Short Story: Three Versions of a Thursday

Dr. Nagireddy .R. Sreenath narrates a powerful tale of a day in the lives of three people intertwined together by blood.

February 24th unfolded differently depending on whose diary you read.

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Shyam’s Diary — 02/24, Thursday

6:30 AM

Asha didn’t speak to me all morning. The dosa was burned. Not badly burned, just the edges. She knows I notice.

I ate it anyway. What am I supposed to do, complain? Then I’m the ungrateful one.

7:15 AM

Varun sat there with his headphones in. He does that now. Just sit there, not talking. Three months he’s been back. Three months of silence and closed doors.

I asked him once—just once—what happened in Hyderabad. Asha practically bit my head off. “Leave him alone!”

So I leave him alone. I go to the shop. I fix things. I come home. Nobody talks to me.