Dawood Ibrahim’s crimes made him rich, powerful, even notorious enough to be ranked number three on Forbes’ most wanted list - everything added to his fame and fortune.

Mandakini’s only crime was being associated with him, and it cost her everything - career, peace of mind, family. Living in hiding for the last 10 years she struggles just to keep herself and her son safe.

He gained status, she lost a future. Because in the end, a man’s sins can build empires, while a woman is left paying the price.

Who pays destiny to make the rules?

Script by @yasserusman

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Every year, two lovers escape to Auroville in Pondicherry for their three days of passion - same place, same ritual, same secret. It certainly feels like love, the kind of passion you believe will last over lifetimes.

But then comes the discussion about what will be served for breakfast in the next life, and by whom - and everything takes an unexpected turn.

I guess the only way to know what happened next is to listen to the story.

Spoiler alert: nothing kills romance faster than arguing over whose reincarnation agenda wins.

Story by Shribala Menon

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“If you must breathe to stay alive then Ashwin to me is like breath. I don’t need food or water to survive, just the beautiful memories of our time together. I can happily live on that.” That was Nita Naik, in an interview to journalist Hussain zaidi, in 1997, declaring her deep and undying love for her fugitive gangster husband Ashwin Naik. Exactly 3 years later she was gunned down, in broad daylight, outside her house, on his orders.

Where did it all go wrong?

A blood stained tale of the Mumbai underworld, of a woman, a gangster and destiny.

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Script by Yasser Usman @yasser.usman 

Music by Merlin D’Souza @musicbymerlin

Supported by ECDP @essexcdp

Supported by Active Essex @active_essex

Artwork by @rsdcreative

Possibly the strangest story I’ve ever heard and I can promise you it will definitely be the strangest that you have ever come across. This is one of the a “rescued” story from an ancient Sanskrit compendium of the love stories of Ariel spirits known as the Brihad Katha or the library of romances and it is a tale of love lost, love cheated on and love regained - all on the power of a determined wife’s vomit.

No more clues - the rest you shall hear!

Follow me on Instagram @seemaanandstorytelling

Music by Merlin D’Souza @musicbymerlin

Supported by ECDP @essexcdp

Supported by Active Essex @active_essex

Artwork by @rsdcreative

They called him the Serpent because of the number of jails he had broken out of - eight different jails across different countries. They called him the Bikini Killer because the number of his victims found floating in swimming pools, brutally murdered, wearing nothing but a bikini. He was Charles Sobhraj, Killer, gangster, smuggler, jewel thief, criminal, a wanted man across continents. 

But he was also the smoothest operator, suave, charming, utterly irresistible, with women falling all over him - even though most of the women connected with him generally came to a gruesome and bloody end. And yet the line of women just never stopped! Even while he was locked up in prison there are reports of how women would line up for conjugal visits, ready to put up with the filthy conditions of jail, just to be able to say that they had slept with Charles Sobhraj.

This is my favourite story from the bizarre life of Charles Sobhraj, his unbelievable Bollywood style escape from Tihar Jail in Delhi. A jail that was being managed at the time by Policewoman Kiran Bedi.

Follow me on Instagram @seemaanandstorytelling 

Script by Yasser Usman @yasser.usman 

Music by Merlin D’Souza @musicbymerlin

Supported by ECDP @essexcdp

Supported by Active Essex @active_essex

Artwork by @rsdcreative