Dude Its Complicated!

The clanking sound of cup with saucer added to the round of chatter and laughter in the room. ‘I have to admit Mr. Siddharth, you are a great host. And Rashmi beti is so well mannered, wo kya kehtey hai….. sanskaari. She’s a gem. We were looking for a girl like her who could fit it into our family.’ ‘Thank you so much, Manish bhai sahab. We, especially Rashmi’s mother have nurtured her with values along with good education, so that she can easily catch up with today’s times.’ ‘So have we brought up our Ansh. And it’s high time we let these two kids do the rest of the talk, so that they can get to know each other well. If they have a yes, probably we will get to celebrate.’ Manish grinned looking at both.  Parents of both families left the room. They both sat in silence for a couple of minutes. ‘So you have done engineering from Noida?’ Ansh finally broke the ice. ‘Yes, papa wanted me to have at least a qualification, some exposure, so that ...

Sejal was a 27 year old who had never been in a committed relationship. She had never wanted to be in one either. Marriage was not one of her priorities in life although her parents were after her since the time she had finished her studies and started working. She kept on postponing till the time she happened to meet an old friend from school. It was a chance encounter at a common friend's place and there was an instant connect between them. Milind had been a popular guy in school and his charm seemed to have only grown in adulthood. He came from a well educated family and was working with an IT company. They became good friends instantly and as time passed, her affection for him started getting stronger. After couple of months she took the bold step of asking him out and they decided to date each other. They were in a happy and mature relationship, going to office together, hanging out with each other's friends and taking care of each other's needs. Everything...

The alarm rang.. It was 6 a.m. Her eyes were puffy, and she felt nauseous yet Shipra dragged herself out of the bed.  Her mother-in-law had malaria so she did not have the luxury to rest herself. After all, the older woman always treated her like her own daughter - packing her dabbas for work, helping her indulge in her hobby, making her favorite dishes - she treated Shipra like the daughter she never had. So Shipra had to return the favour when her mother-in-law needed help. Though she had never liked the amount of pampering she had given her son! She gave him everything in his hand from his handkerchief to water so much so that her husband Vishal had never done any household chore. Shipra missed a helping hand. Back in her own home, her dad and brother helped mom and her in each and everything, be it cooking, cleaning, dusting; her dad even braided her hair sometimes. But here, things were different. Being a working woman, she could use a little help from Vishal but she kne...

It was Thursday evening, and looking out of the window, she was surprised that it was already dark. She had been working on an article for the weekend edition of the daily that she used to write for, and had come home early today to finish it before dinner. But it looked like she had lost track and taken more time than she had intended to. Aman should have been back by now, she thought. He was her live-in partner, boyfriend, best friend and family all rolled into one. Both of them had moved to Mumbai from different cities, each in search of their own dream. And had ended up finding each other. She had always been a little on the wild side, running through relationships with the capriciousness of the fabled Mumbai monsoon. She had broken many hearts, and got hers broken too, but in Aman, she had found someone she could settle down with, at least for a while. With his thoughts running through her head, she dialed his number.  “Hello” he answered and then as ...

“Congratulations, Veena!” cried Siddhi & Priya. Veena faked a bridal blush and then burst out laughing with her best friends. She had just accepted a marriage proposal from Siddharth, a very young and suave investment banker who worked for a reputed firm in India. They would soon get engaged and in a few months married too. Being a very independent & modern girl, Veena was not sure of the entire arranged marriage process. She hated it when her parents put up her profile on matrimonial sites, abhorred meeting strangers who would ask her weird questions and disliked how her private life would be discussed openly by her relatives. She was tired of telling nosey aunties to mind their own business and re-assuring her married friends that she was “okay” with being single. With no expectations, she met Siddharth a few months back through a matrimonial site. She was pleasantly surprised. He seemed well read & travelled, had a sense of humor, had studied in an Ivy League B...

Dulari’s princes…… Dulari, like all the little girls her age, grew up listening to fairy tales and stories that featured princesses and princes and happily ever afters. She, like all those other little girls, wondered what her Prince Charming would be like? What would he look like? Would he really be charming? Would he make her feel special? Where would he live? The only thing missing in this scenario was her mother singing ‘Que sara sara” in answer to all her questions! Dulari grew up meeting many princes – some were nice, some were mean, some were clueless and some were just sad. But this story is about the Prince of Light and the Prince of Darkness. The Prince of Darkness came in with guns blazing, like a comet hurtling toward earth. He came in with so much intensity that she could not help but get swept up in that blaze of glory. She should have known better than to get caught up in that blaze because blazes will always burn whatever comes into their path. Thus starte...

‘Shall we’ ‘Yeah we must. But…… does this place seem suitable for rehearsing, haan sweetie?’ ‘Of course! There can’t be a place better than this.’ She closed her eyes and gave a smile, ‘In happiness & in sorrow, in richness & in scarcity, in sickness & in health, in goodness, and in wickedness' She looked at him mischievously, 'till sanity do us apart.' 'My Lady!' He gazed at her with affection, 'You are excellent with vows. Could you help me with mine?' 'Just keep looking at me, and that would be all.' 'I brought you here, but now you're stealing the moment.' his lips curved upwards, 'let's take a walk, while we make further considerations.' 'You always come here, don't you?' she asked. ‘Where else could I find my resort, but here? This graveyard may be a sign of end for many. But to me, this, ‘he signaled towards the grave’ inspires me for new beginnings. She is the reason, you &...