English
-
The Monsoon Murders
Swati Trivedi 1 The monsoon season had arrived in Shillong with an intensity that was both beautiful and foreboding. The clouds rolled over the hills like dark, heavy blankets, casting a shroud of mist that clung to everything. The town, famous for its relentless rains, seemed to hold its breath as the first wave of…
-
The Desert Speaks
Ayaan Venkatesh Sand Without Time Haider Khan stepped down from the rickety minivan with the stiffness of a man far older than his 38 years. The heat pressed against his face like a hand that didn’t care for permission. Red sand stretched endlessly ahead, framed by towering rocks carved into bizarre, wind-scoured shapes. Wadi Rum.…
-
Borrowed Time
Tara Mitra Part 1: The Clock with No Tick Dev Basu lived in a city that never stopped moving, but he himself hadn’t left his watch shop in three days. Tucked between a pharmacy and a dry cleaner in Mumbai’s quieter Byculla lane, Timekeeper’s Son was a fading reminder of another era. It smelled of…
-
By Order of the Goddess
Kritika Nayak 1 The first body was found at dawn, sprawled beneath the ancient banyan that stood like a sentinel at the village’s edge. A ring of vermillion dust, turmeric paste, and burnt hibiscus petals encircled the corpse, meticulously drawn like a sacred yantra. Her eyes had been closed gently, palms folded over her chest,…
-
Postcards from Hampi
Sahana Pillai Chapter 1: Arrival in Ruins The sun was slipping behind the rust-coloured boulders when Tara stepped off the bus at Hampi Bazaar. The air smelled of dust, old stones, and wild basil, and the landscape looked nothing like the glossy travel blogs she’d scrolled through. This place felt older than time — a…
-
Paper Boats in Powai Lake
Avni Kapoor One The school bell echoed through the marbled corridors of Ridgeway High, its chime too polished, too clinical—like the rest of the campus. Shaurya Mehta stepped out of the black BMW, his school blazer immaculately pressed, his expression unreadable. His driver wished him luck, but Shaurya barely nodded, already scanning the building as…
-
The Forgotten Man from Kalimpong
Nilotpal Ghosh 1 The late afternoon sun slipped between pine branches as clouds gathered around the quiet ridges of Kalimpong. Avik Sengupta stood near the edge of the crumbling garden path, watching as a spade struck something solid under the wet soil. It was supposed to be a simple renovation—the old hilltop villa his grandmother…
-
The Whispering Walls of Park Street
Arpita Roy Chapter 1: Shreya Sengupta had always been a woman in motion, but now, after years of relentless hustle in Mumbai, she sought peace. The city had been exciting, demanding, and exhausting all at once, but the weight of it had worn her down. So, when the opportunity to move back to Kolkata presented…
-
The Great Delhi Samosa Caper
Neelesh Rao 1 Pooja Deshmukh stepped off the rickety auto-rickshaw and looked around the bustling streets of Old Delhi. The air was thick with the aroma of spices, fried food, and the faintest hint of incense. Her stomach rumbled in anticipation, but she pushed the hunger aside—today was about much more than food. She was…
-
The Killer’s Masquerade
Shalini Deshmukh 1 The streets of Goa were a riot of color, music, and laughter. It was the height of Carnival, and the city was alive with exuberance. Masked revelers danced through the streets, their faces hidden behind glittering masks, their costumes a kaleidoscope of feathers, beads, and sequins. The scent of street food filled…
-
The Red Fort Love Letters
Naina Verma Chapter 1: The Unfolding Secrets Aditi Sharma stood in the midst of the excavation site near the Red Fort, her heart racing as the shovel struck something hard beneath the surface. The scorching Delhi sun beat down on her, but she paid little attention to the sweat trickling down her forehead. For weeks,…
-
The Road to the Valley of Flowers
Aarohi Desai One Isha had always found solace in the delicate balance of nature. A botanist from Bangalore, she had spent her life studying the intricacies of plant species, tracing their evolution, and discovering the hidden stories that each leaf and petal held. But when an invitation arrived from a prominent research institute, asking her…