Thinking like a rat
I walked into the laboratory that morning and was told that the hematology automated cell counter had stopped working. A few frantic calls and a day later, the technical person from the company came over and repaired…
Supine readers
It has been almost a month of reading thick Pathology tomes non-stop. As quizmaster, I had been preparing questions for a State level Postgraduate Pathology Quiz. I enjoy the process of discovery, and reading academic texts for…
The Braveheart
Much of my early childhood was spent in Sainik School Bhubneswar and then in Bangalore Military School, where my father headed the Zoology Departments. I can’t remember much of Sainik School, but memories of Bangalore are very…
The desert and the oasis
In the distance, She can hear The sound of the hoofs. The dust clouds billow She can no longer see. The sky turns grey As the dust spirals upwards. “I think I saw A man with a…
The business of beauty
On days when you feel exhausted and think you deserve to be pampered, you head to the spa. I would prefer to say ‘spa’ or ‘salon’ to sound sophisticated. But the unfortunate truth is that small towns…
The reward for a lifetime of work
I received this picture on a family Whatsapp group yesterday. And this morning it was all over the papers. The lady in the blue saree is my Bua, my father’s youngest sister. Dr Geeta Kumari. She heads…
Deadlines which leave you dead
Deadlines are looming large. Some have come and gone, and I have given up trying to keep up. I have a vacation coming up. Vacations are supposed to be stress-busters. But even the thought of packing my…
A grandmother we all know
She is half asleep. Her dentures are immersed in a glass of water. Her earpiece and spectacles are placed on the side table. You can’t take your eyes off her, as her quivering lips inflate and deflate…
Winter special treats
As children growing up in Pondicherry, we hardly owned any sweaters. I distinctly remember 1984 when Dad was transferred to Chandrapur in autumn. The first winter caught us unawares and there was a rush to buy navy…
Ungodly motives
Are we all equal in the eyes of our Gods? Apparently yes. (S)He is supposed to be omnipotent and benevolent, irrespective of whatever your faith is. But does this God care if you are a man or…
