 Cover Photo by Manohar Koviri Sometimes at night When the world is fast asleep I lay awake while my anxiety speaks to me “Boundaries! Boundaries! Boundaries!” My anxiety speaks to me! Why do we have Boundaries? Why do we have walls? Why fight wars to defend these man-made Boundaries? “Peace! Peace! Peace!” My anxiety speaks to me! Why do we have peace workers? Why do we have peace awards? Why do we have peace symbols but not peace? “Trivial! Trivial! Trivial!” My anxiety speaks to me! Why seek world peace? Why fight world hunger? Why discuss Global warming? To save humankind? Why save humankind? “Destroy! Destroy! Destroy!” My anxiety speaks to me! Humans destroyed multiple species, Tigers, cranes, gorillas, marine life Too many species on the brink of extinction So millions of humans could live in luxury? “Time! Time! Time!” My anxiety speaks to me! Turn back the time The time before Humans Chirping birds, dancing deers, roaring tigers and jumping dolphins A world without humans, a world without boundaries What a peaceful world it is!
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 Cover Photo by Nikhil Narayanasa There I was, at last, the place where the devil indeed resided. They called me the Omniseeker, the nickname I have earned, searching everywhere to find the devil. I dug graves, sealed dead bodies without burial, performed black magic and even donated myself to be possessed, but nothing worked. The nemesis of the divine never greeted me. Everywhere I went, it hid in the darkness until I met an older man after burying a dead body in the nearby forest one day. This older man, who decided to waste his last few years meditating, heard my desire and adored my passion. He told me to visit an abandoned orphanage called the Child’s Wail and promised me the devil awaited for everyone. It was nothing but a fancy name for a burnt orphanage that killed more than thirty children, and now the place is abandoned because visitors heard a child crying every night. I suspected it to be nothing more than a hoax from what I had seen. So here I am standing before the burnt two-storage building covered in darkness while being pointed the way by the moonlight. The building was undoubtedly haunting, but I heard no calls so far. Approaching the nearly open door, I entered the pitch dark home to witness the magnificent evil that not only shows itself to some but calls to everyone who visits her. The air smelt of burnt flesh, and beneath my boot, I could feel the bones of animals and humans alike. For once, I couldn’t control my excitement. After nearly spending years searching for the evil, here I was, a few steps from it. Covering my nose, I slowly paced forward before turning on the red light I carried everywhere, and for about a while, I heard nothing until I heard a child cry faintly from the first floor. A smile appeared on my face, and pointing the light ahead, I took the stairs listening to the cry. With every step, the cry faintly disappeared, and when I reached the first floor, I saw a child who looked no older than ten, weeping, surrounded by dead bodies half-eaten. Looking at me, the child calmly asked, “Can you please help me leave?” Observing the carcasses, I asked, “Who is holding you?” Looking at me as blood tears slipped on her cheeks, the child, in a shrill voice, replied, “The Devil!” With a broad smile, I asked, “Where is this devil?” As she stayed silent, looking into her completely white eyes, I asked, “I want to meet this devil.” The child replied, “It’s within me. It made me burn this home with my friends in it and it feeds on them through me.” Reaching the child by stepping on the half-eaten bodies, I finally saw the child’s face before I asked her, “Can you show her to me?” Gawking at me, the child curiously asked, “Do you really want to see the devil, Omniseeker?” Noticing me for a moment, the child opened her mouth filled with teeth like needles before saying, “I’m the devil, you fool!” That was the last line I heard before being knocked down. However, I lived the next fortnight devoured one piece at a time every night by being punched by a thousand needles every bite.
 Cover Photo by Krishna Guttikonda I masked my emotions like I masked my face My glasses fogged with sweat or was it tears? Day in and day out I said to my patients See you tomorrow See you tomorrow Every day I said Just one more needle Just one more machine You will get better And I’ll see you tomorrow Every day I did some And tried some more Like a raft on choppy waves I kept going Just to be able to say See you tomorrow See you tomorrow I took home with me The virus and its friends Anxiety, insomnia And a background score of beeps Before leaving I always said See you tomorrow See you tomorrow The beeps, they fumbled So I rushed to your side I gave my everything and then some more But then they fell silent And now I won’t See you ever again.
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