Author: Karina Pandya

  In the peaceful village of Meadowbrooks, four cats – Bunty, Babli, Mini and Prince Goldie lived quite a quiet and serene life amidst sunlit gardens and familiar streets. Their days were filled with warm naps, playful chases and the comforting rhythm of their routine. Yet, despite their differing personalities, each one felt a quiet stirring within that there was more to life than what they already knew.     Bunty, the adventurous soul who had an irresistible spark within her, was the first to sense that calling. On one breezy afternoon, while she was lazing near an old oak…

Mini, Bunty, Babli and Prince Goldie were no ordinary cats. They had grown tired of their daily routine – chasing ‘imaginary’ mice, knocking over water bowls and napping in the sun. One evening, as they were scrolling on their human master’s laptop (a skill they had secretly mastered), they stumbled upon something very intriguing: The Purrfect Zen Retreat – A Yoga Experience for Discerning Felines.    What would this even involve, they thought. “WOW!” Babli exclaimed with her tail flicking with excitement, “Stretching, meditation and gourmet fish platters- Find Your Inner Catness”     “A retreat just for us, with gourmet…

Poetry has long been rooted in oral tradition, predating written language by millennia. In its early forms, it served as a vital tool for preserving history, legends, and knowledge. Rhythm, rhyme, and repetition were integral to its recitation, making it both memorable and meaningful. Early poetry often took the shape of epic narratives, hymns, chants, and ballads—many deeply intertwined with religion and philosophy. The late 20th century saw a resurgence of spoken word and slam poetry, revitalizing poetry as a live, performative art. With a potent mix of rhythm, rhyme, and impassioned delivery, spoken word poetry creates an electrifying experience,…

Starting as a joke—an offhand comment during their weekend hangouts at the local coffee shops—the five of them decided to perform at an open mic that was only meant for them. It was Maya, the quiet one with a penchant for writing poetry that no one ever read, who had casually suggested this activity just for fun. “You know, we all have different talents, but what would happen if we got together to perform our open mic at the coffee shop?”  Bursting into laughter, her friends gazed at one another after Maya suggested this. The group was a…

  It had been four years since the six had been in the same room. Life, as it does, has swept each one in a different direction – new jobs, new relationships, new cities, and the inevitable time barriers that distance imposes. So when they all were in the same city, and Mia had suggested a potluck dinner, everyone immediately agreed that this idea of gathering together for dinner over laughter, memories and fun was the perfect excuse to reconnect.  They chose Mia’s apartment. It was a cosy one-bedroom-hall apartment with soft pink-coloured walls and a spacious kitchen – a…

Maira was one of those girls who was a self-proclaimed romantic. She was dreamy and romantic. She imagined perfect dates and soul mate connections. She valued memories and photographs,  but who was there to cherish these with other than her friends?  She was emotional, expressive, and very affectionate. Following romantic idealism, she had high expectations of love and was poetic and passionate. However, one thing was constant: she was always hopeful. She adored love stories – whether it was the tragical Romeo and Juliet or a whimsical rom-com. However, her life was less of a meet cute type of guy and…

  One monsoon evening, Ananya sat on the edge of her bed and stared at the blank canvas propped against the wall. Having bought it a few weeks ago, she hoped to rekindle her passion for painting. “What about painting made her fall in love with it?” she pondered, but similarly to many other attempts to rekindle the passion in her life like coding, writing, Ngo work, dabble in photography or even bake – she couldn’t get herself to re-start.  At 22, Anaya felt adrift. All her friends had found their niches, but she seemed to be the only…

Maira, a novelist, was known for her beautiful, lyrical prose, whereas Aditya was a poet who celebrated the brevity of words in a few sentences through succinct and biting verses.  Their first meeting occurred at a literary festival where they met at a book signing event. They were both scheduled to talk about their upcoming works at this event: Maira – The Quiet Between Us and Aditya, The Space Between Us. They initially giggled at the commonality of the titles of both their works. “How ironic, the titles of our work sound!” exclaimed Aditya to Maira.” “You look like you…

It was a calm, cool, breezy night. The moon hung low and was full, creating a silvery glow over the garden. Mini sat by the open window, her beautifully trimmed hair illuminated in the garden. Surrounding her, the world was quiet, and I’m sure you wouldn’t be able to hear a pin drop in the silence. There was the occasional sound of rustling leaves and the chirping of birds, but other than that, there was silence. Occasionally Mini had a deep bellowing sound churn in her tummy, but did nothing about it. Today though she decided to let out…

In a quiet little bookshop, Whiskerstein – a peculiar cat lived amongst stacks of dusty novels and shiny bestsellers. Whiskerstein was, however, not an ordinary cat – she had a secret passion for storytelling and writing.  While other cats used to chase mice, laid around on cat rooftops or nap in sunbeams, Whiskerstein spent all her nights typing away on a vintage typewriter hidden in the attic.   She used to write poems and even short stories, and her paws moved swiftly over the keys. She created stories which were solely about the world only as a cat could see it. …