Later in the evening, Kasturi sat by the window, staring out at the sprawling cityscape. The warm glow of the evening sun bathed the room, but she felt no warmth—only the weight of a dilemma that had been gnawing at her ever since her boss had suggested the trip to Delhi. "Relive the past?" she …
Part 22: Vivid Memories Resurface
The phone rang twice before Meena picked it up, a half-filled cup of chai still warm in her other hand. “Ms. M. Ray?” “Yes, speaking.” “This is Anuja from RedLeaf Publishing. I'm delighted to inform you… Your manuscript has been accepted.” Meena blinked. “Oh,” she said, stunned. “Really?” “Yes! The team loved it. It’s deeply …
Part 21: Unveiling New Horizons
Houston, Texas, 1991 Kasturi had built a good life for herself in Houston. It hadn’t been easy—those early years were full of awkward introductions, strange food, mispronounced names, and the constant ache of being in-between worlds. But over time, she found her rhythm. "That’s not going to work, Matthew," Kasturi said firmly, her voice cutting …
Part 20: Tides of Change
20 Years Later, New Delhi, 1991 “To be or not to be… That is indeed the question,” Meena said, walking slowly across the wooden floor of the lecture hall, her voice soft yet deliberate. “But what if the question isn’t about existence, but about choice? What if Hamlet wasn’t deciding whether to live or die, …
Part 19: Shifting Apart
Time has its own way of moving on — quietly, unapologetically, and without asking for permission. The letters still came, at first. Folded in familiar handwriting, carrying the weight of memories, each one a little bridge across continents. But then… life began to stretch those bridges. A day passed without a letter. Then a week. …
Part 18: Reaching Across Oceans
"Meena,I miss you. Every single day.America is… different. Big cars, big houses, big everything. But it’s not home. Not like our small gali, not like our rooftop where we watched kites fly.I thought of writing to you sooner, but it was really difficult settling in and I felt lost in a new land.Are you?Please write …
Part 17: Quiet Aftermath
It was early morning when someone banged on the gates of the DM’s bungalow. The sound echoed through the quiet, tense air, jolting everyone awake. A guard rushed to open it, hand on his rifle, eyes wary. “It’s over,” the man at the gate said, breathless. His clothes were covered in dust, his face smeared …
Part 16: Pockets of Hope
The riots were finally dying down. The once deafening chaos of shouts, screams, and gunfire had dulled to sporadic murmurs, like an ember struggling to stay alive. It had been days—maybe weeks—since the neighbourhood had been torn apart. Time had blurred. Inside the DM’s bungalow, life had settled into a strange routine. The large hall, …
Part 15: Onslaught of the Mob
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 …
Part 14: Nestled in the Bungalow
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, …

