Available in an eBook! Coveted jewel of my heart, ordained to transform my mortal part. Why didn’t I ever know before that life meant so much more? The swifter you came, the sweeter my life became. The way you make me feel makes me act so real.

Available in an eBook! I ask my life, why can’t I be Why is there still a clue out of the blue I can’t process, so it’s still a mess. I am by myself, can never be you. Therefore, my life should just go through I don’t know much, so don’t ask me much. What my life has been, what it might be

Available in an eBook! I was manufactured in Mumbai, and my manufacturer made thousands more like me before naming all of us “Street Racer”. I wasn’t as popular as my peers, but I had my own merits, like not being too heavy and travelling faster than most. After being shipped to Visakhapatnam along with many others, I was covered in plastic before being put on display as a spectacle in the showroom. Cover Photo by Ravindra Patoju For weeks, I only had admirers. However, since I lacked the strength, many buyers would just walk away, deciding I could not carry their weight. In time, the sales manager informed the main dealer that the Street Racer model was not being bought by the public, and I’ve lost hope of having brothers in the future. In time, I even lost hope and concluded that I wouldn’t be purchased. I dreaded the thought of being dismantled, like many unsuccessful models, and used as spare parts for upcoming models. However, to my rescue, on 18th May 2009, my master chose me, and his father purchased me.

Available in an eBook! I shed tears for the loss of a chance at happiness. But I forgot that it was never mine, to begin with. I sigh as he leaves But I’m secretly glad of that as well.

Available in an eBook! I sat at the airport, staring at the bracelet, with a lot of disappointment. Slowly, I recalled the moments when I laughed with her, touched her silky hair, looked into her eyes, and heard her sweet voice, which always made me smile. Eshita… my enigma. As I was lost in my thoughts, a middle-aged man asked, “Could you take your bag?” Cover Photo by Prabhath Narapareddy Noticing that a lot of other seats were empty, I hesitantly picked up my bag, and he sat beside me. After he settled, he asked, “That’s a wonderful bracelet. Care to tell me the story behind it?” Noticing me confused, he continued, “I would like to kill some time. The plane to Stockholm is delayed by two hours.”

Available in an eBook! Winning or achieving by bringing another down, An evil grin resulting from someone’s frown, Chopping off a King’s head to snatch the crown, Floating on the water by making one drown, Gives what satisfaction? Compared to a smile from a clown, Or making our own chocolate cake in a rich brown, Or stitching for our mother a handmade gown, Or laying down one’s life to save a whole town! Cover Photo by Pankaj Tottada ​Welcome to India. The land of spicy food, sarees, billions of Gods, Bollywood, unique culture and whatnot. We have basically everything here! Well, almost. But what we do have, and something which I am personally very proud of since I’m a part of it, are the IITs, the Indian Institutes of Technology. They are the best Engineering colleges in India, without a doubt, and definitely among the best in the world. Many in the country want to be part of these institutes at some point in their lives. But there are only 16 IITs, with a cumulative intake of nearly 11,000 per year. Since our population is around 120 crores, it is clear that not everyone carries the IIT brand. This leads to the next obvious question: Who are those few? The answer to this is the JEE, arguably the world’s toughest exam. Children are now made to start preparing for it as early as the 6th grade, when they probably don’t even know what the acronym IIT stands for! This leads to intense competition among the children to become one of the top 11,000 in the country. The word ‘topper’ becomes a nickname of sorts, which is desired by all but is destined to be given to only one, with the others left in a fit of anger and revenge on that person. It leads to the destruction of many friendships and relationships. The innocent and fragile mind of a child is forced to compete with peers and develop a sense of selfishness.

Available in an eBook! The mist of mind clouds me, As I see you glee, Under the sparkling moonlight, Beside the seashore and thicket of this night, My heart retreats to your place,

Available in an eBook! Resting on a bench after playing badminton for a while, I watched him play with a child. Meanwhile, Archana pulled out the four-cups game from her pocket and placed her fingers beneath the four cups before asking, “Just play along like our school days and choose a colour, darling.” Observing red, blue, green and yellow to be the four options, I noticed his yellow shirt for a moment before answering, “Yellow.” Cover Photo by Pankaj Tottada While I loved how cute he and the baby looked together, Archana spelt “Y-E-L-L-O-W” while moving the cups. A moment later, she ended up opening one of the levels before asking, “Pick a number from 3, 4, 7, or 8.” Honestly, not intending to play any longer, I wanted to ask Archana, “Can we go shopping?”

Available in an eBook! I: Her Marriage It has just been a month since Preeti graduated. Rather than applying for an engineering job, she preferred to take the bank exams, as she had not been placed in a multinational company. One morning, her father said, “I haven’t told you, but I have been wanting to get you married, and finally, I found a boy who is completely suitable for you.” Looking at her shocked face, he continued saying, “The boy is attractive and earns around ninety thousand a month in InfoTech, a software enterprise.” Cover Photo by Nikhil Narayanasa Preeti was terrified as she listened to her father. She had many fears ever since her adolescence, but the marriage wasn’t just fear. It was terror. Her father paused for a response as she digested what she had just heard. He understood that she was unprepared for his proposal. However, since he considered it to be his responsibility to get her married, he continued, “I know it is hard for you to accept getting married. However, considering the circumstances, you must get married someday. So I have taken utmost care in selecting this boy, and so I assure you that every aspect of him is perfect!” ​Preeti could do nothing but nod her head. She firmly believed that she couldn’t share her problem. Even if she tried, she knew her parents would not be supportive, as it is taboo in India. She also knew that even if they agreed to her request, people in their neighbourhood would look down on their family for the rest of their lives. Unable to express her problem, Preeti replied, “Father, I have never thought of marriage. I would need some time.” That afternoon, after lunch, Preeti and her mother were chit-chatting about various family issues when her mother randomly brought up marriage. She wanted Preeti to accept it and assured her that the boy was well disciplined and fairly religious. She thought that he was the perfect groom for her. Preeti was a bit taken aback after the chat and wanted to confess, unable to hold it in any longer. However, just before she started, her mother continued, “Your father’s health is deteriorating, and in the recent medical tests, it has been confirmed that he has both diabetes and high blood pressure. Moreover, your marriage issue is making him tense.” Listening to her mother, Preeti didn’t utter a word. Realising that her father hoped to get her married at any cost, Preeti decided to share her problem with the boy herself at their first meeting. After planning her course of action, she agreed to get married, and her father’s happiness knew no bounds. Within two weeks, both families met. After an hour of formal talks, Preeti and Rahul were given some privacy. Both of them went to the lawn, and Rahul honestly admitted, “You look beautiful, more than you did in the photos.” This made Preeti slow down in her confession. However, since it was her only chance, she ignored all the consequences before spitting out, “Rahul, you are handsome, but I have always been only interested in girls!” II: Deal! Preeti felt Rahul was subdued and stood still, silently, for a few minutes. Immediately afterwards, he said, “That should not be a problem. Even after marriage, your freedom will not be curtailed. Your girlfriend can keep visiting you, and I will not touch you until you give me your consent.” Preeti could not believe what she just heard. She expected he would make a scene of the issue and would reject the marriage at any cost. Cover Photo by Nikhil Narayanasa ​Soon enough, Rahul walked back to the drawing room before interrupting all of the family members by declaring, “We want to get married as soon as possible!” While being congratulated, Preeti could not quite understand where Rahul was headed. Without a clue or a proper justification for his actions, Rahul married Preeti. However, Preeti tried many times to convince Rahul not to marry her, but he assured her that everything would be fine.

Available in an eBook! I opened my umbrella along with my heart for her. A surprised look on her face immediately drained with the rain, and she took a step inside the temple, where I pray. Thereby initiating the umbrella walk. Her voice was so enchanting. Illustrated by Nikhil Narayanasa Her face felt like the cold breeze, freezing my gaze. Little could I hear the outside world. Little could I see it as if it shrank and shrank until the round umbrella became my entire world A world with only her and me

Available in an eBook! Walking through the galore of life, I found Happiness, thrill, and strife without bounds A lot of paths were there to trod. It was only my God and me. That instant, I thought. Let all the feelings in me. Be completely engrossed in there.

Available in an eBook! Out of all the men in the world, daughters always say, “Fathers are the sweetest”. When I think of my childhood, the first memory I cherish to this day is how my dad encouraged me to be strong. He wanted me to be a very strong girl. So when I was four years old, I broke a bone in my thumb finger, and it gave me a lot of trouble. The doctors said there was some minor internal distortion and that it must be operated on to improve. Upon hearing this, I reckon my father must have lost all his good senses. Cover Photo by Pankaj Tottada Everyone knows how childish men suddenly become after fathering daughters; my father epitomised this. It was hard for him to decide what to do. To let his little daughter know the smell of medicines and the pain of toxins, nah... One day, when I went to him complaining about the pain in my thumb, he gently made me sit on his lap before saying, “Sweetheart, the more you pay attention to the pain, the stronger it will become. So stop thinking about it, and one day it will leave you.”