Rashmi's Space

“Thank you for sending out the parcel for me,” she says, taking the proffered receipt.  “It’s no problem. I was going to the Post Office anyway.” She nods. He smiles.   “Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?” she asks. “When have I ever said no to tea?” he retorts, eyes twinkling. She smiles. Leads the way inside her house. He follows. “Make yourself comfortable,” she says over her shoulder. “I will get on with the tea.” As she sets the water boiling and puts out the milk to warm, she hears him walking around the living room. “Fresh flowers!” she hears him exclaim. “So, you do seem to have a green thumb, huh? Who knew!” She smiles at the boiling water. It is nice of him to notice and to comment on the tiny bunch of flowers from her garden that she has arranged in a small vase out on the table. “Well, who knew!” she says. And when she turns to get the sugar and tea out of the cupboard, she sees him standing at the entrance...

The sound of the raindrops hitting the window panes in a quiet residential part of a small town is so different from that in a big city. That is the thought in her mind now, as she looks out of her kitchen window. The trees around her property are thick and dark as they stand drenched in the heavy downpour. It is the second day in a row that heavy rains continue to lash their area. She has heard in the morning on the radio that the rain will continue for a couple more days. It is good, she thinks, that she has just picked up her groceries, having moved in only a few days ago.       From the small gap in the trees, she can see across to the blue-walled house, just as she could see as a child. It is drenched too. The creepers outside its kitchen wall making a brave attempt at holding on through the heavy downpour. She can see its kitchen window clearly from here. How amazing, she thinks, how few things change over a period of time, although everything is chan...

  It was only a few weeks ago that we heard of the now notorious Blue Whale game for the first time in India. At the time, we breathed a collective sigh of relief that this is not something that we have to tackle in our country, yet. Nevertheless, we warned our family and friends about this and began to worry about our children, praying that we do not miss any signs when it comes to our own families. And then the reports came of a suicide of a teenager in Mumbai; and the rumour mills started working overtime connecting this to the global horror of the Blue Whale phenomenon. Of course, there were counter rumours too, which denied any connection between the two; but warned us, anyway, about being vigilant when it comes to our children and their activities.