A new flash fiction collection brings stories from various parts of urban India to life
Each story reveals slice-of-life experiences that capture the essence of urban India. REPRESENTATION PIC
Bengaluru-based writer Shalaka Kulkarni’s new self-published collection of flash fiction, Tadow (Notion Press), explores life in the 21st century. The title of the book is borrowed from a song by R&B musicians Masego and FKJ. It comes from a combination of the words ‘tadaa!’ and ‘wow’, and is used to exclaim that one experienced something sublime that cannot be described in words. From stories about coping with the COVID-19 pandemic to those of love and dating, nostalgia of the past, memories of parents and grandparents, living with disability, and dealing with injustice, this book is a window into the ways we grapple with the changing world. Here are four stories to check out from the collection:
Shalaka Kulkarni
1 Brahmanda: The story is set in the year of the pandemic. It follows the life of Ankur, a kid who suffers from a mental disability. Since his parents are medical practitioners, working overtime in their PPE kits and, eventually, catching the COVID-19 virus, they are in desperate search of a caretaker for him. We learn how, feeling hesitance from most people, Ankur copes with the situation.
2 Jashn: Avneet’s grandmother is an “uber-cool granny” with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She wears designer Masaba Gupta’s lipsticks in nude colours, phulkari dupattas, and dances well. Avneet is intrigued when she watches her Naani get ready to go to an acquaintance’s funeral, carrying not so much grief as excitement. What could Naani be up to?
3 Masquerade: In this story, Kulkarni explores the kindness of strangers and how a harmless lie comes with the promise of a tale to tell in the future. Jason, a traveller in his thirties, brings a smile to a child’s face when the latter mistakes him for a famous movie-star who is under a secret mission at the Kochi airport.
4 Nonplus: A potential employee Nehal wishes for a remote-working option. When she interviews for a job, she shares that the reason behind this is so she could help her mother document her recipes on an app. This triggers an exciting idea in the interviewer Sagar’s mind.
Cost Rs 499 Available
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