FORTY WINKS

(  The short story fiction category was chosen for an online writing competition. The story began as a 50-word submission I wrote for a prompt on Instagram.) The Patterns In The Sky Ten-year-old Nina pointed towards the sky, her eyes sparkling with wonder.  "Look, Mom, the sky looks so beautiful," she exclaimed. It was a cold, dreary morning in January, and the looming clouds veiled the entire landscape. Nina and her mother, Neelam, were nestled in the tranquil embrace of their farmhouse courtyard, enveloped by the undisturbed rural panorama. As Neelam hesitantly looked up from the book she was engrossed in, she couldn't help but notice the stark contrast between the dull, gray sky and her daughter's vibrant, elated expression. Instead of basking in the warmth of her daughter's joy, she was unexpectedly trapped by a bewildering surge of conflicting emotions. Unsure of navigating this whirlwind of feelings, she was transfixed. She realized that this moment would ma...

  Presenting the complete article , part of which was published in  www.timesofindia.com  Hyderabad edition  on September 1st , 2021.   ONE CHANGE THAT I HAVE EMBRACED TO KEEP UP WITH THESE “NEW NORMAL” TIMES It was March 2020 when our country went into tizzy by corona-virus pandemic. It started as a region specific practical joke but spiraled into a un- ending ordeal. I had never comprehended that the stressful times would affect my psychological, emotional and physical well- being.  The first phase of lock-down impelled the apparently closest ones to switch sides. The masks started to fall off.  I learnt the harsh reality that my family did not figure in any of the schemes for folks whom I had spent decades loving and pleasing.   The big change that I have embraced is self-actualization . I emphasis more than ever on mental health. It’s high time we stopped glamorizing multi- tasking and over work. I pr...