Out of Control
My words don’t listen to me any longer They are out of my control. One little fellow decides To climb up your window And knock on the glass. I whisper to him, My brow furrowed Come back!…
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…
Sanju unearths the chameleon in Ranbir Kapoor
I walked into the theatre on a rainy Sunday evening, saw the swelling crowds and remembered Rajkumar Hirani’s magical ability to drag families back into the cinema. Sanju, is the third film (with Hirani as director) where…
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 Column of Marcus Aurelius
In Rome, as you take that mandatory walk around the historic centre, that most tourists do, you will find yourself in a shopping arcade which hosts the latest fashion brands. This is the Galleria Colonna, which is…
Morning yoga with a scaly breasted munia
Manna Dey immortalized these birds in Teesri Kasam, when he sang Chalat musafir moh liya re pinjre wali munia… I have always found scaly breasted munias very attractive specially for their designer waistcoats. One morning, as I was enjoying…
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…
