The Grace in Receiving

When I was (re)reading one of my favourite books recently, I came across this quote. It is as important to receive gracefully as it is to give unstintingly The book is ‘Sunny Side Up’ by Anu Hasan, and I read it more for the writing style than the events themselves. An autobiography of sorts, this…

Regret and Remorse

In the hand that feels, And the heart that sees, There is a thought that lingers. The ripples created at the middle Always reach the shore, Sometimes above, sometimes below   The cruel dreams that shatter Life's moments worth living Those that keep your head above clouds While your feet tread on water In search…

The Farmer’s Almanac

For the 32nd consecutive year, the farmer saw the almanac. Peering closely, he realised that the rains this year would not be kind either. He looked at the distant horizon, watching the young man in the next plot till his land with that huge city import tractor. Did horizons lie? Or simply refuse to cooperate…

Reflections on Stillwater

The sun's rays fell at an angle on the tranquil waters. Kara looked in, her face reflecting fear but her eyes exuding a calmness she did not feel. There would be no more competition. She had to convince herself a lot to ensure she had been right. That she'd had absolutely no other course of…

Ripples!

This poem is an attempt to capture the feelings between two fictional characters - friends turned foes. Though it was written with those two specific characters in mind, it turned out that the poem fits other fictional pairs too. So the subject is left to the readers' imagination! ******************************** A voice reaches my soul Like…

What’s in a name?

There are too many controversies surrounding a name, or an arbitrarily assigned / assumed label. One thing or the other crops up occasionally and for a culture that is as diverse and ever changing as India’s, this can only create confusions and needless arguments. Names are not what they once were, and with every region,…

Fanaticisms and Fandoms

For anyone in social media, the word fandom is immediately recognisable. Technically, fandom is the subculture of fans – of people who love a common thing, and share a common interest and bond with each other based on that. Fandom references is the inside term for talking about specific words and making particular definitions or…

The Reader’s Compliment

I have been a reader for nearly two decades now, counting the picture books, and a blogger for seven years. Also been a professional book reviewer for five years. A ‘published writer’ is a feather I added two years ago, and I am working on two more novels now. There. Bragging done. With no exaggeration.…

Calendars and collectibles

The New Year (for me) brings with it an insane rush for original calendars. Having always been partial to calendars, journals and diaries, I love the mad scramble at the end of every year to book in the calendars for the next. It was the same this year. While my father ambled along peacefully, collecting…

The Simpleton Sage

The village called him a simpleton. His parents told him they’d given up hope that he’d succeed. His employer refused to send him alone to complete even the simplest of tasks. And as he had heard recently, the village soothsayer had informed his mother that he’d never get married. And instead of arguing, his mother…