One day while sitting on the platform bench at a station, I saw the railways had put up a signboard picturing two ghosts talking to each other, with one saying in bold letters, “I CROSSED ONLY ONCE!” Once was enough wasn’t it, for human life to take ghostly form? Yet…
Police Custodial Deaths and a Mother..!
“Youth dies in police custody! Over, 100 killed in police custody in Maharashtra in four years “ Times of India, Oct 30th “Just give me my son! Place him across my lap. Open your eyes child, did you close them, so you wouldn’t see the next blow and the next?…
Stretching Out to Touch..!
This morning while walking at the park I accidentally brushed past a man. “Sorry!” I said. “Thank you!” he replied. I walked on a little puzzled, wondering whether I’d heard right, and then slowed down waiting for him to pass, “Why did you say thank you?” I asked. “Because you’re…
Alone With Yourself..!
Pause for a moment in the middle of the hurly-burly of your everyday life and tell me, with your cell phone and computer always at your beck and call, do you ever get time to be alone with yourself? It was a few years ago I met this very saintly…
An Overjoyed Builders Association..!
The President of the International Builders Association smiled as he received a standing ovation from his fellow builders as he entered the hall and walked up to the podium. The clapping and applause continued and as he looked at the happy members, he reflected how different it had been a…
Problem Solving Is Good..!
The husband watched her sitting up in their bed, head bowed, deep in thought. It was midnight. He watched awhile and then whispered to her, “Is something wrong?” “How do we get the money to send our daughter abroad for her studies?” she asked, him. “We’ll work it out!” he…
Just a Lil’ Scratch..!
There was a ruckus going on downstairs, screaming and yelling with some choice words thrown in for effect. I didn’t bother going to see what was happening; I was busy with the morning papers. “Our neighbour’s really furious!” said my wife coming into the room. “With us?” I asked hoping…
They have Stopped Looking Sir..!
On the borders of an imaginary village, a man with white beard and white hair stood flexing his muscles and expanding his fifty-six inch chest, while shouting and making violent signs at the next village. He heard hurried footsteps behind him, but did not bother to turn around, as he…
Pickle, Pepper and Pleasure..!
Many years ago, while doing my Masters in English, I had a professor who taught me linguistics. This good man from a Brahmin family had done his studies in England and very often told us stories of life in that country where he had gone to study. “For the first…
Eyesight Improvement Technique..!
While walking in the park I passed an elderly gentleman, a friend of mine, who seemed to be walking a tad slowly and pensively, “A penny for your thoughts?” I asked. “Just realizing I’m getting old!” he said sadly, and at that time his daughter passed him by, walking briskly,…
Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and writes a daily column, which has graced the pages of over 60 newspapers and magazines, from a daily column in the Khaleej Times, Dubai, the Morning Star, London, and in nearly every state in India, from The Statesman in Kolkata, to the Kashmir Times in Kashmir to the Trinity Mirror in Chennai.