Tag: A short story

SHORT STORIES FRIDAYS ( 5)

Posted on by aparna12

GRACE’S WITCHY ADVENTURES: A PARANORMAL THRILLER BY Me.

Photo by Thirdman on Pexels.com

THE STORY SO FAR.

The Story so far:

Grace Royce accompanies her best friend and colleague, Sharmila Gupta’s wedding in Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, India. When Sharmila shows her fiance’s photo, Grace is shocked because she has frequently seen him in her dreams forcing an innocent girl to suicide.

She saves Sharmila from marrying a criminal after nabbing him and his friends in a shameful act of trying to hang an innocent girl.

Grace has recurring dreams of Sharmila attempting suicide when the friends are holidaying in Dehradun. Her fear is about to materialize after their trip. Grace skilfully revisits the past and alters everybody’s memories to stop the wagging tongues of people from hurting Sharmila. She thwarts the attempt of a mad scientist X, in Australia, who is watching the proceedings, to kill Sharmila.

He stages small accidents which Grace is unable to prevent. Finally, he is able to cause a hit and run accident leading to Sharmila’s death. Grace is mourning the loss of her good friend while blaming herself for failing to protect her. She has a strange dream at night, where she finds herself in her bedroom in Australia. Her dead parents appear before her and they take her into the alternative future time zone, had Sharmila lived. Whatever she witnesses is awfully shocking to her.

She sees the evil side of Sharmila abusing her friendship and taking advantage of her. She is horrified to see her best friend kidnapping and sacrificing her with the help of a mysterious stranger. She comes back to her room with her parents and Sharmila’s soul pays her a visit. She explains how she was cursed by her grandma after she accidentally killed her grandfather who was bedridden with cancer. When she clarified that it was just an accident, her grandma realized her folly and offered a choice to die young before the curse could materialize or live a long cursed life. She had chosen the former. Sharmila warns her to be careful and now:

CHAPTER 5

The mystery surrounding Sharmila’s death.

After Sharmila’s funeral, Grace convinced her parents to accompany her to Australia. They agreed with a heavy heart. Grace realized that they wanted Sharmila’s killer to be caught and brought to justice. She promised to investigate Sharmila’s cold-blooded murder. Grace entered into her detective mode and decided to visit the crime scene. She finished her breakfast and informed Sharmila’s parents that she would come back within an hour.

Grace went to the temple and offered her prayers for the departed soul. She had just stepped out of the temple premise when she noticed a CCTV installed in the apartment building adjacent to the temple. She approached the security guard with a request to see the footage of the accident a couple of days ago. The guard eyed her with suspicion. She showed him her passport and her identity credentials. He took her to the recording room and started running the video.

Grace saw Sharmila stepping out of the temple. She attempted to cross the road after ensuring that there wasn’t any vehicle in her way. She had hardly taken a step or two when a speeding car crashed into her, throwing her away like a rag doll. Grace noted down the car registration number and the model. She couldn’t see the driver’s face clearly because of his disguise. She requested the guard to forward this recording to her mobile. She visited the police station with the video footage. The Police Inspector, Vikram Kumar, saw her approach towards his table. He smiled at her and motioned her to sit. He said, ” Tell me, Ma’am. How may I help you?”

Grace replied, ” Sorry to disturb you, Inspector. I am Grace Royce from Australia. I came to India to attend my best friend Sharmila’s wedding. Unfortunately, the wedding got canceled after her bridegroom, Vivek, was arrested for his involvement in a crime. A couple of days ago, she got killed in a hit-and-run accident near Laxminarayan Temple.” The inspector looked at her with great interest and encouraged her to go on. She showed him the video. He called,” Constable Sharma, I want information on the owner of this car.” He gave him the registration number and waited for a while. Constable Sharma came back after 15 minutes. He said, ” Sir, Vinod Mohan is the owner of this car. It’s a black Hyundai Santro. Vinod is the younger brother of Vivek Mohan, who is in jail for trying to force a girl into committing suicide. He also has a rape charge to his credit.”

Grace was astonished over this new development. She realized that everything now made sense. Vivek’s brother had planned to avenge his brother’s humiliation. He had murdered her and made it look like an accident. She told Inspector about her idea as to how Sharmila got killed. The inspector felt embarrassed because his department hadn’t conducted any inquiry. He said, ” Thank you for your assistance, Ma’am. Please give me your contact no. I will keep you updated on the development.” Grace and the inspector exchanged their phone numbers.

Grace returned home to find Sharmila’s parents waiting anxiously for her. Sharmila’s father said, ” You said that you would be back within an hour. We were getting worried because it had been more than three hours, and you weren’t picking up your phone.” She answered, ” I am sorry, uncle. I went to the temple to pray for Sharmila. By God’s grace, I have found out that the vehicle which hit Sharmila belonged to Vinod, Vivek’s younger brother. I shared this information with the police. I am sure they will make an arrest shortly.” Sharmila’s parents were smiling at her and appeared to heave a sigh of relief. Grace said, ” The inspector promised to keep me updated. We will leave for Australia after the arrest of the murderer.”

A couple of days later, the inspector told Grace that there was no physical evidence to link Vinod with the accident. According to Vinod, he had lent his vehicle to his close friend, Ashok. The inspector added, ” When we went to question Ashok, he said that someone had stolen the car from his parking. There is no CCTV footage to incriminate anyone. We are at a dead end. We will leave no stone unturned to flush out the criminal.”

Grace felt dejected after her initial enthusiasm. Sharmila’s father noticed her reaction. He understood what might have conspired. He sat beside her and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. He said,” Don’t give up, my child. I am impressed with your detecting skills. The game isn’t over. There is a solution to every problem.”

Grace was all smiles again. She looked towards Sharmila’s photo and murmured silently, ” Sharmi, I need your help to nail your killer. Will you help me?” A flower fell from her photo as a signal of her approval.

Watch out for a new twist in the tale in the next episode of Grace’s adventures.

JUSTICE FOR THE DEAD

Posted on by aparna12

A COMICAL SUPERNATURAL THRILLER BY ME FROM STORYMIRROR.COM

Good evening friends,

I wish to share this funny supernatural thriller that I published erstwhile in Storymirror.com. I wanted to share this story for quite some time. I thought of ending the day with some more fun. I hope you like it.

Photo by Monstera on Pexels.com

” Nurse Sheila, Would you please increase the oxygen level of the patient? She is having trouble breathing, and her pulse rate has dropped considerably, ” yelled Dr. Kumar. 

He looked at Madhu, the patient, who was in a comatose state. Her heartbeat was erratic. 

Finally, she breathed her last. The doctor came out looking morose. Her son, Shiva, was pacing restlessly. Dr. Kumar approached him with a bit of hesitation before uttering the usual dialogue, ” I am sorry, Mr. Shiva. Mrs. Sharma is no more. We tried our best to save her. May her soul rest in peace. “

Madhu’s soul lingered over her corpse. She decided to look around and glided through the wall. She saw her son weeping over her demise. She wanted to hug him, but she knew that she was merely a spirit. The doctor patted him on the back and left him alone to grieve. 

Shiva went home to convey this news to his wife, Arpita. Madhu followed him. 

Arpita opened the door to let Shiva in. She was unaware of her mother-in-law’s ghostly presence. They hugged each other and wiped away their tears. Madhu was in for a rude shock. They burst out laughing as Madhu wondered whether they had lost their minds. 

Shiva said, ” I had to control myself from jumping with joy. That old hag finally succumbed to her illness.” “Show her some respect, ” said his wife, ” She was your mother. She was not an old hag. She was an evil witch. ” Madhu’s anger flared up. She continued to listen to their bragging about their conspiracy to get rid of her and her husband. 

Shiva smirked, ” Do you remember how I took advantage of his dementia and made him overdose on sleeping pills? He passed away peacefully. Thank God! You advised me to take his signature on the will.” His wife guffawed, ” Have you forgotten that it was I who gave you that idea? Your mother’s condition was pathetic. I took pity on her and pushed her down the stairs. I also bribed one of the nurses to keep her heavily sedated.” The couple asked their cook to prepare special meals to celebrate the success of their fraudulent scheme. 

Madhu was so enraged that she wanted to break something. She became aware that she was only a ghost and could not handle anything physically. Suddenly, she had a brilliant idea. She entered the body of the cook and put purgatives in the food. She chuckled, ” My dear children, it’s time for your punishment. Living in humiliation is far worse than death. Be prepared to face the wrath of your deceased mother. “

When the husband-wife sat together for dinner, they had no idea about their impending catastrophe. The purgatives did their job. The couple had been completely exhausted after their uninterrupted trips to the toilet. Madhu planned her next course of action. 

The next day, when Shiva and Arpita got ready to leave for their work, Madhu entered the latter’s body. Her son and daughter-in-law owned an advertising company called Umang. 

Their business was flourishing. Arpita looked stunning in her navy blue sari with a diamond pendant. She checked her face in the tiny handheld mirror before entering her office. They had two separate air-conditioned suites to entertain their clients. Arpita’s first clients arrived within half an hour of their opening the business for the day. Two gentlemen wearing expensive clothes walked in with a briefcase. 

They had come to discuss the advertising campaign for their brand new perfume. Arpita said, ” Good morning, Mr. Kapoor and Mr. Malhotra. I have come up with a unique idea for your perfume.” It was precisely at this moment that she let out a stinking fart. She was highly embarrassed and murmured a quiet sorry. Both the men covered their noses with their hands and resisted the urge to laugh. 

She let out another resounding fart as Madhu continued to torment her. Arpita started blabbering, ” I have created a slogan for Mia Perfume. It goes like this:

Mia Perfume is a great way to start, 

Covering your body odor or a stinking fart. 

Mia perfume blocks out the foul smell of rotting garbage or overflowing drain. 

Use it just once, and you will never use it again. ” Mr. Kapoor and his colleague were enraged. 

” Are you making fun of us?” he yelled, ” You are a disgusting woman with no manners. We tolerated your non-stop gas supply. How dare you liken our products to garbage and farts? We are no longer interested in doing business with you.” They left her office and never turned back. Arpita mourned over her first failure to impress a client by shedding few tears. Madhu entered Shiva’s office and saw a couple seated opposite him. Shiva cleared his throat before speaking, ” Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Malik. I have finished preparing a campaign for your product.” When he was about to explain his idea, his mother entered into his body. He started blabbering, ” Premier is an excellent Shampoo. It provides a permanent solution for hair problems. Gently massage your scalp with this shampoo. You will lose your hair without any pain. Your head will shine like a moon. You can save your money as you needn’t go to a hair salon or use expensive shampoos or hair oil. ” The couple glared at him before calling him all sorts of names. Madhu left him bewildered over the client’s reaction. He went to meet his wife. They shared their awful ad campaigns that ended in a disaster. They decided to leave early and went out for dinner. 

Madhu enjoyed her new role as a poltergeist. She wanted her son and daughter-in-law to confess to their crimes. 

Shiva and Arpita had another bad day, dealing with upset clients. They couldn’t understand what was wrong with them. Shiva said, ” Let us take a mini vacation. We will celebrate our wedding anniversary next week in Mahabaleshwar. We have to find out some way to mollify our clients.” Madhu followed them wherever they went. She loved playing pranks on them. 

After a couple of days, Shiva and Arpita went to Mahabaleshwar. Madhu waited for two days and let them celebrate their wedding anniversary. The couple exchanged gifts and greeting cards. They had a nasty surprise awaiting them. Madhu had made them write satirical poems on each other. 

When Arpita had opened her greeting card, she was shocked to read the poem. It said: 

” You do look like a crazy witch.

 You are such a greedy bitch. 

 Your mouth is so big that I wish I could stitch.

 Or throw you into a stinking ditch. 

 Your braided hair is the tail of a French 

  Poodle, 

  Each strand is like a burned noodle. 

  Your voice is as sweet as a duck. 

  I married an animal which is my bad luck. ” 

She glared at him while he grinned and gave her a flying kiss. He frowned after reading her poem. She had written:

You are a thorn in my life, 

Why the hell did I choose to be your wife? 

Your ego is as big as your ugly head, 

Without my training, you would be dead. 

You are all muscles without any brain. 

My efforts to train you are in vain. 

Our marriage is simply a big disaster. 

I wish I could get rid of you faster. 

They had a heated argument that lasted for an hour. Shiva was shocked to find his parents-in-law arriving at his doorsteps with their luggage after his return. Arpita welcomed them with open arms. Shiva didn’t like their intrusion into his privacy. He dragged Arpita aside and yelled, ” Who invited them here? How long are they planning to stay? ” Arpita lost her temper and replied, ” They are my parents. They are welcome to visit me whenever they like.”

“They can stay here only for two days,” ordered Shiva, ” You killed my parents and grabbed their wealth so that we could have some privacy. Why don’t you get them to sign their will in your name?” Arpita, ” Are you insane? I am not going to do such a thing.” Shiva slapped her hard and scowled at her, ” You are a greedy bitch. I am ashamed of myself. I shouldn’t have listened to you. I lost my parents, and my conscience hurts me a lot. Get lost with your parents, or else I will kill you all.” Arpita’s father happened to record everything and called the police. Arpita filed a complaint against him for domestic violence. The police handcuffed him and led him away. 

Arpita bribed one of the cops to get Shiva’s signature in the property-related documents. 

Madhu wanted to wreak havoc in Arpita’s life after the traitor ditched her son. 

The next day, Arpita had arranged a press conference to announce that she was the new owner of the advertising agency and explain her marketing strategies. She was decked up like a princess in a silk chiffon blue sari with a diamond necklace. Madhu possessed her before she could address the press. 

She started her speech, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! I have devised a foolproof plan of getting wealthy without getting your ass worked burned out. You need to watch movies to get ideas about luring heirs of the rich and the famous to falling in love with you. My husband fell in love with me. I mesmerized him into doing my bidding. I advised him to kill his father by giving him an overdose of sleeping pills. I usurped his wealth by pushing his mother down the stairs and got him arrested for domestic violence. Isn’t it wonderful? My beloved husband has made me the proud owner of this business. I am grateful to my parents for coaching me. I hope you enjoyed my tips.” Arpita’s parents were horrified by her confession. Madhu left her body as she watched the press baying for her blood. One of the reporters called her a blood-sucking vampire and called the police. 

Arpita was puzzled as the inspector arrested her for the murders and the fraudulent activities. She became pale after watching the proceedings of her press conference. Madhu smiled after watching her daughter-in-law and her parents in handcuffs. A white light dawned upon her, and Madhu crossed over to the spiritual realm. 

Thank you so much for taking your precious time to visit my website. Hope you enjoyed reading my blogs. 😊😊

SHORT STORIES FRIDAY (4)

Posted on by aparna12

THE CASE OF CYBER VIGILANTE ( 2)

A CRIME THRILLER SHORT STORY By ME In STORYMIRROR.COM

Photo by Anete Lusina on Pexels.com

Chief Inspector Lester watched the video with his colleague. A blonde beauty pressed the doorbell outside Mark’s room. He opened the door with great enthusiasm, but his expressions suddenly changed. It looked like he was expecting someone else. He let her in with a smile. They wasted no time in closing the door. Lester and Lucy stifled their yawns as they watched several people booking their hotel rooms. The video continued for another 30 minutes with an interruption that lasted for five minutes. Both the cops were shocked to find a male exiting from Mark’s room instead of the blonde. He turned towards the men’s room only to disappear like Houdini. Some tourists walked out of the restrooms, but there was no sign of the mysterious man. Lester rewound the tape several times to make sure he didn’t miss anything. Another man emerged from the men’s restroom. His face seemed to be familiar but sported a different hairstyle. Lester and Lucy returned to their police station after thanking the manager. 

The next day, Forensic expert, Michael Mullen, called Lester and said, ” I have some baffling news for you. Mark Staines died of cyanide poisoning. His skin had turned pink around the chest. The killer was a genius. I found a piece of artificial human skin on the victim’s chest. The killer wanted to mislead us. The victim had sex before his death. I found some traces of semen around his inner thighs. And now, I have a real shocker for you. It’s better if you sit down.” ” Out with it,” grumbled Lester, “I have no time or patience for your little drama.” 

Michael chuckled,” Where is your sense of humor, man? Don’t sound like a machine. A little bit of drama always helps to lighten our somber moods. Anyway, he had sex with a robot.” ” What?” thundered Lester incredulously, ” Are you out of your mind?” Michael answered, ” Allow me to speak, will you? He had a strand of blonde hair on his right palm. My lab technician, Susan, told me that the hair had no trace of DNA. It must be a part of a wig for mannequins or robots. Secondly, the victim’s fingernails had a bit of silicon-like substance attached to them. Lack of saliva and vaginal fluid prove that he was involved with a she-robot.” Lester had no words to express his shock and frustration.

He came back to his senses after Michael prodded him to speak. He said,” That makes sense. I was just wondering how a woman turned into a man and often changed his disguise to escape. I can’t help wondering if there is a serial killer on the prowl.” 

Lucy brought him a cup of coffee, and they discussed the case in detail. 

Meanwhile, Sara continued to chat with her friends over Facebook and WhatsApp in India. She would finish her household chores before continuing her obsession with Facebook. Unfortunately, she had not yet learned her lesson and got involved with a sexual predator living in Paris. 

Chief Inspector Lester King switched on his television as soon as he reached home after a tiring day at his office. Lucy had texted him to check out the latest breaking news on television. He was shocked to find thirteen suspicious murders reported across the globe on a single day. All the victims were men of different nationalities. They were strikingly similar to the murder of Mark Staines. Lester wanted to tear his hair apart in sheer frustration. He had lost his appetite and stowed away his uneaten pizza in the refrigerator. He quickly gulped down a glass of beer and called his partner, Lucy. 

He sighed, ” I think we have an international serial killer on the run. His MO is the same. He uses robots to kill his victims. People are raising concerns all over the world. Anyway, is there any breakthrough in our soon-to-be stagnant case?” 

Lucy replied, “DC John Carter and DC Abraham Mendoza are going through his social media accounts. We will have the reports ready within a day or two.”

A couple of days later, Lester had a team briefing with his officers. Lucy was the first one to speak. She said, “We have managed to secure information on the social media accounts of all the murdered victims. DC Carter will now present his report to us.” 

DC Carter continued, “Good morning! Our honorable Chief Constable, Mr. Matthew Xavier, requested the help of Interpol to collect this information. All these victims were womanizers. They would send friendship requests over Facebook and then upload obscene pictures. Most of the women blocked them except for this lady, Sara Sylvester, from India. All of them had sent her lewd messages. She had requested them not to flirt with her because she was married. I have checked her profile. She is 28 and married to Jamie Sylvester, now living and settled in Goa, India. She has a four-year-old kid, Emma. Jamie is working as an independent tax consultant having his office near Panaji Market.” Lester sat upright suddenly as if he received a jolt. He checked the police records before announcing, “We have a missing person record on Jamie Sylvester. His parents, Wilson and Selma, had filed a report around five years ago. We could never trace him or recover his dead body. The case remains unsolved until now.” DC Carter and DC Mendoza were speechless. Lucy asked him, ” How did you make the connection between the two cases?” ” It’s because he is my cousin,” he replied, ” Wilson is my maternal uncle. He is my mom’s kid brother. I grew up playing with him.”

There was a pin drop silence until Lester cleared his throat to speak. He said,” We should try contacting Sara and Jamie. She is the missing link in this whole mess.” Lester entrusted them with various tasks at the end of the meeting. 

Carter gave him Sara’s phone number retrieved from Mark’s mobile. Lester dialed her number, waiting for her to answer the call.

” Hello, Who is this?” asked a gentle feminine voice. ” Hello, Ma’am,” replied Lester politely, ” Am I speaking to Mrs.Sara Sylvester?”

“Yes,” she replied,” Who are you? What do you want? ” 

Lester noted irritation in her voice. He answered, ” I am sorry, Ma’am. I didn’t introduce myself. I am your husband Jamie’s cousin, Chief Inspector Lester King from London. I hope he might have told you about me. I haven’t seen him around for five years.” 

” Wait,” interrupted Sara,” How did you get my number? He never told me about his family. He said that he was an orphan. You must be mistaken. I am sure my husband is not the person you are looking for.” Lester tried to steer the conversation his way. He told her about the discovery of her Facebook conversation with Mark Staines, a murder victim. He said that he had seen her Facebook pictures of her European Vacation and identified her husband as his long-lost cousin. Sara refused to share Jamie’s contact details with him. Lester threatened to arrest her as an aide to murder unless she agreed to ask Jamie to speak to him. Sara reluctantly agreed to comply with his request. 

Jamie returned the call as promised. It was 8 PM when he spoke to Lester. He said, “I heard you were bothering my wife. She has nothing to do with murder, kidnapping, drug peddling, rape, or any kind of heinous crime. Don’t call me again.” Lester was at a loss for words. He came out of his stupor and said, ” I can’t understand why you didn’t bother to contact your parents or me. Why did you sever your ties with your family? Where have you been hiding all these years? Your voice has changed a lot. I hope you had nothing to do with Mark Staines’ murder because he was torturing your wife.” 

“Stop barking, will you?” roared Jamie furiously, “I have no family. That’s it. I don’t want you butting in my life. Please convey my message to my so-called parents that I am happy with my wife and kid. I don’t want any interference from them as well as you.” He disconnected the call leaving Lester open-mouthed in astonishment. 

He smelled something fishy about Jamie’s erratic behavior. The latter was always kind and gentle with everyone. Lester felt that Jamie sounded more like a robot than a human. He feared that Jamie might have met with an accident on his trip to India that altered his personal altogether. 

The trip to India was inevitable. What will be the outcome of Lester’s visit to India? Will Lester apprehend the cyber killer? A sinister plan is waiting for Chief Inspector Lester King. To know more about Lester’s fate, wait for the upcoming episode. 

Thank you so much for taking your precious time to visit my website. Hope you enjoyed reading my blogs. 😊😊

SHORT STORIES FRIDAY(2)

Posted on by aparna12

THE CASE OF THE CYBER VIGILANTE.

A CRIME THRILLER SHORT STORY BY Me IN STORYMIRROR.COM.

Photo by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels.com

Sara wished she had never accepted the friendship request of a stranger online. His name was Mark Staines. He was a twenty-three -year old surgeon from London. Initially, he just wanted to know about her likes and dislikes. She told him that she was 28 and married to Jamie Sylvester. They lived in Goa, India. She also had a four-year-old daughter, Emma. Sara was a naive housewife who blindly trusted everyone. She never learned from her past mistakes. Sara switched off her mobile as Mark had started calling and texting her at odd hours. 

Jamie started noticing the change in her behavior. Her hands trembled while answering her phone calls. He asked her, ” What’s wrong with you, sweetheart? You are not answering your phone calls. I find your mobile switched off most of the time. You are no longer addicted to Facebook or Instagram.” Sara shivered in fright. ” I am alright,” she lied, ” I thought I should not waste my time by going through the social media posts.” Jamie didn’t argue with her. He knew she was lying. 

Sara was quite happy with her decision to quit social media. Jamie had a project that required him to go abroad. He decided to take his family along with him. Jamie and Sara went on a tour to Europe and England with their kid. They visited Switzerland, France, Austria, Sweden, and Denmark. Their final destination was England. 

Unfortunately, Sara made a mistake. She uploaded her pictures over Facebook and Instagram. Her erstwhile friend, Mark, pounced upon the golden chance to torment her with lewd messages. Sara was scared. She was unable to hide her anxiety from Jamie. She loved her husband dearly and didn’t want to betray him. 

She was playing with Emma when her phone pinged. She received a text message from Mark. He wanted her to sleep with him before she left England. He had threatened her to meet his demand or face the consequences.

Sara burst into tears. She sobbed until Jamie entered the room to find Emma playing alone and saw her crying. Jamie hugged Sara and said, ” Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you? I promise not to hurt or leave you. I won’t even judge you if you did commit some mistake. I am your soulmate. Don’t try to hide anything from me.” Sara replied,” I don’t know how to begin my sorry tale. I accepted all the friendship requests on Facebook. I never thought that men would consider a simple friendship as an affair. Some of them resorted to sex chat. I stopped responding to them. Unfortunately, I accepted Mark Staines as my friend. He seemed to be a perfect gentleman for a couple of months. He started showing his true colors as he sent messages expressing his love. I turned him down and told him that I was a married woman with a kid. That is why I stopped using Facebook and Instagram for a while. He turned out to be an obsessed maniac. He saw my recent pics on Facebook and texted me to sleep with him, or he would malign my character.”

Jamie launched into a series of expletives. Sara drew back in fear. Her husband saw her shivering. So, he stopped his verbal tirade and tried to calm her nerves. He squeezed her hand gently. He promised to handle the situation with Mark by putting him away behind bars. Sara felt relieved. They spent their time watching TV in their hotel room. 

Mark was waiting for Sara. He had booked a presidential suite for them. He had bought a big packet of flavored condoms. It was 9 PM. Someone knocked at his door. Mark smiled before opening the door. A blonde bombshell stood outside, grinning at him. He was numb with shock. Sara had stood him up, but who was he to complain. He got a better deal. He let her in. The blonde lady kissed him passionately. They dropped their clothes and jumped into the bed. The lights went out. 

Jamie and Sara made love while Emma slept. 

The next day, Jamie and Sara boarded the flight to India. 

Meanwhile, the cops were all over Hotel Holiday Inn in London. They found Mark Staines’ dead body in the presidential suite. 

The housekeeping employee, Melissa Borno, was the one who discovered him lying naked on the bed. Chief Inspector Lester King was at the crime scene with his partner, Inspector Lucy Shawn. Forensic Examiner, Michael Mullen, turned over Mark’s corpse. There was no sign of strangulation marks or any other scar on the body. It was difficult to ascertain the cause of death. Mark’s wallet was still intact. His laptop and mobile were untouched. 

There was not a single drop of blood anywhere near the body. 

Michael beckoned the cops over. ” I am unable to ascertain the cause of death merely by physical examination, ” he said, ” It looks like he had a peaceful end. I need to do an autopsy to find out if he had a heart attack or allergic reaction to something.” Lucy found a packet of condoms which was still intact. She added, ” Sir, I have found this lying under the bed. I am sure he had a girlfriend with him. She is absconding. I think she must have killed him.” 

Lester said, ” Don’t jump to any conclusion, Lucy. Let us wait for the autopsy results. Meanwhile, ask the hotel manager to give us the CCTV recording.” 

Lucy went to find the manager. Lester joined her to watch the recording. They were shocked to find an unusual sight. What was it that left them stunned? There are more unusual murders to follow in the upcoming chapters. 

Thank you so much for taking your precious time to visit my website. Hope you enjoyed reading my blogs. 😊😊

THE STUDENT WHO BECAME A TEACHER

Posted on by aparna12

A SHORT STORY BY ME.

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

The Student who became a teacher.


Akansha Sinha worked as a secondary school teacher at St.Angelina High School in New Delhi. She taught 8th, 9th, and 10th Grade. She was a divorcee and the sole breadwinner of her family.


Her son, Mayank, 10, had autism with a misshaped body. When he was born, the doctor had told the proud parents that their son was born with some genetic defect. Mayur, her husband, had tried to convince her to abandon her child. She shocked everyone by sending a divorce notice to Mayur. He had expected her to obey him. He never thought that she would choose her son over him. He refused to pay her alimony after the divorce.


Akansha conducted coaching classes at home until Mayank turned three. She started taking Mayank along with her to the school where she got a job as a teacher. In the beginning, Mayank got along well with all the students. However, problems started cropping up after a couple of years. He had to repeat each class twice due to his learning disabilities. His new classmates ignored him. They wouldn’t go anywhere near him. Mayank was upset as no one would speak to him. Akansha was disappointed with the attitude of the children. She couldn’t blame them as her son’s misshaped body scared them.


One day when Akansha was teaching the fourth-grade students, a new student made a grand entry. She walked in with her head high and greeted her disdainfully. Akansha smiled at her and said, ” Welcome to class IV A. Tell us something about yourself.” The student turned to face her classmates and said, ” Hi! I am Samiksha Mehta. My parents are Hitesh and Veena Mehta. They are the owners of Mehta Textiles.” She continued to drone on her achievements in her previous school and her expectations from the current school.
“That’s enough, dear,” Akansha interrupted,” Please take your seat.” Samiksha hated her for interrupting her speech.
She screamed after seeing Mayank sitting at the front desk. “Who is that ugly boy?” she asked Bindu, a classmate. Bindu whispered,” He is our teacher, Akansha Madam’s son. Try to avoid him. All of us hate him. Unfortunately, we have to tolerate him for her sake.” Samiksha giggled, drawing Akansha’s attention. “Would you like to share the joke with us, dear?” she asked her. Samiksha stopped her antics and pretended to read her notes. She despised this woman’s audacity to pinpoint her in front of the class. She had planned her revenge for this humiliation.
The next day onwards, she started teasing and bullying Mayank at lunch. He cried and begged for mercy. Samiksha and her friends teased him until he wet his pants. Akansha entered the class to pick her attendance register. She was shocked to find her son crying while his classmates were making fun of him. “Stop it, right now,” she thundered,” Do you think it’s funny? You will be writing an essay about bullying. Write it five times and submit your notebooks tomorrow. Otherwise, I will drag you all to the principal’s office.”
The entire class groaned in disgust. Samiksha hated Mayank so much that she wanted him to get expelled from school.
One day she scratched and bruised herself. She complained to Akansha, “Ma’am, Mayank hit me when I went to share my lunch with him.” Akansha looked at Mayank. Some of Samiksha’s sidekicks supported her bunch of lies. Akansha was in a dilemma. She couldn’t remain a mute spectator. She slapped her son and made him apologize to Samiksha.
She controlled her temper after watching her smirk in satisfaction.


Akansha waited for the weekend. It was Friday. The bell rang for the end of the last period of the day. All the children rushed out of their respective classrooms. Samiksha and her cronies filed out of the class carrying their backpacks. Mayank was waiting outside the school gate for his mother. He saw a street hawker selling cotton candies. He could not resist the temptation. When Akansha came out to join him, he asked her to buy one. She told him to wait outside the car and went to fulfill his demand. Suddenly, a white Maruti Suzuki screeched to a halt outside the school. A mean-looking ruffian stepped out of the car with a couple of gang members. He pulled a photo out of his shirt pocket. Then, he spotted his possible victim, Samiksha. He noticed that she was wearing gold ornaments, a chain, and a pair of earrings. As soon as she stepped outside the gate, he sprang upon her. Taken by surprise, she screamed out for help. The kidnapper’s friends tried to gag her and tie her hands while dragging her towards the car.
Mayank saw her pleading for mercy. One of the villains had taken out his pistol to scare her. Mayank threw a stone at one of the gang members to cause a distraction. It proved to be a fatal mistake. The gang leader shot him dead. Akansha dropped the cotton candy after hearing the gunshot. She saw her son lying lifeless in a pool of blood. Her rage knew no bounds. A crowd had gathered around to prevent the goons from escaping. Fuelled by the anger of witnessing the death of an innocent child, a couple of men came forward to thrash the bad guys. Akansha freed Samiksha from her captors and asked her to go inside the school premises. She called the police and an ambulance.


She wept bitterly over her son’s dead body. He was a true hero. She didn’t want his death to go in vain. She put on a brave face to accept the fact that he was now in a better place. Samiksha apologized to her for misbehaving with Mayank. She and her parents went to her house to express their gratitude.


Mayank got a bravery award posthumously on Republic Day. Akansha picked up the award from the President amidst huge cheers and applause. Her voice choked with emotion as she turned on the mic to speak. She said, ” I am so happy and proud to receive this award from our honorable President. I miss Mayank so much. He taught me to live fearlessly. His death has left behind a message for all the parents. There are so many schools turning out excellent scholars. I feel that the schools should also be imparting education in humanity, kindness, compassion, respecting everyone, and bravery. The parents should teach the children about the importance of being a good human. Anyone can be a great scholar. We should set an example to the children by being model citizens. If possible, discourage your children from flaunting their wealth. It attracts unwanted attention from antisocial elements. Modesty is the need of the hour.
Thank you for hearing me out.”
Everyone gave her a standing ovation.

Thank you so much for taking your precious time to visit my website. Hope you enjoyed reading my blogs. 😊😊

WRITING FOR PASSION

Posted on by aparna12

A SHORT STORY BY ME IN REEDSY.COM

Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com

Writing for passion.
Sharon Devan aspired to be a writer. Her husband, Rahul, never believed that she could write. He had a nasty habit of criticizing her for everything that she did. As a result, her self-esteem went down considerably. She felt depressed and lost her interest in life. Their eight-year-old daughter, Mia, was the only reason why she tolerated him. 

Mia sought her attention most of the time. Her parents in law also lived with her in Mumbai. She regretted her decision to marry Rahul despite her parents’ objections. They were colleagues in an IT company based in New York. He courted her for two years before proposing her on the occasion of Christmas in 2010. 

She immediately accepted his proposal, leaving her parents fuming at her decision. They got married in January 2011 and moved back to India. She admired India and started getting acquainted with her new family. She learned to cook Indian meals from her mother-in-law, Saraswati. Her father-in-law, Yashwant, was a retired central government employee. Sharon gave birth to her only child in 2012. She named her Mia. She had no problems in her married life. An unexpected villain surfaced in her blissful matrimony. Rahul’s colleague and a close friend, Bhaskar, started feeding him with all sorts of wrong ideas. He told him that he should learn to control his wife. He should monitor her every move. She should ask for his permission before doing anything. Rahul started following his advice. He tormented Sharon in every possible way. His parents didn’t approve of his dominating attitude towards Sharon and Mia. His father admonished him to give up his bullying and mend his ways. He argued with him for supporting Sharon. His mother tried to intervene, but he asked her to shut up. His parents stopped speaking to him after this incident. 

A couple of months later, Sharon’s health started deteriorating. Rahul’s verbal abuse led to her developing hypertension, along with irregular heartbeats. Her critical health condition pressed the panic button for Rahul. He paced outside the ICU, waiting for the doctor. He received a call on his mobile. It was Sharon’s mother, Janet Patrick. She renewed her ties with her estranged daughter after the birth of Mia. He dreaded picking her call, fearing an angry outburst. Nevertheless, he picked up the call and chatted with her. She spoke to him rather calmly.  

Rahul felt ashamed of himself, after disconnecting the call. His parents-in-law had high regard for him. Sharon had not complained to them about him. He had tortured her for the past two years. 

Finally, the doctor emerged from the ICU. He said, ” Her condition is stable now. Please pray to God for her speedy recovery.”  

A couple of days later, Sharon regained consciousness. The doctor allowed Rahul to see his wife. He had tears of joy after seeing her alive. He apologized to her for his cruelty towards her. She smiled at him and accepted his apologies. She said,” You must be wondering why I didn’t tell my parents about your torture. I thought about Mia’s future. A divorce is not always a solution for all marital problems. Parents don’t realize that their rash decision to seek a divorce would affect their children. My love for you didn’t permit me to desert you.” He gave her a gentle hug and a kiss on her forehead. He had turned over a new leaf. 

Sharon got discharged from the hospital after spending a week. Rahul had requested his boss to allow him to work from home for a month. He hired a domestic help to assist her with the household chores. She couldn’t believe her eyes that Rahul had changed for good.  

Rahul’s parents were delighted over his change of heart. He presented her with a brand new laptop for her thirty-eighth birthday. He said,” I never encouraged you to take up writing. I don’t want to be an obstacle on your way to becoming an author. Start writing as soon as possible.”

Sharon decided it was time to put on her thinking cap and start writing. She switched on her laptop and used her mobile for the internet connection. She checked her email and Facebook posts. 

She browsed through various websites offering creative writing courses. She took notes and suggestions for starting her writing career. She was bored after some time. She loved to read books. She downloaded an e-book from Amazon. It was a murder mystery written by a new author called R.D.Hope. She spent nearly two hours on her laptop and used up all the data limit for the day. Rahul had finished preparing lunch. He came out of the kitchen, still wearing his apron smeared with food stains. He stood behind her, watching her read the ebook with full concentration. 

” That’s a great way to launch your writing career,” he whispered into her ears, making her jump in fright. Sharon turned to face him. ” I thought I would read some books that would help me get started. I don’t know how to begin my story. I wish I could get some tips from Mr.Hope. He is an excellent author.” 

” Thank you so much for your compliments,” piped in Rahul, ” R.D.Hope is at your service. Feel free to ask me anything.” Sharon looked at him incredulously. ” You are pulling my leg, aren’t you?” she probed him,” What is the proof that you are Mr. Hope?” He went to his bedroom and opened the closet. He pulled out a drawer, picking up a sheaf of papers neatly stapled at the top. He called her and thrust the papers into her hand. ” This is the manuscript of my forthcoming book in the Detective Jay series. Let me show you something else,” he added and dragged her towards the living room. He switched on his smartphone and entered R.D. Hope in the Google search option. 

He handed over his phone to her and watched her clicking on the Wikipedia. His biography on the page cleared all her doubts. He was indeed her favorite author. He explained that his parents discouraged him from taking up writing as a full-time career. They told him that there was no stability in the income generated by writing. People may or may not buy his books. He followed their advice and became an engineer. 

He suggested,” Don’t let people bother you with their negative comments. They will try to dissuade you by blabbering on the monetary benefits. Money should not be your primary objective for writing.

Just put in your heart and soul into your work. You must be mentally prepared to accept the rejection of your manuscript. 

Focus your attention primarily on getting your manuscript ready. Distractions and writer’s block will find their way to create obstacles for you. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Your health is more important than your work. Finally, no one becomes rich overnight. Hard work and persistent efforts are necessary to keep you on the move. My lecture is over for the day. Let’s have our lunch together. ” Sharon appreciated his pep-talk and assured him that she would keep his suggestions in mind. The entire family joined together for lunch. Rahul’s parents went to their room for their afternoon siesta after lunch. Rahul and Sharon cleared the dining table. Mia used her mother’s mobile to play games. 

Sharon took out her old diary and scribbled a few words. Rahul received a call on his mobile. His jovial mood got quickly replaced by tension. She inquired,” Is it some bad news?” He replied,” Do you remember Bhaskar? He was the one who had turned me into a monster. He committed suicide last night. His wife had divorced him around a week ago. He lost custody of his children. She also refused him permission to visit his children.” ” I am sorry, dear,” she consoled him,” His death is unfortunate. Yet, he was solely responsible for his fate.” 

He agreed with her opinion. 

Sharon’s training session began with Rahul from the next day. He taught her about plot creation and characterization.

He gave her writing exercises daily and edited her work. She made remarkable progress in the plot creation by following his guidelines. He was pleased with her ability to grasp the concept within a short period. She began to double her efforts in developing strong characters. 

Rahul ensured that she had achieved a certain level of proficiency in writing. He guided her for fifteen days. He resumed his official duty. 

Unfortunately, pandemic Covid-19 hit Mumbai, leading to complete lockdown after a week. Sharon had started working on her debut novel. She set aside some time from her busy schedule for writing. Rahul’s assistance enabled her to continue her work without any interruption. She prepared a rough draft of her novel and edited it several times.

Rahul made some changes within the manuscript. It took two months for Sharon to finish her work. Rahul’s friend, Vishal, edited her manuscript. He also helped her with the cover design and drafting a cover letter.

The couple waited anxiously for a favorable response from the publisher. Sharon braced herself to face rejection. 
Fortunately, she received a call from the publisher about the acceptance of her novel. She shared this good news with her family. They were proud of her achievement. 

Her debut novel, Bad Luck Forever, garnered critical acclaim. She got positive reviews for her book. It emerged as one of the bestsellers in Amazon. Sharon sought the blessings of her parents-in-law.

Rahul gave them a brief summary of her novel. She had written a psychological thriller about a child turning into a serial killer in his adulthood. He targets the couples filing for a divorce, despite having children. 

Rahul celebrated the success of Sharon’s novel with his family. He ordered food from a reputed hotel. He cast a loving glance at his wife. She blew him a kiss and thanked him for being her mentor. Mia hugged her parents and kissed them. 


Sharon realized her dream of becoming an author.  


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DON’T MESS WITH A WOMAN

Posted on by aparna12

A SHORT STORY BY ME In STORYMIRROR. COM

Photo by George Milton on Pexels.com

19-year-old Radha Sharma attended BMS College of Women with her friends in Bengaluru. She was a commerce student. Radha’s friends admired her beauty and intelligence. Her father Ajay Sharma was a police officer posted at Jaya Nagar police station. She enjoyed going to college and had lots of fun. However, the girls had a major problem. Some boys of Men’s Engineering college bothered them. They passed lewd remarks and touched them inappropriately. 

Radha could not tolerate their indecent behavior.  

One day she called all her classmates and met them after college hours. She said, “It’s high time for us to punish those scoundrels before they cross their limits.” She discussed her plan with them. She said, “We will let them know about our intended shopping plans. I am sure those rascals will follow us. Just wait and watch my next course of action to get rid of them for a few days.” They executed their plan successfully. Radha and her friends discussed their shopping plan in front of the notorious gang. 

Next day Radha and her friends went shopping and had lunch at the mall itself. Radha glanced at her watch and sincerely prayed for the success of her plan.

Ten motorcycles screeched to halt outside the mall. It was the same gang that troubled the girls. A young guy of 22 was their leader. He wore a t-shirt and a leather jacket. He had pierced one of his ears and wore a stud. He ogled at Radha and blew her a kiss. Radha controlled her temper. She handed over her luggage to her friend, Purvi. She descended from the steps with a coy smile on her face. She approached the gang leader and gently touched his cheek. “Hi, handsome!” she said, “Are you free tonight? How silly of me! I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Radha. What is your name, honey?” The boy could not believe his luck. He fell for her charms and said, “Hi! I am Rohan Kumar, son of Mr. Aditya Kumar. Would you accept me as your boyfriend?” ” Sure, I would love to. But, I find your friends to be equally charming. I can’t make up my mind about selecting one of you as my date.” His friends grinned at him. They were astonished at Radha’s flirtatious nature. 

Rohan looked at her as she licked her lips seductively. He wanted to possess her body. His friends had similar thoughts running in their mind. Rohan moved towards her to kiss her rosy lips. She stopped him and said, “I have an idea. Since I love wrestling, I want you to have wrestling bout with each other. The winner will be my date.” 

Rohan and his pals dealt heavy blows to each other. Radha and her friends had a hearty laugh. The police arrived shortly and dispersed the crowd. Rohan and his friends screamed in pain. They had several broken bones and bruises all over their bodies. Since they were sons of wealthy and influential people, the police let them off with a warning. They spent nearly 15 days in the hospital. 

Rohan was furious with himself for letting Radha fool him and his friends. He called his best friend cum crony Sahil and said, “Please forgive me, dude. That bitch deliberately instigated us against each other. I am going to make her pay for her dirty trick. Why don’t we meet at Cafe Coffee Day at 9.30 AM tomorrow?” 

Radha was wary of the trouble that lay ahead for her. She had confided in her father about Rohan and his cronies. Her father asked a constable to be undercover and follow Rohan and his friends. The constable Ramesh obeyed his command. He kept a close tab on Rohan and his gang right from their hospitalization until their discharge. He continued to follow Rohan and overheard his conversation. 

Rohan and his gang arrived promptly at 9.30 AM in Cafe Coffee Day.

Ramesh chose to sit at the table adjacent to the guys so that he could record their conversation. 

Rohan said, “A pretty damsel fooled us into an ugly brawl. We have to pay her back for her audacity. We will rape her tonight and upload her objectionable photos on the social media. She won’t be able to face anyone. She will quit going to college. We will be able to resume our favorite past time without any hindrance.” 

All of them had a hearty laugh. Ramesh wanted to thrash them. However, he finished his coffee and headed straight towards the police station. 

He informed Ajay about the impending doom. Ajay was worried because of the social status of the spoilt brat, Rohan. He would get away from the clutches of law by using his father’s influence. 

Later that evening, Radha saw her father in a sober mood which was quite unusual. When she probed him further, he told her about Rohan’s evil intention. Radha thought for a moment and laughed out aloud. Her father looked at her quizzically. Radha whispered her plan of counterattack into her father’s ears. 

He grinned at her and gave her a thumbs-up signal. There were several constables posted at Radha’s house.

Rohan and his friends entered her house. His friends waited for his signal while he gained entry into her room. He called his friend Tony to join him. He removed the blanket and forced himself upon the victim. He yelled out in pain after his genitals got stuck in a mousetrap. His eyes widened in horror as he found a dummy instead of Radha.

Radha switched on the lights after hearing his screams. Her father entered the room with a pair of handcuffs. Ajay sneered at him and said, “I hope you have learned your lesson. You are like a mouse caught in a trap.” 

Radha clicked his picture with the mousetrap clinging onto his private part. He had tears in his eyes. He spoke to her in a subdued voice. He said, “Please have mercy on me. I will never cross your path again in my entire life. Don’t upload my photos for God’s sake. I will leave this city forever.” Radha asked her father to free him from the mousetrap. Ajay and his constables arrested Rohan and his friends. They led the gang away in their jeep. 

Radha was now smiling. “Don’t mess with me,” she whispered under her breath.

Thank you so much for taking your precious time to visit my website. Hope you enjoyed reading my blogs. 😊😊