Bengaluru-based writer Shalaka Kulkarni’s new self-published collection of flash fiction, Tadow (Notion Press), explores life in the 21st century. The title of the book is borrowed from a song by R&B musicians Masego and FKJ. It comes from a combination of the words ‘tadaa!’ and ‘wow’, and is used to exclaim that one experienced something sublime that cannot be described in words. From stories about coping with the COVID-19 pandemic to those of love and dating, nostalgia of the past, memories of parents and grandparents, living with disability, and dealing with injustice, this book is a window into the ways we grapple with the changing world. Here are four stories to check out from the collection:

Shalaka Kulkarni

1 Brahmanda: The story is set in the year of the pandemic. It follows the life of Ankur, a kid who suffers from a mental disability. Since his parents are medical practitioners, working overtime in their PPE kits and, eventually, catching the COVID-19 virus, they are in desperate search of a caretaker for him. We learn how, feeling hesitance from most people, Ankur copes with the situation.