Missing colours
On some days Life’s brush strokes leave A kaleidoscope of colour. And yet there is That uncoloured space Which keeps me awake at night. On some days I feel Thrown out Of your masterpiece. On others, I…
The memory of touch
I stood by the hospital bed hopelessly waiting for the inevitable. I was watching my mother sink. Five days ago she had left my house, chirpy as usual. And then she had returned to Sevagram with this…
Once bitten, twice shy
My mother was being posted for her knee replacement surgery. Her anesthetists had proclaimed her fit for surgery. But I put my foot down. Her urine culture reports showed growth of some organisms. And I was worried…
The frailties of being human
Feel ashamed- Because your heart beats in sync with another But wait, Feel ashamed, also Because you can’t identify with the thoughts of some other! The clucks of disapproval Grow loud enough to Deafen your hearing. The…
Fading traditions
There are things you take for granted. And before you realize it, people are gone and there is no one else to carry forward the tradition. Durga Pooja was always celebrated with traditional fervour at home. My…
The deafening silences
The rattling noise of skeletons tumbling out of India’s cupboards keeps me awake all night. For the fourth night in a row. The roar of India’s #metoo revolution rages on in the media. The high and mighty…
Trinetra: A time for transitions
I’m listening to a seventh semester medical student who is on stage. “I was thrown out of Anatomy dissection hall because I attended class with a nose-piercing.” ‘Well, I would have thrown out any guy if they…
A different way with words
I was scrolling down messages on social media one evening when something caught my eye. Snuggled between brainless forwarded posts and silly memes was a line which said “I am dyslexic.” Strangely it went unnoticed and no…
Melting identities
I am supervising my nephew as he fills up the boxes on his Maharashtra State Board examination form. As we reach question 11, my jaw drops. It asks: Minority Religion: 0 – Non-minority, 1- Muslim, 2-Christian, 3-Buddhist,…
