#Storytelling

The Southwest border of the U.S. has long been a hotspot for illicit activities, and recent developments have intensified concerns. Ranches along the border, once peaceful and productive, are increasingly becoming staging grounds for criminal operations, including drug smuggling, human trafficking, and the transport of illegal goods.Ranches as Hubs for Illicit ActivitiesMany ranchers, especially in remote areas, face the dual challenge of protecting their property while being inadvertently drawn into the cartel-driven economy. Cartels use the vast, open expanses of ranchlands to evade law enforcement, hide illegal shipments, and move drugs and people across the border undetected. Many ranche...

After letting me pen over a score of articles, though my muse prompted me to enter into the arena of fiction, yet it made me struggle to come up with the opening lines of my maiden novel for over ten days or so before “That winter night in the mid-seventies, the Janata Express was racing rhythmically on its tracks towards the coast of Andhra Pradesh. As its headlight pierced the darkness of the fertile plains, the driver honked the horn as though to awake the sleepy environs to the spectacle of the speeding train. On that, in the S-3, were the Ramaiahs with their nine year-old daughter Roopa.”But then “the train stopped at a village station, as though to disrupt Roopa’s daydreams of ...

Whenever I look at my body of multi-genre work in English, the underlying human possibility intrigues me no end, and why not for my mother tongue Telugu, touted as the Italian of the East, has no linguistic connection with it whatsoever.To start with, I was born into a land-owning family in Kothalanka, a remote Indian village, of Andhra Pradesh to be precise that is after the British had folded their colonial tents from the sub-continent, but much before the rural education mechanism was geared up therein. It was thus the circumstances of my birth enabled me to escape from the tiresome chores of primary schooling till I had a nine-year fill of an unbridled childhood, embellished by village p...

IntroductionRelease all preconceived notions. Let your senses and emotions lead you through words that bring clarity and banish confusion. Picture yourself entering this world for the very first time, with no knowledge of its inhabitants or its place in the universe.From a distance, you observe the vast expanse of the galaxy. Your mind grasps only the language of this unfamiliar realm. As you explore this new world, your innate intuition converts feelings into words, guiding you to understand and navigate your surroundings.Chapter 1: The ArrivalIt was a journey unlike any other. Liora, a curious explorer from a distant planet, had always dreamed of discovering new worlds. She had spent years...

In a tranquil corner of the world, nestled beneath a canopy of ancient 🌳, there thrived a family of four. Aradhya and Padma, devoted parents, were graced with two radiant daughters, Nayana and Chakshu. From the moment these sisters gazed upon the world, they were enveloped in a tender cocoon of love and care, a testament to the inviolable rights of life, health, and nurturing growth. Their existence was framed by the routine symphony of check-ups, where laughter echoed more melodiously than the hum of medical instruments. Wholesome meals were a daily ritual, filling their abode with the fragrance of warmth and sustenance, while the sanctuary of their home became a fortress of security, an...

My Ray of Sunshine 

                                                     Spirit

 

There is a certain slant of light

That split thru my window

Into multi-colored rays

Which bounce and tumble to the floor

The bright elusive beads

Dance and tease my poor cat

Hunched up in the corner

Tense and vigilant

Eyes gleaming with triumph

She pounces on the intruder

And swallows it whole

 

 

By Prafulla Vyas