• We launch two new novels this week, both written by writers who have been associated with the 4IW community right from our early days.  Suneetha's "Jaldimatrimony.com" will be her second novel to be published in 4IW, while Neha Gupta's "The Green Room" will be her fourth novel with us.  Judging from the very positive response generated by the writings of Suneetha and Neha in the past, we are confident that their latest work will be equally thought provoking and intellectually stimulating.  We look forward to some high quality reading experience in the coming months!

• A warm welcome to our new writer, Gargi Mehra!

        

Subhadra Pillai paused a moment and surveyed the scene ahead of her before she opened the car door and got out of the vehicle. The expensive, black, high heeled, sandals touched ground, first the right one, then the left. The golden jerry of her brilliant cherry red Kancheevaram silk saree framed her wrinkled but fair feet. The arm that extended to close the door was fair and plump and revealed half a dozen gold bangles and four rings on each of the fingers except the thumb. << MORE >>

There she stood… painting her reflection in the mirror… dressed in a transparent apparel of her own self… naked of all pretensions… devoid of the mask she had donned up till now… removing whatever traces of artificiality she could find on her face…. No longer was she the Savitri of the play Aadhe Adhure! She was herself… her true identity… Ragini Kashyap. She looked around and smiled. Everyone around her was engrossed in doing the same. << MORE >>

“You go from here promising me to take care of things, then you come back and suddenly you are an entirely different person. It’s as if some evil witch casts a spell on you and whoooosh! My husband is gone. Someone else possesses his mind and body.” Ankit looked a bit fiercely at Charu. Even she realized that she should not have used that ‘evil witch’. Trying to handle the damage, she quickly asserted, “ Now don’t you dare to think that I called your mother an evil witch. I’m way too sophisticated to indulge in this crude name-calling.<< MORE >>

After this Ramu never spoke to Lois again. She had changed her place in class and cut him dead. Ramu took on himself the role of a woman hater. He threw himself more deeply into his studies, and spent all his spare time in the library. The librarian Janet, a thin pony tailed girl with glasses, often tried to draw him into conversation, but Ramu cut her short, with curt remarks. It was almost time for the Easter Vacation. The confectioners were full of chocolates, bunnies and easter eggs. Fifth avenue shops sported spring dresses and coats of every hue. << MORE >>

His boat “Gale Force” was docked on the Astoria waterfront. I was comfortable in my warm clothes and wind cheater. But he gave me an additional blanket just in case the winds grew stronger. I could see he had even brought a picnic basket with him. As we sailed along, he filled me in a bit of local history. I heard how long before the white men came this way, the area was home to more than forty American Indian tribes. They lived off salmon from the river, and had bison to work their fields. They believed that Nature’s bounty of land, water and sky was theirs to enjoy. It was a symbiotic existence. << MORE >>

Dawn is minutes away; I can’t sleep. Can’t dream either. Dreams have continuity with wakefulness. I grope for continuity. Void. Yes, that is what I fumble in. Vacuum. Nothingness. Streaks of light across the eastern sky are reminders. That the sun will rise after some time, shed light. Will it rise again tomorrow? Dhiren sleeps soundly behind me, his days are long, one task after another, lists, chores, people, places, an endless eternity of engagement. Endless time for me. What will I do when the sun rises? Sleep? Bathe? Eat? I don’t know. I must be hungry now. Will Mita call me for breakfast as soon as daylight breaks? << MORE >>

I’ve never seen you polish off your breakfast so quickly, so early in the morning, and that too during vacations,” observes Ma, plonking down a glass of chocolate milk in front of me. “I’m dying to finish that Leon Uris book. Just the last few pages left to go,” I mumble as I polish off the milk in three large gulps. Ma is right. Vacations usually find me lazing around in bed. But this year is different. I have a goal – I must try to finish reading at least half the books in Chandumama’s (Mama=uncle) private library, and given the hundreds of books that he has, that’s quite a lot! << MORE >>

Chaaya sat on the floor, her fingers repeatedly pleating and crushing the edge of her saree. She looked at the tiny clock ticking from atop the little wooden shelf her husband had bought just last week. Both the clock and the shelf were new. She remembers now, Gopal had been on a buying spree for the past few weeks. First a clock, then a new saree full of sequins and beads just like the ones worn by those beautiful women on television, a fancy cycle for their three year old son, a shelf for her kitchen, two new fluffy pillows… << MORE >>

An anxious Madhu was waiting outside Doctor Rajeev’s clinic. She fiddled with her mobile phone, constantly looking at the screen if anyone was calling her up. She finally smiled when she saw Doctor Rajeev arriving at the clinic with an equally anxious couple. The Doctor led all of them inside his clinic and once they were seated he spoke “Mrs. Madhu, as I mentioned to you, the Guptas are delighted that you are ready to be a surrogate mother to their child. They have also said that they will bear all the expenses including any personal wishes or cravings that you have during the pregnancy.” The couple flashed a warm smile at Madhu but she was too nervous and continued fiddling with her phone. << MORE >>

Here moi was, waiting for the impossible to happen. Although moi knows it’s never going to happen, yet moi waits. Take for example we all know and moi too knows for sure that a fairy isn’t going to come over, wave her magic wand and turn moi into Cinderella or that my prince charming could come riding on a white horse. Ha, we know if any prince is to come – they sure aren’t going to depend on the old fashion mode of transport but would rather prefer fast wheels to get to their Cinderellas. << MORE >>

It is a fact the human body is vulnerable and is prone to wear and tear. We may be fine, hale and hearty for years when suddenly, out of the blue we are told that we might need an organ transplant. Where do we go? Who do we approach? How long do we have to wait till we can get the organ we want so desperately and urgently? Will we be getting a voluntary donation? Most often, organ transplants don’t come easily.<< MORE >>

This Monday’s newspapers told us Mumbai readers that the opening day tickets of Kambakkt Ishq for some halls were already sold out. When a film is being sold as a hit even before it is released, one starts suspecting that the film will not be too great. Particularly since its trailers have been singularly chauvinistic and offensive. Yet there is always a moment of weakness, when the lights dim, and you hope that the film that you are about to watch will not be as bad as you fear it will be. My hopes led to naught but my worst fears came true. << MORE >>

The Hangover is based on a rather whacky premise – that four friends wake up the night after a pre-wedding bachelor party, with no memories of the excesses of the night before – and is whacky enough at times. The foursome that leave for a road trip to Vegas two days before the wedding of one of them are Phil (Bradley) the school teacher, Stu (Ed Helms) the dentist, Alan (Zach Galifianakis) the bride’s brother and Doug (Justin Bartha) the groom. Tracy is the bride to whom the news is broken at the film’s beginning, on her wedding day, that the wedding is not likely to happen. << MORE >>

Why is it that most creative people suddenly pop off? History is proof of the fact that many people like artists, singers, dancers and other people related to the arts field tend to live full lives and then, suddenly crack under pressure. Why is it that you need extreme emotion and all kinds of paraphernalia to live a globally fulfilling life only to be cruelly snatched away from it all? << MORE >>

I, for one, jumped for joy when girls in Kanpur came out in a discernibly vocal protest against colleges trying to ban jeans and western clothes in campuses. Such a far cry from the early 80s when I was a student of Psychology at Allahabad University. The ‘ban’ had been internal, actually internalized. Having studied at so-called elitist schools in Dehradun I found the ban oppressive, to say the least. But did the ‘modest’ salwar kameez with a six-yard-long dupatta stop the eve teasers in their tracks? << MORE >>

“Since you were having your periods, so I didn’t ask you to accompany me. Otherwise I would have taken you to the temple.” I merely nodded after listening to the polite explanation given by my innocent mother-in-law for excluding me from worshipping in the temple that morning. Not that I was sad by it, rather I was happy to be in the cosy comfort of my bed to catch up on the precious morning hours of sleep. << MORE >>

One fine sunny morning when I was fifteen, I came across a huge advertisement in the newspaper touting a Scrabble competition in the city. I had just given my tenth standard Board Exams and was generally spending my days at home massaging my wrist and applying ice to it, as the pressure of filling twenty pages with my handwriting every day for a month had taken its toll. << MORE >>

Sometime back we had gone to Palakkad in Kerala to attend my sister in law’s son’s Upanayanam (sacred thread ceremony). Since it was an important family function many of my Mother-in-law’s brothers and sisters and their families had also travelled to Palakkad. We were all put up in one of the service apartments run by a relative of my sister-in-law. The relative a young dynamic woman of 45 yrs also runs a catering service. She took care of all of us and her two children pitched in whenever their mother or father needed help.<< MORE >>

When I first moved to Hyderabad 7 years ago I hardly knew how to cook. In fact, I was staying away from home for the first time in my life. I was sharing an apartment with three girls. Back at home there was nothing I needed to do, no cooking, no cleaning up, no washing, so I learnt nothing at all! When I reached this new home of mine I appeared like one pampered spoilt fool. At this point I must tell you all that my flat mates were really sweet people; especially, my room mate. She would cook and I would eat! << MORE >>

The monsoons finally seem to be setting in. When the heavy showers pour down and we are forced to remain indoors, enjoying the sound of the rain and its torrent through our windows and doors, it’s a different feeling altogather.While some may hate the sight of the rains and the damage they do, romancing the rains is a trait most of us have knowingly or unknowingly cultivated! << MORE >>

• This seems to be the week of "conclusions" at 4IW.  Yes, for the first time since our launch couple of years ago, two of our serial novels are coming to an end on the same day!  Malathi Ramachandran's epic novel, "The Wheel Turned", kept us deeply involved about the future of its characters every week during the past year.  While we are sad to finally declare an end to this beautiful novel, we hope to see more from Malathi in the near future.  Likewise, Chandra Ghosh Jain's novel, "Letters Of A Silent Wife", is also concluding today.  This was Chandra's second novel published in our platform and her unique writing style received rave reviews from our readers.  We also hope to feature more of Chandra's work in the near future.

• Last year, we launched Jessie's Corner after discontinuing the discussion board, which started requiring too much moderation.  Jessie was extremely active in the discussion board, and we certainly didn't want to stop her from expressing her point of view.  We offered Jessie her "corner" every week without any reward compensation and Jessie was happy to have her own corner in 4IW thereafter.  We are now happy to announce that Shail Raghuvanshi is going to have her own “space” in our platform beginning this week.  Shail has been one of our regular writers and a very active 4IW participant.  Shail’s Space will feature thought provoking articles just like Jessie’s Corner and we warmly welcome her “space” in our rapidly growing platform!

        

The three of them settled quietly for the dinner. An eerie silence descended on the dining table, which was broken occasionally by the clinking of the crockery. Charu had cooked the cauliflower, which got a bit burnt – just like her heart. Charu was merely gulping down the food with water. Ankit chewed thoughtfully, while Vandna seemed disinterested in having any food. She occasionally nibbled with it, pretending to eat a little bit. << MORE >>

Today we will be allowed to speak! It feels rather odd it is almost like re-entering life. One is hesitant I wonder what my voice will sound like- a frog’s croak? Or will I discover that I have grown a husky voice? Not my usual slightly nasal school girl’s polite accent. Well I am dying to hear your deep baritone that still sends a shiver down my spine. Your laughter and the deliberate ‘tell-me-more’ when you didn’t want to disconnect. I hope you will pick up your mobile fast when they allow us to call. << MORE >>

As Saturday drew nearer Ramu threw himself into a fever of apprehension. He had never taken a girl out, and he had not the faintest idea of what to do. Lois had rooms quite close to International House, and Ramu had promised to call on her at seven thirty. Ramu was on the door step at seven twenty-five, and loitered for five minutes before pressing the bell. << MORE >>

Her breathing returning to normal, Meena lay on the floor, his body warm beside hers and looked down at the arm clasped tightly around her waist. Slowly, tentatively, she touched the wrist with its fine soft hair, then trailed a finger wonderingly down the muscle-taut forearm, over the bend of his elbow and upto his bare shoulder. She stopped there and turned to look at him, the miracle still in her eyes.<< MORE >>

The quiet stretch of road behind Emma’s house in Warrenton was where I took my solitary walks each morning. Yellow bushes of wild flowers grew on the slopes on either side, their shiny petals, like tiny icicles reflecting the rays of the golden sun. They stood out against the green creepers that blanketed the brown earth. One day there were miniscule white buds on these creepers. The following day they opened into star like blossoms, which covered the sidewalks like a veil of Chantilly lace.<< MORE >>

I heaved a long sigh. So it is over. I killed all five of them- two doctors, one MLA, his right-hand man, and one municipal president. I took my revenge. I waited for this moment for twelve years. I spent that time planning and plotting. The only person I could take advice from was Ramu kaka our old servant and my best friend. Today after one month I heard that the CBI has been called into the case.<< MORE >>

VARKHA lies on a hospital bed, knees drawn up. A head emerges at the foot end of the bed, labouredly as if in child birth. FOETUS, same age as Varkha- in her twenties, wears a white slip. Foetus stands up and puts both her hands on Varkha’a knees. Varkha raises her head from the pillow, rests it on the metal frame. << MORE >>

They brought you home, a little bundle. restlessly I fumbled wanting to hold you, to softly touch my hope, my dreams.... << MORE >>

Nay….goodness isn’t always repaid with goodness. Take the protagonist of the play. Archana does everything to make life much easier for every individual in the family, is concerned about every individual’s needs. Cooks, mends, takes care of the little niece makes sure that morning newspaper and her father’s spectacles are on the table, so he does have problems searching for the same –all done out of love and concern for the family members. << MORE >>

It is always easier to sit on the fence. This way, you get an aerial view of both the sides and reserve the right to stay impotently mum. Let’s face it. It’s so much more convenient than taking sides or sticking to a stand. Why burden your mind when you can intentionally ignore a conflict! But, then sometimes, even if the issues don’t concern us directly, even if we are not part of the conflict, reflecting about it enables us to understand just where we stand. << MORE >>

Kolkata, circa 1879, when the Bengal Renaissance has captivated the imagination of its intelligentsia. When a rich man is so busy proving to himself (and the world) that he is not idle rich but a man with a political and social conscience, that he has no time for his beautiful wife. The rich man, Bhupati (Shailen Mukehrjee), brings out a newspaper, The Sentinel, and honesty is a quality as dear to him as erudition. This man’s wife is Charulata (Madhabi), the beautiful, sensitive, intelligent, passionate woman who is capable of so much more than the dull existence that is her lot. << MORE >>

A cab is intercepted, guns and ammo in the boot, the driver says he knows nothing, so the owner is dragged to the FBI interrogation room. He is detained on charges of terrorism and therefore not allowed a lawyer, has no rights and is being interrogated by an officer of Indian origin who has thought of a really absurd way of catching terrorists. By catching innocent civilians and intimidating them into becoming FBI undercover agents. << MORE >>

If you love travel and wild-life, and are fascinated by the tigers’ welfare, read this book. Ruth Padel embarks on an astonishing journey to find out the whereabouts of the wild tigers and if they can be saved from extinction, or if this is their last moment before they fade completely into oblivion. She travels to all the haunts of the Asian tiger – from the scorching forest of Ranthambhore to the swampy Sunderbans; from snowy Russia to hilly Nepal; from the high altitudes of Bhutan to the humid tropical forests of Thailand – in her quest for a glimpse of this royal animal which once held sway over the entire continent. << MORE >>

The last two days I have just about managed to catch my office shuttle at my stop. All the ‘time management’ consultants will be clucking their tongues for this could only mean that I have not been managing my time well, inspite of getting up with the larks or rather the crows at an unearthly 5.00 AM. I go about my jobs in clockwork precision and I take pride in the fact that I manage to rustle breakfast and lunch for my family clean, wash and do everything that can be possibly done in some 3 hrs before I leave for work. Then where was I going wrong or err rather slowly? << MORE >>

After stepping out of the stiff, starched Air Force Khaki uniform (the material changed to terycot later), a soft kurta and dhoti was the most natural choice of my husband to feel relaxed and enjoy his retirement. The first experimental set of kurtas was a motley assortment of gifts__long ones, short ones, thick ones, thin ones, colored ones, white ones etc. The second lot of all-white, mull kurtas had only one variation—long sleeved and short sleeved, bought readymade from Bombay. << MORE >>

My maternal grandmother passed away last Friday. She was old and had been seriously unwell for a while, and her end was not a surprise. Each of us must have silently prayed for the suffering to not get prolonged forever. Yet the ease with which I accepted her death disturbed me. I was at work when I got a phone call from my mother, breaking the news. She was weeping. My eyes were dry as I paused, told my assistant to carry on with the work, and went out to talk to my parents. I further utilized my time by having my lunch while I spoke to them.<< MORE >>

`What`s wrong with holding a garage sale? ` I asked in annoyance of my strongly disapproving husband. ` The word is garage, not garbage, you know. We`re going to be ridding ourselves of the excess we have and don`t need, but which may be useful to someone else. ` People who may not be able to afford to buy at the original price, young couples looking to set up their home at a bargain, madams wishing to buy clothes for their maids – these would be our target patrons. << MORE >>

A close acquaintance of ours rang up the other day to break the news of his aged father’s demise. My husband and I genuinely felt bad for him considering the fact that we both had personally gone through the sorrowful experience of losing a parent. My husband felt bad as this acquaintance rarely opened up his heart and today, he was openly shedding tears.<< MORE >>

My salutations of ‘assalaam walaikum’ was quickly responded with a ‘Hello beta’ which boomed somewhere in the garden, moi looked around to see where the person was seated. Moi grinned from ear-to-ear; it was always a pleasure to hear whatever this gentleman had to say. He towered about 6 ft 3inchs to my 5 ft 3inches making me feel pygmy like --every time I come across this gentleman. A favorite of mine, I have learnt a lot from him about facts of life. << MORE >>

A: “Well, I have finished one EVS chart. But I still have four more charts to go. What about you?” B: “Well I have started with my first chart. English homonyms one. But then I realized that even project work needs to be done and that may take more time. So I started with the S.St. project. It’s about ‘Early Man and his life’.” << MORE >>

As I write this blog, it makes me think ; is the honour of a woman so cheap that it can be disgraced by anybody by force in any place and at any time. The newspaper front page covers the story and also the electronic media has brought to our homes the horrifying news of this rape case in Delhi. This time it is an allegation by a 35 year old woman of being raped in the capital city Delhi. She alleges that she has been raped by five policemen inside a police station. This incident is one of the many rape cases that are happening across the country.<< MORE >>

“So what’s on the menu?” my friend asked excitedly. I had promised her an authentic Konkani meal. “Karela” I said. “You’ve got to be kidding! How can you serve bitter vegetables to your best friend?” “Taste and see, and then tell me.” Momordica charantia, better known as the bitter gourd, brims with nutrients such as vitamins A, B1, B2 and C. << MORE >>

• Please remember that our new weekly submission deadline is 11:59 PM (IST) Wednesday instead of 11:59 PM (IST) Friday.  This deadline applies to all categories except blogs on Current Events.  Any article received after this new deadline will not be considered for selection in the current week and will be considered for possible selection in the subsequent weeks.  Please keep this new deadline in mind when you send us your articles.

• A warm welcome to our new writer, Nisha Salim!

        

“It’s so unfair, just so unfair...” Charu wailed to herself. The image of Ashima boasting of yet another romantic trip to the “paradise” kept revolving in front of her eyes. The whole scenario was too hard for Charu to digest, so she rushed to the bathroom trying to vomit these bad feelings out. But try what she may, nothing came out, except some frothy saliva. << MORE >>

The Upasana days are coming to an end. So what have I learnt? I have learnt to sleep in a sitting position much like the donkeys in Bharatpur who sleep standing on all fours. I have learnt to write out entire stories in my mind. I have learnt what it is to be away from you. I have learnt to do without the luxuries that I took for granted. << MORE >>

In the university the New Year began on a gloomy note. The American students were suffering from the depression that follows Christmas jollities. The European students were homesick. Ramu and the foreign students were feeling the cold. The first snowfall had sent Ramu into raptures. He had written home describing the gentle falling of flakes, the thrilling world of white that lay before him, as he looked out of the window, and the crisp clearness of the air as he walked to class in the mornings. << MORE >>

Archana looked out of the window through the dusky gloom towards the distant gate, impatiently waiting for the car headlights to appear. Her heart was filled with joy for her dear friend, joy tarnished by a little apprehension about how Meena would take the shock. Anand was back, the man she had awaited for long years, with undying faith, even though she refused to speak of him. Her faith had not been belied. He was alive, he was here, and there was nothing to come between them anymore.<< MORE >>

Anu felt relaxed when she left her bed the next morning. Life was back to activity after the weekend holidays. Another week went by and the two of them spent their Saturday at the cinema hall watching a matinee show movie. They ate at the roadside food stalls. “Why is the food in these roadside stalls so appetizing,” said Suni. “Because it is mixed with the sweat and the dust,” laughed Anu as she spoke. “Aaaaaaaaah. Let’s go or I’ll vomit,” and they moved away. << MORE >>