjun Basu stood by the narrow balcony of his third-floor apartment in Ballygunge, watching the city slip into its neon-lit restlessness. Kolkata never really slept—it simmered. Honking cars, distant tram bells, late-night tea stalls, laughter rising from nowhere and dissolving just as quickly. At forty-six, ArjunContinue reading “The Sudden Disappearance of Arjun Basu”

Table For Two

Every morning, without fail, he came in at exactly 8:13 a.m. Aarya had been running her tiny café in Bandra for just over six months when she first noticed him. In a crowd of chatty students, remote workers, and backpack-wearing tourists, he stood out. Always dressed in a crisp white linen shirt and a charcoalContinue reading “Table For Two”

The Empty Chair

Every morning, just as the sun filtered through the slatted blinds and bathed the little café by the square in a soft gold glow, he would come. Crisp coat, dark eyes, and that quiet kind of grace that made him look like he’d stepped out of a half-remembered dream. He never spoke much, only noddedContinue reading “The Empty Chair”

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”