Short Stories

(This is the first time I tried my hand at a series of short stories)

1. The mother

‘When I was younger, my mother read out stories to me.’ 

‘So what? Every mother does that.’

‘Sir, my mother was illiterate.’

2. Hostility

His parents kicked him out of the house during the winter. He’d felt colder….inside.

 3. Love

‘Are you in pain?’

‘I’m in love.’ She told him.

The therapist scribbled a little ‘yes’ in his diary.

 4. Stigma

‘Our daughter was raped.’ they told the newspapers.

‘Her husband ran before the criminals did.’

5.  Music

They played the same song on their 25^th anniversary as they did on their 1st.

They got older.

The Beatles didn’t.    

 6. Benign

The last words I heard, came from my father.

‘A fatter book does not necessarily have a better story’ 

I died; no longer fearing my tumor.

 7. Adultery

Who is it?’ Called her new husband from inside

‘No one.’

She couldn’t tell him her ‘dead’ husband had sent flowers again. 

 8. Choice

Juvenile; she was made to choose between the garland of jute and the garland of love.

No one talks about her anymore. 

 9.  Ink

He said she didn’t love him enough. 
In her defense, he only looked at her letters. He never read them.

 10. Anniversary.

‘I’m calling from JP Jewelers. Happy Anniversary, Sir. May I speak with your wife?’

‘My wife passed away a month ago’

*beep* *beep*

11. Dilemma

 Possessed, he never stopped writing. 

The girl from his book was his only true love. 

12. Meaning

They gave the extra burger to the poor kid outside. 

The smile on his face made them realize what a ‘happy meal’ is.

13. Thievery

His wallet just had a picture of his parents. 

A few days later, a thief threw an ‘empty’ wallet away. 

14. Commitment

She rejected Salim’s proposal saying that she wasn’t ready for such a big commitment. Her tattoo reading ‘Amir’ ascertained otherwise.

15. Multiple Personality Disorder

 ‘Are you married?’

‘Not anymore. I’m a single parent.’

‘Why are you in therapy?’

‘I’m too tired of playing both the mother and the father’

16. Honest Truth

Camera stays alive forever.

It’s the camera memory that runs out.

17. Love

For him, love was a game of sudoku.

She gave her better half to his game

And ended up with nothing

18. Ignorance

He lives with an innocent dream to touch the sky,

ignorant, that the sky will soon fall on him.

19. The Bitter Truth

The honest mirror showed her

Her first grey locks

She dyed a little that day

20. Reappearance

He had left her scarred and pained. But she returned for battle with cyanide in her veins.

21. Self Harm

After all, she just loved that blade,

The one that had a silver lining.

She loved how it could make her wrists ooze out scarlet liquid.

22. Jealousy

Praised by all, some flowers blushed a pretty pink

The jealous leaves turned green

23. Response

You replied.

So did Zeus.

Both storms ended.

One with rain, one with life.

24. Violence

Since childhood she loved violet.

The walls, her toys, her trousseau, everything had to be it.

Now she has it in patches.

All over her face.

25. The Naked Truth

He touched her body several times, but not her soul.

It was already possessed by someone.

26. Society

Her beauty diminished by the darkness of society.

Nobody saw the golden heart behind the brown curtain.