DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

The clackity-clack of heels echoed on the cool marble floor as Avantika sashayed from her cabin to the conference hall. At 5’7” with waist length hair, the colour of a raven’s wing, her skin honey toned, she was the cynosure of all eyes today as she stood in front of corporate honchos to seal the deal of the merger and acquire multi million dollars worth in stocks and bonds.

With the initial round of heady cheers and toasting of champagne, she quietly made her way out and slumped into the welcoming recliner in her cabin and closed her eyes. Memories of the past flooded her and she suddenly felt warm hearted with gratitude.

Margaret…the blonde-haired missy who had visited her village three decades ago had taken upon herself to take a team of pre-teen girls under her wing and educate them. Avantika had taken a fancy to the kind lady who looked starkly different from the people she usually encountered around the hutments.

The lessons had begun with great fervor and excitement. Avantika sat wide eyed as the world unfolded in front of her, a world that she didn't know existed before this. Numbers, places, experiments, computers, literature…it was magical and Avantika was a fast learner.

Margaret had Avantika on her radar for a long time now and knew that she was a diamond in the rough. If polished right, she would dazzle everyone. This village was no place for a girl of her brilliance and ambition.

Seeking permission from her parents, Margaret had decided to take her along to the UK and take her in under her guardianship to sponsor her studies in the best school there was. Their joy knew no bounds! Avantika would be the first child from the village to go overseas to study.

Years rolled by and Avantika blended in so well after grooming sessions. There was no looking back once she decided on achieving something. After graduating from a top rated business school, she was all set to conquer the world.

She had come a long, long way from home and now it was time to pay it forward. She set about on a mission of her own, back to the same village to spot hidden talents and turn them into the gemstones that they were.

©️ Sangeetha Kamath

Pic Courtesy: Asian Literary Society

Comments

PURPLE CARNIVAL

On a clear Autumn evening, I'm a whole lot differently in love with the splash of feeble purple on the dusking skies, a hybrid of Lavender laced with Heather. It's a garden of blooms with streaks of Fuchsia and Mulberry, a medley of regalia. A pale Violet is the the vintage elegance of my timeless sundress as I twirl away to my heart's content, the cares of the world jettisoning away on the puffs of dandelions. Plum is the zing of the freshness a wine ushers in on a barbeque evening. The seasonal blueberry ice cream bars with drizzles of Lilac are the cool respite I look forward to with a side of Grape sorbet ! Byzantine is a powerful stance as I hold my audience captive. An incandescent Mauve is soothing with a tone and forthcoming promises. A lustrous Amethyst Rose Quartz dangling on my bracelet is the crystal of my choice dazzling my Crown Chakra. Periwinkle is a whisper of a charming desire of the heart. Iris, although dainty, exude...

BOULEVARD

A hush descended under pale blue iris skies As I, a cobblestoned footpath threaded through rosemary and myrtle aisles Silhouettes of pewter clouds sailed over While I wended through glen, glade and lea of clover Down the moors sinking into the caverns and coves I wandered like a lost lambkin weaving my way into a sheltered grove I'm home and hearth to caravans and trailers The weary homeless, nomads and the downtrodden tent dwellers I drank the last limpid pools of honeyed sunbeam Whilst skirting the moon-bathed lakes and rocks laced with lichen Traveling with the pilgrims over crests of hills The ocean echoes are a melancholia spraying me with salty mists I stretch through the dim lamplit streets of hamlets and towns The bright city lights which upon me severely frowns A frigid and clammed up breeze rustles a jacaranda lined boulevard Humming the glories of warm golden days abandoned miles behind The sky hanging low cleanses me with her downpour Under a starry night I spark...

DAINTY PINK DREAMS (DAY 2 ARTOONSINN NAPOWRIMO

# DAY 2 #ARTOONSINN NAPOWRIMO DAINTY PINK DREAMS Spring comes like the long awaited pink dream The sun-kissed air spilled with a perfume of woody almond and vanilla ice cream… Cherry blossom bouquets in vivid contrast to the skies a deep cerulean, The glow of champagne blush, serenading the cotton-candy clouds with their wistful paean! It's the wedding of blooms of hue lilac, lavender, magenta, and white Silken petal confetti showering the earth with their gratitude and delight! In the moonlight they're incandescent pearls on a gnarled bough Lustre washed silver shimmer by a celestial artist through and through! The swelling buds are a candy-floss lollipop bunch Childhood memories drench me, I wish to indulge again in tall glasses of taffy punch… Pic Courtesy: Pixabay ©️ Sangeetha Kamath Prabhu

A GIFT I GIVE MYSELF

Books and more books 📚! All I talk about are books and Babylou. And for good reason. One is my creative board and the piece of my heart is a wise Sounding Board. When I interact with either of them I get great eye openers and enlightenment. There's of course a story behind this with these two main star casts and in no way are disconnected at all with random mentions. Yeah, so with all my Ring Binder Journals and the various diaries having been filled to the brim with my daily writing plus visual embellishments, they now look no less than chunky blocks--overfed and hard to shut close. Having almost run their course, it was time to get new ones to document the rest of the year. Amazon showed me the Paperideas A5 Journals with a shipping price to Singapore that would buy me month's worth of groceries for the household! Heck, ah ?! What the...! Is it trimmed with gold and encrusted with precious gems ! Plus the aesthetic pastel colours were all SOLD OUT with only some ga...

A~Z BLOGGING CHALLENGE THEME REVEAL 2026

Still indecisive 🤔 The commitment is intimidating, yet this will be my third year of participation that makes me want it to come full circle. Third time's a charm it's said. In 2024, I posted 26 blogs from A~Z--micro fiction, long stories, short stories, poems ( oh yes!) in a motley of genres Magic Realism, Surrealism, also a Creature Horror, a Sci Fi thriller *( in dedication to David Duchovny from X-files who was a crushing heartthrob back in my ancient days haha 😆)* all which can be concised into a broader group --FANTASY ! That was my debut year in the Bloggers world and I completed the event with a flourish. **** 2025 was a year. I had to suspend the event midway through it and fly urgently back home for the major part of April. The theme then was a Mixed Bag. Reflections, Lifestyle, Wellness and Self Care principles were the topics I touched upon with A~Z titles all in foreign languages. That was the USP of my blogging challenge last year. A mini fantas...

Sangeetha Kamath

Search This Blog