The fascination with October’s magic and mystery hasn’t subdued over the centuries. And what can be more magical than falling in love in October?

'The car' is one of the winning entries of DS Books and Star Literature's Halloween themed writing contest "Spook-Off". One winning 100-word flash fiction or a two-line horror story will be published each day of the week all the way till Halloween.

'Last visit' is one of the winning entries of DS Books and Star Literature's Halloween themed writing contest "Spook-Off". One winning 100-word flash fiction or a two-line horror story will be published each day of the week all the way till Halloween.

'Midnight visitor' is one of the winning entries of DS Books and Star Literature's Halloween themed writing contest "Spook-Off". One winning 100-word flash fiction or a two-line horror story will be published each day of the week all the way till Halloween.

An uncomfortable stillness emanated in the air around Rajpath road. I stood there with my suitcase in my hand, the hair on the back of my neck standing on edge. Glancing left then right, I crossed the road and entered the premises of Hotel Kaalipara.

It was another early sunset on a rainy day in Dhaka. Alamin was walking with a polythene bag of groceries back to his small, rented apartment.

As she looked up, Rukhsana noticed her eyeballs missing.

I think it was closer tonight. I really did not want it inside the lift.

For a wistful moment, he was born to me. Eyes closed and never to open.

Back at home, food used to narrate stories. Here, food does not travel far to the nooks and crannies of Velutha’s heart; it only reaches his stomach well enough to leave him looking healthy and strong.

You Are a Rickshawallah

Increasingly over the years, American literary fiction has centered upon rage—a rage brought on by family, one’s own identity or, through the very cruelty of economic catastrophe.

Wilson hasn’t written a retelling from the perspectives of the subjugated but has rather been true to the original, although she doesn’t shy away from acknowledging the sheer misogyny of the Homeric period.

Perhaps the book's biggest fault is that it ends up being (unintentionally or not) a response to Nabokov’s Lolita.

Sameer’s mother looked at her husband before quickly stepping in and attempting to defuse the situation. “You know it’s just a heritage thing. We’re not really Biharis".

The door didn’t fully click shut. That was an ordinary affair in the house because the door locked to prevent escape. But, by chance or sheer good luck, it didn’t fully lock this time. The click was off. Someone hadn’t done their job correctly. Bloody hell, no one does their jobs correctly in this godforsaken country.

With my memories remaining an unvisited dream, I woke up amidst the calm green meadow that gently held onto me.

It’s a truism to say that modern life is complicated, but even a couple of decades ago, it would have been hard to predict the things we are dealing with today.

There is more squash in the book than most readers will take a liking to, but the game sometimes works as a metaphor for the bigger picture.

You land in London with £210 in your pocket. It is the year 2009. You are able to pay the first month’s rent for the room, but not the deposit. You have to share it with an acquaintance from Dhaka. He arrived a week prior.