Think with body, mind, and soul..
The night outside was restless. Chants rose and fell like crashing waves, distant yet deafening in the silence of the DM’s bungalow. The once lively neighborhood had turned into a battlefield, its warmth replaced by the cold shadow of fear. Inside, families huddled together, whispering prayers under their breath. Meena sat with her mother, gripping …
The DM’s bungalow was grand, but it no longer felt like a house. It had turned into a refuge, a place where fear and hope coexisted uneasily. The once-polished floors were now covered with hastily spread-out mats, where families huddled together in small clusters. The grand dining hall, where dignitaries once sat for elaborate meals, …
At 4 AM, the doorbell rang. A sharp, urgent sound that cut through the heavy silence of the night. Mrs. Ghosh sat up with a start, her heartbeat hammering in her ears. Who could it be at this hour? She hesitated, gripping the edge of her saree, her mind racing through possibilities. The riots… the …
The day began with an unsettling quietness, a silence so heavy it felt like the air itself was holding its breath. A tension, a heaviness, like the sky before a storm. Mr. Ghosh had left early in the morning for Bhubaneswar due to some urgent work. Meena was helping her mother fold freshly washed clothes …
Life in Khurda Road was changing, but not in the way Meena or her family had hoped. The air felt heavier, as though the town itself was holding its breath. Conversations at the local tea stalls grew hushed. The communal harmony that had made the neighborhood feel like one big family seemed to be fraying …
The first morning without Kasturi felt unbearably quiet. Meena stared at the ceiling, hoping the hollow ache in her chest would fade with time. But the silence that had settled over her world was deafening. Breakfast was a subdued affair. Mrs. Ghosh placed a plate of luchi and aloo tarkari in front of Meena, but …
The day Kasturi was set to leave arrived faster than Meena could have prepared for. The Tripathis’ house was no longer the lively place it used to be. Boxes were stacked high, furniture covered in white sheets, and every corner seemed to echo with memories that would soon feel distant. Meena, who had been avoiding …
It had been a week since the Tripathis had made their decision: they would move to the U.S once Kasturi's school session ended. Mr. Tripathi’s excitement was palpable—his brother had everything arranged, and this felt like the break he had been waiting for. Kasturi’s mother had begun making lists of what to pack and what …
It was a regular Tuesday evening in the Tripathi household. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a warm orange glow across the neighborhood. Kasturi sat at the dining table, scribbling in her school notebook, the smell of Chenna Poda (a dessert made from caramelized grated cottage cheese) wafting from the kitchen where her …
Meena and Kasturi went to the same Government school as the other children of the neighborhood. They had their own gang with Meena, Kasturi, Bhola, Sukuma, and Narayani. Meena, in Class 4, and Kasturi, a year older in Class 5, weren’t in the same grade, but that never stopped them from being inseparable during recess …
Cerebration 