Perfectly imperfect
I have seen many leaders. Some share their vision effectively with their teams. Others plan meticulously. Some manage. Still others micromanage. And irrespective of whatever style they use, these leaders manage to complete the task at hand.…
Diwali and its aftermath
I hear complaints of chest pain and breathlessness after the festival of Diwali has just gone. No. It’s not smog or pollution. At least not in Sevagram. A cursory glance at the piled up boxes of mithai…
Lonely silences
Stories Which needed to be Purged from my system To diminish the poison Which flows within, Lie unsaid— Frantically seeking A patient ear. Glances Heavy with meaning That went unread— Unload the weight of their tears In…
Emotionally barren
I was waiting in the gynecology ward. I had been suffering from heavy periods which were not responding to medication. My gynecologist wanted me to undergo a small operative procedure the next morning, where she could sample…
Their right of the way
Diwali, the festival of lights, has come and gone. One of the most memorable moments of this Diwali has been our encounter with the Hanuman langurs, who are an integral part of Sevagram. We had just finished…
If I had to tell it again: A moving memoir by Gayathri Prabhu
I met Gayathri Prabhu at a workshop last month. She teaches literary studies at the Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humanities. She was moderator of the most impactful session of the day— not by being at the…
Matters of the heart
The hundred-odd crowd is boisterous. There are arrangements for karaoke. Everyone is in a festive mood. He climbs up the stage and stands in a corner. The crowd expects him to sing to a thumping beat. He…
A tale of two cremations
I was very close to my father. We shared a bond which needed no words. My brother and my father, on the contrary, never got along. I never understood why. Sometimes it was quite silly, as my…
At crossroads
We are at the crossroads of our lives. The Class of 1989. All of us are on the right side of fifty. And as we gather in Goa for our reunion to celebrate three decades of our…
