Anoushka Portfolio

CREATIVE WRITING

Long Form

A mock cover and synopsis for my autobiography

A story using the Pixar prompt.

Once upon a time, there lived an evil witch that loved to spend her day cursing people. Every day, she would take out her spell book and curse away, promising to make as many people suffer as possible. One day, she woke up and realised that there is a better way to make people suffer, not as violent but equally effective. And because of that realisation, humanity was plagued with little inconveniences that don’t necessarily feel like they’re driven by evil forces, but most definitely are.  And because of that, chargers that only work when you hold them at a certain angle, WIFIs that never let you complete an episode in the given time and door handles that always catch your belt loop when you’re bubbling with anger came into existence.  Until finally, she discovered the perfect torture device, one that she cannot help but overuse – eating a raisin cookie thinking it’s chocolate chip.
The moral of the story is when you feel like you’re cursed when little things go wrong, you’re most probably right.

Short stories / Genre writing

COMEDY:

It was a dark and stormy night, my footsteps echoing in the eerie silence that was typical around this time. I glanced at my watch and quickened my pace to the point where I was almost running. The road finally reached a dead end, and I quietly slipped into the alley on the right. I looked around, all my senses at high alert until I finally spotted the hooded figure.

“Do it,” I whispered. 

The Wizard smiled. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Make me forget I called my boss “mom.” Please.”

 

CHILDREN’S STORY:

There was no room for errors, not in her line of duty at least. The fairy godmother was tired of being the hero of every story, and after much deliberation, had finally found a way to be evil while living up to her name. Sure, she could not outright stop being good, not unless she wanted to face her boss’s wrath, but thanks to the loophole she found yesterday, she settled in giving out blessings that were actually a curse in disguise. Her first task? Helping Cinderella get to the ball, of course. The catch? Well, what could be worse than running in heels?



Convincing a blind man I'm the ideal partner for a hike

Honestly, I’m probably not the first choice as an expedition partner for anyone, eyesight or no eyesight. I’m the least athletic person I know, walking from my room to the kitchen takes me at least 10 mins of serious contemplation. In fact, I’m probably gonna be calling for a break every 10 mins so you can pretend like you’re not tired at all, cause c’mon we all love to pretend we still have our breathing in order when we climb up a staircase don’t we? But hey, going on a journey like this definitely needs some good company, and that’s something I am for sure. For starters, don’t worry about me treating you like you’re different. I’ll laugh equally hard if you trip over your laces as I would if I went with a friend. And to keep things interesting, you’ll be hearing my commentary on all the other hikers, and we can probably come up with interesting background stories for them too. If you’re still not convinced by my charming personality, I’d like to add that I’m the therapist friend everyone runs to when they’re down cause apparently I somehow always know what to say. So the days you’re feeling lonely as hell and just want to be comforted? I got you covered, minus the fee. You’re welcome. And while this conversation may feel like I absolutely love talking about myself, on the contrary, I’d like to add that I’m a great listener. The best. It’s actually a tactic I use to avoid talking about what’s going on in my mind actually, so it’s kind of a win-win huh? And while I promised to be the substitute for Netflix itself, I can also promise you that I know when to shut up and just enjoy the silence – a trait not possessed by many. We’d be chilling at different corners after a while and that’s completely okay with me. So, I guess that’s pretty much all I have to offer. I’m sure I’ve won you over by now, so I hope to see you soon? Oh yeah, dark jokes. Just another thing I have to offer.

A story where each sentence starts from the alphabet in the order.

A man in a black suit was walking down the road, his hands buried deep within his pockets. Black clouds adorned the evening sky, creating a sense of foreboding in the atmosphere. Cursing under his breath, the man pulled out his phone from his back pocket, answering the call in a gruff voice; his words remained muffled but the promise of violence lingered on his tongue. Despite his attempt to maintain the facade of being calm, the storm that was brewing in his eyes made his anger apparent. Ending the phone call abruptly, he glanced across the road until his eyes finally met the strange man getting out of a car, dressed in a casual tracksuit with a red cap sitting on his head. Face hidden due to the tilt of the cap, the man looked out of place somehow. Glaringly out of place. He started walking towards the man in the black suit, each step more sure than the last. “I assume you’ve got what I asked for?” the man in the cap inquired. Just one question was enough to rattle the man in the black suit, whose anger faded into nervousness. Knees shaking, the black-suited man meekly shook his head.
“Looks like you’re not as good as you thought you were,” the capped man remarked.
“N-no, sir, we’re still working on it…it’s a matter of national security as you know-”
“Oh, cut the crap. If you can’t give me what I want, I’ll have to take care of you the way I took care of the man I hired before you.” 
“Please, just give me a little more tim-”
“Quiet. You’ve failed your mission, don’t stoop to begging now.”
Red Cap was about to turn back around to his car when suddenly the black-suited man’s phone rang once again.
Stuttering, he picked up the call, his demeanour a stark contrast from earlier.
“This is not a good time…” he paused, “Wait, are you sure?”
Uncertainty danced around his face, mixed with a faint sense of relief when he slid the phone back into his pocket.
“Very good news, sir…” the man started.
“We did it.”
“Xi let it happen?” the red-capped man asked, right before he finally pulled it off.
“Yes, Mr. Trump. You’re back on Twitter.”
Zuckerburg is next.