Content warning: This story contains mentions of suicide, self-harm, and trauma. This story is written for an adult audience. Midnight-black shadows cascaded over the bright blue-painted walls of a studio-apartment-sized home. Crickets chirped outside a barely cracked open window that displayed an open, blanketed heavenly sky. The stars themselves twinkled like gems across a desert ...

I pour my heart out on the page.Heartbreak, happiness,Bitterness, rage.This blank screen is now my stage.This is my letter to the world.This is my life unfurled. Take my hand.Walk with me.This journey is now ours to see.All the love, the tears,The laughter, joys, and fears.This life we make so much better,When we walk life’s road ...

Oh, woe to me. I rue the day I ever met you. An innocent, petite angel, I believed you to be. A victim of hate, having little friends, you took my pity and softened my heart. Little did I realize, the ones who deserted you were no villains or enemies. They became warriors reborn and ...

Mummy has no clue that her first cousin, Kishen Arora, has been residing in San Diego for years. Bhaboji’s (mom’s mother) youngest brother is his father. Over time, his older brothers left India to travel across the continents. Kishen and his spouse, Bonnie, travel back to the old country. They have been going back and ...

“Join me at my place for lunch and let’s prepare mouthwatering Indian cuisine.” The suggestion came from Leslie, our Caucasian friend who loves Asian food. There are three of us in total. Both Anila and I come from Indian heritage. The proposal urges me to search through my assortment of clippings, handwritten scraps, and a ...

Oh, my dear Judasyou once meanteverything. We played, laughedand fought demonstogether. We wanted to liveand take on thecruel world. But your family hatedme hanging out withsomeone like you. Your loved onesdidn’t appreciate mebeing a part of your life. Instead of defendingme against them andremaining a true friend? You abandoned me toan emotional hellevery time. I ...

Best friends for neveris what we havebecome. Time can never healthe rift and distancebetween us. An angel turned demonis what you areto me. “Misery loves company,”is what people saidabout you and I. Like a blinded fool,I could not seethis eye-opening truth. “No good deed goes unpunished,”is a spoken truth Inow believe. Best friends for neveris ...

Random Checking John and I are flying to Canada. We landed at the Montreal Dorval airport. As passengers disembark the plane, an airport official approaches and asks me to leave the crowd. To the officer’s surprise, John steps out along with me. They also asked another gentleman in the group to step aside. We are ...

Thirty days and thirty nightscan never be enoughto get over you. The light you broughtinto my life is nowa distant memory. Every time I close my eyesI envision the happinessI thought I brought you. You disappeared into the coldwinter night, leaving meto the unforgiving wilderness. Abandoned by you, I try to livefighting my demons andblack, ...

A HAWAIIAN MANICURE A week-long cruise around the Islands in Hawaii was decided by the Turkey group, a Bell Labs softball team. It is a non-stop fun time. On-board cultural classes are offered. I have opted for hula-dancing lessons, while others enrolled in ukulele classes, or the art of stringing leis. On the first day, ...