War of words at Windsor
The recent Meghan Markle-Prince Harry wedding at Windsor Castle reminded me of the time when I visited Windsor. The year was 2007. It had been three months since I had reached London on a Commonwealth Fellowship. It…
The Surge of Strength
We were in school that morning, but not studying in our classrooms. There was a buzz in the air. The school Annual Day function was scheduled at 5.30 that evening. All the students were busy with the…
Cleansing ritual
The sound of the rains Wakes me up At the unearthly hour of four. The rain pouring down The broad plantain leaves Outside my window Sounds like the Loud roar of a waterfall. I hear the rain…
Insatiable Appetites
We are being fed With a steady diet Of falsehoods, Manufactured truths, And lies. This colourful Enhanced imagery Strikes all our senses, Hour after hour Till we succumb— Completely addicted. Our ravenous hunger Demands more of the…
The Pendant
This morning I noticed That a few tiny crystals Had fallen off My favourite pendant. It has lost some of its shimmer Though its elegance Remains unaffected. They say precious jewels Are supposed to be stored…
The Art of Waiting
I remember reading this analogy somewhere, probably in one of Osho’s works. He talks of a woman who has a baby growing in her womb. She cannot hurry the process. The seasons come and go. The phases…
The Mussaenda Memories
I was in Pondicherry three decades after I had left the place. Pondicherry is where I grew up, and memories from those formative years clung to me like a second skin. The house where we lived for…
The Suitable Boy
It was the last month of 1997. December 12th to be precise. I had just given my MD Pathology exams and was waiting for the official results to be declared. The college rules said that we had…
Silent conversations
Conversations which meandered Into the stillness of the night The mingling of our minds The music in our words The crescendo of our laughter The calmness of our thoughts I miss them all. Now the stream of…
Bitter love
Each morning I hear you rummaging near my bedside And the crackling of my medicine wrappers Wakes me up. You do it every day With clockwork precision And I always look at you bleary eyed A…
