One of the saddest things about having a constant internal monologue is how good it is at effortlessly turning feelings into thoughts, labeling them and filing them away. That is exactly what you are not supposed to do with feelings. Yet there I was, actively doing the opposite. I could not entirely register the sensation … Continue reading Crashing Into Me
Tag: love
Love You Like a Poem I Never Wrote
They say that people who write poems are a lost breed of die hard romantics, who would lyrically put their heart on the line. I have been sitting here for the past hour, staring at an empty page that seems to stare back at me. All I have managed to write is "To me, you … Continue reading Love You Like a Poem I Never Wrote
Currently Reading
The river moved like it had somewhere to be, but at the same time it had no urgency of getting there. The water was clear enough for me to see the pebbles beneath, smooth little obstacles that had long since become part of the river's shape. Sunlight broke through the large canopy of oak trees … Continue reading Currently Reading
Piku and his bag of Peanuts
Ever since he was a boy, Piku had always carried a small bag of peanuts.No one really knew why, not even Piku. It was something his grandmama had started.She used to put a handful into his pockets before he ran out to play.For what exactly, she never explained.Years passed, grandmama was gone, the reason did … Continue reading Piku and his bag of Peanuts
Love Poem Inside
It was one of those chocolates that looked like it melted away sweetly inside the mouth and left a memory on the mind. He stood in the aisle longer than necessary.He had originally reached for a chili chocolate. Something that reminded him of her, fiery yet cute.But then he hesitated, chili felt like a statement. … Continue reading Love Poem Inside
The Last Time She Was There
It is not common for your ex to be dancing at your wedding, but there she was, moving easily through the crowd, spinning as if the night bent itself around her. For a second I wondered if she had come by mistake, wandering into the wrong life, the wrong ending. Then she looked at me … Continue reading The Last Time She Was There
Long Way Home
When he was 16, his mom kicked him out of the house"Go find who you are" is all she said.His mother had been everything: parent, mentor, friend. That day, she became the first person to let him go.He took a small bag and an even smaller sense of self and left.The next 25 years he … Continue reading Long Way Home
Gentle Harm
Today, as I was unlocking my door, a butterfly hovered before me.It lingered as if asking to be let inside.For a moment, I thought of opening the door wider, then I hesitated.Inside it would trap itself, fluttering against walls and windows, yearning for the flowers and sky it could no longer reach.So I raised my … Continue reading Gentle Harm
Loops (of us)
He found the earring under the cafe table after Nila left. Instinct made him pocket it, the way you keep a movie ticket, as if holding on to a piece of someone could anchor them back into your life. One evening, when he was closing shop, he realized his bike keychain had snapped. With nothing … Continue reading Loops (of us)
Mom Never Taught About Dating
Ethan and Leslie chose a date that was fun, a crowded Saturday night farmer's market. They laughed over ugly shaped carrots, debated over the tariffs, suspiciously examined artisan soaps that looked like pastries and treated themselves to ice cream. By the time they ended up in the park, the moon was climbing high. Ethan congratulated … Continue reading Mom Never Taught About Dating
Silent letters to you
Every morning Edgar sorted letters in the back of his small white mail truck while the sun slowly rose from the mountains around Pine Willow. The town was so small that he knew every crack on the side walk and every name on every envelope. His favorite stop had once been the newspaper office on … Continue reading Silent letters to you
Leaving Twice
The car idled at the yellow line, the low hum of the hybrid engine noise filling the silence between them. Inside, she adjusted her scarf, fussed with her passport, doing everything to avoid looking at him. His hands were still gripping the steering wheels, knuckles red in the wash of the overhead light, also because … Continue reading Leaving Twice
What we call home
That final note from Druv was folded once, neatly and tucked between the pages of Ishika’s favorite book, the one she always said smelled like her childhood. He had not said goodbye in person. For all the writer he was, words always betrayed him when it came to her, so he let the pen do … Continue reading What we call home
Things we forget to die from
For a guy raised in a tropical savanna climate, struggling with 15C feels almost embarrassing. What does that say about me? Have I gone soft? Or maybe I have just gotten too used to this Palo Alto air. I crack open the window, expecting the cold to wake me up fully or maybe numb something … Continue reading Things we forget to die from
Art of the Stare
Nijitha was not sure of how well Liam’s strategy of picking up girls at the pub would work, for her, anyway. Liam, self proclaimed ladies man and newly appointed mentor, his words, had taken it upon himself to guide her through recently-out-of-the-closet life like a campaign driven Instagram influencer coach. His methods were questionable to … Continue reading Art of the Stare
Kissing Booth, Exit Only
You would think that kissing people for a living, or rather, in my case, for a dying, is all it is made up to be. But let me tell you, as someone who has been doing this for eternity, it is not. It is a thankless job.Yama sighed. "Why does it have to be a … Continue reading Kissing Booth, Exit Only
This Is Not About Writing
I write,Sometimes in fragments,Sometimes in flowing stories,Sometimes for myself,Sometimes for you,Sometimes for no one at all. I write,About the things that shape me,About dreams just out of reach,About the laughter that lingers,About the ordinary moments,About everything that slips away unnoticed. I write,To remember what matters,To share parts of myself,To know I’m here, in these words,To … Continue reading This Is Not About Writing
Rakshashi Curse #3
The sound of ocean waves crashing against the shore was the only thing that broke the silence as Kunal walked alone on the beach that morning. He had come early, needing time to reflect before starting his day. The sand felt cool beneath his feet, and the early sunlight shimmered across the water. He was … Continue reading Rakshashi Curse #3
The Taco Tale
What I had for dinner tonight, you ask? You know this brings to memory what happened 2 years ago to this very day. Her college was done and she was leaving the country for good.If it had been in my power, I would have tied her up and never let her go. As I was … Continue reading The Taco Tale