NEW Chapter 1 of Three Lives By Irene Dhar Malik, Mumbai, India

It was one of those rare wet and yet pleasantly cool Calcutta June mornings when Anumita set out of her home with her father, walking the short distance to the Tollygunge metro station. They walked a little fast since they were running late and Anumita was feeling nervous about missing the train. There wouldn’t be another for a long time and she would miss reaching in time for the written entrance test at Presidency College.

Chapter 5 of The Wheel Turned By Malathi Ramachandran, Bangalore, India

In the large, square tent serving as a makeshift office for 9/2 battalion, the officers and senior most Subedar Major stood around a 5ft by 5ft sand model of the mountainous area they were to traverse shortly. Major Sandhu, the second in command, picked up a long wooden pointer.  “Two of our companies, Charlie and Delta, are to go towards Bridge 1 on the Namka Chu river, which is presently held by 2 Rajput unit.

Chapter 7 of Towards the Eastern Horizon By Neha Gupta, Delhi, India

Abhinav strode towards Smita and held her by her arm.  “Smita! You’ve gone crazy. You can’t change your mind at the eleventh hour,” he hissed.  “Please, don’t ask me to do this, Abhinav,” Smita sobbed, “I can’t leave my child.”  “Okay, you’ll have to leave your husband, then,” Abhinav shouted.  “Who’s there, I say,” the voice from inside was heard again, “What’s going on?”

Part 3 of Singing Lessons By Sudha Balagopal, Arizona, USA

“Did you practice?” Paatu Sir asked her the same question before he began, every time. “Now, sing for me please? Remember the right taalams Hamsa!”  Before every lesson, Paatu Sir paused to drink his warm water. He was quite strange, Hamsa decided, as she stared at him, fascinated. He held the glass high above his open mouth, and poured the water directly into his mouth without sipping from the cup. He drank to a rhythm: gulp, his Adam's apple moved up, then descended; gulp, his Adam's apple moved up, and down again;

The High Flyer By Christine Sutton, Essex, England

Anika could see he was going to be trouble before he even boarded the plane. A technical problem had delayed their takeoff from Singapore and his flushed complexion betrayed the fact that he’d spent the entire two hours in hospitality. The look in his bloodshot eyes as they rested on her pretty young colleague, Pavana, gave Anika the shivers. Without doubt, the sweaty, overweight man lumbering up

The man of the house By Angshumitra Chakrabarti, Kolkata, India

Her eyes were as grey as her worn out sari, which was not always enough proportionate to hide her buxom figure.
Lanes of similar looking bungalows with huge goldmohur trees in front of them, on one side of the road and two roomed houses lined on the other side along with ‘shirish’ trees made this fertilizer township as picturesque sight as a freshly made painting.

Complex Oedipal By R.Srividya, Chennai, India

It was getting very tiresome these days. She finished her household chores and relaxed on the drawing room sofa.
"When is Tarun returning from office?" She wondered. It was already 3.00 pm and he usually returned quite early on Saturdays.
Her father-in-law was reclining on the armchair near the TV, dozing away, with the newspaper on his lap. She ran to catch hold of the sliding sheets which were slowly loosening itself from his grip.

The Black Beauty By Sangita Velamuri, Mumbai, India

It was love at first sight for my doting and devoted Husband of 2 years! He was enamored by the sleekness of her shiny body and the tinkling of her shrill voice! He had first set eyes on her on the Internet and had wooed her into lending a helping hand in his office.

In Perspective - Make India Proud By Sudha Narasimhachar, Bangalore, India

We Indians are proud of our culture and tradition. We are proud of our strong relationships, family bondage, love for nature, festivities, marriage system, scientific knowledge since the ancient times, rich literature, scriptures, various forms of arts and so many other things. With all this, we also do not lag behind in adopting technologies.

In At Work -  A  Tricky  Arrangement By Lesley  D.  Biswas, Kolkata, India

Whoever  said  working  from  home  was  easier  that  a  full  time  job  ought  to  step  into  my  shoes  for  a  day  that  begins  at  5.45  in  the  morning.  I m  in  a  perpetual  fast-forward  mode  from  there  on  swirling  around  the  kitchen  preparing  breakfast,  packing   Tiffin  for  my  daughter  to  take  to  school

In Family - The ‘Injustice’ Of ‘Giving’ By Seema Moghe, Nashik, India

There is a big black metal trunk underneath my sons’ bed. We call it the Pandora box. When he comes home from college for holidays and when the younger one is back home from Europe for his college holidays, I have seen them both sit for hours, fiddling inside the Pandora box..

In Social Issues - The Dented Mentality By Sakshi Juneja, Mumbai, India

I have always been of the opinion that we Punjabis are pretty much happy-go-lucky about most things: religion, patriotism, cultural do's and don'ts. We simply can't be bothered less. Punjus (as we are fondly nicknamed at times) are content within the boundaries of Tandoori Chicken and Johnny Walker.