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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 18 of 29

From other's point of view

Submitted to Contest #94

Many a times we are reluctant to listen to our well-wishers when they choose to guide us through their own experiences and hardships. Here we are trying to portray this truth of life through a small conversation. Our main characters Alina, the mother and Alisa, the daughter are just fighting like enemies. Alisa is totally disturbed with continuous taunting from her mother for something that she does not like. But Alina is always full of energy to show her right path and being a typical mother, she had chosen the path of comparing her with ot...

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The Money Plant

Submitted to Contest #94

"It can't be true, it's not true," Meera heard herself saying. But, the noise around them grew louder. "He is guilty. Hang him to death," the violent mob screamed. Meera was shaking my shoulders enquiringly, asking dozens of questions. But, I could hear only the crowd and lost her voice to the chaos, or did I choose not to listen?Meera and I were an average couple who lived in the suburbs of Mumbai city. We were in our late forties, living together for fourteen years in a rented apartment in a high-rise tower in a plush society. She wor...

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Monkey Business

Submitted to Contest #94

Dear Ananya,First off, thank you for giving me the opportunity to critique your story, Monkey Business! I love being a part of the Critic Circle, don’t you? Of course, I’ve been a member for over a decade now, so I’m lucky I know all the ins and outs.What an imaginative piece that was. You could definitely tell your protagonist Madhu was off her rocker, talking to the monkey. As if a monkey could understand English! And of course, I get that if you trained a monkey for a long time in English, it would pick up a few words, but definitely not ...

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Write a story about someone sticking to a course of action even when it’s clearly wrong.

Submitted to Contest #94

Wound Everybody laughed loudly when Sambhav fell down. He felt ashamed. “ what's wrong with you.” Mr. Shah asked. Sambhav got up rubbing his clothes and crying with back pain. He said that someone threw banana skin. He stepped over it unknowingly and fell down. It seems someone has cheated upon me. “Anybody who has seen someone throwing banana skin,” come and tell me in the staff room. The student will be the rewarded pizza.” Mr. Shaw went into the staff room. This is not the first time that Sambhav has been teased. In that cla...

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Lost and Found

Submitted to Contest #93

This is not the first time they are coming to Madurai. Most of their relatives are here. So, they keep coming here every now and then. Most times, Muthu’s dad comes alone for family events like weddings, births and deaths. Sometimes, his mom also joins his dad if it is in a closer relative’s house. Once in a year or so, all of them come together if it is in a very close relative’s house. Last time, they came here six months back for Alagar uncle’s wedding. Muthu was not even two years old at that time. He wouldn’t remember anything from th...

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Tale of the Ponytail

Submitted to Contest #93

Paro, a 29-year-old holding veil in her teeth firmly with a frowning brow walking through the busy streets of Old Delhi lanes while her saree constantly hindering her fast pace footsteps. She approaches a telephone booth and requests the booth owner to let her make a phone call urgently. The owner eyes the long queue outside the phone booth and then the helplessness with the Paro is requesting. He makes a decision while combing his already set hair and comes out of his shop letting everyone hold until Paro makes a call. A lady overheard a mo...

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The Treasure Hunt

Submitted to Contest #93

 -----------The Treasure Hunt ------ Bindu was walking around in the parking lot which was almost empty now. Mira was sitting on the ground, yawning. The cold tiles of the parking lot were still more comfortable than the rough floor of their huts. It was 3 in the morning. they were waiting for that last car to leave. Bindu would stop every two minutes and look at her cheap old watch.  “When the hell will they leave?” she murmured. “I thought these parties always end late. Are you in a hurry?” Mira asked her. She...

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Dance the Life Away

Submitted to Contest #93

“I am better at home only, besides there is rarely someone my age there,” cried Chacha Ji from the far end of the house, “I have this habit of staying alone, you’ll please enjoy.” Swagat gazed at his father not believing, and said, “It's alright dad, I will stay with you the whole time.”  Chacha Parminder had been living in a village named Tautar about a hundred miles from the city. He had been living in the village his entire life, earlier with the whole family, and later with his wife Chachi Rama, after the children left to mind their...

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Euphoria

Submitted to Contest #93

Content warning: drug use The snow looks white from afar. Pure white. But the closer you get to it, the more you can see that it’s actually grey. The snow looks white from where I’m standing.        * I can’t stand here forever in this book store, right across from where there’s a party going on just underneath my feet. People must have started drinking by now. Some might be high. It doesn’t matter. Maybe I can’t go to this party after all. Maybe I’m not ready. But I suppose I have to at some point, I have to ge...

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Light after darkness

Submitted to Contest #92

LIGHT AFTER DARKNESS Have you ever heard cliches such as “Every cloud has a silver lining”, “there is light at the end of every tunnel” and rolled your eyes. Irrespective of whether you have or have not, this story is about a girl who did. Her name is Deepa, after a traditional source of light, and she lives in a city that is known for its bright flashy lights. And yet, Deepa shunned the light around her and preferred darkness. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? Well, read on to find out more. Deepa, a bright student from a premier coll...

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Nanhi si Aasha (Little Hope)

Submitted to Contest #92

She slept so peacefully, in the arms of the new father. Ajay, had been blessed by a daughter. After the first cries from having had to leave the comfort of her mother's loving shade, she now rested into the embrace of her father. Assured that the light she was now learning to perceive, in her father's embrace was equally as safe as the darkness of the womb that had provided for her from her coming into existence. As if on that note, Ajay thought that he could see a tiny smile curl up on the baby’s face! “This is what pure happiness feels lik...

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Dogecoin

Submitted to Contest #92

I am in my basement, in my bedroom. Curtains closed. Door closed. It is 3 AM. Tuesday morning. I feel that my life is over. I see no light at the end of the tunnel. Why am I still alive? Why was I brought into this world? I have known Ricky since he was a three and half and I was five. We spent a great time of our childhood together. Especially the summers once school was done for the year. Ricky’s dad knew well my dad from their hometown in London, England. Now we live in Toronto, Canada. I think from my first ever memories ever, Ricky ...

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In the Valley of the Shadow of Death

N K

Submitted to Contest #92

Author’s note: ‘Ammachy’ is a term of address meaning ‘mother’ in the state of Kerala in India. In this story and in real life, it is used to address a grandmother. Malayalam is the state language (and a palindrome).  Day 90 Maya She is bombarded by the light reflecting off the whiteness of the hospital’s ICU, as though her grandmother has already left this earth and they have followed her to Heaven. It is not a comforting, warm light that makes her want to take the type of impeccably-lit pictures that flood her Instagram feed. No...

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Rising of Monarch Again.

Submitted to Contest #92

The Whole city was covered in darkness.The city of Lahore....The Moon was thinking to shed off all his light.He was Sad.He said to himself, " Maybe I can finish darkness of sky but how can i finish darkness inside the Earth?" His light suddenly started to fade away so that no day will rise again and no cruelty will take place in the land beneath him.He was fighting with the light.If the sun rises the trial will be done on the land.The execution of the truth and rule of evil will establish.Moon cannot deny the fact that his existance was temp...

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Childhood: Lost and Found

Submitted to Contest #92

01 October 2020Mumbai, the city of fulfilling the dreams was never a quiet place. The busy roads, honking of vehicles, people rushing towards railway stations to catch the local trains, people going to work, everyone wants to work at faster pace. The 21st century is all about accomplishing more and more. With hustle- bustle all around, one can estimate how time flies in the “City of Work”. One can yearn for stillness but the time flies. No second is same as previous one; repercussion of being surrounded by workaholics all around.With sea fac...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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