Category: Flash Fiction

Hungry

Words 100

“How much?” Rhea asked the man in the tattered coat persistently dogging her.

“1000 rupees only.”

“1000!”

“Please Madam think of my poor family.”

“But 1000 is outrageous!”

“Don’t mind Madam, how much?” He pointed to her new Pashmina shawl.

“2,00,000 rupees. But this is art – see the exquisite design, the handiwork – priceless. Don’t compare this to leading a pony up the mountain.”

The Kashmiri straightened and his eyes glittered. “For Madam, free trip.”

“Free?”

He picked up the free edge of the shawl and showed her – Ahmed was intricately embroidered along the design.

“I know English also Madam.”

***

Pashmina wool of Kashmir is from the undercoat of a Capra hircus laniger or a Cashmere goat. Pashmina wool is the softer hair located at the root of the longer hair. Pashminas are 15 microns or less. Each goat produces less than 100 grams of wool fiber. A fine Pashmina would require the annual growth of at least three goats to weave one shawl. Pure Pashmina is said to be almost weightless. Pashmina Shawls are handmade and hand-embroidered by Kashmiri Artisans who spend as much as two years to complete just one wrap. During a visit to Kashmir, our pony man told us that he and his family spent the winter season snowed up inside their homes making shawls. During the summer tourist season, they descended into towns to supplement their meager incomes.

Written for Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers (photo prompts and 100 word stories). For amazing stories click here

Click here for more Short Stories or here for more information About the Blog

Quote for the day: I can live for two months on a good compliment – Mark Twain

 

 

Holidays!

(Words: 187)

“Why do I have to always sit in the middle,” Molly grumbled.

“Because you are the middler!” Pia giggled.

“There’s no such word.” Rohan sneered.

“There is!”

“There isn’t!”

“Middler is a word isn’t it Mom?”

“Are you hungry?” Mom handed out sandwiches.

“I don’t like tomatoes.”

“Eat it up. It’s good for you.”

“Yech! You dropped it all over me.”

“I did not!”

“You did! Mom will you look at her?” Molly called.

“Here use this tissue to clean it up.”

“Mom look! Rohan is stealing my samwich.”

“Eat up quickly then.” Mom turned to glare at Rohan.

“Mom are we there yet?”

“But we just left home dear.”

“I need to go.”

“Later.”

“I am thirsty.”

“Not now.”

“How much longer?”

“Another 8 hours.”

“Why is it so far away?”

“If you go to sleep, we’ll reach faster.”

“Can I have Pooh-bear? I can’t sleep without Pooh.”

“It’s in the green bag. Would you take it out from the boot of the car?” Mom asked Dad.

“The green bag?” Molly asked.

“Yes.” Mom looked at Molly. “Why?”

“But we left that on the dining table.”

 

Quote of the day: There is no such thing as fun for the whole family – Jerry Seinfield

Written for the Sunday Photo Fiction (within 200 words) For better stories click here

For the readers of Moonshine, here’s Chapter 64 and Calvin :- down but not out 😀 Click here for more Short Stories or here for more information About the Blog

Hello! (gasping for breath) here I am with a short story (within 200 words) for the Sunday Photo Fiction (22/5/16).

The Troubleshooter

Words 194

“Pia!” Molly snatched the glass from her.

“I never had a blue drink before.” Pia said sulkily.

“How was it?” Sid flicked it a longing look but a glare from Molly quelled him.

“Papa will be back with his guests any minute.” Molly fretted while Pia was quite unconcerned. But then she was barely 4 years old. “He will be very angry.” Molly warned.

Pia’s lower lip trembled and tears filled her eyes.

Sid rushed to help. “If I tilt the table like this, Uncle may not notice anything.”

“Sid!” Molly rushed to stop him, casting an agonized glance at the French windows. “Do you want to break the glasses?”

Chastened, Sid busied himself with a rubber band. Pia wandered over to him. “I want to play too.”

Molly looked at them in disgust – why did she always have to clean up after them?

Molly picked up a glass of water. She stretched up on her toes, and with her tongue sticking out, poured it over the blue drink. After a quick level check, she topped the yellow drink as well.

Molly smiled in relief. Now, nobody would realize anything was amiss.

Not quite sure if I am in time or not but still, here goes - do let me know how it was!

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Hello! I know what you all are thinking – now what 🙂 And you are right! As usual, I am up to no good, poking my nose into stuff that are not my business. But what to do – Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers (photo prompts and 100 word stories) has me hooked. I find it fascinating how a single prompt can inspire such a diverse range of stories – quite remarkable. Anyway I couldn’t quite resist, so here I am with another attempt. But first the prompt.

Thinking…

Word count – 99

There was a gasp of horror and a crowd gathered.

Help! Someone save her! Mommy, take me along, Mommy I want to swim too! Someone do something! Hurry!

The waves thrash her body dragging her deeper into the ocean. Floating all alone in the sea under the blazing sun. Until the predators arrive one by one, to nibble at her flesh. She lay passive as they swarm all over pecking at her mortal remains.

Unknown hands drag her daughter away. She is alone. Then the predators arrive…

“Mommy?” A hand tugged hers.

Shuddering, she stepped back from the edge.

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Do let me know what you think. And for amazing stories on this photo prompt click here. Perhaps you could even participate! Click here for more Short Stories or here for more information About the Blog

For the readers of Moonshine, here’s Chapter 62 and a little something for the fans of Calvin 😀

Quote for the day: “A story has no beginning or end: arbitrarily one chooses that moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look ahead.” ― Graham Greene, The End of the Affair

Have a great weekend all of you and dont forget to leave me a note 🙂

Hello All! Looking forward to a relaxing weekend? So am I! But like I said before it’s hot and in an attempt to keep my mind of the blistering heat, I tried to pen type a flash fiction (a story in 100 words or less) inspired by the photo below. Hope you like and will perhaps even participate! Details and links after you read mine 😉

 

Word Count: 100 (not including the title)

The Wait for the Waiting Room

I shivered as I took my evening walk around the campus– home for me but hospital to most.

An auto stopped beside me. A middle-aged lady poked her head out and asked, “Where’s the patient registration counter?”

“That.” I pointed. “But it is closed now.”

“I know.” She smiled. “I have come to queue up for it.”

“But the counter will open at 8 am.”

“Yes but by 6 am the queue extends well beyond the gate of the hospital. If I join the queue by 3 am, I can be assured of a doctor’s appointment for my ailing husband.

 

Written for Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ Friday Fictioneers - a story in 100 words or less inspired by the above photo.Get writing or you could read all the other stories here.