Fozia Khan lay on her Charpoy under the open sky. The night in the Tank district was still. From far away came the sound of frogs near the water channel, and sometimes a dog barked in the distance. The moonlight made her face even more beautiful, and her eyes stayed open, full of thoughts. She was not thinking about sleep. She was thinking about her future, life and the people around her. She wanted to become a doctor, not for pride or money but to bring change to her village. Whenever floods came, people were trapped. Women suffered the most. There were no schools, no clinics, no bridge to cross the heavy water. Many pregnant women lost their babies on the way to the hospital. Some never reached it at all. Fozia wanted to stop these stories of pain. She wanted to be the one who could save lives. She…
It was 11:55 p.m. when he stepped out of Moscow’s Lefortovo Metro Station. His whole body ached; his legs trembled. His eyes were sleepy.…
A sunny Friday morning in May. It is only nine o’clock, yet the heat is already oppressive. Kolkata, the City of Joy, simmers under…
Look, I’m not saying Ramu was a liar exactly. My mother would’ve called him “creative with the truth.” He sold fruit near the old…
I was merrily walking past a lively street, the way the auburn trees touch the skies as if asking for a peck, just for…
The mosque at the corner of the bazaar kept its own small weather. At night, the courtyard took on a blue hue. Lamps breathed,…
It was early spring, and the sweet sounds of birds, buzzing bees, and the smell of blooming flowers had filled the small neighbourhood located…
As Asutosh comes out of the railway station, it is almost 10 PM. The station is relatively small, with a single room belonging to…
Carole sat on the piano bench beside her son Chris, a study in genetic diversity. She was petite, shapely, with green eyes and blond…
It is a humid Monday morning in October. At the bus stands of Kolkata, office-goers jostle and push, fighting for space in packed private…
