Small step big thought

  But Why?! Rekha and Ravi counted every passing minute as they waited for the clock to chime ten. The passage of time took on a different dimension when waiting for an appointment in a developmental paediatrician’s clinic , waiting to be told what could possibly be wrong with the apple of your eye, who was all of two and half years old . Nidhi, the said apple of the eye, stood near the window, rocking , and completely oblivious to what was happening around her . ‘You can go in now’, said the lady who manned the front desk . Rekha and Ravi walked into Dr Shreya’s office with Nidhi in tow. ‘Good morning and please sit down’, said Dr Shreya, even as she observed Nidhi do a quick recce of her room before choosing to go and stand by the window , ‘Nidhi’s EEG and psychological assessment reports have come.’ Rekha and Ravi took a deep breath, bracing themselves for the worst . ‘Nidhi is on the Autism spectrum’, said Dr Shreya Rekha’s world came crashing down when she heard the A word . H...

  It was a warm and still summer night ; the kind of night when leaves on the trees attain a state of inertia that surpasses the stillness of the night , the cicadas are too tired to sing and the owls and bats decide to go on an extended vacation . Bangalore city, once famous for its salubrious weather , was experiencing the identity crisis of the century , prompting its beloved citizens to seek a sleepy and restful succour   Nirmala ,the picture perfect epitome of stealth , headed towards her destination, which was shrouded in a thick blanket of darkness, like a cat on a secret mission ,when the eponymous presence called the human conscience , decided to make its presence felt . ‘What are you doing ?’!’, exclaimed her conscience in sheer exasperation . ‘Nothing that entails such a dramatic response’, said Nirmala nonchalantly . ‘What do you mean by dramatic response !’, yelled her conscience , ‘what you are planning to do is wrong on so many levels’ ‘C’ mon, you are making a ...

Ding dong rang the doorbell and I looked towards the main door , startled . I was alone at home and was not expecting anyone . I was not expecting any delivery either , for I had ordered absolutely nothing from Amazon . So , who could it be , I wondered as I quickly logged into my phone to check for visitors notifications from the apartment main gate . Sure enough , there were no notifications . A feeling of intense panic began to grip me and my hands turned clammy even as I heard the doorbell ring again . I took a few deep breaths and went towards the main door . I opened the door ever so slightly and peeped out . Strangely , there was no one , but I saw a big box sitting right in front of the doorstep . I opened the door and noticed that the package was addressed to me . Shocked , I looked around , but there was nobody in the corridor . I looked at the package , my eyes reflecting the turmoil that was going on in my mind . There was nothing unusual about it . It looked like the typic...