It was a normal morning. Naina Agarwal woke up at her usual time of 5:59am, one minute before her alarm was set to go off. A few tinkling sounds told her that as usual Chachiji was already up and about.  Yawning she rolled off the bed, wrapping the knitted…

The sky was a clear blue, but the wind blowing around was cold. A small crowd of people stood at the arrivals gate of the Ahmedabad airport, their eagerness only barricaded by a waist-high steel partition. Two uniformed guards stood, terribly bored, and probably grumpy at this added security…

The number of vehicles increased on the road, a bus honked, couple of dogs fought, and an old lady tried to balance the numerous bags of vegetables she had bought. The vegetable vendor stopped in-front of a white bungalow, and hollered his wares, but no one came rushing out…

The roads leading to Nirmal Jyoti Society were eerily empty; a few mongrels roamed trying to find a sheltered spot for the night. One of the street lamps flickered, producing a strange ticking sound that vibrated in the air. The watchman had wrapped himself in double shawl, and pulled…

The afternoon sun shone through the fluttering curtains at the partially opened window, the lull of siesta too strong in the air, barring the two people entwined on the swing. Soft moans could be heard as the man clasped a hand under the woman’s skull, lifting her while he…

The brilliant sunshine poured in from the windows in the Maheshwari residence, lending a golden glow to the cream tiles. Songs poured out of a new music player, and the sound of tapping and thudding could be heard from the bathroom. A black boxing bag hung from the ceiling…