Ruchira's Ramblings

Archaeologists say that the city of Mohenjodara was destroyed by flood & then rebuilt on the ruins for about seven times. What eventually destroyed that ancient civilization we do not know, but what was destroyed in the Indus Valley were not mere walls and garrisons and citadels and public baths. The earthquake, or the drying up of the river, or the invasions… or whatever it was- took with it lives, memories, untold stories- stories that experts are still trying to figure out from the undecipherable seals. The resilient, courageous people of Mohenjodara tried seven times- with each destruction something was lost, yet they strove to build up something new, till they faltered at the end. Today when an earthquake strikes Haiti or when a cyclone ravages Bangladesh and the Eastern coast of India, when a Tsunami shakes Japan or a flood washes away the known contours of Pakistan, New Zealand or Queensland- humankind perhaps has better resources in its hand to pick up the broken pieces tha...

This time last year, I was used to logging into Twitter only to check the tweets of a handful of celebrities that I was following at that time, and to occasionally tweet about my bouts of fever or exam anxieties to no one in particular. My blog was in coma, I spent most of my Facebook time playing Zynga games (Yoville, Farmville, CafeWorld, Petville, Fishville- you name them, I’ve played them all, with the probable exception of Mafia) and in short my social (networking) life was near about non-existent. Then there were last minute revisions, then the exams, then post-exam trips to the shopping mall and to the movie theatre- and I disappeared from the Internet. When I returned in the 2nd half of the year, I went back to playing games. It would have probably gone on like this if I did not receive that message out of nowhere from the 100 Stories for Haiti Facebook group, asking for submissions for yet another charity anthology, this time for the victims of the Pakistan flood. Before thi...

Like I said, it is being published by Big Bad Media, specifically by Greg Mcqueen, &it has 50 stories by various writers including myself. Sales proceeds go to Red Cross. Buy the book, & make a difference. A Fluttering by Robert J. McCarter A Little Bit of Heaven by Joanne Fox A Little Help? by Erik Svehaug All Bound for Morningtown by Susan Lanigan All The World's a Stage by Anne Mullane Angel by Lisa Ricard Claro Astral Footfalls by R.J. Newlyn Cherry In The Summer by Martin Webster Desert Culture by Jonathan Pinnock Detention by Trevor Belshaw Evelyn Walsh and The Miraculous Wig Club by Julia Bohanna Getting Wood by Iain Pattison Grandma by Laura Eno I Don't Even Have a Name by Dave Clark Just Like Her Father by Pam Howes Ladder to God by Alun Williams Leather Tack and Tears by Annie Evett Lines by Jennifer Stakes Listen by Rebecca Emin Lucy and the Tuit by Marjorie Tolchard Morning Toast by Marit Meredith Mr Harris Gets A Fright by Paul Malone No Ball by Ewan Lawrie...