Photo by Gratisography on Pexels.com “Can you believe how these two brothers castigated each other in the past …. the younger one was always called a parasite leeching on his parents?” “Yeah, but the parents willed their entire property to these two arch rivals, leaving out the other two.” “Strange and unfair for the parents … Continue reading Rivalry
She hailed America as a perfect capitalist society. There was a Russian backdrop for contrastive effect. I’m impressed by the way she described failing organisations decades ago. I see it happening around me all the time. Her concept of second-handers helped me make sense of irrationality around me. Did she foresee that no society is … Continue reading Cynical Atlas
I’m sure the ground speaks to the sky. It has so many deep secrets to share. Messages pass through multiple engineered layers of concrete, light, sound and air in between. Needless to say, they all have a say, and they have a right to have a say. The sky bends down creating something called a … Continue reading Communication myths
“We don’t have your size, Sir!” The salesgirl gestured. “Okay,” the tourist smiled congenially, “Tell me your secret, how do you maintain such fab figures and skin textures?” “It is cultural - habits passed down for generations.” “We do have a cultural background as well - a very rich heritage.” "But you got busy imitating … Continue reading Selling skills
“The gate will open on 28th May, and the spirits of your ancestors will step out. We need to be here to welcome them, beg forgiveness for our slip-ups, and ask for solutions to ongoing problems.” "You’ve been coming here on 28th May for a decade now. They never stepped out.” The son is super … Continue reading Note to self
Photo by Connor Lucock on Pexels.com Spring arrived with mud and a torrent of bad news. “Wash the mud off thoroughly with soap, and spray a sanitiser after that.” “I love the smell of wet earth.” “You need to do it to retain the sense of smell.” I dreamt of trees laden with a spiky … Continue reading De-sensitised
My five-year old cousin from the countryside visited Mumbai for the first time. He had never seen high-rise buildings and box-like apartments before. While he hankered to catch sight of an actor or celebrity somewhere, and loved the sea, he was not impressed by homes. ‘What’ll you do, if there are more guests? Where are … Continue reading Portable
The rat ran and he chased. He came out in the lawn, and looked for the rat between the shrubs. It probably disappeared in a rat hole somewhere. He walked back home to find that six other rats of different sizes were scurrying around the kitchen. They scooted away on seeing him, but with food … Continue reading Strategic
The Managing Director called for an urgent meeting of all designers in the company. “Hereafter, all baby clothes will have pockets and will be in all possible colours - not majorly pink and blue. Change the store layouts to make them more inclusive.” “Is there a new directive on Diversity and Inclusion?” “No. I’m bringing … Continue reading Grinning away to victory
They hugged each other and cried, though it had been only two hours since they last met. They were strong individuals, but tormented by the agony of being lost in an alien place. They could not speak or read the local language. Phone calls did not go through for reasons unknown. It took ages rewinding … Continue reading The Shift
