Mine Binds

                                                                                                                     "That is very much a table, an end table..lets put this next to the sofa, I anyways do not like guests placing their mugs on the center table, its invariably stained", Vedika said with an assertive clarity to her seventeen year old daughter, who had bought a piece of furniture from Delhi haat to serve as a dressing table stool in her room.  Vedika and Vanya bought things for the house together, but mother and daughter had contrasting choices and Vedika being a single parent was able to boss her way through most of the times, except when she realized that poor Vanya was like a pet who did not have a choice till the time she was living in her house, she would then give in to Vanya's opinions, suggestions and poor taste of things out of pity.  “Mom! from which angle do you find it to be a table, this will go in my room.. and get table coaster for

                                          The little toe hit the corner of the bed and it felt that prana were sucked out of the living life. The sloth of sleep was still lingering when the accident jolted Bodhi Agueda and he fell on the floor holding his toe groaning in pain "Oh Dios Miooo", the only tear welled up at the corner of his eye. Bodhi let his toe go and lay on the floor watching this pain, waiting for it to subside, he could feel the throbbing sensation around his toe, he caught the side rail of the bed and got up with little effort and limped his way to the chair at the other corner of the room to sit. Having sat down, he carefully looked at his toe which had a bleeding nail..... he felt bad for the toe. Like every day, having finished his morning chores Bodhi headed out for the Tavaru carpet factory, which was almost four miles from his house yet it took him only fifteen minutes to reach the factory on his cycle, he was able to peddle his way to work

Morning was the most satisfying time of the day. Both loved the orange sun coming into their room from the big window with white curtains. The air that sluggishly wandered into the space was cool and gentle while the sun sprinkled some warmth on the bed. Madhulika would be the first one to get out of the bed while Rashne would stay in bed lying awake listening to the honeyed call of Koel from the mango tree. Rashne made tea just the way Madhulika liked it, each time, and always waited to read her face after her first sip. Both sat on the bed sipping their morning tea in each other's company interspersed with discussions about the things that they shared in their lives. Times got busier as the morning progressed, Madhulika occupied herself with her accounts book for the bakery she ran at Lokhandwala market complex, while Rashne prepared both lunch boxes and his lecture simultaneously. Simple pleasures and minor challenges kept them engaged. The day would come to a halt whe

                                               “This suit doesn't fit me the way I wanted it to; I need to look serious about my job on the first day Billo. And the tail feels stifled, I can’t move it enough, the cavity should have been a little loose”. Bilao Pakri looked at his wife in dismay, he had a lot of expectations from his first tomcat suit. “Aren't you a little too over dressed for a mouse catcher”, Billo said looking at his husband from top to bottom. Bilao had got the job after much persuasion and persistence, it was a matter of pride for him to be a mouse catcher at district magistrate’s office. "You will be the center of attention in the clowder, magistrate’s mouse catcher's queen wify", Bilao Pakri had a smug on his face, "you should know you are the only cat in the neighborhood who's husband has got a job and who's not chasing pigeons in other peoples verandas".  With a meow goodbye, Bilao left for his job site.

Maazu always liked walking back home from school. It was the last day before the school closed down for summer break. "Will you come to watch my football match on Saturday ", she asked Selina her best friend dragging her school bag with wheels as they walked past the football field. Selina was not much of an out door girl, she enjoyed reading books, sketching butterflies and trees on her sketchbook, but with Maazu she had the most fun times. They enjoyed each other's companionship to the hilt. Maazu would sneak out of her house during late evening just to spend time with Selina at her house against her parents wishes. Selina lived very close to the town forest and at times both the girls would wander into the forest for a walk, catching butterflies, aiming stones at the big boulder by the rivulet. "You should not go the forest, it has cheetahs, they have attacked people in the past, and the Gheru tribals, they catch young kids and turn them into goats with black ma