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The Book of Aarav – 6
A Crimson Birthday “You done?” Indresh asked, walking up to Aarav’s desk. “Just a minute. I’m sending you my report for this week,” Aarav replied, eyes fixed on his laptop as he typed hurriedly. “Don’t rush it. Do it properly,” Indresh said. His phone buzzed. He took it out, checked the message, and murmured, “It’s…
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The Book of Aarav – 5
Sabo and Yodhika The Delhi–Jaipur Road opened into a long, empty stretch once the city faded behind Manesar. No shops. No traffic. No honking. Just a wide six-lane highway running straight through dry fields and broken patches of the Aravalli hills. The heat shimmered above the asphalt, making the horizon look blurred and distant. Then…
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The Book of Aarav – 4
The Woman in Windbreaker Aarav closed the success window of the last software on the list and glanced toward the office meeting room, waiting to see if Indresh would step out. After a few minutes, he opened the office chat application on his laptop and typed, Installed all the applications. Leaving office. Will see you…
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The Book of Aarav – 3
Who are you? A policeman sat at a desk near the doorway, flipping through a file. The station wasn’t crowded, a rare calm for a city office—walls painted in warm cream, polished floors reflecting the sunlight streaming through the high windows, and neatly trimmed plants lining the entrance. The air smelled faintly of disinfectant, and…
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The Book of Aarav – 2.5
The Opposition Leader At PMO, South Block, Raisina Hill, New Delhi Mr. Bheeshma Sinha, Prime Minister of India, sat behind the heavy teak desk—a decorated soldier and the boldest presence in the country. At sixty, he carried a tall, commanding frame and a clean-shaven face, sharp cheekbones, and piercing eyes that seemed to measure everything…
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The Book of Aarav – 2
Aarav and His Mother Aarav ran out of the elevator the moment the doors slid open. He glanced at his phone mid-stride, realizing with a jolt that he was already an hour late. Swiping his access card, he pushed through the office doors. The glass panels opened into a cool, softly humming world of polished…
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The Book of Aarav – 1
The Alley and the Masked Man A hand slipped out from beneath the covers, reaching for the phone vibrating sharply on the bedside table. 6:00 a.m. The alarm cut through the early hush of Whitefield, one quiet corner of a city already stirring. The phone disappeared under the blanket. Silence returned. Aarav sat up, rubbing…
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The Book of Aarav – Prologue
A few shrubs stood proud and still, resolute as the tall grasses danced in the sea’s night breeze. The wail of sirens rose across the land, drowning the breeze’s quiet murmur. A baby’s cry echoed from the dense, dark forest near the beach. A flickering light shone upon the dancing grasses at the forest’s edge…
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When the Clock Strikes Two-4
Shocking News I swiped my ID card on the reader and entered the office, following the man who had shared the lift ride up.Even though I had expected it, the change in the office layout still unsettled me. Until yesterday, the workspace had been open—rows of desks arranged side by side. Today, everything was different.…
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When the Clock Strikes Two-3
Brand New World The control room smelled of stale coffee and disinfectant, the kind of sour, clinging odor that settled into the air after an overnight shift and refused to leave. Across the wall of monitors, platform feeds showed cleaners rolling their carts toward storage bays while the first office-goers drifted in beneath a thin,…
Karun G Nath 