RAABTA

Ajabdeh submitted her paper and shut her laptop down for the weekend. Her home desk had pictures on the walls. Pictures he had clicked of her on every trip they took together. Across the country. Sometimes planned, sometimes unplanned. Long distance was tough, but in between the struggle of constantly being active on their phones to keep in touch with calls, texts, emails, and video calls, there was a sense of individuality, identity and liberty in it that she enjoyed. Now and then, they would meet at a spot somewhere in between and go on trips. Hike to the mountains, laze at beaches and try adventure sports. Everything she experienced in the past year was ticked off her bucket list. Each memory now sat glued to her desk wall, in pictures he clicked. He was a good photographer and she: his muse. She was surprised when he called the previous day, saying he would be coming to see her. She knew he kept saying he wanted to visit Rajasthan, but this sudden plan was odd. Ajabdeh spent her en...

I love taking sunset pictures. It had been a hobby since I started travelling solo across the country. I live alone and spend my weekends on road trips to beaches and mountains. I click pictures I never post, and often find a budget stay and experience local cuisines. It has been five years since I left college and changed jobs. The only part of the week I look forward to is Friday, when I log out of work and pack my bags to leave for an undecided location. This weekend, I ended up on the beaches of Kovalam. The sea here has shallow waves, and the shacks around the beach, along with the little shops, are all crowded. I stray from the usual crowd of tourists, climb some rocks on the beach near the lighthouse and then find a spot secluded from the touristy affairs. I zoomed my camera to glimpse the secluded beach a little further down the road. And I spot someone there. A woman whose hair played in the wind. She was walking down the beach in shorts and a short Kaftan top (I know that bec...