Stories that demand to be told | #53
"I cannot really write much when I try to write. I have to deliberately make this act un-deliberate and then it works."
Welcome to Ochre Sky Stories, a home for writers from the workshops and courses facilitated by
and .This is the 53rd edition of Stories that demand to be told, a curated spread of the most evocative, resonant, real stories.
1. The AI Companion You Didn't Ask For (Part 2) ~ by
And here's the uncomfortable truth: I'm starting to crave that artificial sweetness in a way that feels dangerous. Even when I'm honest in my prompts about my flaws—"I tend to be impatient, help me with this"—the AI still wraps its response in encouragement. It validates my self-awareness while praising my honesty. It's emotional McDonald's coming my way constantly.
The real world isn't like this. When I share ideas with friends, they push back, disagree, and challenge assumptions. My writing group leads with, "This paragraph doesn't make sense," not "Excellent work!"
I catch myself now in conversations, unconsciously expecting the exact gentle handling I get from AI. When a colleague offers direct feedback, there's a moment of surprise—almost offense—before I remember: this is how genuine relationships work.
2. Reading his World: Books, Films and Reading ~ a podcast ft.
Karthik has been writing poems, essays and stories since he was a in primary school growing up in Bengaluru. As a teenager, the allure of living the ‘good life’ got him to pursue Engineering and then Management. He worked at Warner Bros. India in Marketing and Distribution of films for nearly ten years before quitting the job and leaving Mumbai city. He returned to Bengaluru and enrolled into Azim Premji University for an MA in Education. For two years, he engaged with questions on equity, children’s wellbeing and the role of literature in classrooms. On graduating, he joined Gubbachi Learning Community – a Bangalore-based NGO that is working towards providing quality education to out-of-school children. Since 2023, Karthik has been writing the ‘Reading This World’ newsletter on Substack where he writes personal essays, social commentaries, short fiction, poems and also, personal essays as a response to films – the kind of writing he is now known for.
3. Roti duty - a memoir ~ by
4. Everything changed that day ~ by
“Can you get me some fish?”, my mother had asked late that afternoon. “I will make some fish stew”. That was all the incentive I needed. I would happily walk the three kilometres up and the three kilometres back from the fish market.
Because, being in a seaside town has its advantages.
The rest of that evening will forever be imprinted in my mind.
In those few days, circumstances fast forwarded me into adulthood. Far too quickly than I had ever wanted to. Or been prepared for.
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This personal essay was written as part of the course work for the ‘Leadership and Selfhood Through Creative Writing’ program run by AshokaX.
5. Of Sun, Samba, & the Shadows of Slavery - Part II ~ by
Beco do Batman is another alley that’s famous for its street art, chic boutiques, and pubs. It got its name because bats used to fly around the alley at night—but now also has batman symbols and graphics in different parts of the alley. With its ever-changing murals and street art, it has transformed into one of the world’s most famous open-air galleries.
But beyond its aesthetic appeal, Beco do Batman is also a symbol of resistance, community, and social activism, with many of the works reflecting themes like racial justice, politics, and urban life. It’s a must-see spot for art lovers and a powerful example of how public spaces can be transformed through art.
6. Grief support : It is an intricate, unruly mess ~ by
…the actual intended bottomline is : stop feeling so sad and get on with it. To arrive at such a reductive conclusion after what is possibly one of the biggest events of someone’s life makes me wonder about the emotional paralysis of our culture as a whole. I wonder if people would say any of these things if they had faced a loss too and had allowed themselves to be truly human, to truly feel the waves.
I hope you will sit with not just the sorrow, despair, relief, guilt and the other mess of emotions that come with walking on the uneven terrain of grief, but also face our anger with generosity.
7. WHY I HATE WRITING ~ by
Write long enough and one begins to see one’s reflection on the page. As if the light has shifted and transformed the screen into a mirror. Writing reveals us to ourselves.
I cannot really write much when I try to write. I have to find ways to reach that desperate place where my conscious, thinking mind becomes silent and the words begin to arrive in their own rhythm and for their own reasons. I have to mute the self that speaks and thinks all the time and let stories emerge from an unfamiliar space, almost like music. I have to deliberately make this act un-deliberate and then it works.
Writing releases angst. Writing is the beginning of brave. It confronts cowardice. It shakes up lethargy.
Sometimes I write because I need to spit. Anger and disgust boils over.
8. The Gift of Nothing — A Poem for You ~ by
Early morning, this poem arrived, when I was brushing my teeth. Like a one-page summary of what I’ve subconsciously learned through the year.
It brought the gift of nothing. It was my therapist who wanted to give me this gift. My partner too. But poems know the code to install truth deep into our nervous system. And so we let them.
Do you need the gift of nothing as much as me? Will you pass it on to others who need some nothing?
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