For health, wealth, peace, and prosperity of their family, like many other cultures, women of the Hindu culture perform puja alongside fasting also referred to as vrat. Out of the many vrats performed throughout the year, one vrat that women do for the well-being of their husbands in Maharashtra and some parts of northern India is the Vat Savitri. Held on the full moon day of the third month in the Hindu calendar called Jyeshta, on Vat Savitri, women fast, tie threads to a banyan tree and worship Lord Shiva asking the almighty to give their husbands a long life. Though it has been celebrated for centuries now, the inception of this vrat is believed to be from a story in the monumental epic Mahabharata. Cover Photo by Pankaj Tottada Once upon a time, there lived a king called Asvapati along with his wife Malavi. Blessed with no children, the couple prayed to Lord Savitr or the Sun God to bless them with a son but the Sun God blessed the couple with a beautiful and intelligent daughter instead. Accepting the gift wholeheartedly, the couple named the daughter Savitri in honor of the Sun God himself.

Holi is referred to as the “Festival of Colours” or the “Festival of Love”. It is celebrated with the arrival of spring and is one of the ancient Hindu festivals with a lot of tales related to it stemming from various regions in India where it is celebrated. One of the tales is that Holi is celebrated until Rang Panchami in commemoration of the divine and eternal love Radha had for Krishna. In his youth, it is believed that Krishna despaired whether the fair toned Radha would like his dark skin colour. Krishna’s mother got tired of his desperation and summoned Radha to colour Krishna’s face with any number of colours wanted. Ever since, this playful act of Radha colouring Krishna’s face is commemorated as Holi and this is one of the reasons why it is referred to as the “Festival of Love”. Another tale from the Bhagavata Purana is about an Asura King or demon king named Hiranyakashipu who earned a boon which gave him five special powers. They were that he could be killed neither by a human nor an animal, neither indoor nor outdoor, neither by Astra i.e. a projectile weapon nor shastra i.e. handheld weapon, neither on land nor water or air, and neither in the morning nor at night. From then on, Hiranyakashipu grew more arrogant and considered himself as God and demanded everyone to worship him.

On a mundane afternoon, her phone buzzed with a text, “I know it is too late, but I just wanted to say I am sorry for everything… I don’t want to look back and think that I did not try to apologize - Rohit.” An indifferent text for a callous apology from a person who stole her credit at work and was responsible for the domino effect that eventually led to her getting fired. Kaiya could still feel the knife in her back being twisted as she was still trying to heal from the pain that it caused almost two years ago. As she had already heard, Rohit was now getting a promotion and was even being offered an opportunity to work abroad. The apology seemed like a convenient way for him to try and clear out his “Karma” before moving along with his new and successful life.

“Paru, I think I’m ready to be the next heir to the family property.” “Vighna, do you want to do this? Aren’t we happy being whatever we are?” “Why is it a problem, ma? You and dad were the ones who took care of the property and turned it into a prosperous estate and now everybody not only wants to own the estate, but also want to take away our own farmhouse that you have built from the scratch along with dad!” Cover Photo by Vaidurya Pratap Sahi Adjusting Shiva’s photo frame on the wall, “Vighna, I’m afraid those vultures will not let you even keep the farm house. If given a chance, I would happily walk out of this situation with whatever is given to us and start a new life elsewhere.”

India is a country where every state and place has got its own religious importance. As stated in the Puranas, whenever there is a decline of Dharma, Gods and Goddesses come to the rescue of their devotees and reinstate the balance. In this process, they take any form needed to protect and support the righteous cause. So in a town called Pithapuram located in the East Godavari district near Samarlakota of Andhra Pradesh, Lord Shiva the third in the Hindu trinity took the unique form of a rooster and is worshipped in the Kukkuteswara temple. This town has an immense spiritual value because, alongside the Kukkuteswara temple, the town has the temple of Puruhutika Devi, one of the Maha Shakti Peethas located in the premises of the Shiva temple and another temple is of Sripada Sri Vallabha Dattatreya the first incarnation of Guru Dattatreya.

Makar Sankranti is a festival celebrated as per the Sun’s rotation. It is said that the Sun transits every month into a specific Rashi (Zodiac sign) and this transit is called Sankraman. The transition of the Sun into the Makar Rashi (Capricorn) is called Makar Sankranti. From this day, the sun starts transitioning towards the north-east; that’s why from this day it’s called Uttarayan. It is during this period, the farmers harvest their crops and they enjoy the fruits of their hard work; thereby, making Makar Sankranti, the festival of farmers. Cover Photo by Ravindra Patoju In Skanda Purana, there is a story related to this festival. As per this Purana, Lord Surya married Sandhya, the daughter of Vishwakarma. She was a loyal and loving wife who bore him three children named Vaivasvata Manu, Yama and Yamuna but with a lot of difficulties as she could not bear the heat of the Lord Sun.

Introduction Vijayadashami or Dussehra is a festival where we celebrate the destruction of evil. It is a festival which teaches us to be just and follow the path of Dharma. It is the festival where we offer prayers to Maa Durga and worship her nine different forms. Though the concept of worshipping these nine forms has been mentioned in many Puranas, in summary, it is offering prayers to one great eternal energy that is driving the whole universe. Now, there is no uniform sequence in which these forms are worshipped across India.

Are you a shadow? Creeping behind my back Are you the wisp of the wind? Trying to sneak past my breath Are you a sense of foreboding? Trickling down my spine

Did you ever feel like you have been ignored? Did you ever wish you were someone else? Did you ever think you were a nobody? Did you ever feel like you don’t deserve to live? Did you ever feel self-hatred? If yes, then I’m one among you! If you are thinking if this is self-venting, no it’s not! If you are thinking this is ‘motivational’, maybe slightly. You could be correct. ​ Cover Photo by Pankaj Tottada ​Let me begin by telling you a story of an unpopular girl who was always with her best friends. She loved them more than anything else and for eleven years, they all studied together. Unfortunately, she had to move to a different school in her 10th grade. She missed her friends so much that she wrote letters to them and asked a neighbourhood friend who was from the same school as her friends to deliver them. A day later she got confirmation that her letters were received and she felt so happy imagining how her dear friends would feel after reading her letter.

Disclaimer: For ages above 18 only. I: Day 0 - Sex As the cold winds swirled into the room through the open window, Bhaskar looked at his wife as he felt her for the first time. He could tell she was controlling her pain but her eyes were filled with tears. Unable to witness her agony, he pulled himself out of her and when he did, he could feel her bleeding. He looked at her for a moment as she took a deep breath. A moment later, he leaned forward and kissed her. As she kissed him back, tears rolled down her eyes as she closed them. The nineteen-year-old Radha, he married a day ago, caressed his black curly hair after they kissed. Cover Photo by Pankaj Tottada Looking into her eyes, Bhaskar could see her willingness before he felt her again. For a while, the couple moaned in pleasure before he passed the life gifted to him. As he did, he truly felt the transcendence of power within and it was like never before and as she received it, she ushered in joyful pain looking at the man whom she chose to lead her life with. Taking a deep breath, Bhaskar rested on his wife’s bosom feeling her heart pace. He felt the wait was worth every minute and life has never been more complete. Feeling his warmth, Radha asked, “What would you wish the Gods for? A boy or a girl?” Placing his chin between her life preservers, Bhaskar replied, “I would like to welcome Saraswati. What about you?” With a smile, Radha replied, “I wish for a girl too. It would be like my elder sister being reborn.” Recalling how the lack of medical facilities led to her ten-year-old sister dying of sickness, Radha curiously asked, “What if the Gods give you a son?” Thinking about it for a moment, Bhaskar teased, “Looks like madam would, after all, prefer a son.” Glancing at her husband, Radha laughed before confessing, “It was my father’s wish. He wanted a grandson named Arjun. Though I would love a daughter, I would prefer a boy equally, too.” Leaning forward, Bhaskar stated, “Arjun? Rather than name our son of an overrated protagonist, I would name him a fallen antagonist.” Finishing his sentence, Bhaskar kissed his wife on her neck. When they looked into each other’s eyes, Radha replied, “My husband should certainly read Mahabharat once again. Maybe then, he wouldn’t root for the fallen and realize the reason behind such a fate.” Listening to her, Bhaskar just smiled. He knew she wasn’t completely wrong. A moment later, he mentioned, “Honestly Radha, it doesn’t matter who it is. I just hope they are born healthy and continue our bloodline with at least the respect we hold now.” Radha couldn’t be more glad. Her husband’s words gave her more pleasure than their actions. Meanwhile, Bhaskar lay on her bosom and closed his eyes before falling asleep. Caressing his hair, Radha closed her eyes too. For a while, she could see a man in his thirties standing behind them while three young children were playing before them on the floor while she sat beside her husband posing for a picture. She lived the moment for a few seconds before losing it. II: Day 15,702 - Death Placing his plate of warm noodles on the dining table, Radheya recalled Mitram. He thought about how Mitram would have stopped him before he tasted his unusually sweet noodles. Though he thought of taking a look at the portraits of all those whom he loved, Radheya started stuffing noodles into his mouth without wasting another moment. When he finished his noodles, he felt nothing. It took a few moments before the intended reaction kicked in. While he was experiencing the pain, Radheya recalled the online friend he invited for dinner. Observing the clock, he knew that she wouldn’t even arrive for the next twenty minutes. Moments before his mortal form lost its soul, Radheya couldn’t help but think, “Why did I even strive in life if this is how it would have ended?” More than pain, Radheya dreaded the thought of what would happen next. He was certain about Gods and demons being nothing more than mere elements of the mind and firmly disagreed on their existence in the fictional concept of the afterlife. However, when facing death, the uncertainty certainly terrified him. As he pondered on the question, the doorbell buzzed. Glancing at the clock in the dining room, Radheya couldn’t help but presume that his guest arrived early. Trying to look calm, he walked to the door as he felt the pain in his stomach. Looking through the peephole, he saw his friend standing steady. He opened the unlocked door to find a stunning girl in her late twenties wearing a black gown standing before him. As his eyes closed, Radheya mentioned, “You’re early…” Observing her getting tense, he raised his hand in assurance before he crashed on the floor. The moment he crashed, he could see his astral form still standing. As his body landed on the floor, the girl just stood there for a moment. She could see he wasn’t breathing and just calmly left. He was surprised that she didn’t even call the police as he had expected. An hour later, one of his neighbors noticed him lying at the entrance and called the emergency services. A couple of hours later, Radheya’s mortal form was before a drunk surgeon whose quest was to find what killed him. Though the intoxicated mortal knew that even the strongest leaf shall have to fall when kissed by winter, he was just checking the math of self-killers. Even he knew that the world he lived in was filled with no emotional entailment and just survived on rational investments alone. After the inspector determined that the corpse owner killed himself, Radheya was surprised to see his body parts were being snatched to be reused. The rest of the poisoned filth was packed into a black bag like a broken toy before being shipped on a conveyor belt that carried many other bodies. Another officer took a look at the tag on the bag before marking it in his system. In absolute silence, the conveyor belt passed the body into the incarceration chamber and burnt Radheya’s body instantly. Radheya could see the mortal form that he built for four decades turn into ashes in seconds. As he believed, neither angels nor demons awaited. It was the darkness that surrounded him as he always stated. In such silence, he knew not a single living soul was weeping for him. III: Day 283 - Birth Picking up the transmitter, Bhaskar’s manager accepted his request to meet him. After signing a few documents, he waved at Bhaskar to enter the chamber. He waved again listening to Bhaskar’s plea and Bhasker immediately rushed on his scooter to the hospital. Enquiring his wife’s name at the information center, he rushed to the maternity ward where he found his wife unconscious. Walking towards the cradle beside the bed, Bhaskar could see his spitting image sleeping in silence. Happiness filled his eyes with tears as he extended his hand to touch him. Looking at his son laying in the cradle, Bhaskar’s mother mentioned, “The Gods have given you an heir!” Observing her son staring at the life he sourced, she continued, “Lakshmi will soon join.” No matter what his mother said, Bhaskar couldn’t take his eyes off the beautiful life that was before him. He knew there was a reason henceforth to strive and without a second thought, he promised himself that all his actions should serve his little one. The moment he felt him, tears of happiness slid his cheek as his mother hugged him. Touching his adorable finger, Bhaskar mentioned, “It’s him.” With a smile, his mother acknowledged, “He couldn’t be away for long considering how much you loved him.” Meanwhile, Srinivas stood before Rudra, staring at his third eye. Staring at the inordinate amount of energy, Srinivas asked, “Why was I summoned, father?” With a charismatic smile, Rudra replied, “You shall have to relive another dharmic life in-order to become a part of me, child.” Kneeling, Srinivas begged, “Forgive my sins father. I do not wish to live in that hell. I would rather take any other punishment. Please don’t send me again...” Continuing to smile, Rudra mentioned, “You haven’t been cleansed yet, child. Your desires should be destroyed before you become a part of me. You were created from me for that specific purpose.” Accepting his fate, Srinivas pleaded, “At least give me strength father!” For one last time, Srinivas saw Rudra before being thrown into darkness. He heard nothing but then, he heard his wife and son. He felt delighted that the almighty had decided for him to be born into the same family, but before long he had no recollection of them anymore. As Bhaskar turned to look at his wife, his mother asked, “Are you planning to name him Srinivas?” Not intending to lie, Bhaskar replied, “Not until I saw him. I always wanted him to be Karna.” With a smile, his mother replied, “Since fallen heroes are today’s icons and distorted comprehension of epics cannot be undone. Taking his mother’s name into account, let’s name him Radheya.” Silence prevailed for a moment before she continued, “You could have your wish. Just name him Radheya instead of Karna.” After a moment of thought, Bhaskar suggested, “If it is Radheya, then let it be Srinivas Radheya.” IV: Day 14,775 - Life On a cloudy morning, Radheya opened his car door for Mitram to get in and after cautiously closing the door, he rushed to the driver’s seat. Turning the key, Radheya mentioned, “I know you would want the window open but it’s too cold and you can enjoy nature as long as you want in the park.” The Indian Spitz just stared at its master in silence as they drove. Just like any other Saturday, Mitram presumed that they would first go to a park and then shop before returning home.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon following the morning service, the church hall door creaked as a stranger with a brown shirt and piercings all over his body walked down the aisle towards the confessional. He travelled to this remote village after his mother gave the address, years after she gave up her revenge. Along his way, he observed the priest reading a book resting on one of the benches. Cover Photo by Ravindra Patoju The priest closed his book observing the visitor and rushed to the other side of the confessional. It was rare that someone would come in the afternoon for such an activity and after a while, both of them occupied their seats, in a hoarse voice, the stranger said, “Father, I have come to confess sins.” Leaning his ear towards the white curtain that was separating them, the priest mentioned, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper child but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”

Troubled boy, desperate for me I lay my eyes on you And fall for your cruelty Honey my heart’s got no beat You left your lighter in my sheets Rather impetuous, rather weak Cover Photo by Ravindra Patoju Smokey you kiss me wild I run my fingers through your insecurities Stirring the blankness of your mind