Title : The Pause

Author : Monica Singh

Genre : Fiction

A Day in a Superhero’s Life

A day in the life of a person with muscular atrophy explained well. Without taking names, the author has made the day come alive with her words. The superhero, yes superhero and not a patient as well his caretaker are brave and fight together with ALS every day. A story that teaches us not to give up. 

Thursday’s Adventures

This story is for all book lovers. You fall in love with Milli and develop a hatred towards her ruthless father. My heart almost leaped out when Milli’s father flung the books away. Surprise comes in the form of her brother and Milli finds a new leash of life. The fragile librarian aids in transforming Milli into a voracious reader. Her question, “I can read books and be a good girl? ” Brings a lump to the throat and leaves one moist eyed. 

The usage of dictionary snapshots adds beauty to the story. 

Phoenix Rising

True to the title, this short story showcases the courage of Meera. Domestic violence is often ignored and women are asked to play it down as the family’s reputation is at stake. What reputation can a family that cannot safeguard or respect the women with them, boast off? This story is indeed an inspiration and urges women like Meera to stand up for themselves.

The Other Man

A sensitive topic dealt  well in this story. Kudos to the writer who has brought out the feelings of a youngster and a middle aged person very well with her words.

Tangerine

The pandemic saw many people adopting pets as they felt lonely. Here, even though Shalini didn’t really adopt a pet, her affection towards the feline brought in a welcome change to her mind. This story shows us how pets can metamorphose us as a person.

One and Half Minutes

An incident that is etched in our hearts forever. It changed the lives of a lot of people. Some lost their lives, some hung on to it from a thin thread of hope. Here, the story of a street boy Kachra and his mentor Motar gets our eyes welled up with tears. The whole night of 26th November flashes back to our minds and the title so apt, says how one and half minutes claimed eleven lives!

Null and Void

What love can do to a person, that he or she becomes blind in the presence of the companion? Well that is the story of Suvaran aka Su. Time that flew by made her realize whether she was happy in the real sense. The way she walked out of the relationship and embraced the positive freedom serves as an inspiration to all.

Of these seven, Thursday’s Adventures, Phoenix Rising and One and Half Minutes are my favourites.

As the author herself says, these stories bring in a sense of hope and happiness, and will power to the reader. Awaiting to read more from her.