Category Archives: Fiction

Broken Promise #FictionMonday

23 Tuesday Feb 2021

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How could she break her promise just like that! The more he thought about it, his agitation grew.

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Granted, he wasn’t around. He was always busy with his work. But that wasn’t a deliberate doing. He loved his work and it paid well too. But as his responsibilities at work increased, he missed a few moments with his family. Starting with their second baby’s birth. He claims just a few moments but he knew it was more than a few. His children never talk that freely with him like they do with their mom.

Isn’t that normal in all households?

And finally, when he rejected a promotion and stepped down to take a lesser role at work to spend more time with his family, she ditched him.

How could she!

We promised to be there for each other from now on.

“It was a heart attack. Sorry for your loss.” Doctor’s words echoed in his ears.

© Vinitha 2021

This fictional piece is written in response to the thirty-fourth edition of Fiction Monday for the word prompt ‘Promise’ hosted at Reflections by yours truly. Do join in if you have a tale to tell. 

When Her Dream Came True #FictionMonday

14 Thursday Jan 2021

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She dreamed of getting away from there.

Far, far away.

In her dreams she had the ability to fly. And she would fly out of those huge walls. Those chained gates would offer no resistance.

One day her dream came true. But she didn’t fly out of the orphanage. A young couple came in and wanted to make her their daughter.

They became the angels who gave her the invisible wings to fly.

That’s how she learned to dream more often; because dreams will come true one day.

© Vinitha 2021

This Flash Fiction is written in response to the twenty-sixth edition of Fiction Monday for the word prompt ‘Fly’ and the above picture prompt hosted at Reflections by yours truly. Do join in if you have a tale to tell. 

Goodbye #FictionMonday

02 Saturday Jan 2021

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It started as little things in the beginning. Like how long it took to bake cheese sticks. Sometimes she forgot to keep the timer altogether. Sometimes she forgot to lock the house or tried to start the car without the car keys.

Gradually, it escalated. It was a tad funny when she forgot how many kids they had. He didn’t notice anything wrong even then.

Then he saw it. No, it glared at him when she forgot his name. He covered up his worries with a teasing smile. Soon she too realized when she struggled to remember her kids’ names.

Nobody likes goodbyes. But for him this was brutal. Every day he lost a little part of her. Every day he became less familiar to her.

This goodbye was too slow and excruciatingly painful. Only he knew. But at least she didn’t remember enough to feel any of the pain, he took solace in that fact.

© Vinitha 2021

This Flash Fiction is written in response to the twenty-sixth edition of Fiction Monday for the word prompt ‘Goodbye’ hosted at Reflections by yours truly. Do join in if you have a tale to tell. 

Fearless #FictionMonday

06 Sunday Dec 2020

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It wasn’t like she was full of courage. In fact, she was the opposite of courage. She was timid her entire life. People never valued her. She didn’t experience appreciation in her whole life. 

That’s how timid personalities are treated. With no particular appreciation or affection. 

But that day things changed. She demanded everything that was not given to her and nobody could say no to her. That’s how fierce she was.

Motherhood changes everyone.

Even a street dog like her!

Meddling with her pups would be the last thing anyone will think of now. Motherhood made her fearless.

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© Vinitha 2020

This Flash Fiction is written in response to the twenty second edition of Fiction Monday for the word prompt ‘Fear’ hosted at Reflections by yours truly. Do join in if you have a tale to tell. 

The Mystery in Mulberry Hills #FictionMonday

15 Sunday Nov 2020

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He walked toward the path which would take him to the main road. He felt funny using the words ‘path’ and ‘road’ so loosely to refer to the muddy area the villagers thought of as a road. It was just a trail, a narrow one at that.

He didn’t like this tiny place on earth called Mulberry Hills for its charm like he was told.

The stream down the trail proved to be a promising adventure though. Last night he put the fourth girl to sleep in the depth of the river where the stream took him. Exploring nature is wonderful, he chuckled.

© Vinitha 2020

This Flash Fiction is written in response to the seventeenth edition of Fiction Monday for the word prompt ‘Stream’ hosted at Reflections by yours truly. Do join in if you have a tale to tell. 

Memories #FictionMonday

01 Sunday Nov 2020

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Kavya liked going to the park every evening. Today was awfully cold, but she walked to the park covering herself in layers of cloth. Her attempt to keep her warm in those layers of warm cloth was a failure as the numbing cold held her in its embrace mercilessly. 

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If Nikhil saw her out in this freezing weather mindlessly strolling around, he would scold her. His scolding wasn’t the problem, she was used to it. He would lecture her forever. His memory is annoyingly excellent that he recalls the events that had transpired eons ago and effortlessly brings them all up into the current moment as if they have all categorized under a particular tag to be remembered as and when he wanted. He’s got a spectacular mind, she thought uneasily. 

Memories shouldn’t be used for taunting someone. Kavya thought memories as a savory to make her present moment delectable. Much like how someone discarded spoiled food, she discarded bad memories without a second thought. Why bother with the past and its nuisance when it can’t make her life better? That was her policy. 

Nikhil and Kavya were on opposite poles to say the least. Nikhil took pride in analyzing and coming up with foolproof plans for the future based on learnings from the past experiences. 

He never knew how to live in the moment, a sigh escaped from Kavya. All his plans couldn’t stop death from snatching his life. If only he lived when he was alive, she would’ve had some sweet memories to cherish now. 

Nikhil wouldn’t lecture her now, somehow remembering that failed to make her happy.

© Vinitha 2020

This Flash Fiction is written in response to the seventeenth edition of Fiction Monday for the word prompt ‘Remember’ hosted at Reflections by yours truly. Do join in if you have a tale to tell. 

Letter from the Past #FictionMonday

22 Thursday Oct 2020

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Neha picked up the envelope which lay forgotten in her desk drawer for years. She wrote it for herself some twelve years ago. The plan was to open it ten years later.

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Who knew ten years later she would forget the existence of the letter itself. Life has sweet-talked her into forgetting the fondest memories of her life.

Just then her fingers stumbled upon another envelope bringing her back from her trance. Neha froze for a moment as she recognized that envelope. How could she forget about it! That day twelve years ago, she wrote two letters – one for her future self and another for 10-year-older Avinash, her best friend. In return, Avinash wrote one letter for himself and one for 10-year-older Neha. They had made this big plan of opening all four letters and reading them together no matter where they were.

A smile appeared on her tear stained face as she remembered the jokes and the laughter that followed the letter writing episode.

Not only did she forget about the letters, she forgot to remember Avinash when the time came. Funny how life takes us away from our big plans, she mused.

Truth is she was deliberately not letting Avinash’s memories into her mind. Four years after the letters were written, Avinash died in an accident. Fighting back the tears she opened his letter,

“I will be with you always.”

She wept with unbearable grief.

© Vinitha 2020

This Flash Fiction is written in response to the sixteenth edition of Fiction Monday for the below picture prompt – hosted at Reflections by yours truly. Do join in if you have a tale to tell. 

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Shadow #FictionMonday

01 Thursday Oct 2020

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There might be a lot of things available to distract me right now. But nothing could probably do a good job as I am determined not to leave this matter alone.

I see the shadow, moving behind the curtain in the living room. I am not paranoid. I check if someone is hiding behind the curtain. But there is no one. Yet, the shadow is there. It stays there quietly as if waiting for me to go crazy.

I stretch my hand to touch that space where the shadow is supposed to be standing, it moves a little as if to show its displeasure. I think I saw a frown that said can’t you leave me alone! Don’t ask me how I saw the frown on a shadow; I just saw it!

I step away from it and take a seat on my couch facing that window whose curtain hid the questionable shadow. To my surprise the shadow comes and sits on the adjacent chair.

I can’t understand clearly if it is a he or a she, but I have a feeling that it is a she.

I am worried a little bit, because this guest is not what I wanted in this solo trip. But in a way I am relieved, too; after the death of Shannon my whole life seemed to be on a solo trip.

I am not crazy, not yet.

This flash fiction is written in response to the twelfth edition of Fiction Monday for the word prompt ‘SHADOW’ hosted at Reflections by yours truly. Do join in if you have a tale to tell.

Fiction Monday

When Time Failed #FictionMonday

26 Saturday Sep 2020

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Time will heal. That’s what everyone kept saying. But she knew the truth. She was an exception.

It’s been 9 years. With each passing year she felt his absence tremendously. 

She felt betrayed as she was forced to live with the memories of her baby. Losing him in her womb made her wound an irreparable one. 

The healing power of time never reached her distraught heart.

© Vinitha 2020

This flash fiction is written in response to the twelfth edition of Fiction Monday for the word prompt ‘TIME’ hosted at Reflections by yours truly. Do join in if you have a tale to tell.

Fiction Monday

Pity #FictionMonday

18 Friday Sep 2020

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Morning air had a peculiar softness in it as if it had realized that everything else in her life was rough. Niya felt pity on herself.

Pity – lately that’s the one feeling she is in touch with.

Anything good happens to her, she chooses to see it as a charity.

As the morning sun gleamed in the distance, Niya had a sudden urge to stop pitying herself. Even if the universe is throwing these blissful moments at her as a pity, it’s on her to make it to her advantage.

She was done with playing the victim role that moment.

© Vinitha 2020

This flash fiction is written in response to the ninth edition of Fiction Monday for the word prompt ‘SOFT’ hosted at Reflections by yours truly. Do join in if you have a tale to tell.

Fiction Monday