Page 18 - Masala Lite Issue 190 October 2026

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The floor started creaking as Payal came running out from

her room, a rare sight as she was always locked up in there
spending hours on her phone. All Mummy saw was bare
legs moving quickly out the door. “That’s my Grab bike!”
Payal shouted without waiting for permission to leave.

“Wait!” Mummy yelled as she dashed off into the darkness.

Where did she think she was going at 9 PM and on a
school night nonetheless? Mummy couldn’t believe how
An unreformed party girl and mother brazen Payal was at just 17 years old. Payal had already and pages of abstract drawings. Rahul’s face turned as
of two, author, editor and observer said she never wants to get married and is planning to white as a ghost.
Sumati Huber tries to backpack around Asia when she graduates high school.
Mummy let out a bloodcurdling scream. “What is this?
make sense of our unique
“You already live in Asia, and you only need to carry a This looks nothing like a double helix!” Rahul froze,
Thai-Indian society and the aunties
backpack to school,” her father had sternly said. then softly said, “Mummy, I want to become an artist.”
that she will one day become.
Mummy pulled out her phone to message Payal when she A loud clap of thunder roared, and Mummy sat upright
saw something that almost made her drop the stainless in bed with a shock. Beads of sweat formed on her
steel plate she was washing. Her blood ran cold and forehead as she took a moment to remember where she
the hairs on her neck stood up. Payal had changed her was. She saw the familiar surroundings of her bedroom
An Indian Scary Story

WhatsApp profile picture and was that… someone’s and her phone on the bedside table. The time had just
hairy arm around her? struck midnight on 31 October.
It was a dark and stormy night. Mummy was cleaning up
after the family’s dinner, untouched roti, and daal left

Mummy couldn’t find her glasses (they were on her “Thank goodness,” she gasped. “That was just a
behind by her children who now turned their noses up head) and didn’t know how to zoom in to see the photo nightmare.”
at Indian food. The only bread the kids would eat was more clearly. She ran upstairs to find Rahul to help her.

sourdough, and they spent all their time calculating A bolt of lightning flashed in the night sky. Mummy got

their protein intake. When Mummy offered fresh fruit “Beta!” she shrieked. “Who is this in Payal’s photo?” up to fetch a glass of water. As she walked to the kitchen,

they said they weren’t hungry, and then went to snack Mummy paused and smiled as she saw Rahul at his desk she heard the doorknob rattle and a shadowy figure ran

on sugary cereal instead. taking notes in his biology textbook. He was definitely into the house and disappeared like a phantom. The

going to be the doctor she had always dreamed of having. only thing Mummy could see was the blur of bare legs.
Mummy sighed. The kids watched too many Reels and
had forgotten their own culture. Yesterday they had told Upon seeing Mummy barge into his bedroom, Rahul Mummy took a deep breath and decided she needed to
her about this new, amazing concoction they learned quickly slammed his book shut to hide the sketchpad say her prayers. This night was getting too creepy. She
about on YouTube called “turmeric milk”. he had hidden inside. rifled through cabinets looking for her glasses (they were

on her head). In one of the drawers, stuffed deep in the

Suddenly, a bright light shone from the gate. The glare Mummy forgot about Payal for a moment. “Have you back, she found hordes of art supplies and sketchbooks
pierced through the window forcing Mummy to cover been studying the chapter on DNA replication yet?” she filled with abstract doodles.

her eyes. She saw a mysterious silhouette lurking as asked as she reached for the textbook. Before Rahul
the wind howled. could stop her, she opened the book and out fell pages Was it really a bad dream, after all?

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