Guitar Heroine

Heya mesh fattaka.. and a tad cliche.. but I can see it very clearly in my head.. the girl and the guitar and the hall... but whenever I try to put it into words it goes cliche on me.. She sat there at the centre of the empty stage absorbing her surroundings. The rows and...

Story of a Photo – CLEOFiction October Issue

Originally written on August 11, 2008 and posted here. Re-posted in celebration of it making it in print 🙂 See my name in lights in the October issue of CLEO. Let me know what you think of the story. Location: Rome Time: Not too long ago. She had gone to Rome to pursue her childhood...

The Applicant – 5

He arrived at the crowded waiting area. They as employees had their own officer assigned to them to review their visa applications. His turn would come shortly. He took a seat and grabbed that week’s issue of the Times as it lay on the table. He had briskly walked through that room at least a...

The Applicant – 4

Normally Aassem’s day at the embassy as cultural attaché involved a great deal of reading, networking and event organizing. Today on the other hand, was completely different. Today he was not merely a US embassy employee; today he was to wear a different hat, one a lot more intimidating. Today, he got to be an applicant. He intended to visit...

The Applicant – 3

He drove absentmindedly, with an automated mechanical rigour that reflected his muscle memory rather than his consciousness level. Buddha bar music filled his car as he changed lanes following the beaten path to the office. He circled the block in Garden City looking for a suitable parking spot. A familiar face among the crowd, the area parking attendant in the...

The Applicant – 2

He had carefully laid out his power suit from the night before. He jumps into the shower and lets the ice cold water rain down on his head and shoulders as he leaned a hand on the tiled bathroom wall and thought of the day ahead. Stepping out he starts to put himself together. He...

THE APPLICANT

No, not John Grisham, sorry to dissappoint you. It's actually a new attempt at a short story. This was inspired by a the friends who appear in it as themselves. Hope you like it. Here goes nothing. THE APPLICANT Alarm clock’s digital display clocks 6:00 am in a red digital font against the black backdrop....

Morning rambling

He'd finally found her, they'd bumped into each other at a concert. The event was jam-packed with friends and acquaintances, yet he had eyes for only her. They struck up a conversation, reminiscing about old times. She told him she was feeling trapped, asked him if he'd be willing to go sit somewhere airy. He...

Zurich

They sat near the end of the plane on the Swiss Air flight leaving Zürich. He'd been struck with another wave of nausea and was sweating as he fought to maintain composure. She seemed genuinely concerned for his well being, meanwhile he was quite embarrassed by his motion sickness and was exerting great mental effort...

What do you see when you close your eyes?

Cool wind blew on the secluded cove messing up her thick silky brown hair. The strands of hair taking on a personality of their own as they danced in the wind. She sat hugging her knees, facing the ocean. The full strength of the gale blowing in her face as she stared ahead at the...

One Shot

Update: Title changed upon the request of the great and powerful Ope. This scene has been playing through my head for days now. So I'm finally sitting down and typing it up.  Lone figure enters dark alley, she appears to be very frazzled. She keeps looking right and left to make sure nobody has followed....

This time last year

Thunder of Prayer It was an odd time for mankind. Injustice was increasing; and not exclusively among the obvious villains. People were no longer black nor white instead a spectrum of grey. He approached the cornered individual that was his victim for the day. His towering figure blocking out the street light. He loomed above...

Abandoned

This post is re-posted from my old blog, it is also my only physically published writing. Would love feedback. Steps echoing on a marble floor. A gust of wind blowing through the open window. Curtains flapping eerily in the cold chilling air. The ramblings of a disoriented mind. I am making little to no sense....

Cellphone

Such odd times are these, when human relationships can be condensed into something as simple as a telephone call. Modern technology allowed for voice dialling or speed dial, yet she felt there was something more personal about dialling in the number, keying it in lovingly, caressing the keys as she entered her access code to...

Car Ride

I had no idea where we were going. I sat there in the backseat of their plush car totally oblivious of what was going on around me. They weren't talking to me, they both had a very stern (we-mean-business) look on their faces. I had no intention of asking them anything. We cruised along, their...

Insomnia

She lay in bed staring at the ceiling. It seemed these days its all she ever did, lie in bed and stare at the ceiling. Insomnia had become a close friend and the sandman didn't visit anymore. She'd imagined the sleep deprivation would be taking its toll on her physically. Instead it would seem the...

Kyra

Once again she was being told that she was serious and wise beyond her young years. She fought to maintain her composure. Those naive foolish mortals. Thinking they have all the answers. Little do they realize how limited their knowledge, how skewed their perception. There was a logical explanation for her soberness. She'd been here...

Silence

Speech is overrated. Who died and made talk emperor? There are a million different ways to express our opinions and yet people prefer to speak. Not to delve into the limitations of speech, of the different terminology barriers, of language differentials. Bottom line is by speaking you are cutting down on the number of people...

You’ve Got Mail

He didn't know which ailed him more... the extent to which he missed her? Or the knowledge that she was unaware of his pangs of longing. His doting and affection were wasted for she did not reciprocate. He sat there staring at his screen, constantly hitting the refresh button. Hoping for that magicnumber to appear...

Night Falls on the Ancient City.. yet the City Never Sleeps

Night falls on the ancient city… yet the city never sleeps. The electric street lights along the sea side walk light up in unison. Modern day architects have shaped them to resemble the street lamps of days long gone. A tribute to the architecture of an era that was great. The old man rode his...