Wednesday, March 16, 2022

The Common Man




Sometimes, I doubt if being a common man is praiseworthy. This common man has the most challenging life on this planet. He is not guaranteed any comforts from birth and has to work towards it. He faces all the downs when the economy is at the brink. He rarely enjoys the upside when the economy is doing terrific, but he sure gets a coupon here and there to enjoy the perks.


The Commoner is a brutal hit whenever a catastrophic event occurs. When politicians strike countries, this common man suffers. 

When Mother Nature strikes, he faces the brunt of it. When inflation is at its highest, this common man suffers since his pay does not increase; as a result, it restricts his power of purchases.


Amidst all these hassles of everyday life, he also faces dishonest officials who want to churn out the small resources that this common man has saved for emergencies. Corruption makes the common man be strip naked.


This common man suffers a lot throughout his lifetime, but he always meets with a smile and extends a hand when another man is in trouble. 


Although the daily hassles demotivate me, I am proud to be this common man, but the inner conscious speaking to me constantly makes me feel how blessed I am to have a conscious since many people have lost it amidst the hustle-bustle of life.


Being a common man is challenging, but it takes a lot of work and motivation to walk a single step.


Jai Ho! 





Friday, February 18, 2022

In a Rush

 




"Hons, running late. Could you please zip me up?" commanded Tara as she exposed her back to her beau, who was busy on his phone. 


"Hold on. Just sending this message," he said with a frown and squinted eyes. 


"Zzzzippppp!" came the sound, but it stopped midway. 


"Oh-oh!" 


"What happened?" Tara shrieked.


"It's got stuck in the cloth." 


"Gosh! I don't have time to change or mend it. Let me cover it with a jacket." 


"In June?" asked Rahil with raised eyebrows. 


"I'll pretend I'm feverish and may be coming down with something." she winked with a sly smile. 





In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about zippers. What are the zippers for? What challenges do they present to the story? Go where the prompt leads!

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

A Surprise Test

 


"What! How can that be?" I howled, "How can our teacher give us a surprise test?" I exclaimed as I sat on the bench with a thud staring at the paper while rubbing the back of my neck. 

I chewed my pen while fingering my necklace, trying to find the solution to those questions. 

Just then, the alarm buzzed. 

I woke up with a start with sweat on my forehead. 

When I realized my surroundings, I pressed my palm against my eyes and gave out shaky laughter.

"Oh! God, I promise I'm going to study before this comes true!" 


 In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that includes anxiety. Who has anxiety or what is the source? Is there conflict? How can you use anxiety to further a story? Go where the prompt leads!

Monday, January 24, 2022

Once Bitten, Twice a Bang!

 


In the Fall of 2010, my dad beat the first round of cancer, and things had started to look up. 


wished many things then for him and us as a family. 


I had hoped he would visit me, start his business again after taking a hiatus, and success would be all his!!


 After all, even lady luck has a heart and strikes when we are at our lowest point in life. 


Alas! the Universe had some other plans. 


Cancer came back with a bang, and the cosmos took him away from us within a wink of an eye. 


In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about “the wish I made.” Whose wish is it and how does it fit into the story? What kind of wish? Go where the prompt leads!

Friday, November 12, 2021

Water Gun Play

 


I woke up to a loud squeak. 

"What's happening?" I inquired with urgency. 

I saw my children play with water guns in the house. 

"No! we don't play with squirt guns." I disapproved while staring at the wet couch and puddles of water everywhere. 

"But why, mom. It's summertime." they protested in unison.

I took a deep sigh as if I agreed with what they had just said, directed them outdoors.

They both looked confused since the sun was over their head. 

 With a grin, I said, "Carry on! Make a mess; wet all that you want; it'll dry."



 In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story using the phrase “carry on.” It can be an expression of perseverance or behaving in a particular way. It can even be luggage you take when traveling. Go where the prompt leads!


Monday, September 20, 2021

Steady Gallop




Being an empty nester has more pros than cons. The house is cleaner than before, with not much on the to-do list. The driving from one class to another is bygone. The constant chattering and the back n fourth arguments are on silent mode. 


Over the years, we've taught him the values of Life by discriminating right from wrong and emphasized discipline, respect, and hard work. 


Now, it's time to sit back and watch the show. 


Hopefully, it'll be a stable rhythmic ride where the kiddo will learn new things and move forward with steady gallop like a stallion. 



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In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about a Big Black Horse. It can be a horse, a metaphor or an interpretation of KT Tunstall’s “Big Black Horse and a Cherry Tree.” Go where the prompt leads!

Friday, September 10, 2021

A Tiny Flaw






To the lightly roasted course semolina, add one cup of lukewarm milk. 

Allow it to cook on a slow flame. 

Once it's semi-solid, add half a cup of granulated sugar.

Give it a vigorous stir before turning off the gas.

Now, I'm going to serve the audience. 

I said with a wide smile as I approached them with serving bowls garnished with sliced almonds. 

With fingers crossed, I watched them take a spoonful of my sweet dish into their mouth. 

They ejected the morsel in unison. 

"Major flaw!" one declared.

"You've put salt instead of sugar." the other screeched. 



In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about the cooking show. It can be any cooking show, real or imagined. Who is there? What happens? Make it fun or follow a disaster. Go where the prompt leads!