THE STALKERS Based on a true story “Ajar Thoughts” Short Stories Collection (To be published) The alarm rang again. She had put it on snooze twice before it rang again determinedly, as if warning her that she was going to be late. It was the beginning of a gruelling six-day schedule, week after week, month after month, year after year. It seemed mindless but that according to her was the only good thing about it. It didn’t give her time to think. She went to the kitchen, set both the flames on the gas stove up. Lunch tiffin for herself and her seven-year-old daughter. She laid a big vessel of water on the other flame for the daughter’s bath. She looked at the time and went back to the bedroom. She half lifted, half dragged her child to the wash basin and propping her against it, reached up to the shelf above. She pushed the toothbrush to the sleepy kid and rushed back to the kitchen. She held the hot water container with a napkin and carried it to the bathroom, calli...