Desire and displacement are two overarching themes of the stories featured in MeanPepperVine’s Autumn 2025 issue. It’s intriguing that even though we didn’t seek themed submissions, most of the stories in this issue revolve around these themes. Stories in this issue feature protagonists who are displaced and chase a desire. They’re displaced from their homes, loved ones, communities, and even the planet. They chase desires ranging from simple to complex, materialistic to emotional, tangible to intangible: the desire to eat a ripe mango, the desire to get back to a childhood sweetheart, the desire to be accepted by a critical mother, the desire to avenge a betrayal, the desire to be free, and the desire for wealth and honour.
Underwater, a deep and layered short story by Archana Nair, portrays Sameera, who has long been displaced from her family for no fault of her own. She desires normalcy, but a whirlwind of news shakes her precariously balanced world and threatens to pulverise it. She now needs to find a way to stay afloat.
Fallen Mango by Megha S. Nath, a flash fiction, tells us the story of Munia, an underprivileged child who yearns to quench her hunger with a ripe mango in the feudal landlord’s orchard.
Prasanna Venkatesan’s short story, A Teacup Called Desire, is an interesting spin on the wish-fulfilling genie’s story. Casteism has displaced the protagonist, Mugan, from society’s mainstream. He, a Lower Puram boy, yearns to enjoy a small pleasure that is reserved for the people of Upper Puram. Will he be able to fulfil her desire?
In Pratyusha Sen’s poignant story, You Can Save Me Now, Rupsha, a young girl, is stuck with an often-absent, overcritical mother and yearns for her mother’s approval, time, and love. In pursuit of her desire, she’s ready to go to extreme measures.
Sayan Sarkar’s flash fiction, Under the Canopy, is the story of Samiran and his intense desire to be with his son. However, as we read on, we realize, that Samiran is displaced from reality.
Vrinda Varma’s short story, Lottery Ticket Winner, portrays Sajeevan, who has just been released from jail after being acquitted of a crime he didn’t commit. Being displaced from society, Sajeevan desires to avenge the injustice and find a way to move forward.
The Grey Boy Called Balti by Anushka Bharadwaj is a delightful story about a vibrant boy who is a far cry from his family’s idea of an ideal kid. While emotionally displaced from his parents, he only connects to her grandmother and, of course, water. Will he be able to flow freely like water?
Harshita Nanda’s flash fiction, Under the Laburnum, deals with the most primal desire of humankind: the desire for love. In this bittersweet flash fiction, the protagonist, long separated from his childhood love, finds a ray of hope under the bright laburnum flowers.
The protagonist of the story, The Mermaid of Agonda by Lavanya Arora, deeply desires love, and when they find it, attach to it like a lamprey to a shark. The love is reciprocated, and the protagonist is transformed. But, on close reading, one wonders: Is there a hidden side to the object of her love? Is there a heartbreak waiting to happen?
In Ritika Bali’s flash fiction, What Lies Beyond the Seaf(e)aring, Raji, a victim of a child marriage, is displaced from her maternal home, and she desires solace, freedom, and hope to move on.
The Harmonics of Alone, a speculative flash fiction by Sabyasachi Roy, is set in the distant future. Henna, the protagonist, has been displaced from planet Earth. When she encounters an alien force that communicates through resonance rather than language, she feels an intense desire to decode it. Will she succeed in it?
The Feline Way of Surviving Life is a creative non-fiction essay by Moumita Bhattacharjee. It explores a way to make sense of the world and its idiosyncrasies like a cat navigating through its life. It’s a refreshing essay full of much-needed feline wisdom to survive life’s challenges.
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Salini Vineeth | Fiction Editor, MeanPepperVine
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