[Wife cutting onions and tomatoes, while watching TV – Surf Excel commercial promising whiter and brighter clothes.]
“Wow! Back home so early? What happened? Head-ache again?”
“Well.. Almost. I ran out of candles and got irritated saying ‘sorry ji.. candles khatam ho gayein hain aaj’ over and over. I just decided to shut shop and get some quiet.”
[Dinner.]
“Why? Another outage? There wasn’t any power cut in our area..”
“Na.. not an outage.. Another outrage!”
[TV switches to news channel covering protests against the latest ‘unbelievably inhuman’ case of violence, law and order failure, and sheer injustice]
“I told you.. I told you to stock up on candles!”
“Yeah yeah.. I did not think there would be another one this soon. Remind me to stock up on candles every week, would you?”
“Hmmm.. while at it, stock up on chart paper and felt pens too.. Bahut chalte hain.. during these outrages”.
[Retire to bed.]
“Tell me something.. is there something wrong with me? Why don’t I feel any outrage anymore?”
“No darling.. Your outrage is just.. how shall I put it?.. Out of stock!”
[Lights off]
The Conjecture Girl 
Found this interesting…your twist between “outage” and “outrage” was captivating.
Thanks for the feedback. And welcome here 🙂
A different take on the inhumanity that is seeping deep.
I agree. Sad, but true.
I think it will change. It will be painfully slow but it will happen. Not in our lifetime.
More than outrage, we need hope.
Yep. Hope – that’s the only thing that never goes out of stock.
I think the outrage is progress. A generation ago, the word people used was “normal”, now they say it’s an outrage.
Oh, I just hope the current outrage does not become tomorrow’s normal!
people are just not bothered … anymore
I don’t know.. I’d like to think people are still bothered – perhaps more than ever. They are afraid more than ever, and hence are invested in the state of things changing. What probably is happening, is that they are becoming numb to all reactions (to violence) & emotions except fear.
Sad state of affairs.
Well presented!
Thanks. Welcome to this blog. 🙂