He almost missed the hut. Navigating the capricious turns of hill roads, it is easy to miss those dust tracks that skulk away from the traffic. The path leading to the hut disappeared into long grasses and wild bushes almost as soon as it appeared. But still, Ashok noticed the narrow trail. Among the many… Continue reading Friends Forever?
Out of Tune
A Message from Maa Out of Tune Sagorika kept the diary aside and heaved a sigh of relief. Her heart was in her mouth while reading about her mother’s love towards her lover. She felt relieved and grateful for her mother’s choice. It was getting late in the night, but she flipped to the next… Continue reading Out of Tune
A Message from Maa – The First Note
The First Note The sun peeped out shyly from the eastern horizon, spraying its orange hue onto the deep purple sky. Roosters began crowing, and temple bells announced the early morning prayers. The 3000-year-old temple town of Varanasi was waking up to yet another day. About a kilometre to the west of the historic Kashi… Continue reading A Message from Maa – The First Note
Aabir – Finale: The story continues…
Finale: The story continues… Some years have passed. Gokul Ashram has grown. It now occupies a new building. As Binodini enters the ashram compound in an auto rickshaw, the watchman salutes her. She has streaks of silver in her hair now. She is also wearing glasses. Walking through the corridor, she is the epitome of… Continue reading Aabir – Finale: The story continues…
Against All Odds
Against all odds. Binodini’s prayers were answered. A few weeks later, a woman named Durga came to meet Binodini all the way from Mathura. She ran an organization that trained women in martial arts. She urged Binodini to educate the members of her organization and train them in practical work skills. In return, the women… Continue reading Against All Odds
Aabir – Fresh beginnings
Fresh beginnings. As Binodini began her life in Vrindavan, she realized that life was not easy for the widows there. The city housed more than a lakh widows in its multiple ashrams, where living conditions were not ideal. Though the ashrams were run by various charitable trusts, the tenants had to pay rent, even if… Continue reading Aabir – Fresh beginnings
Aabir – A bride and a widow
A bride and a widow. Binodini’s life changed after marriage. She was now a daughter-in-law. She could no longer be the Binu that she had been in her natal home. Binodini had to constantly be conscious of her conduct. A year passed in getting accustomed to the norms of her new home, and soon the… Continue reading Aabir – A bride and a widow
A Leap of Faith – a Saras Story
Saras cranes fly low, gliding gracefully over the Dhanauri grasslands. Vivid rays of sunshine come down on their salmon-pink bodies. From afar, I see them flapping their wings, enjoying life, their rattling cry a call to dance. When I was living in the Dhanauri grasslands, two Saras cranes came at the lake outside my house every day. Their rusty wash and slate… Continue reading A Leap of Faith – a Saras Story
Appa
The sky was sea blue and the sun was bright and warm. Lakshmi and Gajodhar decided to go for a walk with their children, along with their herd, to the forest in the hunt for fruits and flowers. They walked passed the imposing Sal trees and came to a tropical forest, filled with the essence of Mangoes… Continue reading Appa
