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Discover weekly, the best short stories

Looking for a steady supply of desi short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

430+ Desi Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. Discover the magic of Desi stories in this directory of short stories, curated by our panel of judges.

Desi Short Stories – Page 15 of 29

33 days

Submitted to Contest #101

TW: domestic violence   He hugged her from behind. Married. Finally. She thought. How long was it now? 8 months. That was not a long relationship. But they had so many hurdles to cross, it felt so long. Even though they both lived in Montreal, they had typically Indian parents, who were against marrying for love. Her father was the hardest to convince. It was like in movies, she was engaged to someone else for 5 whole days. But then Raj himself broke it off. God bless him. He figured out that her heart wasn’t in it.    How iro...

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THE LONELY IMAGE OF A GIRL

Submitted to Contest #101

The reflection says it a lot. She had never imagined that She was once a called a happy girl. She had a beautiful family of four. My dad, my brother, my mother and me. She recalls all those memories that she had spent through my entire 20 years. She was born with a cute image representing her mother. Over the years, she grew to be a healthy and a beautiful girl. Golden brown eyes, brown curls, short image adorned her features. She was a straight A student during her school her. Though she was bullied, she always managed to put a smile on her...

9 likes 1 comment 1
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To Take out the Trash

Submitted to Contest #101

tw: domestic violence This story is about someone who, despite taking out the trash many times before, does so one morning with his heart rate high.  Chennai city is famous for so many things. Filter Coffee, cricket teams, asking ‘Can I?’ instead of ‘May I?’, beach-side romance, cinema fandom unity, the list is endless.  Negatively, of course, it is famous for its slums, roadside spittles, illiteracy, child labour, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. But the entirety of the South Indian state of Tamilnadu, of which Chennai is the capi...

11 likes 2 comments 2
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Masala Dosa

Submitted to Contest #100

Masala Dosa Yesterday evening, I went to the ParDesi Restaurant & Bar near Harvard Square to reward myself for completing a big project: FedEx had just picked up my revised research proposal for overnight delivery to a federal health agency.  I went alone, afraid that thoughts about the success of the proposal would distract me from being good company.  I was wrong. “Bhabi kither?” asked Salim, the owner, at the foyer.  This Indian custom of making total strangers into close relatives had always annoyed me.  Accor...

7 likes 0 comments 0
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What happens over dinner...matters!

Submitted to Contest #100

Life had thrown him many a challenge. Some more insurmountable than the others. But he had found a way. Always. His positive disposition and strength of character invariably saw him through. It is never easy to bring up a kid, let alone three. And he had to do it single handedly. Destiny had cruelly snatched the love of his life in her prime. A void too huge to fill. But he had stuck it out. Day in and day out. Managing work and life with great aplomb. And without complaints. The best part of the day, right from when the kids were...

6 likes 0 comments 0
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In Pursuit of Moksha

Submitted to Contest #100

 “Aaron, you utter fool!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. And it was needed, very much needed. In the three hours that I had spent walking in circles with him, I had blamed him every second. And rightly so, too. I mean it was his idea to explore more of the beautiful Indian jungle behind our little motel, when the rest of our crew had decided to stay indoors. “I’m sorry, Kat. I really am,” his voice sounded genuine. But that didn’t help with the fact that we were lost, in an unknown jungle outside a small town in India! I felt my ...

9 likes 8 comments 8
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Turning the tables

Submitted to Contest #100

“But why not, Mummy?” “Because she prefers sitting on the floor. Now hush and chew your food.” Shrey’s mother Reena cast a furtive glance towards the kitchen before turning to her six-year-old. He was still staring at his plate with a mild frown, his lower lip stuck out slightly in a gesture that meant he was about to unleash another barrage of questions.  “But ‘member, when I asked you last week why Swapna aunty doesn’t sit at the table like us and use our plates for lunch, didn’t you say it was because she doesn’t want to sit with...

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Chef

Submitted to Contest #100

There live a small family in the city of Maharashtra. They have four members. The youngest member, Trisha always cooks meals for them. Every member of the family has a different choice. Her mom Mina likes boiled, and her brother Kailash loves spicy food. She always has to keep in mind while cooking the meals that everyone has different choices except her father Prabhat, who never complains. Even Trisha herself is choosy while coming to cooking. It is very difficult for anyone to cook for everyone who has different tastes. Sometimes there is ...

8 likes 0 comments 0
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The Visitor

Submitted to Contest #100

The key clicked in the lock, and the front door squeaked open. Startled, Ananya rushed towards the kitchen. Her mother had asked her to mince the garlic into a paste, to make chutney. But, the moment she left, Ananya along with her ten-year-old brother had been glued to the television. “How come onions hike up within a week?” Janaki tucked the loose end of her sari, and placed the grocery bags on the kitchen counter. “Stop grumbling ma!” “Grumbling?” she said. “You too will, when you have to run a family on your own!” Ananya made a sour face...

18 likes 2 comments 2
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Events Reported at Tapasya Paratha Junction

Submitted to Contest #100

Myself, Jaspal Singh Rana, and the other guy, Yatinder Singh. Picture the scene at Tapasya Paratha Junction, home of the mega-paratha. The two of us sitting on opposite sides of the table, our eyes boring into each other, our mouths open, tongues glistening, stomachs emptied out in preparation. Three enormous parathas, those mouth-wateringly flaky breads, enough for a small army, piled up next to each of us. It was time to decide who had the winning stomach, whose gastric juices could mount the greatest attack, whose intestines could take th...

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A Friend in Need

Submitted to Contest #100

A Friend in Need I reached the Crown Palace hotel as early as one o’clock though the time fixed for our lunch was 13:30. Since I had a full thirty minutes to wait I sat in the lounge and picked up one of the glossy magazines lying on the table. My mind was not, however, on the pages of the magazine but on the unfairness of my bosses who had posted me to Mumbai. I had requested them to post me at Delhi as I had to look after my old parents who lived in a town close to Delhi, and though the Director had assured me that he’d look sympatheticall...

9 likes 1 comment 1
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A Cup of Tea

Submitted to Contest #100

Weakness brought to a boil. The contents of the vessel were simmering together, thickening to a creamy texture. I heard the tapping of the raindrops as pellets hammering against my kitchen's windowpane. So was my heart against my chest. A welcome so warm, I said to myself, curving my lips to a smile. I dared not turn around. I was standing still, seemingly lost into the patterns of the frothy tea, while I could feel his sharp glances boring into my back. How was one supposed to break the ice as cold as this? He cleared his throat, r...

11 likes 4 comments 4
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AN ABIDING AROMA

Submitted to Contest #100

The kitchen was a total mess but, in a good way. The multi-colored counter was not less than those festive streamers and confetti which Mrs. Suhani Khanna loved to decorate her house with during Diwali or any other festival. The yellow, orange, red and green bell peppers looked so vibrant and their rich aroma when Suhani tossed them in the pan with butter is mesmerizing. The chicken pieces which were resting overnight in the fridge getting an exclusive treatment with hung curd are now ready for the Big-day. A pot full of milk is kept on the ...

16 likes 4 comments 4
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Neeta

Submitted to Contest #100

I wiped off my forehead instinctively- more like a habit rather than a need. The stuffy old kitchen, which has bore years old stains of curry stains and sticky sweetness, was then filled with steam and humidness. I could sense the whiff of biryani from the counter, the punchy fragrance of rezala and all other dishes that I had hastily prepared. It smelled of routine tasks and paroles, like a worn-down laptop with dilapidated keys and dimming screen. To me, it was more a duty to be fulfilled, less a kingly meal. I always had this unique qua...

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A Happy Meal

Submitted to Contest #100

"Come here dear, let us just sit down together and eat, sitting side by side." "Why, what is wrong? Why do you suddenly want to sit and eat together? You know I have a lot of work to do. I can't just leave everything and sit to eat with you just because you want me to do so. I'll eat after I finish all my work." Harsh pounder about the words said by his wife and than grudgingly told her, "Sanju I'm going than. I have a lot of work to do myself. I'm not free you know. The annual tax month is going on and this is a very hard month for me. I'll...

7 likes 0 comments 0
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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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