The Small Voice

Sri and her boyfriend Gopal were spending the Saturday with Vini and Neil. The four college mates shared their common passion for movies and great food. Neil was an exchange student in their college from UAE, but fell in love & got married to the effervescent Vini and stayed back in India. During the last four years, he was an integral part of their gang and almost as well versed with India as the other three. After watching "The Dark Knight rises", which Sri thought was just average, they dug into the Chinese food they had ordered. But soon she was up to their limits of her patience, as the guys had been discussing the boring details (nuances for Neil & Gopal) of the movie for most of the dinner. Sensing Sri was getting bored, the ever alert Vini, deftly veered the discussion to another topic: the present difficult times, money and soon the mood got serious.  Sri glanced onto Vini and Neil who seemed so perfectly in tune with each other. They woul

Its DIwali time, the festival of lights and this blog wishes all the world a very Happy Diwali. You know, even though this is a Hindu festival, I believe everybody from around the world can easily relate to it. The preparations begin weeks before, as the whole house is cleaned and decorated. On Diwali day, just light up your house, both inside and outside with diyas(earthen oil lamps) and lo and behold, you are celeberating the festival of lights. Rest all is mostly optional. BTW, lets spare a thought to the Soldiers at the border, on-duty policemen keeping our towns and cities safe, the truck/taxi/auto drivers, the RAILWAYS STAFF ensuring we reach our destinations, the nurses and doctors manning the hospitals and all those nameless many, who are away from their families just to make our life safer and better.  Here's wishing you a very Happy Diwali from all of us grateful citizens.

Sri was loafing around at the Inorbit Mall on a weekend all alone. Her mom had made her come as she wanted to shop for some exotic veggies. Now, normally Sri would have wiggled away, but her mom was a great cook and when you humor her, the rewards were generally delicious. So now she was killing time before the old lady was done with her stuff and Sri could drive her home.   Sri was bored, and as usual, hungry. That was when she saw Natraj (Nat as they called him) her long lost college pal. She hollered at him and once Nat realized who this chubby girl running towards him was, he grinned and waited for her to join him. Soon, they were talking and caching up like the old days over a glass of chilled cold coffee after Sri’s Gola. After the usual pleasantries, Sri plonked directly to the point. “Where is Vani? Are you guys married yet?” Sri asked mischievously. Nat and Vani were inseparable in college, and Sri, as well as the whole gang was sure there was something goin