India, April 19 -- For Ritu Kamra Kumar, storytelling has always grown quietly, much like the lives she writes about. With her ninth book, 'Tender Tales of Life's Lanes', published in February this year, the writer, poet and academician turns once again to the familiar, yet often overlooked spaces of everyday existence.

Her journey began in 2015 with the 'Spice of Life' column in Hindustan Times, and over the years, her writing has steadily expanded across poetry, prose and academic work.

Yet, at the heart of it all remains a consistent impulse, which is to observe closely and to write with empathy. The new collection of short stories reflects that instinct. Moving through fleeting encounters and enduring relationships, the narratives d...