When she wanted to express her fear,
they turned a deaf ear.
She couldn’t find strength to narrate her agony;
She had seen her sisters being shamed in the language of misogyny.
Financial control in marriage – Real Stories
I was speaking to an Aunt over the phone but after a point, she seemed quite distracted. When I asked her if she was busy and wanted to disconnect the call, she sighed and agreed. Later, she called me back and apologized for cutting short our conversation. She mentioned that she had been having an argument with my Uncle over a saree that she had purchased.
Continue reading Financial control in marriage – Real Stories
happy teacher’s day
She lay down on her bed, wistfully reminiscing the past. A grisly accident had brought her career as a language coach to a grinding halt. Her stupor was broken by the shrill buzzing of the doorbell. As the efficient and affable nurse handed over the parcel to her, she gazed at it with quizzical eyes.
“20 years back, people saw the shivering hands and the neurological disorder, but you saw the twinkling eyes and the mind brimming with ideas. Sending the first author signed copy of my debut novel to my favorite teacher. Hope you like it. Happy Teacher’s Day”.
~ Anupama Dalmia ~
love at first sound
It was love at first sound for both of them. Their guitar chords were in perfect harmony with each other, just the way their heart strings were in tune. His deft hands and her mellifluous voice. Her calm and his unrest. Magic it was!
Years later, she plodded down the staircase of their home with a bagful of memories. She broke down as she clutched the shoes he had left behind before submerging himself in the sea. His failures and her triumphs. Her joy and his resentment. Music had entwined two hearts. Music had drifted them apart.
~ Anupama Dalmia ~
lost or found?
The cool breeze seeped into every inch of her body. She took rhythmical deep breaths and inhaled the chilly air which warmed her heart and stirred her soul. Away from the clutches of patriarchy, she found solace in the lap of the mountains. There was an enigmatic sense of familiarity in the unexplored terrains.
Perched on a rock, she glanced at her reflection in the pristine lake and a gleaming smile lit up her face. They said she was lost, but she had found herself.
~ Anupama Dalmia ~
together we can!
She stared at her reflection in the mirror. The long, lustrous mane that had been fetching her compliments all her life would be a thing of the past soon. It was her identity, they said. She never thought much of her tresses which turned heads everywhere she went, until now.
The next day, social media buzzed with a powerful and extraordinary picture of a mother and daughter duo.
“40- year-old woman goes bald for teen daughter who is battling a rare cancer of the blood”.
~ Anupama Dalmia ~
My Daughter Does Not Need To Be Submissive To Show Me Respect!
A few days back, a dear friend of mine burst into tears while having a conversation with me about her marital woes. She has been struggling to adjust with her emotionally abusive in-laws and when I suggested that she should get her husband to step in, she responded with despondency.
Continue reading My Daughter Does Not Need To Be Submissive To Show Me Respect!
best friends forever
Meenal’s eyeballs popped out in shock. There was no mistake! She was indeed face-to-face with her past. But, how was this possible? Was she hallucinating? A flurry of memories attacked her vision and it all went pitch dark. She opened her eyes and found herself wrapped in a gentle embrace.
“You promised to be with me all my life Meenal. I just helped you keep it.”, muttered Rubina with a menacing laughter.
Meenal found herself entombed at the same spot where she had buried Rubina months back to get rid of her for Akash. It was pitch dark again.
~ Anupama Dalmia ~
Book Review: Just Another Day by Piyusha Vir
How often have we experienced that some days unexpectedly turn out to be life-altering for us? A second here and there, a moment out of place or seemingly random chain of events can make us wonder if it was really just another day in our lives.
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The mirage
There was an irrefutable magnetism surrounding Sahana. With an alluring persona and a boisterous demeanor, she was the centre of attraction at her workplace. She was a free bird who lived alone on her own terms and often ended up sloshed during her weekly midnight parties at the most happening pubs in town. Reya, her colleague, used to envy her carefree lifestyle and many a time wished they could switch places.
With quivering fingers, a dewy-eyed Reya held the thin sheet of paper. The mask was off. It was Sahana’s suicide note which read – “Loneliness killed me”.
– Anupama Dalmia