About unrequited love and goosebumps — I usually write about hummingbirds and sunshine. But Spooktober cometh, so I gave my writing a noir-ish turn. I wrote these as four separate ten-word stories. But they seem to go together. She’s impeccably coordinated. Her little black dress matches her heart. When and if I propose, could you please…

Diverse yet Harmonious — “No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive.” — Mahatma Gandhi My daughter, N, came over Saturday. After breakfast, we lazed on recliners in front of the living room TV. Me with my cuppa tea; N with her freshly brewed macchiato. “Want to watch Bollywood dance videos?” …

Yeah… but a cat’s gotta do what a cat’s gotta do. — For my eighth birthday, my father got me a warm, fuzzy blanket. We lived in Pune, India, where it got quite chilly in winter. There were no heaters, and we slept with our windows open. The blanket was a welcome gift. A couple of nights later, I awoke feeling cold…

Moments of Joy — 1. “Light-headed, she danced and spun as if she were alone.” Recently, we were at an Indian celebration, where I met a bunch of friends after two years post-Covid. It felt so good to reach out and touch a friend’s arm. To make actual — rather than virtual — eye contact. I felt lightheaded. Plus, the music was toe-tapping. I danced…

Happenings from a farm in India — “Black” and “Red” were the two kinds of scorpions on our farm in southern India. The Red’s sting could be fatal. But the Black was no lightweight either. Its venom, while unlikely to cause death, could still trigger intense pain. Eons ago, a farm worker hobbled onto the verandah of…

Six Word Photo Story: Freestyle — Cloud Goose Winging Across Twilight Sky I had begun a piece about the many distinctions between ducks and geese when a voice whispered in my ear — Will anyone care to read this story? I stopped typing and started to fret. To write or not to write? I stepped out into the neighborhood to clear my…

Geese differ from ducks in at least a dozen ways — “That’s a beautiful duck!” my niece commented when we were walking in her neighborhood. “I think it’s a Canada goose,” I said. (Lead photo) “It kind of… looks like a duck,” was her response. People often mistake geese for ducks. I know I did. …

Inspired by Nostalgia and Melodrama “The sorcerer made jazz hands, and my canna flowers floated.” I was trying to shoot a portrait picture of my cannas. This “floating” canna is what I came up with. “From her tower she beheld The Lake of Shining Waters.” This is what I saw last weekend from my sixth-floor hotel room.