Sivaram Govindaraj

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2019

Stories (136)

136 Stories

1582 karma pts

?

“ MONUMENTAL NEGLECT” by Sivaram Govindaraj

The year 2020: There was a massive gathering at Lindeck Square that evening where the Chief Minister was to install the statue of former CM Sheela. The area was festooned with flowers with a big banner welcoming the CM. The function which was to start at 6 was delayed by nearly half an hour, and the restive crowd was noisy. After the invocation, the welcome address, and the garlanding, th...

0 comments 0
Read story

“THE MAID'S TALE” by Sivaram Govindaraj

THE MAID’S TALE The residential building is slender and tall. Not very tall.  6 floors with one apartment in each. Looking at it, I would often wonder how if one more floor were added, the building could be blown down by a heavy gust of wind! However the architect had given it a nice finish and it looked great when illuminated at night. We live on floor 5 and Tara has been working for us ...

0 comments 0
Read story

“FAMILY SECRETS” by Sivaram Govindaraj

I am not clannish but I am interested in knowing about my ancestry. My father and grandfather were the only two who could give me some details. They started by telling me about a big landlord named Satya with two wives Devi and Rani, who had lived over two centuries ago in Tipu Sultan’s reign. I was told that we were all descended from him. I wanted to hear more but they could only g...

0 comments 0
Read story

“SECOND CHANCE” by Sivaram Govindaraj

I am a retired medical specialist, and my wife Jay is a child psychologist who runs her own clinic to correct children with problems like autism, attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia and the like. We have a son John who is a polymath: He is a writer, talk show host, and has penned, acted in and produced plays. He has his own team and they are now on a tour of England displaying their...

3 comments 3
Read story

“HEAT WAVE” by Sivaram Govindaraj

Mustafa, a house painter, lay on a coir rope cot in the small one room unit of the slum. It wasn’t yet midday but the sun was already showing how fierce it could be: Following high temperatures of the last two days, a heat wave was predicted and soon the atmosphere would be a cauldron. His ill-health apart, the pandemic  had prevented Mustapha from going out to work as all construction wo...

4 comments 4
Read story

“PINKY'S CHOICE” by Sivaram Govindaraj

Elections are always exciting. Candidates importune, promise the sky, spend money in various ways to get their messages across, stoop to dirty tricks and so on to win the race. Mohan had won the elections last time and was a candidate again. He was a law graduate who had won oratorical contests while in college. He was fair, bespectacled with a receding hairline. He would normally be dres...

3 comments 3
Read story

“TRAIN NO.33” by Sivaram Govindaraj

It was the time when the British ruled India. It was early days of railways there, and they were expanding the rail infrastructure for commercial and defence reasons moving steel. coal, gravel and the like.  That day in Majra railway station, the staff were busy readying a goods train to go to Chaman. Station master Latif, dressed in railway company uniform of grey shirt and grey pants, w...

1 comment 1
Read story

“THE CHASE” by Sivaram Govindaraj

It was early morning when the plane from Kochi landed at Chennai airport. There was the usual rush at the baggage conveyor, and among them were two women who stood by to find their bags. Thais was the elder woman who was about 30, and Xenia who was with her was in the twenties. Both of them had good facial features and were dressed in jeans with matching tops. They picked up their su...

0 comments 0
Read story

“SILENT RHAPSODY” by Sivaram Govindaraj

If the river were to tell its story: ‘I came from melting snow of the Himalayas, flowed down the mountains and found my way to meet the sea. It wasn’t a smooth journey: I hit rock at several places. I had to bend many times and fall steeply at certain points. I passed through dense jungles where only wild beasts roamed. I’m termed holy. Ascetics live near my banks. Pilgrims swarm to take ...

1 comment 1
Read story

“HELLO DOLLY” by Sivaram Govindaraj

I was absorbed in the newspaper when the doorbell rang. Opening the door I saw a police officer  standing outside. The man with an almighty moustache looked menacing. He said “I’m an Inspector of Police and have come about a complaint against a Mr.Bob.” I said “Bob is my son. He is not at home.”Twirling his moustache and glowering at me he said “There’s a case against him. Tell him to contact me as soon as he is home.”I was concerned and asked “Can you tell me about the case aga...

3 comments 3
Read story

“TALE OF THE PHARMACIST” by Sivaram Govindaraj

I was seated in a comfortable chair in the terrace of the building. It was night time and a pleasant soft breeze was blowing causing the live coals in the hookah in front of me to glow. Someone came and put in something on the coals, and they glowed brighter for moments as smoke curled upwards. I put the inhaler from the hookah between my lips and drew the smoke in. In seconds I landed on a sea shore with my bag. It was morning. The sea was calm and waves lazily lapped the sand on the shore. Two fishing ...

4 comments 4
Read story

“THE EGG AMID CAULIFLOWERS” by Sivaram Govindaraj

That morning I was dressed and was about to leave for work when my wife called out to me saying “See what I found amongst cauliflowers delivered this day.” It was a Friday and the firm USER NEEDS which handled all kinds of deliveries, had as usual, delivered grocery and vegetables ordered by us. I saw what she showed me. It looked like a metal sculpture.  My wife said “It’s well over a kg in weight.”I studied the object but couldn’t make out what it was. It looked like an egg started b...

3 comments 3
Read story

“IN THE END” by Sivaram Govindaraj

The city of Madras is in the south of India and had been developed during British rule. It has its population of Anglo-Indians and I was one among them – a male. I was born there to a middle class family. I asked my dad about mother and was told she had passed away shortly after I was born. It was my father who raised me. He put me to school and after I had finished, gave me the option of taking up work or studying further. I chose to become my father’s apprentice in the small workshop he owned servicing...

0 comments 0
Read story

“CASE OF THE STOLEN NOSE RING” by Sivaram Govindaraj

CASE OF THE STOLEN NOSE RINGThat evening I was absorbed in reading a monograph on a remedy for snake bite when Martha came in and said “Dr.Watson, the chimney sweep wants a word with you.”I said “At this hour! Why?”“May be he expects a tip for the job he has done.” I said “Alright, let him in.”In a moment a blackened chimney sweep in a dirty cap stood before me carrying his special broom. I heard him say “Watson, I’m glad you didn’t recognize me.” I immediate...

2 comments 2
Read story

“A PERSONAL MEMOIR” by Sivaram Govindaraj

A PERSONAL MEMOIRHow did I become a diarist? I guess it was in my genes! My grandfather had been in British colonial service, and we had a whole cupboard of diaries he had filled. After his time, I still remember my granny urging my dad who held them to destroy the diaries which he did.  What they contained and why they had to be destroyed I will never know! An attractive new diary came to me at the start of a new year, and instinct made me take up maintaining it!I will begin wit...

1 comment 1
Read story

Author bio

Sivaram Govindaraj has not written a bio yet!