Challenging the Norm Mahaveer was nonplussed when negotiations would proceed directly with Bill Higgins rather than a go between and almost decided to back out on his commitment, but Manoj deftly steered his father through his concerns. To Mahaveer’s surprise no dowry was asked, Manoj had greedily convinced Bill that in an inter-racial situation that…
Category: Stories – Southern Asia
Stories about my S Asia working experiences
West Meets East – Chapter 1
Bride for the Sahib Mahaveer sat thinking over his latest misfortune. It had all started years before when he decided to take a second wife. His first wife Shakuntala had grown sick after producing a son and never fully recovered to take her place as the one to keep home going while Mahaveer attended to…
Righting a Wrong
JoAnne searched diligently in the Bazaar. She’d learned through the servant grapevine Gopalraj could be found begging there on some days, and other days seemed to disappear off the face of the earth. Where could he be that foolish man? Attempts to pry further information out of servants attending other memsahibs on campus had…
Village Birth
Manohar sat cross legged on the charpoy listening carefully. Squatting around him were some of his male relatives from this village Chandragaon. They were all making small talk to fill in time, but Manohar had other things on his mind and had shut the village out as he thought through his situation. Blaring through the…
Anita
Matthew looked out the window of the Taj Mahal hotel at Mumbai Apollo Bander and tried to imagine what life would have been like in 1911. It was called Bombay at that time, but the name had reverted in tribute to goddess Mumba Devi benefactor of fishermen in the original seven islands which had…
Catstronaut
“Mom, there’s a cat outside trying to get into the house and acting funny!” Betty Ann looked down at her wildly gesticulating children and smiled. They had this tremendous capacity to exaggerate things so their concern didn’t generate the usual fight or flight mechanism women feel when their children appear breathless and stressed. She quietened…
Filip – Chapter 2
Finding a Safe Haven Filip realized it would have to be now or never. He needed to achieve his objectives after three years living as a virtual slave and having to hide his accumulating wealth. He’d been milking generous European tourists for the equivalent money to get him back to Europe and had played that…
Filip
Refugee – Chapter 1 Filip stretched and yawned as he forced his eyes open. The sun’s rays were beginning to paint their usual colours on clouds as old sol strode toward the inland horizon. It had been a tough night as he struggled to find a comfortable place to sleep. The moon was at its…
Train to Calcutta
Ralph had been in his job at international headquarters office for only a month when the invitation to visit India came to his desk. There was no internet to check out details of the country in those days so he asked his secretary to do research on India and give him a brief summary of…
Tsunami
26 December 2004, a date never to be forgotten, is an event that shaped the economy and lives of Nagapattinam district citizens. Nagapattinam is derived from Nagar, referring to people from Sri Lanka who settled here in ancient history, and pattinam referring to town.[1] [2]Nagapattinam had a population of approximately one hundred thousand, and coastal…
Ramesh
Ramesh stretched and opened his eyes. The first rays of sunlight were beginning to illuminate surrounding hills as he slowly turned his head to study familiar landmarks. This was his usual custom. The mud hut with its thatched roof caught his eye briefly and he reminded himself again of the need to replace thatch….
Canned Prawns
“What’s those red spots on your arms?” Georgine advanced to make a closer inspection. “They’re too big to be measles, you better get it seen too!” I looked at my blotched arms and apprehension gripped me. I’d noticed those blotches on my stomach during the morning bath and was beginning to have difficulty swallowing….
