Biryani Fridays
SHAILA POURS STOVE-WARMED WATER into a bucket and lugs it to the bathroom for her husband’s bath. Back in the kitchen to cook breakfast, she hears him splash water over… Read more »
Binary Stars
My son Vivek and I are visiting the Lowell Observatory for his spring break. We’re in a queue to observe the night sky through a giant telescope. After my son,… Read more »
Fortune Cookie
Every day, I wait at the bus stop for Kiara to hop off. On some days, Sandy, the driver, throws me a treat from the goodies bag stashed in the… Read more »
The Caged Budgerigars
My eleven-year-old son Wasim slides his book bag from his shoulders and runs towards the new birdcage, his eyes brimming with excitement. “Thank you for these beautiful birds, Ammi,” he… Read more »
Know Another Culture
A pungent aroma of onion and cumin wafts out as Mummy answers the door. I told her not to cook curry, that I’ll bring Evan over from school, but she’s… Read more »
I Like Them Tangy
Winner of Third Place in Gooseberry Pie’s First Writing Contest April 2024 by Sara Siddiqui Chansarkar Two days after my wedding, my mother-in-law asks me to prepare amla murabba or… Read more »
Razia, Razia
I select a yellow songbird from the cages the bird vendor dangles towards me and pay him 300 rupees. He thanks me, then asks, Why do you purchase a bird every… Read more »
The Alley Huddle
Men of the mohalla—carpenters, electricians, factory workers—squatting around a bonfire, knees pulled close together, winter fog hovering over their shoulders. Men burning paper, wood, tires, anything they can lay their… Read more »
Twin Brother And Sister
My twin brother grew light-skinned like the milk he sucked from Ma’s breast and I, brown like the chai I drank from a bottle. My brother slept under a Bajaj… Read more »
The Dance Before The Wedding
ALL EYES are on Farha as she dances to the rhythm of the dholak, ghungroos jingling around her ankles, the moon watching over her. She’s in her aunt’s courtyard where… Read more »