Short Stories I wrote

This story was originally published on Medium in 2023

Link:

 https://medium.com/@basuavirupa0110/zoes-whiskers-5c519420e905.

I’m excited to share it here on my website so you can enjoy it along with my other tales.

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Zoe sat with her head in a book on her favorite park bench. She was so absorbed in the reading that she missed the small, interested creature coming closer. It was a little kitten with vibrant blue eyes who was also very lively.

Zoe looked up, startled, and found herself enchanted by the cute cat. The kitty cuddled up to her extended hand and purred happily. It was love at first sight.

The kitten, whom she named Whiskers, became her best friend from that moment on. Together, they went on innumerable experiences, from playing in the backyard to reading books before bed.

Zoe and Whiskers grew older as the years went by, their friendship only getting stronger. They dealt with the ups and downs of life by seeking peace and comfort in one another.

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But one day, Whiskers went out on his morning stroll and never returned. Zoe was sitting anxiously at the window that night when she noticed a familiar face. It was a little girl who lived close by. The girl stepped forward timidly as Zoe unlocked the door.

The girl said, cradling a little, moist bundle in her arms, "Are you missing a cat?"

Zoe been anxiously looking for Whiskers since he had strayed off earlier that day. She nodded as her own eyes started to moist up.

The girl handed Zoe the wet cat and added, "I found him hiding under a tree. He appeared dejected and forlorn."

Whiskers wriggled and wiggled as he recognized his devoted owner. He purred loudly as he kissed Zoe's face, seemingly declaring, "I'm home."

Zoe hugged the young girl as floods of joy streamed down her face, her heart overflowing with appreciation. "I'm grateful that you located my Whiskers. You've brought us both much joy.

Zoe and Whiskers snuggled up next to each other as the girl left, their souls entwined in an unbreakable love. Their hearts were joined in a narrative of friendship, fortitude, and the enduring power of a cute and cuddly link when they realised that genuine love always finds its way.

This story was originally published in Storymirror in 2017.

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Link: https://storymirror.com/read/english/story/joe-she-and-meringue/ktwddlyj

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“One meringue please,” she ordered. She was in a hurry and tapped her fingers on the baker’s counter. She wore a ring on every finger, each an expensive gem worth millions and a Rolex wristwatch only added to the sheen. Her clothes reflected an air of aristocracy. Why she would order a meringue from such a regular bakery?

The baker quickly got her parcel. She gave him a royal tip, which was double the price of the meringue. As the baker thanked his lords for such a customer early in the morning, she got into a Mercedes and drove away.

The streets were all familiar, even though she was visiting this little town in Tamil Nadu after six long years. She tried to locate the major landmarks and was glad when she was able to do so successfully.

“How much time more, Mum?” asked an impatient voice from the backseat.

“Patience, honey,” she replied. “You go to sleep. The hotel is not far now.”

“I just want to see Dad,” the little kid whined.

“He is out with the property dealer, right?” she pacified her daughter. “I will drop you at the hotel with nanny and Dad will come see you as soon as he is free.”

Once she had dropped them at the hotel, she texted a quick message to her husband.  “I will be back soon. Mia and Nanny are at the hotel. Go see them as soon as you are free, Mr. Archaeologist. Love you.”

She and Fred had been planning this trip for months. The whole setup was ready back home, in Washington.  Fred had set off to complete the last of the formalities early this morning. She thought she would go see her friend quickly. The last time she had come here to meet Joe, things had been different and she had promised to make things okay. She would fulfill her promise today. There was a feeling of closure as she drove down to Joe’s store. It wouldn’t be the same but at least she was ready now.

“You should go to Wharton, absolutely,” Joe had said over a decade back.

“Don’t be stupid, Joe,” she had retorted. “I wouldn’t be able to afford it anyway. I just need to work right now.”

“You can work part time there,” Joe had counter attacked. “Besides, you have me. I will send you money every month. That would be enough, right?”

She was taken aback. “Why would you send me money, eh? Earning lots from that stationery store of yours?”

“I earn enough to fund your pocket money for a year. You get internships after the first year, right?” he asked. “Big money in a year, see.”

“Joe, I…” she mumbled.

“Get the scholarship. At least give it a shot, now that you have a backup. You can go tell Uncle Joseph about it,” Joe said. “I will talk to him too.”

Two years later, when she bagged a job as an investment banker in a top notch bank, the first person she called had been Joe.

“I am in, I am in, I am in!” she had squealed.

“I knew you would be!” Joe had sounded as happy as her; or even happier. In these two years, she had understood how much Joe meant to her. She wanted to tell him that.

“I am coming home in April,” she said. “You will be there right? Or will you be off backpacking to some mountain or forest?”

“Well, I will have to be here, waiting for your highness,” Joe had giggled. “Do I have a choice?”

She had felt exhilarated after the phone call. For years, when she had been rotting in that abusive home of hers with her alcoholic father and an old preachy grandmother, it was Joe who had kept her sane. Back to back scholarships in school and college had helped her secure her future. And now Wharton!  She would never have to ask her father for money and nor listen to her grandmother. She was free, forever. Now she could live her life uninhibitedly. It was all Joe’s doing. A tentative friendship formed over meringues at school had helped her cope with the worst and come out stronger. She did not want to let Joe go anywhere.

“Why do you keep saying no to all these gorgeously handsome guys?” her roommates had asked with chagrin.

“I already have someone in my life,” she had smiled.

Had it always been so? Was it since school that she had been in love with Joe? From the day Joe had shared his meringue with her at lunch when her grandmother hadn’t packed food for her seven year old granddaughter, the afternoon when Joe’s parents had welcomed her as their own, the surprise parties Joe had thrown on every birthday of hers which became regular rather than surprises and those long afternoons when they would sit at Joe’s family store and study, talk, laugh together to those growing up years when they would watch movies holding hands, go for dates and even peck each other on their cheeks; it all seemed connected. Meringue was an intimate witness to their relationship. Both of them never got over their love for this bakery product.

It didn’t matter how different their worlds were now. She didn’t care that Joe still stayed Coonoor, running that same stationary store. That stationary store had been her solace in those long, dreary afternoons when her dad made it unbearable at home. She would help Joe expand his business and marry him and have babies and life would be wonderful. She couldn’t wait to tell Joe how much she loved him.

It was a long, impatient drive but she finally reached Joe’s place. It was still as warm and cozy, as had been years back. She felt a sense of belonging and had tears in her eyes, as she saw that old billboard. She parked the car and entered the store.

“Aunt Sharon,” screamed a five year old kid.

“John, my sweetheart, my pumpkin,” she cooed and picked up the little boy in her arms. “I got you lots of presents!”

As the little boy squealed in delight and planted a kiss on her cheek, she saw Anita. The same face which evoked hatred years back was now a dear friend’s.

“We thought you’d never arrive!” Anita smiled and hugged her.

“How are you, Anita? I am sorry I haven’t been here for some time,” she said.

“It has not been easy for you too, these years, I know. But you have done so much across a continent, Sharon. Even my own family couldn’t have done so much,” Anita’s voice choked up.

She didn’t want to recall all of that.  “Can I see him?” she asked.

“Yes, why don’t you go sit inside? I will join you in a jiffy. You need your alone time too,’ smiled Anita and wiping her tears, took baby John away.

As she entered the room, she felt nervous. As nervous as she had been when she had come to tell Joe she loved him.

“There you are, Miss Wharton,” Joe exclaimed. “I am so, so, so proud of you! You made it from Coonoor to Washington, eh?” He scooped her up in his arms and hugged her bone crushingly. Their faces were so close that her heart fluttered like a bird.  His warm hands around her waist, his cheek touching hers and his amazing smell were enough to break her restraint. Her lips circled over his, her hands grasped his shoulders and she just couldn’t stop.

It took her a while to realize that Joe was just trying to push her away. When she did understand, she pulled herself back. Rejection stung her heart and she stood motionless.

“What were you doing?” Joe gasped.

She just stood there, unable to answer.

“You have lost it! Sharon, I love you, but not as you seem to want.  Sweetheart, what is wrong? I had no clue!” said Joe helplessly.

“I am sorry,” she mumbled. “I thought we were…” she couldn’t complete her sentence.

Joe held her hands and kissed them softly. “Sweetheart, we have always been friends, right? We are family. Besides, I wanted to tell you about someone special. I am so sorry, honey.”

” So, you are seeing someone?” she whispered. ” You are with somebody.”

” I love her, Sharon,” said Joe.

He went on and on about his girlfriend Anita, whom he had met last summer. He was planning to get married soon and was extremely happy in his relationship. Those words made little sense to her then and even now, years later, she wondered if she had heard everything he had been blabbering.

” More than you love me?” she asked. ” From here on, it is someone else then.”

” Of course not. Come on, you and me have a different equation. Then?” shouted Joe.

She just wanted to leave. Betrayal stung her. Finally, she realized Joe did not love her the way she wanted him to.

”Of course.Very different equation. In any case, you are happy. That is all that matters,” she answered and left the room.

Then, she met him on the wedding day. She looked at Joe and Anita and felt a shot of pain run across her heart . When she came to bid farewell, Joe took her aside and said, “You are and will be my best friend, forever. I am sorry I let you down.”

She just nodded. Joe, unable to see her so shattered, begged to be forgiven.

“There is nothing to forgive. It was I who misunderstood. You love Anita, you married her today, I want nothing more,” she had mumbled. “I just wish we would not part but now, things will be different. I need to go away and start afresh. Hopefully, I will be back soon Joe. I will back with a meringue for you. The meringues we shared all through our lives; the meringues I used to eat at Wharton to feel your presence close by. I just need to be ready for it, to share a meringue with you again,” she said.

“You are family, Sharon,” whispered Joe. “How can family go away?”

Something in her face made him stop arguing. He took a meringue from the buffet table and wrapped it in a tissue. “Come back soon,” he said, and turned away. She still didn’t know if he was just trying to hide the same tears she had on her cheeks then.

Two years passed. Joe and Anita had a baby boy and she still didn’t go to meet them. On the other hand, she met Fred, a famous archaeologist and married him. She didn’t invite Joe. Just before the  wedding day, she emailed him that she is getting married in a quiet, private ceremony and she would throw a party in Coonoor later. Joe congratulated her and sent her a gift, but she knew he must have been hurt.

Things started fading away, but deep down, she felt a longing for Joe always. She didn’t know what was it that stopped her from going back to Joe. Was it her fragile ego, that Joe had chosen someone over her or was it a genuine ache over her first heartbreak from the person she considered everything?

Fred was amazing. She gradually came to realize that she could perhaps only been happy with him.  Joe was her friend, whom she had wanted to be with. But a failed attempt at a relationship shouldn’t have drifted them apart. With another two years passing by, she understood that she was being plain selfish. She was happy with Fred; Joe had a family of his own. It was up to her to keep her convoluted reasons behind and embrace that person back into her life, who had done everything to rescue her from her grief and given her a new life altogether.

She called Joe that night, to tell him she would visit him soon with Fred. She was excited. Fred even bought her meringues, to celebrate the fact that she was ready to be Joe’s best friend again. She looked at Fred as he smiled and excused himself so that his wife could talk to her best friend. She wanted to tell Joe that she finally knew what love was and how much she loved Fred. Once they would visit Coonoor, all of them would be together. The last time they had spoken over the phone had been seven months back. She couldn’t wait to hear Joe’s voice again. It was a female voice that answered her call.

“Ummm….Joe?” she asked.

And that was when she knew. Joe had left her forever. He had left behind his wife, his son and their helplessness. He had also left her behind, but wasn’t it she who had distanced him? Wasn’t it her stubbornness that had kept her away from her favorite person for years? She had promised to be back but she had taken a lot of time. As she fell on the ground sobbing, she felt a crushing sense of grief; worse than the one she had felt when Joe had not kissed her back on that afternoon, a long time back. She had lost her guardian angel, her best friend, her family. “How can family go away?” She kept repeating Joe’ question in her mind and lay trembling on the floor. She wondered if she would ever get over this heartbreak and the paramount sense of loss.

However, today, when it was just Joe’s picture on the wall, she didn’t feel that chocking anguish that she had felt when Joe had died in a car crash exactly twenty six months back. Her sheer helplessness when she had sobbed uncontrollably for days was gone. She didn’t need Fred’s soothing murmurs and his protective arms to fall asleep every night. She didn’t feel guilty and scared to face Anita anymore, whom she sent money every month to run the shop and to pay John’s school fee. The Skype conversations with Anita gave her a new friend but she was unable to let go of her best friend and her undying love for him.

Yes, she loved him still. But now her love for him to take care of Anita and John, to love them as much as Joe had, to be their family. She was ready to be Joe’s best friend again and forever. She had grown up. Family never goes away, she had learnt. She had come back to take Anita and John to the United States with her. Anita would join a job at Washington and John would go to school with Mia. Fred had taken care of the sale of the store here and they would go home in two days. Yes, their home. They would be together, just as family should be.

She stood in front of Joe’s picture and placed the meringue on the table.

“Joe, I came back,” she smiled.

This story was originally published in Storymirror.

Link: https://storymirror.com/read/english/story/fate/dglr5omr

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I stared at the wallpaper blankly. The bold black letters on the red background screamed out "FATE." I had put up this wallpaper a few months back, after I read an article about how we have the power to control our future if we believed in fate. Right now, the wallpaper seemed ironic as I didn't know what I wanted from life anymore, let alone control it. I just knew that I was aimless, and the future didn't seem to hold any prospects for me. I had studied for a year, each day 14 hours straight. I had topped all the coaching institute's mock tests, with exceptional marks in the optional subject. But yet, as I stared at the wall, my UPSC grade sheet kept flashing in front of my eyes. I tried to shake away the crippling fear that gripped my heart again. I shook my head and tried to think of something positive. But nothing…absolutely nothing came to my mind.

The only thought that kept hovering in my mind was I had missed the final merit list of UPSC 2019 by three marks. My heart ached, and a tear rolled down my left cheek. What had I not done to succeed? I had quit my corporate job, I had broken up with my boyfriend, and completely cut off from my friends. All because I wanted to study hard and leave no stone unturned to crack the Civil Services. I wanted to make a difference, and I wanted to have enough power to do something for my country. The six-figure monthly pay, the weekend outings with my casual boyfriend, and the late-night parties with my friends were just not enough anymore. My parents, our village in Himachal Pradesh, our ancestral home, my neighbours there…these people kept popping into my mind ever so often. I had left my village for better opportunities, and I had received them in plenty. Graduation from a top IIT, followed by MBA from IIM B…Investment banker at a foreign bank…Life was good. But over the years, something felt amiss. Like I was being someone I was not meant to be. The glamor of the corporate world and its associated benefits…was it enough? Was owning a plush 2BHK enough? Was owning a swanky SUV fulfilment? I didn't know anymore. I wanted to go back to my roots… I wanted to go back to Himachal…I wanted to do things that would benefit my state…my people...my country. I just wanted to start somewhere. In any capacity...but was it so easy?

I had enough savings to live off comfortably for a year or more. I quit my job. I could always come back later if I wanted to…but I had to give the Civil Services my absolute all. I just delved myself into a full-fledged preparation. My boyfriend…now my ex-boyfriend…hooked up with a common friend of ours. Not that I cared much. All my focus was on my studies. And now this…a year later…I had nothing left! I don't know where I went wrong, but the failure of my endeavours was staring at me in my face. My parents had come to visit me, and I could sense that they were worried. They kept an eye on me from their room, but I was too numb to reciprocate their concern right now. I just didn't know what my life held. I didn't want to get back to corporate at all. I felt suffocated at the thought of slogging away for hours at a job that didn't bring me any fulfilment. I could sit for other public service exams, but I also had family obligations to fulfil. I had to take care of my parents and our home back in Himachal. The very thought of my home back there brought a lump to my throat. I wanted to go home, I wanted to do something for my people. But I also had to keep my earnings afloat because my family needed me.

My phone beeped. I looked at the message flashing on the screen. It was from a dating app I had registered on ages back...when I had not been subsumed by the UPSC passion...when I had gotten my promotion two and a half years back, and meeting men on weekends, splurging money, and drinking wine were considered norms for a 26-year-old woman.

I had not even used the app in the last year, even though I continued to get requests all the time. Today, I picked up my phone. I wanted to distract myself from the constant sense of failure in my mind. It was a request from a guy named Rahul. I glanced at the wallpaper in front of me. Let fate decide this conversation.

"Hello, I really liked your profile. Could we chat some time?" he said.

I looked at his picture. Average-looking fellow, decent enough. Not that I cared at the moment. I just wanted to distract myself.

"Hi, "I pinged back.

"I am Rahul. I work for an NGO," he replied. "So, you are an investment banker?"

"Was," I typed back. "I hadn't really updated my profile, post my resignation. I quit a year back."

"Oh, that's quite similar to what I did," Rahul sent a few emoticons.

I sighed. Now, he would pretend to be "my type" or "have similar interests." Oh God, I was rather better off staring at the wall.

"Really?" I typed out disinterestedly.

"Yeah, I was working with a top consultancy firm, post my MBA. I quit around five years back and started working for this NGO that deals with the rehabilitation of orphan children. I moved back to Guwahati, my home city. Earlier, I was in Mumbai," he said.

"I am in Mumbai too," I said. Surely, quite a coincidence.

"So, what are you doing in Mumbai, post you quit your job?" Rahul asked.

I wanted to rant it all out. We would never meet, for sure. At least, I would have the satisfaction of pouring my heart out to someone whose judgment wouldn't matter to me.

"I actually sat for the Civils this year and missed it by three marks. I don't know what I will do next," my fingers trembled slightly as the thought of my indecisive future crawled into my heart again.

Rahul started typing…and I waited. To hear what he had to say about my failure. Would he laugh? Would he be sarcastic?

"You know, I totally get it. I missed catching the train to meet my ex-girlfriend by 5 minutes. And now she is married to someone else," he typed out with a series of laughing faces.

I would have blocked him right away. But I felt a surge of anger. I wanted to get back at him.

"Wow, such comparison. I am sure that's why your ex-girlfriend dumped you. Aren't you an insensitive prick?" I lashed back with emoticons.

"Well, at least I am not the one worried about my future. Who knows I might find someone cuter?" he smiled back. "But you, my friend, are wallowing."

"So, what do you expect me to do? Make merry, get drunk, and get laid? That I wanted to do something different with my life? I wanted to work for my country and I couldn't? I am going to have to get back to my corporate job because I need to earn for my family. And I can’t sit for the exam again! I don't think I will be able to continue my preparation with my job. I was working at a senior level, and my work hours sometimes extended beyond 12 to 14 hours. If I try to do both together, I will screw both up. I really want to sit for UPSC again, but I have to keep earning too. The flat and the car I have here in Mumbai are still on EMI instalments. I have a younger brother at home, who has just finished 12th and will begin college. It is not easy for me to do as I wish. I will have to take care of my family, and as a result, I will have to get back to my corporate career again. And that's what is killing me!" I can't believe I typed it out. Normally, I am a very calm person. But I actually screamed all my grievance out…and that too to a random stranger.

Rahul was typing again. I waited. I don't know why I wanted to listen to his opinion. This random stranger I knew nothing about…what would he say? And why did I care?

"So, why do you want to crack UPSC? What attracts you towards it? If you ask yourself, what is that factor which motivates you the most for civil services?" Rahul's message read.

I took a minute to think. I closed my eyes. When I typed back my answer to Rahul, it was lucid and clear. I knew I was speaking from my heart.

"I just want to work for my country, my people at the grass-root level. I just hope to bring a change…a positive change, I don't know what yet…but a change that makes a difference to people… I want to bring in that change."

Rahul sent back a smiley. A big happy face. His next words were:

"Maybe that change you want to see is within you."

Before I could reply back, Rahul went offline. I clicked on his profile frantically. I didn't want this conversation to end. I read through his profile details. All regular stuff...Like he had mentioned…His past experience at a consulting firm…His present NGO…His hobbies…

Why had he gone offline? And what did he mean by the change is just within me?

My phone beeped again.

It was from LINKEDIN. One of my contacts, Joe Varghese, had dropped me a message. My mind was still focused on Rahul. But Mr. Varghese messaged again, and I hastened to check what he had to say. I had worked with Mr. Varghese on his personal wealth management project a year and a half back. He had stayed in touch ever since because I had managed to do a good job there. In fact, the bank had offered me another promotion, but I hadn't taken it because the UPSC bug had bitten me by then.

I wondered if Mr. Varghese wanted some advice on his asset management, but his message shocked me.

"Miss Chandra, my partners and I plan to start a local tourism agency at different cities and towns across Himachal Pradesh. We will have our headquarters at Shimla, but we want to cover Kardang, Kibber, Chitkul, Langza, and your own village, Dhankar. I have seen your resume and worked with you closely. It would be an honour to have you on board as the CFO for this venture. We wanted to promote the local economy through tourism with our project. I have sent you all the details on your email. Let's schedule a SKYPE meeting if you are interested. Let's discuss it. Looking forward to your response."

I re-read the message 5-6 times. My heart was pacing super-fast. I could work from Shimla and move around Himachal Pradesh. I could work with the local people and boost their livelihoods by bringing in more revenues. I could move closer home. I didn't know yet whether this was what I wanted. All I knew was this could be my solution for now. Maybe this is the change I was supposed to make for now.

The word "FATE" gleamed at me. Suddenly, the wallpaper's message seemed to make sense. Was this where I was supposed to be now? Was this the change that I could bring in? It still is in my hands, right? How I choose to work? What I choose to work on? How my education can be effective for my state and its people?

Rahul… how could he guess? I went back to the dating app. He was still offline.

"Please ping me when you are online," I typed.

Who was this stranger?

I opened my official mailbox with a smile on my face. I had found my professional solution for now. And even personally… Rahul… ummm I don’t know? But my heart felt warm and cozy all of a sudden. I again glanced at the wallpaper. FATE?

This story was recently published in Storymirror in 2025.

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Link: https://storymirror.com/read/english/story/chicken-pasta/3695eohz ​

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Harry tried to follow the recipe to the T. His wife, Maya, loved Chicken Pasta. And he had promised her he would cook it for her tonight. However, now that the spaghetti was overcooked and the chicken was slightly burnt, it didn't seem like a good idea anymore. Harry thought of throwing it away, ordering a fresh one from Uber Eats and telling Maya he had made it. But it would be dishonest. And he never lied to Maya.

“I am starving,” she said as soon as she came home from work. She sat down on the table, and tapped her fingers.

“Won’t you get cleaned up first?” Harry mumbled. Maybe he could whip up some eggs or instant noodles, while she changed her clothes.

“No, I want to eat the pasta,” Maya smiled. “I cannot wait.”

Harry sighed, and put the overcooked dish on the table.

Maya sniffed at the chicken and took a spoonful of the spaghetti. She held a poker face for 5 seconds, before bursting into laughter.

“This is…interesting,” she giggled and reached for the water.

“I am sorry,” Harry mumbled.

Maya continued to laugh, but leaned forward to quickly give him a kiss.

“In honor of your transition from instant noodles to burnt pasta, I am going to order pizza. Your prize for taking the next step as a cook.”

“Maya, you don't have to be so nice,” Harry shrugged but Maya rubbed her nose against his.

“I love you. For trying. One cook at a time,” she smiled.

And thank god for the pizza that arrived in 20 minutes! Because even Lois, their cat, walked off with dignity when she smelt the pasta bowl next morning.

Exciting news! A new short story is on the way and will be available soon. Stay tuned for an narrative filled with captivating characters and unexpected twists. We can't wait to share this literary adventure you!

Exciting news! A brand new short is on its way, ready to captivate your imagination. Stay tuned for more updates and prepare to dive into a world of creativity and adventure!