The Fateful Trip
“Noooo!” Aarthi yelled. She watched in horror as her best friend, Priya, lost her balance on the cliff edge and fell to...
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Closed
Five00-21: Full Circle
Held in February 2025 · 450 to 500 words · 22 entries
Write a story where the main character starts and ends in the same physical location.
Prompt by Ranjit Narayanan
Entries
The Flying Saucer
Anand Niwas, 1980. I find myself seated at the breakfast table in our modest one- bedroom- converted- to -two bedroom flat. Clang....
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Anything for you, Ma.
I returned to my village not out of desire, but because of my mother’s plea. Ma had begged, “Let’s go back, just...
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Autumn Leaves
Part I Auburn, carmine, gamboge, russet… the colours of fall foliage painted Ashwin’s and Aradhya’s hearts with blooms of love and they...
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Baba, Terminator and I
“I told you. I have been driving through here since I was your age. Even Chandru knows me. “Kyon Chandru?” Baba surprised...
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The Second Inning
“Happy Birthday, Mumma!” Madhura’s tranquil morning stroll along the beach was interrupted by Abhi’s much anticipated call. She chatted with him for...
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Kitchen Kronicles
“What is it, Mom? Allu Parathas again? Can’t you make something delicious?” Chimed in Smita at the breakfast table. “I prepared your...
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The Perfect Race!
“Ready….Set….” I turned for a milli-second and glanced at my wife who was cheering me. I wanted to win this 400-meter gold...
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The Eternal Punishment
The man whimpered as two pairs of hands dragged him to the chamber he had come to dread. Their long dirty fingernails...
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Life Goes On
“What’s the need to go to Amreeka?” Aai questioned, her gnarled fingers adjusting the folds of her faded nauvari saree. Working relentlessly...
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Sunset Promises
They stood on the terrace, watching the sunset. The orange-red sky, the cool breeze, and the birds soaring in the sky made...
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When Life Whispers
Aarthi stood at the edge of the terrace, gazing at the full moon. It was different, completely black; was it eclipsed ?...
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TheTrek To Serenity
A mosaic of light and shadows danced across the grey, concrete floor, which was lined with Parijata flowers. Gaurav's footsteps echoed in...
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Back to the roots
The rickety bus wound its way through the narrow roads of the remote village in Kerala. Anoop pressed his face to the...
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Where the Heart Belongs
Suraj had been running a salon for nearly half a decade now. He had maintained it well. Its glass door glittered like...
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Mombasa
Part I The waves rolled in, gentle and unhurried, before retreating back into the vastness of the sea. The father stood ankle-deep...
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Standing At The Threshold
The farewell resonated profoundly within her. She yearned for him to articulate the emotions she craved to hear. Was her affection unrequited?...
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Between the Lines
2018 – A Chapter of That Summer “That’s not even Fitzgerald’s best.” Aanya froze, mid-motion after knocking over a stack of books....
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The Forgotten Diary
Arjun hadn’t set foot in his childhood home in over two decades. The house stood frozen in time, the wooden floors creaking...
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The Killing Ground
Here she comes now, a smiling, youthful figure as she crosses the road, her colorful scarf setting off her open smile. Omar...
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Salon De La Reine
“Such a beauty! Is she a movie star?”, the girl doing the facial of a masked lady on the back of the...
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Whispers by the River
Somewhere on the banks of Yamuna, 1986 You brought me here today. You, wearing my favourite shirt, and me, clad in your...
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