SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

“KILLER DISEASE” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #84

Murugan was frantically looking for some helpers. In another ten days his vast rice field would be ready for harvest. If could not arrange for people to harvest, the entire labour spent in these last five months would be a total loss. What about the monetary loss! How was he going to repay the loan taken from the bank? More than anything else, just to be a silent witness for the terrible loss occurring right in front of him would be a mental torture. He was not ready for it. He must do something than helplessly watching it perish. He just co...

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“NO NEVER. I WILL NOT.” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #83

Mohini was once very stubborn that she would never step out of this island nestled in the group of Car Nicobar Islands. But today she was nudging her husband to go to mainland India. The island Kamorta, which she hailed as a paradise on earth, everything about it was very beautiful. What with tall coconut trees, bushy green woods, swinging winds, roaring waves striking the sandy shores, the receding waves leaving behind small fishes, clouds with the help of sunlight painting the sky with varied hues and designs… all so enchanting and ever de...

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“RAIL TICKET RESERVATION” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Mahadevan was very busy. His daughter Sunaina’s marriage was about to take place in a month’s time. He was a bit vexed and tensed. His wife Sharada was quite cool. Generally, mothers would be quite perturbed and worried and fathers would be quite casual. Here it was reverse. Sharada tried to comfort her husband saying, “Why do you bother so much? Everything about marriage has been outsourced. As long as we can foot the bill and afford luxuries, marriage is only a matter of yet another family function. All we need to do is put up a happy-go-e...

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“MISFORTUNES NEVER COME SINGLE” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #81

Perumal alias Peter was at cross-roads and was in a grip of utter confusion. He was holding his daughter Sherlie and was wondering what should be his next step. His ex-wife so sarcastically lashed out her tongue that rendered him speechless. “You both husband and wife are made for each other. You ditched your first wife and picked up another one. And now you see, she did the same to you. She deserted you and went away with another guy. Now it is your problem how you take care of your child. Thank God! She left you with only one kid to bother...

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“A FRUIT BOWL ” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #80

Parameshwaran was keen on going back to his village, primarily for attending the annual festival connected with his family deity. Why his family deity? It was actually their village deity … Veera Aiyyanaar deity for the whole village of Arasaanikuppam. All those who migrated from Arasaanikuppam and those who did not – but well settled in their own village generally would assemble a few days before the grand festival day and perform all rituals meticulously and celebrate the occasion with fanfare. The pomp and grandeur depended on the amount ...

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“ROHINI AND HER WOES” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #79

Rohini was busy in her work. In these few months, she had earned a good name in her circle of colleagues. The hotel owner had set up this Indian restaurant with the fond hope of catering to the taste buds of locals who had shown interest in trying different dishes. This was mainly due to the popular Television show on Super Chefs. Even ‘Junior Chef’ was an acclaimed programme on TV Channels. Indian dishes hitherto not known to the local Americans had become very popular. Small girls and boys also knew the names of regular Indian dishes like ...

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“WATCHMAN” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #78

Giriraj was insisting on his grandson Motilal to learn about his ancestral and traditional art of pottery. But Motilal was least interested in it. “Who would meddle with mud and clay? What a nasty and ugly activity!” He disliked it. He preferred painting to pottery. Giriraj tried to convince him that the potters’ wheel was the oldest and still the best of all inventions made so far known to mankind. “You should feel proud to be belonging to a potters’ family. Learn this activity as your hobby. It need not be your source of livelihood.” “No,...

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“BIZARRIE BLIZZARD” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #77

Madhavi was grazing through Times of India newspaper. She accidentally sighted a small news item on a road accident in Japan highway. She normally would never read such items as these road accidents had become an almost routine affair. But this particular piece of item was about Japan. Hence the go-through. It gave a detailed account of one person’s death and 17 people’s injury, 200 more stranded on the road with a massive pile up of 134 cars on highway. All due to a truck which got rammed into a passenger car. The blizzard and heavy snowfal...

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“TULASI” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #76

Tulasi was watching from her balcony. A lady was dragging her unwilling child to a nearby kindergarten school. The girl was crying and reluctantly followed her mother. It was a just a routine mundane sight. Tulasi felt disturbed. But it stirred her innate emotions. She was left with an empty feeling. Though no body in her family blamed her as a barren tree, she felt the pinch. Whenever she spotted a mother with a child she felt as though she was the only unlucky person on earth to be left barren. How she wished to be a woman carrying a baby ...

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“SEEKING HELP” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #75

Lokesh was searching for a document which he thought he had kept in the drawer. It was needed urgently in connection with approval of his plans for widening of his Lottery Ticket shop. While pulling out things from the drawer, he got an old letter folded into four flaps. He knew what it was. Still, out of curiosity he opened the letter and ran a cursory glance over the contents. It was a letter written by him to a cinema star Sonu Sood, though he did not post it. Thank God! He did not send it to the star. He felt quite ashamed now to have wr...

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“PLEASE WAIT” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Sunita’s duty was over. She went to her staff room and then to the wash room. She had a face wash and then helped herself with a bit of touch up. Her boy- friend would be calling her in a while. They had planned to go out for some shopping and have some jolly good time together. Same was the case with Dr. Lakshman. He had promised to come home early and fetch his wife for outing, then take her to cinema which was followed by dinner. It was her birthday, an occasion for celebration. He had promised her that it would be so grand that she would...

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“CHINNAPPA” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #73

Chinnappa was considering himself as a lucky fellow. He somehow escaped the gang of hired men meant to join the rally and shout slogans and lend their support to the ongoing farmers’ strike. The strike initially was a big draw and drew attention of all alike. People really sympathised the ‘food-giver’ the other name of farmer. But when political parties interfered them with their vested interests it took a different turn --- an ugly turn. The agitation had neither farmer’s agenda nor political agenda. Certain unethical divisive elements also...

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“LUCRATIVE JOB” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #72

Chinnappa alighted from the train and was waiting for his friend Kittappa. As he was totally new to the place, Chinnappa had specifically told Kittappa to come to Railway Station to take him along. In not finding him, he called Kittappa on phone and wanted to know if he was anywhere nearby. Kittappa picked up the phone and replied. As the train was late, he could not come to station as promised. His presence at worksite was more important. So, he guided him to come on his own by engaging an autorickshaw. As the autorickshaw winded through r...

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“CHENNAKESAVA TEMPLE” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #71

Saraswathy was mending her flowerpots and just whiling away her time in the backyard. Though she had no regrets, she was still unhappy over her ex-boss in dismissing her from job, for no fault of hers. She could have explained her position and made them understand her point of view. Of what use would it be? It would be a futile exercise. Saraswathy strongly believed that certain people never changed. She was dismissed for preparing food in large quantity. Even if she could convince them that excess food prepared by her was mainly due to the ...

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“SUSAN MY CO-WIFE” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #70

Rohini wanted Susan to come to terms with life. A considerable long time had elapsed. By now she should come out of her cocoon of grief. No doubt, it was difficult for a woman to take blows from different strides. She did not know that her husband was a crook. But he was. She did not know that he was already wedded. But he was. She did not know he was an illegal immigrant. But he was. She did know that he was posing to be very rich while, he was not. The police came, hand-cuffed him, dragged him and pushed him into the jail. Susan was totall...

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