Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Garnished with surprise!

He was the one who normally cooked non-vegetarian food in their house, albeit not too often. Not that she didn’t know to prepare it, but simply because he liked it that way. Of course, she loved it too! Especially when he would go all the way to bring out their pristine Borosil dinner set, lay the table with all those pieces of glass bowls, plates, casseroles, tumblers, glasses and more!

“We’re just the two of us, honey” she would often exclaim but he paid no heed while decorating their red table-cloth with numerous pieces – he would simply turn around and flash that smile at her – one which would make her go weak in the knees, even after four years of marriage!

She savored watching his graceful movements in the kitchen as he cooked, as much as she relished the food cooked by him. Today, however, she felt like surprising him. She’d picked up chicken in the evening and decided to cook him a sumptuous non-veg meal.

She ran one final check of all the dishes before the doorbell rang. As she lifted the lid, the rich aroma of the chicken masala made her hunger pangs even more intense. An almost audible growl from her stomach made her giggle to herself. Perfectly golden brown, appetizingly loaded with just the right amount of masalas and piping hot, she picked one small piece of chicken to taste and it just melted in her mouth, tantalizing her taste-buds. Garnishing the masala-laden delicacy with fine-chopped coriander leaves, she secured the lid of the Borosil serving bowl, placing it on the table.

The richness of the rice-flour parathas cooked with ghee was evident in their softness. Off into the Borosil casserole went all the super-hot, soft, soft parathas that her husband immensely relished with gravy.

The chicken biryani was almost done too. The rice grains were tastefully cooked to perfection when she checked, the chicken flavor permeating every grain to release a lip-smacking aroma. She quickly fixed up the fresh green salad, some papad, his favorite boondi-raita and added a dash of lemon to the diced onions.

Just as she was about to call him on the phone, she heard the car pull into the driveway. Looking through the window pane, she saw him pull out of the car, with a small gift in his hand. She smiled coyly. He had a surprise for her, too!

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Of choices made

Seething fury for his cold indifference gave way to washed mascara.

‘My children need me’, he sealed her fate, walking away.

She’d given up her world for him. Pity, she lost him too.


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This post is in response to the Trifecta Writing Challenge – Week 102. The challenge is to write exactly 33 words about love gone wrong. However, we are forbidden the usage of any of the following words:
Love
Sad
Tears
Wept
Heart
Pain




Friday, December 6, 2013

Soul cleansing



His temple, a basin
where numerous travelers stopped by
to wash away their sins
with tears of repentance
that scald the soul.
The myopic
were obviously repelled
by the dazzle of the faucet.


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This post is in response to the Trifecta Writing Challenge - Week Ninety-Seven. The prompt is to pen down 33 words that include the following - basin, myopic, dazzle.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Redemption

      Without you, there's no grudge against life
              Yet without you, life is no life.
                Like a moth drawn to flame
                       None is to blame...
My love finds redemption in none other than you!

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This post is in response to the Trifecta Writing Challenge - Week Ninety-Five. The challenge is to choose a word and use it three times in our 33 words. However, it must be either a verb, noun or adjective and the form of the word cannot change, it must appear exactly the same three times.

The word I've chosen (obviously) is 'life' but I'm unable to highlight it in bold currently (some weird tantrums thrown by my browser). So please bear with me and enjoy the post :)

Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Race



His heart thumping right into his mouth, he took a sharp turn out of the serpentine trail of slow-moving cars in the jam and turned into the dark alley on the left. He nervously kept looking back at the dark shadow following him and repeatedly muttered under his breath ‘Just a few more minutes please’.

Although it was past midnight, few of the houses continued to throw light onto the street. Glimpsing into his watch every few minutes, it appeared as though he was somehow trying to slow down the pace of time with this fruitless effort. The car suddenly screeched to a halt as he abruptly hit the brake when an injured puppy appeared in front of his car from nowhere. Mentally juggling with the idea of cursing the puppy or taking pity on it, he stepped out, lifted the puppy and quickly placed it inside his car to resume his journey.

Back at the bungalow, he searched fruitlessly for her in every nook and corner. Pacing across from room to room, he intermittently looked behind for the dark shadow but it was nowhere to be seen now. All he saw was the little puppy, limping slowly behind him.

Sweat trickling down his brow, he froze in his path for a moment, turned around and raced towards the terrace garden. ‘Honey, I got your medicines’, he shouted at her back but she made no move. As he approached her, he saw her lifeless body right besides the dried rose shrub she had once nurtured so lovingly – a painting of his smiling face clutched firmly to her bosom by her pulseless arm. The dark shadow had given him a few minutes but claimed her instead. The rose petals had lost out to the thorns this time.

The puppy slowly limped into his lap and put its head down to rest. A wounded leg, a wounded heart… united in pain. ‘You are my only companion’, he whispered to the puppy, gently kissing its forehead.

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This post (333 words) is in response to the Trifecta Writing Challenge - Week 104. The prompt is to pen down 33-333 words using the third definition of the following word:
 
COMPANION (noun)
1:  one that accompanies another :  comrade, associate; also:  one that keeps company with another
2 obsolete :  rascal
3 a :  one that is closely connected with something similar
   b :  one employed to live with and serve another.

Friday, November 8, 2013

Watch out

Gods that bestow blessings abound.
I only ask dues for what's not sound.
So turn on your switch,
Give the bad a miss.
Escape me you cannot
It's your Karma, just watch out.

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This post is in response to the Trifecta Writing Challenge - Week Ninety-three.

Buddhist cosmology tells of Trāyastriṃśa, or the Heaven of Thirty-Three gods, which rule over the human realm. The challenge this weekend is to write exactly 33 words about a god of your own devising that shares heaven with the other thirty-two gods.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Day or night?


They all sought her to solve their problems.

Strong-willed, optimistic, an epitome of courage!

At the corner of her bed,

a tear-stained pillow cover boo grudgingly at her.

She’d forgotten to wash it, yet again.

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This post is in response to the Trifecta Writing Challenge – Week 101. The challenge is to write a 33-333 word piece that includes the word ‘Boo’ in its third definition as follows. 
boo
1 (interjection)
used to express contempt or disapproval or to startle or frighten
2 (noun)
a sound that people make to show they do not like or approve of someone or something
3 (verb) to show dislike or disapproval of someone or something by shouting “Boo” slowly