Who does have it all figured out, really? If someone tells you they’ve figured out exactly what they want to do with their entire life, they are either lying—to you and themselves—or they haven’t thought about it enough. (Return to India)

Lovers, they say, look for a complete reflection of themselves in each other. Like Narcissus and his pool, where each was enamored by his reflection in the other’s eyes. (Fragments of Future Memories)

How easily, Urmi thinks, we place our trust everywhere except in the one precious sanctuary that is ours alone, ours forever. (Pros and Cons)

When baking bread, a process happens called “oven spring.” The high heat of the oven releases the water from the dough as steam and yeast help release carbon dioxide from the sugars. The steam and carbon dioxide cause rapid expansion in the loaf’svolume. I think, sometimes, of what happened that night with Charlie as a kind of oven spring for my life. (Life Spring)

Bole tena bor vechai. Speak up if you want to sell your fruit in the market. (The Prize)

What is destiny, Vidya asks silently. For women like her and Ma, it is simply a dagger thrown at you, which you must catch either by the blade or the handle. If you can figure out which end is which. (Journey to a Stepwell)

Have you ever seen someone grow old right before you? The light dimming in their eyes, their facial skin slackening into creases, and their neck drooping as if from some inescapable weight placed on it? (Each of Us Killers)