The Things we do for Love

It was plain bad luck that he was contemplating this barely a fortnight before Valentine’s Day, but come to think of it, he had felt it coming for a while.

He quickly glanced outside the window of the flat he had shared with his bride for six months now, and caught sight of their old, rather unfriendly neighbour staring suspiciously, a torch in his left hand and a cellphone in the other.

The only dustbin the flat had was in the kitchen and if truth be told, it was rather gruesome even by his own villainous standards, to visualise the chopping into tiny pieces; he was no accomplished criminal.

It wouldn’t be long before either the neighbour or the smell gave him away, and on second thoughts, the whole impulsive plan started to seem a bad idea.

Minutes later, he sat across the table from his cheerful wife, smilingly gulping down the horrible food that he had been unsuccessful in disposing of, and whose true character he hadn’t the heart to disclose.

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Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week, Lillie McFerrin posts a one word inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate can write a five sentence story based on the prompt word. The word does not have to appear in the five sentences, and is just for direction. This week: VILLAINOUS.

Now every Friday on Saddi Delhi.

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Matrimony

She had often sensed the extended family had a thing against her, though she could not pinpoint the reason behind their continued apathy towards her happiness.

Their cold-shouldering was endurable as long as the disregard pertained to her choice of career, style of dressing, and even her mental sanity, but when they started commenting on her relationship with her husband, it became unmanageable.

Her husband, bound to her by shyly enounced wedding vows many years ago, and love that had grown ever since, had always protected her from the woes of the world.

Although she knew her blessed matrimony aroused jealousy in some of the extended family, she thought it was unwarranted that they mask their true colours by looking at her suspiciously and proclaiming her marriage as dead.

Little did they know that every bedtime, when she had silenced the world’s judgment of normalcy and bereavement, he came to her in her dreams, rising from his funeral pyre to hold her close to his heart.

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Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week, Lillie McFerrin posts a one word inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate can write a five sentence story based on the prompt word. The word does not have to appear in the five sentences, and is just for direction. This week: BEDTIME.

Now every Friday on Saddi Delhi.

A Considered Decision

It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy living in her private house, located in a posh neighbourhood of the city, and acquired at a price so cheap it was almost ridiculous.

It was just that lately, the neighbourhood had started bustling with ill-mannered rogues that some people called innocent children, and they took liberties not only in pelting stones at her house but also in climbing up and breaking into her peace.

She knew some of her envious friends – did they still count as friends? – laughed at her behind her back and called her high-up accommodation a tree house, so snug they were about their cooped up homes in somebody else’s building.

When she woke up in the morning, the thought of inclement weather, unceasing ruckus and a hypocritical circle of acquaintances made her depressed and wistful for a change of location.

It indeed was time to abandon her nest in the society’s tallest tree, the pigeon thought as she flew away into the sunny sky, free as only a bird knows how to be.

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Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week, Lillie McFerrin posts a one word inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate can write a five sentence story based on the prompt word. The word does not have to appear in the five sentences, and is just for direction. This week: ABANDON.

Now every Friday on Saddi Delhi.

Will-o’-the-wisp

She might have reconciled to being a divorcee if only the world, with its long and interfering nose, had left her alone.

The only thing that could spoil her sister’s wedding, her middle-class parents’ honour in society, and the next generation of children in the family, was the presence of a young divorcee at home, probably let loose because of her lack of virtue.

While signing the divorce papers, she had seen freedom at close quarters, and had been thrilled to be finally discarding the loveless, tortuous relationship that had offered her nothing but pain.

A year later, she was married to a former widower, hailed by her parents to be the best match any tainted girl could expect, and to be honest, he did shower her with riches upon coming home drunk every night.

She held on to her new-found riches with utmost care; they had come at the cost of the freedom which she had tossed away, like an offering into the fire.

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Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week, Lillie McFerrin posts a one word inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate can write a five sentence story based on the prompt word. The word does not have to appear in the five sentences, and is just for direction. This week: OFFERING.

Now every Friday on Saddi Delhi.

The Unusual Suspect

She should have sensed there was danger the moment the door creaked, but the winter afternoon was deceiving in its temperament.

He inched closer from behind, while she pored over her book, oblivious to the danger that lurked in her household in Delhi – the city her parents had warned her against.

He had no motive but cold blood, and sneered as he clasped the weapon, silently picked up from her kitchen, tightly in his palm.

Though horror-struck, she could not scream; the weapon was effective, painful and shock-inducing.

The wall, painted fresh an hour ago, now sported a large blob of tomato ketchup, emptied carefully from a sachet.

Her five-year old son had feet as sure and silent as a cat.

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Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week, Lillie McFerrin posts a one word inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate can write a five sentence story based on the prompt word. The word does not have to appear in the five sentences, and is just for direction. This week: FRESH.

Now every Friday on Saddi Delhi.