T 4002

By Arjun Basu | Published: June 11, 2011

He sees the day circled on the calendar, recognizing her silly purple pen, and he turns to her and says, Is this the day I first felt shame?

Posted in Twisters | Tagged , | Leave a comment

T 4001

By Arjun Basu | Published: June 11, 2011

The resentment built up like the humidity before a thunderstorm. And then she said, I hate your dog. And once she said that, they were over.

Posted in Twisters | Tagged | Leave a comment

T 4000

By Arjun Basu | Published: June 11, 2011

It was a smart soiree, full of smart types chattering smartly until the tall man with the sad smile and big feet said, I used to be a clown.

Posted in Twisters | Leave a comment

T 3999

By Arjun Basu | Published: June 11, 2011

The sky turned pewter. The wind promised menace and other disorders. This is it, she sighed. He wasn’t upset. Picnics threatened his manhood.

Posted in Twisters | Tagged | Leave a comment

T 3998

By Arjun Basu | Published: June 11, 2011

A trip to the zoo punctuated by her kid’s repeated question: What’s that? My daughter’s fixated, she thinks. The elephant is the last straw.

Posted in Twisters | Tagged , | Leave a comment

T 3997

By Arjun Basu | Published: June 11, 2011

To which she said, I don’t care. To which he replied, You should. To which she asked, Is that a threat? To which he got very very turned on.

Posted in Twisters | Tagged , | Leave a comment

T 3996

By Arjun Basu | Published: June 11, 2011

She says, What’s that? and he understands what a bad idea the tattoo was and says, My shoulder hurts, and she says, Don’t change the subject.

Posted in Twisters | Tagged , | Leave a comment

T 3995

By Arjun Basu | Published: June 11, 2011

They wake and smile awkwardly and untangle themselves. She turns her back to him. He thinks of touching her. Softly. And of asking her name.

Posted in Twisters | Tagged | Leave a comment

T 3994

By Arjun Basu | Published: June 11, 2011

We lived well. And then we didn’t. There was a rupture. Some lives were ruined. Some more than others. She blamed me. For once she was right.

Posted in Twisters | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

T 3993

By Arjun Basu | Published: June 11, 2011

She hung up the phone and threw a paperweight at the wall and her mother asked her why she did that and she said, He lied about being brave.

Posted in Twisters | Tagged | Leave a comment