I woke up early to read a randomly picked page from the journal. My fingers and eyes were surprisingly well-coordinated for 5 am. Mom’s journals were all I had of her. She did not leave any special jewels, clothes, or shoes for me. All I had was a journal she had been writing for me…

“The clock was ticking away. And I was just standing still, stuck to the spot like I was superglued or something. Why no one noticed my stagnancy is a surprise to me? But what truly hurts is my own ignorance. I ignored the subtle pop ups of complacency as well. I feel like I am…

The air felt dry and claustrophobic. Sana opened her eyes to an even darker room. Under the clouds of mud and fallen parts of their house, she could hardly see anything. Sana tried harder to peel her eyes open using her bruised fingers. Each time she took a deep breath in she could taste the…

Eyes shut out of tiredness and longing. I waited for him at the gate of our dream house. Another long day had come to an end too quickly. I just wanted to keep my eyes closed a little longer, to take it all in. All the happiness I was feeling in my tired limbs and…

Stifling muggy summer night was no problem, it was the task she was expected to accomplish that was draining her. Summer was Amaya’s season; it was the chill of the dead winters that bothered her existence. Amaya grew up listening to the stories from her mother about the childhood home she grew up in. The…

10 years of my life gone. Stirring the pot of hot chicken soup I thought back if I had really achieved anything or just matured? Pandemic of 2020 had stirred up the dormant dreams. I was overthinking more than the usual. My middle-aged rustic heart continued beating rhythmically with my deep long breaths. Well, there…

The evening that was supposed to be about celebration quickly turned into an evening of screams, blames, and insults. Yet when I think about it now, all I feel is gratitude for those 16 guests. It was Mom’s 50th birthday. And like always, she wanted no celebration, not even a cake. All she asked was…

‘My shoes look so tacky. And how am I walking. It almost looks like I am skipping. Aaarrghhh, what is wrong with me? Why can’t I be like the other girls? Why am I always so nervous around people?’ Like any other moment of the day, I was lost in my own thoughts and imaginary…

“So now you drink black coffee?” the boy asked smiling almost jokingly. “Yes, without sugar.” The girl replied confidently. “Why? I mean, what happened?” “I finally decided to embrace my dark and bitter side.” the girl replied with a proud smile. The boy and the girl were meeting after a decade, yet nothing had changed.…