Twelve hours. That’s the amount of time I spend shoving my face into books daily. I wouldn’t consider myself a nerd, as I’m being bribed to do this. I don’t have the time to do anything but memorise every single goddamn line from the never-ending pile of books. No matter how many hours I grind, it still doesn’t feel enough. Maybe it’s just me being cautious, but you can never be too careful in situations like this. You may ask, what kind of situation? I mean, when you’re being gifted a motorcycle if you top the class, stress and sleep deprivation are definitely expected. A Honda is what I chose when I was offered a bike. I was just being considerate by choosing something they could afford, since this deal wasn’t me swindling my parents. Do I feel guilty about it? Maybe. I’m not asking for too much. No, all I want is just a Honda. Cover Photo by Pankaj Tottada I briskly climb the stairs with my head facing my feet. The five-year-old white paint coat on the steps fell off just like my energy. The sun goes down as I open the gate to the small rooftop terrace of my apartment. Dizzy in the head, I take a few more steps ahead and fall on the floor, unconscious. I start to feel drops of water being sprinkled on my face. An ugly face pops up with all its teeth in my face.

Can you tell me one thing which you desperately want in life? I want to live. Yes, I want to live no matter how tough things get, and I like the strength to face my hurdles. I know time tests us with everything it has, and it shall not stop at anything, but I learnt we should never give up, even if it costs us everything. By the way, I’m Vani, and I’m with such firm convictions because I was stuck in a phase for a long time, and it took me everything to come out of it. Life had never been the same after we parted ways. Even in the most beautiful times, I felt nothing. Even when everything was as I expected, I never even tried to appreciate it. Three years have passed, and yet my heart still retreats to him. Even on the busiest of days, my mind is clouded in his thoughts, his scent, and his smile; they still make my heart flutter. His presence not only makes me nervous but also makes me do stupid things, and even now, years later, nothing changed. From all the walks, laughter, warm hugs, passionate kisses, leaning shoulders, held hands, to everything vanishing, here I am, sitting in the dark, crowded in my thoughts. I am stuck, and every time I try to move forward, I recall my actions... deeds I have never committed before and acts that cannot be undone. They stay right within me, and I have to make peace with myself about my recklessness. Though this realisation often rips me apart, I knew I had to pick myself up for better or worse.

A queue of different beads threaded together on a string. All crafted to be unique and different, holding presumptions of what each may bring.

Plastic goods meant for use and throw, to be meaninglessly disposed as along you go. Plastic covers, some meant to hide, others made to protect, what’s enclosed inside.

Trigger Warning: Suicide Bhargav was going to do awful things that night and the worst among them was not just killing himself. He carefully planned them, leaving nothing to chance. It took a lot of guts to even consider suicide, but Bhargav was going through a rough patch since last year, and all it took was a breakup. The breakup was also not unexpected; both of them had been thinking about it for a year or so, but neither of them was ready to let their emotions take precedence. Giving priority to emotions and letting them run the show, they believed, was not something they could do freely. There had been many misunderstandings and fights, but the emotional drama had devoured him up from the inside out. He wished he could get out of this relationship, but he was afraid he’d be left with no will to live because there wasn’t anyone worth living for. Everything started while they were at school like the typical stories seen in films. However, this was unusual in a way, because they both saw the relationship as an outlet for their emotions and desires. Cover Photo by Pankaj Tottada Bhargav was sitting on his bed, while on the television, the newsreader diligently parroted the news. He tried to remember the first time they tried to get physical. It was more of a need than love for each other. He knew it, yet he was ashamed to admit it. Years later, when he would look back at those memories, he’d remember nothing except the passion they had for each other’s skin. Skin, more than heart, played an important role in bringing them together. Now, on this very day, when Bhargav decided to do whatever horrible acts that he believed were required, he tried to rack his brains to remember every last bit of it.

तुम्हारे माथे की व्यथा की लकीरें मैंने हर्षृंगार के फूलों से मिटा दी हैं। तुम्हारी पेशानी पर, मेरे विश्वास की छांव है। और तुम्हारे मन के भीतर मैं मंदिर बनाऊंगी, नारायण का ।

Pick a side! Pick a side! Choose who’s right and wrong. Only cowards stay neutral. Decide where you belong. Pick a side! Pick a side! Don’t you have any opinions? With me stand the majority. Come be one of my minions.​

Oh​, mountain! Oh, mountain! How giant and majestic you are In thou, I see an old but a stern man Standing tall, holding the values conquered in life Like the trees and stones, you hold, You make me feel timid

Disclaimer: For ages above 18 only. Prologue Radha: Oh, God! It is already 4:30 pm. I have to be there by 5:30. I will be late to meet Rohit. Deepti: Calm down. You are never late, Radha. You know that! Radha: I know, but I still need to wrap up my work, and it will take another 15 minutes or so. © Writers Pouch Deepti: Well, if you keep worrying without wrapping it up. It might take more than 15 minutes. Radha: You are right! Deepti: And also, that dumb ass will not be on time, so all you will end up doing is reaching before time and waiting. So take a chill pill. Radha: You know, I don’t mind waiting, but I mind being late and making the other person wait. Deepti: Clearly, it says you respect others' time more than yours. Radha: It is not like that. Deepti: Oh, is it? Radha: Holy God, it is 4:47 Radha: I better hurry up, Deepti. Radha: I will see you on Monday. Deepti: Make me proud! Radha: Shut up. I have been waiting to meet him for two weeks now, and for this day, I have lost count. And every second felt like forever for the last two weeks, and now the time is running like a marathon when I’m late. I would have booked the cab an hour ago, had I known it would take an hour to reach my pick-up place. Finally, the man of the need arrived. I boarded the cab and checked the time, and it was 4:55. The estimated arrival time was 5:26 pm. Hopefully, I will make it on time. I could feel the excitement in my stomach. Butterflies are what I would call them. I couldn’t wait anymore. I wanted to see him. I have missed him so much. There is something about him that makes my heart jump. He is annoying and irritating 99.99% of the time, but somehow, I can’t resist him. All this while the time was running, now it feels like it has stopped. I had to distract myself. I closed my eyes and started to imagine what the evening would be like. Part I - The Day I reached a beautiful resort called Golden Flames that I had been planning to visit with him for months now, and finally, I was there. Moments later, he joined too & we entered the villa, and I closed the door behind me, and he was taking a look at the place. I couldn’t resist anymore. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him. For a second, he didn’t respond, and that felt like forever. Before I could pull back, he kissed me passionately and sincerely. I played with his hair, and he kissed me precisely as I wanted him to. He pulled me so close to him that the air couldn’t cross through us. I lost track of time, and we broke the kiss to get some air. And I don’t know what got into me. I just ran upstairs. He followed me. For the First time, he spoke nothing. I was watching the sunset. It was beautiful. It seemed like it could rain badly. He showered me with kisses on the back of my neck.

Archana, a girl in her twenties, returned after an exhausting day at work. This was pretty much how most of her evenings were, but all she needed was one hot cup of coffee and a hot shower to reset her mind and state. Opening her door, she heard the television in the main hall, separated by a partition and presumed it was her mother. Not wanting to bother her, she walked straight into her room as calmly as possible. She took a warm shower, and when she opened her phone returning to her room to dress up, she saw a couple of texts from her brother, Arun. Illustrated by Nandini Jalan Not believing what she had read, Archana called him, and he just mumbled something so quickly that she did not even comprehend him. She asked him to take a deep breath before asking him to repeat. Following her suggestion, her brother took a moment to stop panicking and then stated, “On the news, they say there is a shape-shifter on a killing spree. The police have at least found seven people dead by now…” To which Archana shrieked, “Are you serious?”

“अरे! सोनल ये कैसी नाराज़गी है? कुछ बोलोगी तो सही?” सोनल के पीछे-पीछे चलते हुए विशाल ने बड़े प्यार से पूछा। “देखो, कहीं ऐसा न हो कि मैं पुकारता रह जाऊँ और तुम इतनी दूर चली जाओ कि मेरी आवाज़ तुम तक पहुँच ही न पाए।” विशाल की बात सुनते ही सोनल झट से पलटकर बोली “आवाज़ तो क्या मुझे तो तुम्हारी दिल की धड़कने भी साफ़ सुनाई देती है, फिर दूरियों से रूह के रिश्ते और भी प्रगाढ़ हो जाते हैं" सोनल ने संयत स्वर में कहा। “खैर यह बताओ आज फिर तुम मेरा बर्थ-डे भूल गए ना?” स्नेहा बोयापल्ली द्वारा कवर फ़ोटो “तुम्हारा जन्मदिन मैं कैसे भूल सकता हूँ?” कहते हुए विशाल ने सोनल के सामने सरप्राईज़ गिफ्ट पेश किया। सोनल झट से गिफ्ट विशाल के हाथों से छीनते हुए बोली “बड़े सरप्राईज़ देते हो, एक दिन मैं तुम्हें ऐसा सरप्राईज़ दूँगी कि देखते रह जाओगे।” “जाने भी दो, विशाल का दिल कितना विशाल है ये तुम क्या जानोगी?” “सोनल आज किसी बड़े रेस्तोरां में चलते हैं तुम्हरा बर्थ-डे सेलिब्रेट करने” विशाल ने प्रस्ताव रखा। रेस्तरां के रूमानियत भरे माहौल मे सोनल ने विशाल से पूछा ”शादी के बारे में क्या सोचा है विशाल?” “बस नये जॉब मिलते ही मैं शादी की बात करूँगा घर में, तुम चिंता मत करो।” विशाल ने दिलासा देते हुए उत्तर दिया। विधि के विधान से अनभिज्ञ, सोनल और विशाल अनजान थें कि ये उनकी आखरी मुलाकात है। खुशियों की बारिश में सराबोर होकर जैसे ही सोनल घर पहुँची उसने देखा कि माँ-पिताजी किसी गंभीर विषय पर चर्चा कर रहे थें। सोनल को सामने देख बाबूजी का चेहरा एकाएक दमक उठा।

Diwali is a festival in India which is celebrated with great enthusiasm. It has many stories associated with it and I would like to share a folk story which is popular in the southern part of India. So, once upon a time, there lived a Brahmin family in a kingdom. The king of that kingdom was righteous and polite. He always wanted his people in the kingdom to be happy and prosperous. In this Brahmin family, the head of the family was blind and was named Satyakama and his wife’s name was Sumati. They were very poor and struggled for basic needs. Since Sumati was devoted to Goddess Laxmi, she prayed to remove poverty from her family. Seeing her sincerity and righteousness, Goddess Lakshmi visited in her dream and told her that she should put oil lamps all over the house on the new moon day of Ashwin.