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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.

150+ 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 2 of 10

Echoes of Dvaraka (Part 1)

Submitted to Contest #300

The year was 12491 AD.Humanity’s descendants, part-organic, part-synthetic, no longer called Earth home. Their bloodlines flowered among the stars — from fragile colonies on ice moons to sprawling cities orbiting crimson suns.The proudest cradle was K2-18b, a wet, green world beneath a cool red star, hundreds of light-years away. It was there the children of Earth learned to breathe new air, to speak new tongues, and to forget.Yet for all their advancements, memory tugged like a gravity that could not be escaped.And so they returned, a handf...

40 likes 18 comments 18
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Dear Diary, Reminder: Delete Mum

Submitted to Contest #299

Chapter 1 Tuesday, 14th MarchSchool was… meh. Maths test. I think I failed. But then Riya said she guessed every answer and got 80%, so there’s hope for me. Mum packed methi thepla again. Smelled like the entire Indian aisle exploded in my bag. Wednesday, 15th March Had P.E. today. Was made to run. WHY? I hate running. Always messes my hair afterward. Thursday, 16th March Okay. So. Today… I saw R. In the hallway. He had his hoodie half-zipped and was drinking a smoothie. Somehow he made it look cool. I walked past him and said, “Hi.” He did...

6 likes 1 comment 1
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One-in-a-Gazillion Chance

Submitted to Contest #299

One-in-a-Gazillion ChanceSharon sighed heavily as she looked out the window at the tourist signs, but didn’t say a word for a while. Finally, she exploded, “This has been a very difficult trip for me. I have either been attending conferences or been working on my office project, throughout this trip. Working late every night. You two have had a great time on this trip, but…” Her husband, Dilip, said. “I’m sorry you’ve been so busy with tight deadlines.” He looked over at his daughter, Darla, sitting beside him in the passenger seat. “It’s tr...

5 likes 1 comment 1
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Here, You Are Already Enough

Submitted to Contest #298

When the letter arrived, Ali nearly tossed it into the recycling bin. It was tucked between credit card offers and a takeout menu, and it bore the familiar handwriting of someone he hadn’t seen in twelve years. His uncle.Ali turned it over in his hands like a foreign object. He hadn’t spoken to anyone from that side of the family since he was eighteen—not since the funeral, not since the fights, not since everything fell apart.Ali, Your grandfather’s house is being sold. You’re listed on the deed, thanks to something your father arranged lo...

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Becoming Lily

Submitted to Contest #298

Becoming LilyChapter 1: The Platform Lily stood on the cold, graffiti-covered subway platform, a large suitcase in one hand and a stiff coffee in the other. She checked and double-checked the arrival time on the screen, fighting the persistent urge to turn around, run back up the stairs, and take a right — straight into her old life. Or… she could hop on the train toward an unknown future.It was 10:02 a.m., and Lilly’s train was due at 10:14. The platform was surprisingly quiet. Maybe people were still working from home, or maybe she’d just ...

5 likes 2 comments 2
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A question of life and death

Submitted to Contest #297

Tick-tock, tick-tock, went the clock, as slowly and disparagingly as it could. Ameer was listening the clock tick patiently from atop the roof. He hesitantly placed one foot over the ledge, then with far more conviction counted to himself "1,2,3," before he leapt and jumped down. Time seemed to stop, or perhaps that was just inside Ameer's head. Nevertheless, things must go on. The heavens above noticed him. As in happiness, likewise in misery. But the heavens did nothing, except for when the last few moments in the life of an individual w...

7 likes 0 comments 0
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Everthing Except the Wedding

Submitted to Contest #296

Today wasn’t important because of the holy matrimony of two people. The joining of a union and what have you. Today was important to the staff of the wedding venue because if they played their cards right, their new boss would be fired and their old one, who was much less micromanagey would return. Today was important because the duel of which family was more impressive would be put to an end because by the reception, they’d be one big happy family.“We have to show everyone else how good our family is. Blah blah blablabla,” the elders had le...

9 likes 3 comments 3
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I Just Wanted to Help

Submitted to Contest #296

The garage door hissed open with a pneumatic sigh, and Rohan stepped inside with a box nearly as tall as him. “Alright, everyone—come here! You’re gonna want to see this.”Divya, his teenage daughter, didn’t look up from her phone. “Is it another rice cooker that sings or something?”Meera emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her dupatta, eyes narrowing. “Rohan, what now?”Rohan set the box down in the middle of the living room and grinned. “Prototype K-7. We’re calling him Kip.”The box hummed. Then clicked. A side panel unfolded, and ...

39 likes 19 comments 19
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Five Letters

Submitted to Contest #296

My dearest one,The story that you ask me to recount to you has been one you’ve desired since you were old enough to eavesdrop on my conversations with your mother. I know your father intends to hand over the reins of the family business to you once you’ve finished your studies and it is your right to know the truth.My sister, Kashvi, was the eldest of us five girls, following the still births of two sons before her. Consequently, she was the light of my father’s life. My grandfather believed she was the gift of god to make up for the two son...

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there is no hiding inside the passage of time

Submitted to Contest #295

The ache is bone deep. Nova’s eyes fixed on the page. Tapah, in Sanskrit, meant both “involuntary pain experienced by the senses” and “voluntary control of the senses.” An itch was like that, it had a way of summoning such opposing forces. Scratching is so abrasive, so demeaning, so unforgiving, that it forced her to embody a sort of convoluted self restraint. She dug deep within her psyche to stop her nails from digging deep into her flesh with austerity fit for a saint. The walls in her room began their normal chanting; it’s what awoke her...

3 likes 1 comment 1
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Clockwork

Submitted to Contest #295

The inside of an ambulance is scary. There is a sense of urgency, rightfully, but the environment lacks a certain confidence. There are IV tubes hanging around, which as they move reflect light rather playfully. It is kind of like a discotheque, absurdly. I think I am on opioids, for pain not pleasure. In the faint light I can see dried blood stains - each carrying a memory of a prior trip, a prior life. There is a light on the top of the ambulance roof outside, blaring an ominous signal, that to me seems to be pointing to the imminent end.T...

5 likes 0 comments 0
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My first air travel

Submitted to Contest #293

The very first time I flew by an airplane was when I was in my early twenties. I was in my first job and was asked to travel from New Delhi to Chennai (then Madras). This was also pretty exciting for me because this was a journey of almost 3 hours by air, and I felt quite important.As I started preparing, I realized I had no suitcase or luggage rack.My mom dug through our stores and came up with an old, brown-colored attaché which had a disinterested lock and a reluctant zip. It was a familiar artefact, one that likely came over with Mom whe...

4 likes 2 comments 2
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story inspired by my favorite color

Submitted to Contest #292

There is nothing like "perfect life" and you as a person own emotions vs habit. Living in a huge city is like exploring life closely and every day is an opportunity you take to jump-off from your fears. When talking about fears we can start a story about a girl who adores blue but fear from seas. From many uncounted days, Kaya was dreaming of drowning in the sea and unable to swim back to shore and every time she wakes up sweating and assures that she's save. She told her mother," I fear of sleeping now because I will see that dream again"....

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The colors of life

Submitted to Contest #292

"Would you like to have another cup of chai?" Geetha asked her husband. It would be the sixth cup since morning if Bharath agreed. He needs a cup of tea every time he is tired or bored. Two or three cups a day was the norm on regular days. The boredom of staying at home after retirement would have contributed to the increase in frequency. He has already consumed more today. She couldn't understand what was going on in Bharath's mind for wanting more tea. She waited for Bharath's response, but he seemed lost in his world. "Bharath!" Geetha ra...

3 likes 2 comments 2
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Soley Red

Submitted to Contest #292

A white figure ran through the night. Their hair illuminated by the glistening moonlight and jewelry exuded by the palace's torches. She scurried across the bricked bridge, past the gurgling river, into the city square, vanishing into the pricks of a thousand amber lights. Lost until daylight Rayna peered at the girl through her window,  fingers curling around the golden frames. The slight glimpse of her beauty was enough to tighten her throat sore.  She knew she couldn't match it.  The youth she held was incomparable, an el...

3 likes 2 comments 2
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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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