FROM WHERE DO THESE SEEDS FOR STORIES COME? THEY COME FROM ALL DIRECTIONS. THEY COME FROM SELF EXPERIENCE, THEY COME FROM SOMETHING HEARD. MANY OF THE EXPERIENCES CARRY THESE SEEDS. BUT NOT ALWAYS ARE THEY GERMINATED. WHY? THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF CAPACITY TO FERTILIZE A SEED. SEED IS ALWAYS FRUITFUL. BUT THE BEARER MAY NOT BE SO… I AM NOT AN EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE. SOMETIMES, WHEN A PERSON IS SLEEPING SOUNDLY SOMETHING PRICKS HIM INTENSELY. WHICH AWAKENS THE SENSATIONS, GET ENGULFED IN IMAGINATION, FEELINGS AND THOUGHTS AND TAKES BIRTH AS A STORY. I HAVE BEEN WITNESSING THIS FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS. DURING THE INITIAL PHASE OF A DECADE OR TWO I WAS A SLOW LEARNER I WAS TRYING TO WALK BUT WAS OFTEN STUMBLING. BUT I HAD A NEVER ENDING STREAM OF ENTHUSIASM IN ME. AFTER THESE 50 YEARS, THAT STREAM IS STILL THERE WITH ME BUT THE FLOW IS NOW VERY WEAK. THIS COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES REFLECTS SOME OF MY STORIES WHICH WERE A REFLECTION OF MY IMAGINATION, THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS ONLY IF MY STORIES GIVE INNOCENT HAPPINESS TO SOME, HAPPINESS OF READING GOOD LITERATURE TO SOME, ASSURANCE TO SOME THEN I WILL CONSIDER MYSELF VERY LUCKY.