The ringing of bells and the chanting of priests echoed resonantly through her ears. The smog from the fire was soaring higher and higher in the air. The waft of incense sticks hovered in the room. The instant Neha came out of the room, she felt as if she could finally take a breath. Nobody understood how troublesome it was for an atheist to be a part of a pooja. For her, it was like being somewhere she did not belong. She didn’t understand the purpose of believing in God because she could believe in herself and that belief was what mattered to her. Although, she didn’t have much choice. Most of the times, when anyone heard about her being an atheist, they would get startled; all the more because for people around her an ideal girl should have been following their rules of devotion. Her mother believed that religious worship was crucial as she thought that God was the only one who could protect her at all times.
Tag Archives: Fiction
Two To Tango By Soma & Haritha – Special Mentions
At Beyond the Box, we are constantly thinking of ideas to give something unique, refreshing as well as challenging to our community of writers. Two to Tango was one such endeavour to encourage the participants to work along with another writer as a team and bring about a creative synergy. 66 teams participated in this one-of-its-kind contest and the winners were chosen by an eclectic jury panel comprising of prolific authors Ramendra Kumar, Shilpa Suraj and Apeksha Rao. Below prompt was given to the writers and they were asked to narrate the same story from two different points of view.
Continue reading Two To Tango By Soma & Haritha – Special Mentions
The Sports Buzz
Another day passed by with another medal for the Corry Saints High School trophy room. A close call for the basketball finals, but they brought home the trophy with a score of 20-18. Finally home after a laborious, tiresome week of training, Sophie slumped onto her bed, her face red and sweaty. Hours passed and she hadn’t moved an inch. The tick of the clock became faint as Sophie dozed off, slipping into her own world. Her alarm buzzed at sharp 5 and jolted her awake.
Rogue Paths
I wake up to find myself handcuffed to the hospital bed. The drug they injected me with to tame me seems to be wearing off. Ugh! This again. Better to get it over with, I guess. I drag my free hand into my bun and retrieve a small blade. As usual the dumb police never bothered to check in there thinking a man’s bun would just be a fashion statement. I twist to my side and turn the blade in the keyhole clockwise. My hand comes free. I learnt to pick locks when I was young, one of my many talents. I shake my hand hard to get rid of the stiffness and get up from the bed.
The Household Problems
Tushar was your regular 16-year-old teen. He studied at a school near his home and walked to school every day. One Wednesday morning, there was a thunderstorm. It seemed to describe his mood better than he could. His parents were having another stupid and petty argument, while his grandparents had put on the television for the entire building to hear. With the amount of noise coming from their house alone, he wouldn’t be surprised if they won a prize for the noisiest household on the land. Along with all that, there was school pressure because their teachers were barely giving the children any time to study, and he couldn’t concentrate at home with the television turned on 24/7 at a blaring high volume.
A thought is nothing without action
There once was a man who was very talented. He had a special place in his brain that he would often visit. He called it ‘the world of imagination’. Whenever he was out of ideas, he would visit the place in his brain and get plenty of ideas. But, after a few years, he took the place for granted.
Two To Tango By Shreyas & Aditya – Special Mentions
At Beyond the Box, we are constantly thinking of ideas to give something unique, refreshing as well as challenging to our community of writers. Two to Tango was one such endeavour to encourage the participants to work along with another writer as a team and bring about a creative synergy. 66 teams participated in this one-of-its-kind contest and the winners were chosen by an eclectic jury panel comprising of prolific authors Ramendra Kumar, Shilpa Suraj and Apeksha Rao. Below prompt was given to the writers and they were asked to narrate the same story from two different points of view.
Continue reading Two To Tango By Shreyas & Aditya – Special Mentions
Misunderstandings – Father’s Day Special Story Feature
Ivy drags herself out of bed on the freezing morning. It’s the same, tedious routine she has to follow, day after day. Wash, get dressed, have a meagre breakfast, then walk to the college campus, because they can’t afford the bus. Still, her life isn’t nearly as bad as some of the other kids she knows at college.
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The Bright Side
The resounding sound made by the alarm was enough to wake Sheela up. Though the alarm rang every day, she was tired of this routine. Her work every day was just this. Waking up at 5 AM; finishing cooking by 7:45 AM; sending off her son and husband; doing the household chores; having lunch; taking a nap for an hour; picking her son up from school; the chores again; eating; sleeping; waking up the next day at 5 AM.
Two To Tango By Payal & Nidhi – Special Mentions
At Beyond the Box, we are constantly thinking of ideas to give something unique, refreshing as well as challenging to our community of writers. Two to Tango was one such endeavour to encourage the participants to work along with another writer as a team and bring about a creative synergy. 66 teams participated in this one-of-its-kind contest and the winners were chosen by an eclectic jury panel comprising of prolific authors Ramendra Kumar, Shilpa Suraj and Apeksha Rao. Below prompt was given to the writers and they were asked to narrate the same story from two different points of view.
Continue reading Two To Tango By Payal & Nidhi – Special Mentions