Chasing the White River of Dreams

My Mother’s Prince - The Loud Ones Carry Quiet Stories Too - Part 25

The Loud Ones Carry Quiet Stories Too The training days started falling into a rhythm. Morning sessions. Group discussions. Case studies. Canteen food reviews by Raghav. “Today’s dal is emotional,” Raghav announced during lunch. “What does that even mean?” Kavya asked. “It looks like it cried before reaching the plate.” Even Sameer laughed. That evening, after dinner, he walked back to the hostel building. The campus lights were soft. Cool breeze. The kind of evening that makes people think about home. His phone rang. Amma. He answered immediately. “Hello.” Her voice sounded normal. But softer. “Did you eat?” “Yes.” “Food good?” “Yes.” “Room clean?” “Yes.” Three questions. Standard mother protocol. But something felt different. “Amma… everything okay?” A small pause. “Hmm.” That “hmm” carried too many things. “Tell me.” She hesitated. “Electricity problem in the house today.” “What happened?” “Fuse issue.” “Fixed?” “Yes… neighbor helped.” H...

Behind the Lit Windows - Learning Each Other Again - Part 14

Standing in front of each other felt… unfamiliar. Not because they were strangers. But because they weren’t anymore. The hallway was quiet. Too quiet for two people who had said so much… and now didn’t know where to begin. Arun shifted slightly, his hands unsure of where to rest. “So…” he started, then stopped. Sana let out a small breath. A faint smile touched her lips. “Yeah… so .” They both almost laughed. Almost. It was strange. Behind a screen, words had flowed effortlessly. Here— every word felt like it carried weight. “You’re quieter in real life,” Sana said gently. Arun nodded. “And you’re… more real.” The moment lingered. Not awkward. Just… honest. A soft sound echoed from a nearby apartment—utensils, a door closing, life continuing as usual. But for them… time had slowed. Sana leaned lightly against the wall. “I kept thinking… what if this ruins everything?” she admitted. Arun didn’t interrupt. He understood that feeling too well. ...

Where the Sunrise Waited - The Echo That Shouldn’t Exist - Part 10

The forest did not feel the same anymore. It looked the same. The same trees. The same narrow trail. The same filtered sunlight falling through the leaves. But something had shifted. Silently. Deeply. Kabir walked unusually quietly for almost a full minute. Then— “I don’t like this,” he whispered. “When I’m quiet, it means something is seriously wrong.” Dev replied immediately, “Yes. Nature is healing.” Riya laughed softly. Even in the tension, that didn’t change. But Raghav didn’t smile this time. He continued walking ahead, his pace steady… but his eyes more alert than before. Aarav followed him. Silent. Focused. Meera walked behind them. Her steps slower now. Not because she was tired. Because something was… off. Then it happened. A faint sound. Like a whisper. Not clear. Not loud. Just… there. Meera stopped. “Did you hear that?” she asked quietly. Everyone paused. Kabir looked around dramatically. “If this is where the forest starts talking, I...

The Rose Behind the Verdict - The Man in the Blue Scarf - Part 6

Dev Bishan stood beneath the dripping archway of the rear courtyard as though he had entered a stage rather than a crime scene. He was handsome in the practiced manner of men who knew mirrors well—trim beard, tailored coat, rain on polished shoes, and the blue scarf now tied casually at his throat. His smile suggested confidence; his eyes suggested calculation. “You vanish all day,” said Arindam, “and reappear precisely when discovered. Efficient timing.” Dev laughed softly. “I might say the same of detectives.” He stepped forward and offered his hand. Arindam did not take it. “Where were you since noon?” “In the city.” “Doing what?” “Protecting my family.” “That answer contains no facts.” “It contains enough.” Arindam drew the silver cufflink from his pocket. “This was found beside the torn portrait of your uncle.” Dev glanced at it, unimpressed. “I lost it yesterday.” “How convenient.” “I prefer inevitable.” Rain tapped the stone between them. From an upper wi...

Where the Sunrise Waited - The Secret Plan - Part 5

The Secret Plan The hill town slowly began to quiet down as afternoon sunlight softened the busy streets. Tourists wandered through the small market. Children chased each other near the town square. The mountains around the town looked peaceful again, as if nothing mysterious had ever existed there. But inside a small souvenir shop, two people were whispering like conspirators. Kabir and Riya. Dev stood a few feet away pretending not to be involved. “This is a bad idea,” he said without looking at them. Kabir waved his hand dismissively. “Relax. It’s just harmless fun.” Riya nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly. Just a tiny experiment.” Dev sighed. “I already regret being here.” Kabir leaned closer to Riya and lowered his voice. “Step one,” he whispered, “we make them accidentally walk together tomorrow.” Riya grinned. “That’s easy.” “Step two,” Kabir continued, “we disappear for a while.” Dev stared at them. “You two are insane.” Across the market street, ...

My Mother’s Prince – The First Time He Had to Lead - Part 23

The First Time He Had to Lead The announcement came right after lunch. The trainer walked into the hall holding a stack of papers. “Alright,” he said, looking around the room. “Enough theory. Time for practice.” That sentence made half the room nervous. The other half excited. “You will now be divided into teams,” the trainer continued. “Each team will get a real operational problem.” “You have two days to analyze it and present a solution.” Thirty trainees immediately started whispering. Group projects always create two kinds of people: The ones who want to lead. The ones who hope someone else leads. He belonged to the second category. The trainer started calling names. “Team One…” “Team Two…” Then— “Team Three.” He heard his name. Along with four others. Raghav. A confident-looking woman named Kavya. A serious guy named Arjun. And another quiet participant named Sameer. Five people. One team. They gathered around a table with their case file. ...

Behind the Lit Windows - The Weight of Knowing - Part 8

Knowing changed everything. Not loudly. Not immediately. But quietly… in the spaces between moments. The next morning, Arun woke up earlier than usual. For a few seconds, everything felt normal. Then it returned. The realization. It’s her. Not just a voice on the screen. Not just words anymore. A person. A window. A presence he could see . He walked to the balcony almost instinctively. The fourth-floor window was still. Curtains half drawn. No movement. But now… it didn’t feel distant. It felt close . Too close. Inside her apartment, Sana sat with a cup of water, staring at her phone. The conversation from last night lingered in her mind. “Do you have a blue curtain?” It had felt like coincidence at first. Now… it felt like something else. Not dangerous. Just… strange. She shook it off. Maybe she was overthinking. She had enough problems already. “Good morning,” Arun typed. He watched the screen. Waited. Across the building, Sana’s phone lit...

My Mother’s Prince - The Result & The Word He Didn’t Expect - Part 13

The Result & The Word He Didn’t Expect Results don’t arrive dramatically. They arrive on ordinary afternoons when you’re doing ordinary things. He was reconciling a vendor ledger when his phone vibrated. Unknown number. He ignored it. It vibrated again. He excused himself and stepped outside the office. “Hello?” “Sir, this is from the certification board. Your results are published online.” His throat went dry. “Okay… thank you.” The call ended. For a moment, he just stood there near the staircase, phone in hand. His heartbeat returned to surround sound mode. He opened the website. Slow internet. Of course. The loading symbol spun like it was enjoying the suspense. He typed his roll number carefully. Double-checked. Pressed Enter. The screen refreshed. He stared. Then blinked. Then stared again. PASS Not top score. Not distinction. Just PASS. But it felt louder than any word he had seen before. He didn’t shout. He didn’t jump. He just leaned a...

The Smile She Left Behind

The Smile She Left Behind The rain had just begun. Drops slowly gathered on the empty road, forming tiny mirrors that reflected the dim streetlight. A motorbike lay on its side. A scarf moved gently with the wind. And a young girl lay still on the road. People slowly gathered around. Someone shouted for help. Someone called an ambulance. But the girl was not listening anymore. Her eyes were half open, staring at the cloudy sky. Somewhere between breath and silence, time slowed down. And suddenly… Memories began to walk toward her. The First Memory – The Girl Who Loved the Wind Her name was Meera . A sweet little girl from a quiet town in South India , where coconut trees swayed lazily and evenings smelled of jasmine flowers. Meera loved simple things. Running in the rain. Drawing dreams in her notebook. Watching the sky change colors every evening. She always told her mother, "One day I will live my own life. A happy life. I will travel, work, and make my own...

The Rose Behind the Verdict - The Rose Behind the Verdict - Part 14 - ( Final )

No thunder rolled now. Morning sunlight entered Bishan House for the first time in years, touching dust, portraits, and faces that had forgotten warmth. Mira stood motionless. “Me?” she whispered. Dev lowered his eyes. “Yes,” said Arindam. “Dev returned not for Leela—but for Mira.” Silence deepened. Leela stared, then suddenly laughed through tears. “I knew it.” Mira turned sharply. “You knew?” Leela nodded. “You never looked at me the way you looked at her.” Dev stepped forward at last, stripped now of charm and performance. “When we were children,” he said softly, “Mira was the only person kind to me in this house. When I left for London , I intended to forget her.” “And failed?” asked Niraj. “Miserably.” Mira’s eyes filled. “Then why help Leela flee?” “Because Harish planned to force her marriage and use the inheritance to pressure you. Saving her was the only way to free you both.” Leela embraced her sister. “All these years,” she said, “everyone hid love b...

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