Sangeetha Kamath

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 s

Visions that fade away from the grasp of sleep In the chambers of my soul they disappear into the deep A dim spark sets ablaze the fall colors in the night When dreams knock on my door wearing shimmery lights For a brief, sweet hour I waft above the clouds Memories bittersweet are folded in powder blue shrouds On tiptoe they glide and take me along to paradise  A magic door opens and a thrumming portal swings by Strange, wild dreams with shadows looming large and menacing Breaking in sweat sometimes I wake up with my heart pounding Deep dark woods and labyrinthine alleys Running for dear life, the chase ending in a free fall in chasmal valleys On bleak shores of rapid streams I lose my way Fumbling and tripping, my foothold sways on unknown terrains  Rustling paths appear to take me back to times forgotten To my loved ones looking happy, now long gone  Faraway from familiar boulevards, yonder the placid lakes, turbulent seas and rivers Winding roads twists and turns with unknown bends

  Nolan jumped to his feet and strode towards the front door. The ringing was persistent.  He spotted a package lying outside. Upon unwrapping, the contents revealed an easel, a canvas, paints and paintbrushes. Nolan was delighted at this gift of his favourite hobby. He glanced at a note which read — “ To hold you forever in my gaze. Enjoy painting.” Tonight, his farmhouse would be teeming with guests at his fifth anniversary celebration party of acquiring a Fortune 500 company. As he set the canvas up on the easel, a soft breeze ruffled the curtains. The brochure was a printed sheet of the most beautiful violet eyes. He set about blending in tints when the curtains billowed in the rustling breeze. Nolan’s heart started racing as his hand started to move on their own accord and colour a pair of violet eyes set in a heart-shaped face. Violet! Food allergy… murder in cold blood at this very place! Nolan had sprinkled nut powder into her salad and had watched as her life had painfully ebb

  Surrounded by snowcapped mountains in a rustic cabin Amid an aquamarine lake dreamily glassine  A woodland setting away from the glamour and bling On the fifth anniversary of our courting, ‘twas my dream to have a fairytale wedding  On the threshold stood my Prince Charming, holding out to me a diamond-studded platinum ring Flaunting my pearls and ivory lace bridal gown With a bottle of champagne and a bouquet of exotic flowers I'd homegrown Into the threshold I stepped to see a dashing groom who had no idea what would happen very soon! Raising a toast to our future and wedded bliss He took large sips and realised too late something was amiss Choking and sputtering, he was clearly in distress Managing to gasp incoherently " what have you done to me, you sorceress?" As he lay writhing and squirming, I granted his last wish, his memory needed jogging Here was the wolf who hid in a sheep's clothing My family and home were reduced to shambles after his greed and wresti

With an exasperated string of words, Nolan jumped to his feet and stormed towards the front door. The ringing was persistent and looked like whoever it was outside wouldn't let him have a Sunday morning slide in peace.  He had returned here after a year and the house was kept in pristine condition by the cleaners who would come in at regular intervals. Who could be visiting him at his farmhouse when he had told no one about his month long retreat? His getaway from a stress-filled city life and a job that sucked the life out of him was a plan he confided in no one. Upon opening the door in one swift swing, he found a package wrapped in a simple brown paper lying outside with his address and a ‘Welcome Home’ card pasted on it. He carried it inside and wondered what could be inside and who would send him a homecoming gift.  The contents revealed an easel, a canvas, a branded box of paints, palettes and paintbrushes of every type and size. Nolan's eyes shone with delight at this s

  I trudged through withered bracken and the frosted winter parade As ice-storms swept across a barren, icicle'd glade A hushed midnight and the gloomy woods were bathed in a dull pallor of the gibbous moon Melodies lamented and moaned an endless, melancholic tune ‘Twas a lone walk through pastures of wilted blooms Solitude was a friend in the summers of honey breath in the deep green woods Swept away by the currents or blown away by the torrents As twilight lazily rested on hillocks and in the amaranthine dells Like a laden cloud I cascaded down when the load was a dead weight I had gathered pieces of myself and strung them together with a parched wreath  Pensive was the boon of listening to rumbling whispers  Like a dimpling stream I flowed and carved my own trails Like the ocean arose and crashed to write my own fate, Letting the sun guide my way and the moon shine on my rugged path Now I ask all the pulsing stars to sing of my struggles,   The forests to hum about my heart and