The letter from Taj Mahal Hotel
Our house in the staff quarters was a five minute walk away from my father’s office. So the postman usually delivered our letters to his office, irrespective of whether they had the residential address on them. There was…
The gold medallist from Bechu and Mrs Roentgen
“The earth must revolve around the sun. And the moon must revolve around the earth. When the moon decides to revolve around the sun, there will be chaos in the solar system.” These were not words from…
The raucous white-breasted waterhens
I had just returned from work and was parking my vehicle, when I heard some loud strange noises in the field beyond the boundary wall of my house. It was raining and I should have rushed into…
Rainy mornings
There is something precious about rainy mornings. The rain batters against the windows and you look out of your kitchen. For once you don’t mind the untidy overgrowth of green in the lawn. The diamond drops on…
The glory of the Pantheon in Rome
One of the most celebrated architectural edifices you will encounter in historical centre of Rome is the ancient Roman temple- the Pantheon. The name of the building is derived from the Greek for ‘pan+theion” which literally means…
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…
