What Happens in Funeral Stays in Funeral!

Have you ever been to a funeral? Excuse my frank, albeit at times rather insensitive, remarks about the occasion. In my recent experience, I had come to the conclusion that more than 90% of those tear-stricken faces are portraying a facade. Undoubtedly, the close family mourns the loss deeply. However, a major portion of relatives, who come to “show respect” to the departed, do everything but mourn. Or perhaps, my family falls under this category. If you haven’t hated me with my forward comments, you would soon begin to hate me. Whatever! I never bothered about your opinion, why should I start doing it now? Particularly on the day, when I received two mind-blowing superpowers from God.

Pedigree Rescues the Cops from the Madness!

He barked at me. Don’t scratch your head. I am not using any metaphor. My brother, Shaurya, literally barked at me. I asked him repeatedly to cut it out, but he kept on barking. I don’t know what new game he had picked up on TikTok or any other social media platform, but it wasn’t funny. If I didn’t leave now, I’d be late for work.

In a Class of Language, Humans can Imprint too!

When I saw the movie Twilight or maybe it was New Moon, I thought the idea of a werewolf imprinting1 on a woman was a load of bullsh*t. It just didn’t seem realistic. Do you see the irony? I was trying to find “realistic” reasoning in a movie based on vampires and werewolves. Yet, the day I saw Avani for the first time, all my logic went out the window. I must be a werewolf at heart, because, at that time, I believed that I had imprinted on Avani. My world revolved around her, and she didn’t even know about it. Who knew that the road that I had taken to learn the magnificent French language would actually lead me toward a girl, whom I would never forget.

Be Kind. I Just Lost my Family.

When I was only two months old, a speeding car crushed my mom and three siblings. I never had a father, to begin with. Obviously, there must have been a male that helped my mom conceive. His participation, however, ended just there. Just like that, I had no family. Those two months that I had spent in the warm embrace of my family were no less than a paradise. We did not have a house. So, my mom used to search for shelter every day. There were good days and bad days. Our definition of a good day was finding leftover food under the protection of a tree or tin-shade or a bridge somewhere. A day spent under the burning hot sun with no shade and no rejected food was marked as a bad day.

Because her Guardian Angel says so!

Before you start wondering how do I know Avani so well, let me introduce myself. This may come as a surprise to you, but I don’t have a name. Now, for the bit that would either make you smirk or smile, depending upon how open you are to the idea of a Guardian Angel. Regardless of your opinion on the idea, I am just that. A Guardian Angel. We don’t have names. Generally, we address one another, which is very rare, by the way, by our respective child’s name.

A Dead End Job is the End of the World

“Maa, I don’t think I can take this job any longer,” Avani said in almost a whisper.

“Why do you think that is?” Anamika, her mother, used the well-rehearsed question that she had learned from watching too many series/movies involving therapy.

“Mom, cut it out! I am very serious here.”

“And honey, I have never been more serious in my whole life. You think everybody else is ecstatic in their lives. A job is just that: a job. You are lucky you have a job. Do you know how many people would kill for your life?”

Never Go to Bed Angry – A Blanket Chronicle

Why did I have to have a fight in the middle of the night? Janhvi cursed herself for the eleventh time in the matter of a mere five minutes. And to make matters worse, the AC had broken down when the summer heat of the night was unbearable. It appeared as if every thread of her nightdress was soaking wet with her sweat. Yet, she could not let go of the blanket. If I moved even a finger, they’ll know that I am awake. Then, they’ll certainly make a move. Tightening her already white-knuckled grip on the blanket, she tried to think of a survival strategy.