The heat rose off the roads like steam from boiling water, the lawn was adorned with large patches of dry grass, the delicate flowers on the shrubs withered. The afternoon was silent, people closeted in their homes trying to escape the early June heat. Not even a bird twittered,…

The big classroom was filled with sounds of rustling pages and scribbling noises from pens. It was the last day of 12th boards and the students were busy writing feverishly, squeezing out each minute. Sameer’s nose nearly touched the supplementary as he jotted the answer to the second last question,…

A loud rumble of thunder rolled across the dark sky as another bout of sudden rain drenched everyone on the road. Several people scurried to nearby shops to save themselves. One boy, however, just turned his face up to the sky as he rode on his bike, he seemed…

The month of September arrived with a shower of unexpected rains, that made the plants look greener, left several under-construction roads in a pool of water, and made people crave a cup of warm tea. The muddy ground didn’t deter a group of boys from snatching few minutes to…

Time flew as if the hands on the clock were moving faster than the speed of light. They had their first term school examinations as well, and now the sharp sword of board exams dangled over their necks. The teachers were pleasantly surprised at Sameer’s improvement, but more than…

“Shefali, please yaar icing dena jaldi”, Naina’s urgent voice cut across the kitchen and Shefali hurried up to her with the icing cone. The Saturday was special, extremely special, for Naina. The white icing flowed smoothly as the words “Happy Birthday Sameer” was etched across the top of the…