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The Biggest Punishment
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The Tales Next Door The Lockdown
Rohan and Neha turned towards each other simultaneously; both their eyes open wide in confusion. The news anchor reported that a complete nationwide lockdown would start the next day at 9 pm.“Oh, God! A lockdown. That too, for 15 days!" said Rohan. “What does lockdown mean, Papa?” said the five-year-old Krish as he stopped playing with the Lego set, he had received as a present from Rohan. “It means that no one can go outside their homes,” said Rohan, with a deep sigh.“That is amazing!” shrieked Krish jumping excitedly on the sofa. “Does this mean you will be staying with us for some more days?”“Yes, Krish. That is what it probably means,” said Neha. “Now, don’t jump on the sofa. It is nothing to be so excited about. We will have to see what can be done.”Krish jumped onto Rohan’s lap and hugged him tightly. “This is the best thing that has happened. Thank you, God, for this wonderful birthday present!” he shouted, unable to control his excitement. His eyes t
The Tales Next Door The Right Thing To Do
Little Shiva was running along the street, a warm muffin in his hand. A woman was shouting behind him, “You naughty boy! Stealing my muffins again! If I ever see you near my bakery, I will hand you over to the police myself! Mark my words!”When Shiva had gained some distance, he stopped, a little out of breath. He took a few deep gasps of air and turned around. The angry woman was still outside her shop, glaring at him and waving her finger.He smiled, his black eyes sparkling. "I love you too, Aunty," he said, sending a flying kiss her way. "If you want me to stop coming, you have to stop baking such delicious muffins. I will see you again. Goodbye." And with a loud chortle, he left, with a skip in his stride, leaving the woman muttering curses.Shiva smelled the muffin. The delicious whiff of vanilla and blueberry filled his nose. There was nothing better than the sweet aroma of a freshly baked muffin. He swallowed the water that had filled his mouth and, after an
The Tales Next Door The Station Artist
It was a hot summer afternoon in New Delhi. The railway station was abuzz with people, flies, mosquitoes, dirt. Yet, the station always had that sense of excitement, of energy, of anticipation of people traveling to meet their loved ones, to visit new places, and to attend some family function. Even those who went every day for work and moved about with a sense of urgency, never looking around unlike the vacation travellers, gave the station a vibrance, a sense of importance.Amidst the hustle and bustle of the travellers, eager to reach their destinations, on platform number five, sat Sita with her mother on a dirty piece of rag, a bowl with a few coins in front of them. The corner which they had chosen today was not very good. It was away from the exit route which most passengers used. Only a few stray people came their way, the ones who had to wait and could not find a bench to sit closer to the platform's center.The corner had red paan spit stains and smelled of
The Tales Next Door About the Author
About the AuthorBorn amidst the picturesque Himalayan mountains in India, Ranjana has been influenced by the rural and urban life she has experienced. Her characters, while imaginary, are people we meet in everyday life. As a child, Ranjana excelled in academics and holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Computer Science. She also holds a diploma in Management of Business Administration from IIM Indore, one of the prestigious institutions in India. She spent over a decade working in the corporate sector as a finance, strategy and planning professional before deciding to pursue her dream of being an author. She also has a blog, www.intelligentparent.com where she shares her parenting experience as a mother of an eight-year-old boy and as a professional who has worked for many years in the education sector.
The Tales Next Door Made For Each Other
A young man was sitting in a corner table of the Chinese restaurant in Connaught Place, New Delhi. He glanced at his phone after every few minutes, swiping it up and down with his fingers. He looked up and turned his gaze towards the door. He was tapping his feet incessantly. Placing his phone on the table, he began drumming with his fingers.The waiter approached the table with the menu. The man pointed to the coffee.“One coffee? Black?” asked the waiter.The man nodded.He was a handsome young man with a wheatish complexion and a square jaw. His deep-set black eyes and thick eyebrows gave him a look of being intelligent and perceptive. He had short wavy black hair. His strong muscular biceps were conspicuously visible through his T-shirt.He picked up his phone again and checked his messages. He shook his head - nothing new.“Hi,” came a sweet musical voice. “I am Tia. You must be Kabir. I hope I haven’t kept you waiting for too long,” said Tia extending her ha
The Tales Next Door The Invisible Gift
Adi stopped for breath behind a large banyan tree. He took in long gasps of air and peered behind him. There was no movement, no sound of twigs breaking under the men's feet, no sound of crushing dry leaves. He sank on the ground, his legs aching from running so fast. Sweat dripped down from every part of his body, and his face felt as if it was on fire.He sat under the tree for some more time, to make sure that he had lost his pursuers. He listened intently. All he could hear were the birds chirping as they flew back towards their nest and the buzzing of insects. It was only now that he realized that he had been bitten on his arms, and there were large red swollen spots in a few places. He scrutinized them.“Not to worry,” he thought to himself. These were simple insect bites. He looked around for the antidote, the plant his father had told him about during their visits to this forest innumerable times. He plucked the leaves, crushed them in his palms, and applied t
The Tales Next Door Friendship
The old woman lay on her bed, unable to move a single muscle. Slowly and painfully, she turned her head.A brown dog, of no particular breed, was sitting by her bedside, looking at her with sad, brown eyes. When he saw her turning her head, he moved a little closer, touching her cheek with his soft, cold nose. Slowly and with some difficulty, she smiled, which accentuated the wrinkles on her thin face. She tried to raise her hand to pat him, but her strength gave way, and her hand fell limply by the bed.As if in total sync with the woman’s feelings, the dog quietly moved towards her hand and bent his head a little, so that her fingers, which were slightly outstretched and out of the boundaries of the bed, touched his furry little head. She stroked his fur, dragging her thin fingers gradually over his head. She was overcome with love,sadness and she closed her eyes. A single teardrop escaped as she pressed her eyelids shut. This dog had helped her weave the threads of
The Tales Next Door The Taxi Ride
John had been driving a taxi in New Delhi since the day he got his driver's license when he turned 18 years old. Well, officially since then. In reality, he had been driving since he was 16 years old, long before everyone had GPS enabled smartphones. He knew every road and every street in the big metropolis. Even now, he used the maps only to give comfort to the passengers. He trusted his own instincts better than the map. He knew which routes were better at what time of the day. He knew which roads to avoid if it was a festival or a public holiday. With John, you could be assured that he would take you to your destination in the shortest possible time.John loved driving. He had recently bought a new car, and he loved it like his own child. He cleaned it himself, dusted the seats, put images of Gods of all religions on his dashboard, and lit some incense every morning.Meeting new passengers was a delight for him, most of the time, at least. Like most taxi drivers, h
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- The Tales Next Door About the Author
- The Tales Next Door The Station Artist
- The Tales Next Door The Right Thing To Do
- The Tales Next Door The Lockdown
- The Tales Next Door The Biggest Punishment
- The Tales Next Door Killer Virus - 17
- The Tales Next Door The Perfect Alibi
- The Tales Next Door The Taxi Ride
- The Tales Next Door Friendship
