The fluidity of rivers connects concrete boxes and makes the walls transparent. When you see, you are tempted to talk. Yet, you prefer connections with those who are like you. Everything else generates suspicion. Tom waves through the translucence, “Hey, your life fascinates me. Tell me more about what you do and what drives you … Continue reading Fungible
The first exercise in Communication class is “Identify your Persona.” Everything else needs to align with it. It works fine for specific tasks, but soon authenticity poses a challenge. People are much more than the tasks they accomplish. A mask on another face connects with my expectations of that person. I love the welcoming smile, … Continue reading Masks We Wear
The curtain falls on a memorable performance. She came from the wilderness and adapted to concrete reality. Dreams reinvented themselves as she tic-toc-ed her stilettoes on tiled pavements to carve new paths to success and luxury cars. The determination to get things done was the hallmark of her existence. People often wondered if Rhett Butler … Continue reading The Lonely Coffin
Those faces painted on walnut shells drop out of the drawer. Some have faded like memories. Others remain to be crushed under the weight of revenge. His furniture business takes him to Kashmir quite often, to source good quality walnut wood. But he never saw her again. Was she taken away by those across the … Continue reading Visibility
This is the best award acceptance speech of the year. “No one becomes an achiever or a star or a legend without the support of teams – both visible and invisible. Some people make your art presentable by polishing it, and there is a fan following that grants you celebrity status. One can create art … Continue reading How Legends are Built
It is a much-loved place. It is a much-hated place. There are no shutters on the main door, but housebreaking is not a risk at all. Those who walk in stay incarcerated till proven innocent. Those who walk out never turn back to see the shabbiness of the place. The supervisor always feels lost. She … Continue reading Jailor
It did not break my heart. He is not our Dad, as Mom tells us today. But a father, whether biological or not, could not have been better. Hats off to you, Dad! You are the only one we know, and the best one. It is a heartwarming moment to know that love of this … Continue reading Heart-warming
“Damn it,” she thought, as the heel on her shoe snapped clean off the sole. She had forgotten to keep an alternate pair in the car. She walked barefoot with difficulty till she found a shoe shop. The new pair she chose was flat and did not exactly match her outfit, but she couldn’t attend … Continue reading Ice-breaker
She was in a place where her clothes of light and reflections were all dropping off. She looked at the mirror from different angles hoping to catch a better view of herself, but the images felt like a conspiracy against her proven supremacy. Gradually, the music stopped and she heard her own hoarse voice – … Continue reading Continuity of Illusions
Happiness lives somewhere under the white roof in green fields of regeneration. I hope recycling transforms shapes but retains the purity of the core. How does one define joy? A moment of exhilaration, trust and pleasure creating awareness of the privilege of existence. Decades ago, it was a smile. Now it is a smiley. We … Continue reading Back Home
Creative Experiments and More 