WWP #284: Rules

This time I am trying my hand at Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt – Rules – and the rule is to write a piece is exactly 16 words.

Rules

Framed and hung

For all to see and quake

Those who couldn’t read

Take the cake

I am not quite sure if the word count includes the title or not, so here’s another piece which is 16 words, including the title 😀

Rules

One for you

One for me

Just how long can it

Go on that way?

Thank you for visiting and reading. If you have a few moments to spare, do share your thoughts and preference, if any – have a wonderful weekend!

FF: Parked

Written for the Friday Fictioneers hosted by Rochelle – a story in 100 words or less. Click here for other stories on this prompt.

PHOTO PROMPT © Brenda Cox

Parked

Words 100

“Namaste Sharmaji! Congratulations on your new car.”

“Shukriya Guptaji. The kids insisted. Have some sweets.”

“Sweets and a spin!” Guptaji countered, “But, I will miss your company during the office commute.”

“Don’t worry! Metro is the best. Traffic!” Sharmaji shuddered.

“So much shopping Sharmaji!” Guptaji said one evening, “where’s your car?”

Sharmaji wiped his sweat and grimaced. “The wife insisted I take a walk.”

“Surely, you are going to Tanu’s wedding? Can we squeeze into your car?”

“Great idea. We can share the cab fare.”

“Cab? What about your car?”

Sharmaji coughed. “I am afraid to lose the parking spot.”

***

PC: Mysteries Galore

Hello everyone! This week, Terri’s Sunday Still prompt is #Mysterious. So let’s see what I can come up this week.

Darkness sets and shadows set the tone
Can you guess what this is? Probably, as the edges give the game away. Nonetheless, it creates an aura of mystery doesn’t it?
Captured this art work outside a restaurant. But couldn’t quite fathom what it represents or what the artist was trying to convey. What do you think?
I find it fascinating how the birds, most often, crows sit atop a pole or tree and stare out into the distance for a long time. I wonder what they are looking at or thinking about.

That’s it from me this week. Stay safe and be careful. My heart goes out to all the families who lost their loved ones in the horrific Halloween stampede in Seoul and my prayers for all those who are grievously injured, may they recover soon.

FF: Tripped Up

Written for the Friday Fictioneers hosted by Rochelle – a story in 100 words or less. Click here for other stories on this prompt.

PHOTO PROMPT © Bill Reynolds

Tripped Up

Words: 98

“Where’s Mom?”

“How would I know?”

“She’s your wife too!”

“Not any longer.” He gave a snort.

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing.” He turned away and resumed packing.

“Where are you going?”

“Camping. Hiking. Boating. Barbecue.” He smacked his lips. “Why?”

“Without Mom?”

“Yeah, so?”

“Who would do all the work? You?”

“What do you mean?!”

“As if you don’t know.”

“I don’t.” His father heaved the can but couldn’t lift it. He gave up and attempted to drag it.

“Just a minute,” his son stopped him and raised the lid.

He found his mother.

Chopped into pieces.

***

PC: Glassy Visuals

This post is in response to Terri’s Sunday Stills photo challenge. This week’s theme is glass. And since I see the best scenes through the glass while travelling I jumped at the chance to share a few unedited raw pictures.

“It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision.” – Helen Keller

“What we see depends mainly on what we look for.” – John Lubbock

“When life gets blurry, adjust your focus.” From the internet

Life had got blurry and came back here to find focus. Although officially it says I have been blogging for 7 years, I have been mostly absconding for the past 2 years. Hopefully I will be more regular now.

At least that’s the plan.

Yet, just like I didnt plan to start (or restart) blogging, life is what happens while we make plans 🙂

Here’s to waiting and watching for what life has in store for you, me and the rest of the world…

Cheers

FOTD 1: New Beginnings

“Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” – Meister Eckhart

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” —JP Morgan

Posted for Cee’s FOTD challenge

FF: Into the Ring

Written for the Friday Fictioneers hosted by Rochelle – a story in 100 words or less. Click here for other stories on this prompt. Thanks to Rochelle for the photo prompt.

Into the Ring

Words 101

Diwali was here.

Time for some clean up.

And new beginnings.

After days of dithering over the messy clutter, she took the plunge.

Choking, she tripped over the lamps – but alas, no genie appeared.

The sunglass display rack looked promising but it wobbled and swayed.

She let it go.

The pressure cooker?

On second thoughts, no.

Still fragile, she wasn’t ready to explore that angle yet.

She steadied her gaze and began.

Once upon a time, by the edge of the forest, there lived an evil witch alien. They had two smiling eyes, three ears and no lips.

The doorbell rang.

***

Happy Diwali to everyone. So happy to be back after ages. Hope all of you have been well. Looking forward to be able to reconnect with you all 🙂

Happy Easter

Wishing all of you a very happy Easter 🙂

I also wanted to give you a little head up – today (04/04/21) my short story ( < 4000 words) eBook entitled Draupadi’s Shame: The Mahabharata Reimagined will be is NOW available for free download on Amazon for a period of 24 hrs beginning 1.00 pm IST. Currently it is free on Kindle Unlimited. I am including the India store link below but it will be free on all Amazon stores across the globe. Hope you will read and share it with your friends and family.

The scene is of the Hastinapur’s royal court, where the Pandavas have lost everything in the infamous game of dice. Draupadi has been dragged into court, deshabille by her hair, to be humiliated and molested in full public view with the tacit consent of the venerated leaders of the kuru clan. What if Draupadi took matters into her own hands and redirected the course of the timeless classic, the Mahabharata? Would it have been better or worse?

Thank you.

Doppelgänger

Hi, here I am with another repost from some years ago, hope you like 🙂

I grew up hearing that each of us has seven other people somewhere in this world who looks exactly like us. Have you heard of it? Do you believe it? I was very skeptical about this theory until I found a tree doppelgänger half way across the world! Don’t believe me? Take a look.

20160415_111641

If you are regular visitor to my blog (or home) you may have seen this tree right outside my window.

ViennaDoesn’t it look eerily similar to this one in Vienna?

You and I

will never meet

but

it is enough

to know

that our

roots

are anchored

on the same

earth.

Thanks for visiting – have a great week 🙂

Happy Women’s Day

On the occasion of this International Women’s Day, there’s free book for all of you! Draupadi’s Shame: The Mahabharata Reimagined, a short story (< 4000 words), is available for free download from the Amazon’s Kindle store only for today. Hurry! Download your copy now!

Below are the Amazon links to the ebook in countries from where there are maximum visitors to my blog. Others may search for the book in the Amazon Kindle store of your region to download it before the offer period runs out.

Hope you will be kind enough to share your thoughts. And share the message with your friends and family.

And by the way, you don’t need a Kindle device to read the eBook. When you click on the book link, it will take you to the Amazon page, click on the Buy Now (for 0.00 ₹, $, or £ or € or, oh well, you get the gist, right?) once you ‘purchase for free‘ it will be delivered to your kindle account. You can either read it in your Kindle cloud reader, or download the free Kindle app.

Happy Women’s Day!

May you make each day your own 🙂

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Germany