RUCHI SINGH

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. “Baba, the guests are here!” Tara stomped down the basement stairs and stopped at the last step. “Baba…” “Sh… sh…” She glanced at his raised finger and sighed. It was of no use. She wouldn’t get any help from him, her eyes watered. Why did she expect every time? It’s her fault. She watched him measure something blue in color from a vial and pour a drop in a beaker on low

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. “No… no this is not the right color. Show me that one…” She pointed to another one and the salesman pulled it out from the shelf and displayed it with the same enthusiasm as he had shown us the first one, an hour back. Sitting beside her, I stifled a sigh almost escaping my lips. “She had taken from this shop only… why am I not able to spot it?” “Who, love?” I asked with

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. Annoyed, she looked at him again over the specs, correcting the formula and mixing the chemical compound which was turning slightly yellow in color. He shrugged, once again feeling inferior to her when she got the results right. Why did she appear so smart during the practicals? Outside the classroom she was just an ordinary girl with eyes on the ground and that large b

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. His heart began an erratic pounding as he entered his street and saw an upturned vehicle burning and one severed leg encased in torn jeans and shoe. A kid was wailing at a distance, a desperate cry for help. Heart in his mouth, sweating, he raced home amidst groaning voices, blood and gore. The door of his house had come unhinged and the panel swung inside anchored to one

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. She looked at her brother entering the house and a stone pressed her heart. His eyes told her everything was over. Her legs gave way and she sank on the floor. * * * He lay on the ground shrouded in tricolour and flowers. Dry-eyed, she sat on the floor, waiting for someone to wake her up. Maybe he would plant a kiss on her forehead and laugh the nightmare off. ‘It’s time,

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. The dreaded, Sister Helen at our convent always checked our uniforms after the assembly when we were supposed to march down to our classes. She expected the uniform to be washed, starched and completely white, along with the canvas shoes on Wednesday and Saturday (yes, we had half-days of school). She wanted the shoes also to be of the same white color as the uniform’s. W

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. He took the last step up the valley and reached the cottage where he was told the artist lived. Oblivious to the breeze caressing the pine trees, the sun shrouding the valley in orange-gold hue, his eyes searched for her and only her. But the finished and semi-finished sculptures­ lined on the paved path distracted him—reminding him of the workshop back home, the  shared

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. “Miser? He is a first class scrooge!” “Oh yes, I had borrowed fifty thousand from him and now he is after my, you know! I don’t know how to get rid of him. I am sure you would never hassle me for a paltry amount like that!” She leaned, her breast brushed his arm fleetingly—a gesture both innocent and suggestive, he shuddered. “Of course not!” ‘Cheapskate!’ She stifled a g

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. Read  Part 1: Dandelion Meets Denim Part 2: Olive Branch Part 3: Pink Infatuation Part 4: Quartz Shocker Onto the last part Red Realization “Sanaa, it is irritating.” Unmindful of her sister’s annoyance, Sanaa sprawled on the living room couch kept changing the channels of the TV, staring blankly. “Sanaa, what’s wrong with you?” Smita snatched the remote control from he

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. Read  Part 1: Dandelion Meets Denim Part 2: Olive Branch Part 3: Pink Infatuation Onto Part 4: Quartz Shocker Sanaa had been watching his house for the past one week, boiling in anger. The five days did nothing to cool her temper. How dared he call her ‘little girl’! She might be short but she wasn’t immature or an imbecile. Today was the perfect day to complete what sh

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. Read  Part 1: Dandelion Meets Denim Part 2: Olive Branch Onto Part 3: Pink Infatuation Sanaa was astounded at his offer, but she had no choice. Her father would kill her rather than give her the money. She stood in front of the mirror. Why did he come up with the weird evening thingy? Nothing was worth mentioning as she considered her reflection staring back at her. She

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. Read Part 1: Dandelion Meets Denim Onto Part 2: Olive Branch Sanaa winced as the droplets of blood oozed out from some of the cuts. He sat patiently without any reaction with a hand to his head. Her heart was racing as if she had taken three runs on the cricket pitch. She realized, it was more from the sight of his well-toned back than the fear of repercussions of break

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. The blinking neon light from the Billboard on the road, fell in the darkened room, changing colors every minute. Green glow. On—Off—On—Off… She lay on the bed in front of him baring everything she had—her feelings, wishes, dreams, possessions—laying them at his feet. But it seemed he was only interested in her body. The red neon illuminated the room, throwing sinister sha

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. I couldn’t bear to go in that room even after a month of coming back from the hospital. The elders had advised not to prepare anything, but the room was unused and it had to be painted along with the apartment. So I had zeroed on orange-yellow keeping in mind any eventuality—you know how it is. The color was supposed to be bright and sunny, sending positive vibes to the p

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. Continued from  Part1: Ivory Princess Part 2: Jade Prince Part 3: Kaali Nazar On to Part 4 : Lemon Luck The short story is now part of the collection ‘Heart & Hots‘ on Amazon. Glossary: Manhoos: Ill-fated, omnious Mirchi: Chilli Check out more at: Ina Tales Flaming Sun by Sundari Venkatraman Devika Fernando Blog Eloquent Articulation by Inderpreet Kaur Uppal Bewitched

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. I am taking a little liberty here by taking K for Kaalaa (masculine) or Kaali (feminine), which is hindi translation for black colour. Other colors were Khaki and Kelly Green, which were posing to be difficult to interpret with respect to the sequel I am writing. Black is considered to be inauspicious in Hindu culture and is not used for any auspicious occasion in any for

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. Continued from Part 1: Ivory Princess Grumbling and fuming, Avantika hurried to her room and plonked down on the couch with her phone. The madam of the ceremony—everybody’s center of attention—had called her in to iron her clothes! What did she think of herself? – – – – – The short story is now part of the collection ‘Heart & Hots‘ on Amazon. Part 3: Kaali Nazar Glos

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. Part 1: Ivory Princess The sexy giggle broke Krish’s concentration a second time. The sensuous voice beckoned him to checkout the face behind the voice, but it was eleven in the night, the TC had checked their tickets and the lights were out in the coupe. Moreover he had to complete his presentation and send it to his boss. He wasn’t sure if he would get the wi-fi signa

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. It was past midnight, the whole house was silent. Most of the guests had gone back to the hotel and people at home had retired for the night. She sat on veranda steps under the faint moonlight, taking off the henna from her hand. They said putting henna was auspicious. One was not supposed to put water on the design till the morning, so that color would seep-in deep in th

#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours. Gold is illumination, wisdom, and wealth. Gold often symbolizes high quality. One fine day… I looked at the lanky young man standing in his ‘buy 2 get 1 free’ shirt and well-worn shoes. Then I glanced at my daughter beside him, in her Zara dress and red stilettoes with a determined defy-me-then-you-see tilt to her chin.  Couldn’t she see the difference? How would she be