Once is Not Enough: Stories on love, passion, desire, family and loss

Eight months had passed, and I was now in a love triangle-my husband and Surr included. I would disappear every Thursday to be with Surr in his beautiful nest. I would give numerous excuses about my whereabouts at home, and I always suspected that Rishabh knew I was lying. But, I still did it because I couldn't imagine going for more than a week without seeing Surr. I had feelings for him, and the thrill of us having a gateway to drive ourselves crazy was irresistible. I also loved Rishabh, my husband, dearly, because I couldn't imagine life without him. He was not perfect, but I loved how he came out of his prison unscathed. I wondered why Rishabh groomed up suddenly. Then I realized how tamed he had been. From the moment I shouted back at him and refused to make him dinner last evening, my husband was never the same again. I was too angry to acknowledge it, but I struck a nerve.
"I want to apologize for how I have treated you lately," said Rishabh. He was now standing beside where I was. I was shocked by what he said, and I noticed his hands were behind him. I knew he had flowers in his hands - possibly my favourite; yellow roses. I did not know what was wrong with everyone. I just wanted to die in peace.
"Please, leave me alone." I was rude. "Just go inside and do whatever you want to do. And...and leave the flowers!" I said as I turned my face away and closed my eyes, and continued to feel the warmth of the sunset.
Rishabh stood there, glued for a moment, and said three words. "I love you."
He left the flowers with me and went inside the house.
On the day I had decided to leave this world, all the men in my life thought it best to notice that I existed!

The protagonist-Rakhee in the story - Once is Not Enough somewhere nudges the understanding about love-that it's complicated and isn't always about being in love. She loves both the men in her life. Will she make a choice? Is she ready to make this life-changing decision?

In The Singer-young Bhavna, blinded by her ambition, agreed to marry wealthy Ajit because she knew that her music career would burgeon with him as her partner. And it did, but she was not happy. And as she grows older, she longs for someone to give her attention; to love her. She misses being a woman. After all-we are what we are because of the choices that we make!
In the story The Birthday Cake, a little boy shares his heart-wrenching experience during the present-day global crises. While Lonely Footsteps is about love, family secrets and tragedy, My Father is about the complex issue of caste, politics, love and acceptance of the breakdown of the gentle mental fabric-the ghost prints left by grief and loss.
The stories in the collection are all about love, unrequited love, madness, delusion, loss, loneliness, dilemma, and of course, family.
At every step, the characters are tested and tempted by love and fire-like passions that they find so difficult to deny.