Lust for Life

I wrote a short piece for India Currents for Mother's Day. Here https://indiacurrents.com/lust-for-life/

The Other is released.

My short story titled, "The Benefits of Forced Laughter" is in this anthology, 'The Other,' which was released on 29th Jan 2018 by MoS for Sports and Youth Affairs, Information and Broadcast, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, senior financial journalist Shishir Sinha, thought leader and leading lawyer Sumant Batra at YWCA, New Delhi. Many thanks to the editors Abha Iyengar and Mona Verma.

The Other Anthology will be out soon.

My short story titled, "The Benefits of Forced Laughter' is placed in this anthology with stories by 32 other writers. The official launch date is 28th January, 2018 at 4:30 pm at YWCA, 1 Ashoka Road, New Delhi.

The collection was edited by  Abha Iyengar & Mona Verma 

Wonderful News!

I never dreamed that my love for birds would inspire me to write a short story, and that too one that would bag an award.
Out of Print, the prestigious online literary magazine, partners with the newspaper, DNA India, to host this competition every year.
My short story 'Monotony of Hornbills' won the First Runner-up prize in the DNA- Out of Print Short Fiction Special 2017. The prize money of ten thousand rupees is the highest amount I've earned for a short story.

You can read it here in the e-paper here and also in the print edition (Just Before Monday 17/12/17):

http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/column-dna-out-of-print-short-fiction-content-2017-1st-runner-up-2568149


The announcement in the Out of Print blog is here:

http://outofprintmagazine.blogspot.in/2017/12/2017-dna-out-of-print-short-fiction_25.html

My short story in the TBASS anthology

I'm so happy to share that my short story will be featured in the inaugural anthology, The Best Asian Short Stories, brought out by publishing house, Kitaab. The book will feature 32 short stories by authors from eleven countries in Asia. The launch is slated to take place at the Singapore Writer's Festival 2017 in November this year.
The book was edited by Monideepa Sahu with Zafar Anjum as the series editor.

A Determined Dad

The robin

We had just moved into our new home, when a pair of robins flew into the balcony. I was delighted, and hoped to entice regular visits with water and grain. But they were on a mission. They flew outside the house and attacked the window pane. The periodic "tap-tap-tap"continued all day.
The next day Mrs. Robin wearied soon, and disappeared into the leafy depths of a pongamia. She probably had a nest to ready for her eggs.
Mr. Robin spent hours attacking the window pane. We stopped at the window on our way up or down the stairs, drummed the window pane lightly, and baby-talked to the impervious dad. It was only when he rested between raging bouts that we noticed his broken right foot. It hung from a thread of skin to his leg. Every time he landed on the sill, we winced. Poor little guy. The pain obviously didn't deter his protective instincts to keep his territory safe before his chicks arrived. I wondered about how birds withstood pain; a stubbed toe can keep me inert for hours.
But he often flew into the trees, and perched on a branch tweeted his frustration. He probably reported to Mrs. Robin, that despite his best efforts, the threat was very much there.
We were busy settling in, and didn't observe when his foot actually fell off. Not dampened by his handicap, he continued to stare down the intruder who irritatingly drew closer, or flew into a rage each time he did.
We haven't seen him in a long while now. Maybe he finally realized his enemy had a missing foot, and was no great threat, after all. But it's more likely that Mrs. Robin sends the dutiful dad to fetch juicy worms for their hungry chicks.

My short story in an anthology, at last!

Very happy to know that the FON South Asia Short Story Award anthology will feature my short story. Fellows of Nature initiated this international short story award to encourage Nature Writing. The book will be published by TERI Press, the publishing arm of The Energy and Resources Institute.
Nothing beats the joy of spending time with Nature, and then weaving the observed facts into a fictional piece. See the grand announcement here.
https://www.facebook.com/fellowsofnature/photos/a.1510708735900272.1073741827.1476941992610280/1657048944599583/?type=3