Pikku : The Storyteller 👧

"Hi Maa! Happy Diwali. I am doing good. How are you?" Ravi's voice was extremely relieving for Sunita, even though it came through the phone. Sunita's age had taken toll on her vision and vocal cord paralysis had swallowed her voice completely. She could barely recognize people and things. Last week, Madhu, her sister's daughter, had been mistaken for the maid and reprimanded for absence. Not Sunita's fault though, Madhu had not worn her usual perfume that day. Madhu was actually the bluetooth between Sunita and Ravi as she aided their conversation where Ravi spoke and the Sunita just smiled. Sunita couldn't dial because of blurred vision, but Madhu was regular. This call routine was strictly followed. Not a single day was missed. And with the elixir of Ravi's voice Sunita obtained one more day of life everyday. Ravi worked in another city and had not been able to visit home for seven months in a row. "No. He is not like those crooked sons who ...

David bought a new house in Golden heights, far far away from his old home because he did not want anyone from his past life to re-enter. The house was a luxurious 3bhk with large balcony space. Of course, where else could he throw his money. He no more had a loving girlfriend, caring parents and freaking friends to spend money on. One accident took everything. But he moved on with a feeble smile, teary eyes and liters of alcohol everyday. Yes! He had become an alcoholic and his money and he were going to end together one day. His home was on the top floor and the terrace was so easily accessible from his very balcony. The balcony which was meant to provide him solitude had become a menace for him. Kids played on the terrace making a lot of noise, kicked balls into his balcony and asked for them sometimes with appealing faces and sometimes in demanding tone. Many a times he had yelled at the kids, refused return and sometimes even damaged the ball. Kids nicknamed him Frustu Uncl...

‘Help, somebody help my daughter.’ shouted Meena. Shivani, one of her twin daughters, had fallen down close to a black scary snake. She fell down hitting at a lamppost and later noticed a snake sitting. Men were away at work. All the women of the building gathered- some in their balconies, some in corridors and some at the spot but no one dared to help. Shivani soon fell unconscious and at this point Meena lost all hopes. But Shubhra, Shivani’s sister came and walked towards the danger without a trace of fear on her face. Meena tried to stop her but she paid no heed. Very silently she lifted up the snake and threw it into the deep dump well. Shivani was safe now. But what’s this? Shubhra walked back without paying any attention to Shivani. One of the women asked, ’Shubhra didn’t you bother to look if your sister is well?’ Shubhra replied,’ It was for her well-being only that I dared to throw the snake. I did, what no one else dared to a...

"Mummyyyy" the five years old Anvi came running to Mumma patting her legs on the floor and wiping her unstoppable tears. "What happened my babuuu?" Mom lovingly asked wiping Anvi's tears from the corner of her cotton saree's pallu. "Bhaiya hit me with his eraser. Right here on my cheek." As the smiling Mom was off to scold Avinash, he himself stormed into the room. "She stole my colour pencil Mom." complained the seven years old Avinash. "Why did you say then that I should bring my set of colour pencils from the dustbin?" Anvi screamingly asked. "Because you are dustbin wali...huh. We brought you from the dustbin." Avin ignited the war again with this statement. "Mummyyyyy" she started crying again, this time with a shrilling noise, "Look at him. He always calls me Dustbin wali. I hate bhaiya." "Enough you two. Shut up Anvi. And you Avin! Once more you irritate her and I shall throw you...

Kriti was sitting alone in her bedroom entangling the Rakhi with her finger constantly lost in thoughts but awake enough to hold her tears. It was her first Rakshabandhan after marriage. As she got up to keep the Rakhi safely in her almirah beneath the shelf cover, her phone buzzed twice. It was Bhaiya's message "Bachcha! Can I come to your house today?" She couldn't hold her tears anymore and swiped the message right from the notification to avoid the seen status. Just then, she got a call from the drawing room. "Ready Kittu?" that was her husband, Kanishk. "Hmmm... Coming." she replied in least words to avoid her heavy throat from being detected and quickly dried her tears and wore a smile on her face. As they were about to sit in the car, Kanishk exclaimed, "Oops my wallet. I forgot it in. Just a second." and rushed in. He came out fifteen minutes later. Kanishk was too careless to remember where he kept his wallet and had to spe...

Although Shambhu was as knowledgeable as a graduate but he did not have a graduation degree, as he couldn't afford one. Thus, he could manage to get a job in labour intensive sector only. Well, a job is a job after all. After job comes the time to get married, usually. When Shambhu got married he had a good monthly income to sustain a small family. But destiny took an ugly turn and he got into an accident losing his legs and therefore his job. What now? No doubt, he had an extremely intelligent brain but in the age where knowledge was measured in degrees, his intelligence weighed nothing. Wherever Shambhu went, he was mocked or pitied upon but not selected for the job. The problem was that unskilled jobs required strength which Shambhu had lost and skilled jobs required degrees which he did not have. When economy is not in your favour, even the happiest of the news sounds curse. Shambhu was shocked when he came to know that there will soon be a new member in the family. The nex...