By Mehreen Ahmed Short story: ‘As soon as he stepped out of the cubicle, the ‘ghost’ disappeared. Perhaps, it was an optical illusion. Like a rainbow where people saw only the colours, not the water particles behind the veil.’ This was one of those days when the sun had tilted slightly south while rotating on … Continue reading Like Sullied Water
Tongi
By Mehreen Ahmed Tongi It was a glass room, Tongi. Literally, a room which was made of glass built on stilts in the far shade of a village pond. The pond's algae reflected its green on its glass walls. On rainy days, slanting rains fell on it and left its droplets to slide down the glass. Tongi … Continue reading Tongi
SHE: An International Women’s Day Write-up
By Mehreen Ahmed Editor's Note: International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8th each year. Mehreen Ahmed wrote this essay on International Women's Day 2022. When God created Eve, he had created not a companion, but a woman of power. One who would be instrumental to the creation of human history. Her act, a single … Continue reading SHE: An International Women’s Day Write-up
May Flower Contest Fiction Winner: “The Phases of the Moon: One Sentence Story” by Mehreen Ahmed
It was in the afternoon when the poet looked out of the window, sitting against a pillow, he saw a perfectly rounded moon of a still shadow in the summer’s late noon, the moon was white, embryonic, waiting to replete which was the first phase of the moon, however, the poet also saw a beautiful … Continue reading May Flower Contest Fiction Winner: “The Phases of the Moon: One Sentence Story” by Mehreen Ahmed
May Flowers Contest Winners
We are proud to announce the winners of our May Flowers Contest: Art: "Red Flower Watercolor" by Eleanor Halpern Fiction: "The Phases of the Moon: One Sentence Story" by Mehreen Ahmed Poetry: "Wildflowers" by Stacie Eirich Each of their pieces will debut throughout the day starting at 11:00 am and ending at 1:00 p.m. EST. … Continue reading May Flowers Contest Winners
The Handmaiden
By Mehreen Ahmed Eliza stood in front of her bathroom mirror and squeezed the end of a nearly empty tube of toothpaste. Between her thumb and her index finger, her fingernails turned an inconsistent color of white pink, the plumpness of the tip of her skin diminishing. Breathing short and tight, her lips were thinning … Continue reading The Handmaiden
Perforation
By Mehreen Ahmed My time was up. The clock had stopped. My stilly pupils stared. Cold. My body fell like filbert. Stiff. It occurred at the stroke of twelve midnight when the hours froze. I rose to a height, and saw my inert body, once conscious and full of lights, had now been sucked out … Continue reading Perforation
I Took the Plant Out for a Walk
By Mehreen Ahmed At midnight, someone was knocking on my window pane. It was a sinewy twig, wavering in the blustery winds. Knocks persisted. The window had fogged up from the recent cold waves. I walked up and stood before it. A coal spattered night, there was the twig rubbing itself on the fog. This … Continue reading I Took the Plant Out for a Walk
Toads on Lily Pads
By Mehreen Ahmed There used to be a green pond once next to our house. This house had a red-tiled roof and a great many picture windows. It was situated on a hill known as the Dev Pahar in Chittagong. Through those picture windows, I could see the pond down by the valley. The pond … Continue reading Toads on Lily Pads
The Lost King
By Mehreen Ahmed. Based on an orally told plot by Vahid Husen Sayyad Daisy was held under a dark, mystifying spell. Nestled by the cozy fires of her drawing room, she sat this evening on a rugged floor in her palace. She moped about an incident which occurred in her laboratory last night. She looked … Continue reading The Lost King
Academy of the Heart And Mind 