Category: Short Stories

The long, winding drive down the California coastline along Route 1 was hypnotizing: the constant zigzagging of the road through cliffs and mountains, the vastness of the Pacific ever to the right, the cool air, scented with a splendid saltiness. Only the clouds dampened the scene, but even they were beautiful in their grandeur. They… Continue reading A Beautiful Place to Die →

She sat near, but not at, the head of the table, her soft, wrinkled hands quivering as they brought the glass of water up to her thin lips. She sipped slowly while conversation continued around her. And then she coughed. She brought the glass down as she shook, her frail body trying desperately to remove… Continue reading An Old Wives’ Tale →

He walked through the snow, mouth wide open and eyes focused and half closed, trying to land a snowflake on his tongue. All kinds of flakes made their way down from the heavens, fat ones and tiny ones, all moving too fast for his mortal eyes to make out, much less appreciate, the intricacies of… Continue reading Kismet →

I first noticed him long ago, but he didn't start to annoy me until my commute lead me past him every afternoon. He became a landmark for me, so often did he take his post, always in the same uncomfortable, genius position resting on the handrails between the descending escalator and the stairs at the subway… Continue reading A Simple Request →

I was just scanning the room when she caught my attention, gray hijab and mascara-lined eyes. I didn't want to break the first look. I looked a second too long. Her eyes met mine. We both glanced away. After a moment I thought that the coast was clear. Perhaps she chalked it up to a… Continue reading Three Strikes →

You notice him as you get off the train and make your way down the platform. He’s wearing an oversized hoodie bill-boarding the name of a band you haven’t heard of since middle school. He looks like he would smell like stale cigarettes, but he’s too far away for your nose to confirm your suspicions.… Continue reading Song in a Subway Station →

To provide a little context on why we found ourselves eating breakfast out of a newspaper in the backseat of a Qualis that smelled like cigarettes and beedis on our way to illegally jump off a mountain, let me tell you that this was not Plan A. Plan A was to have gone through an… Continue reading Kumar →

He sat looking outwards through the grilled windows of the blue train car he was sitting in, watching the afternoon sun color the countryside with a golden hue. His fresh law degree sat in his briefcase by his feet...