Ikigai is the cruellest document in history, being peddled as a self-improvement tool. What you love may not be what you are good at, or what the world needs. What you can be paid for is an entirely different ballgame. The profession or vocation has nothing to do with passion or mission. It is simply … Continue reading Ikigai
Shadows on the grass speak of a fence somewhere – boundaries that demand respect. Religion induces discipline, incites wars and sometimes turns sane people into maniacs. I wish it were more of a contract where offer and acceptance are both needed, rather than an accident of birth. Anything that divides humanity is subhuman, bordering on … Continue reading With Care
The scion’s arrest was a major scandal in the township. Joan Gilt’s son was running a drug business inside the hotel his mother built after so much struggle in life. He pleaded innocence with tears in his eyes and his mother’s name on his lips as a shield. The police officer interrogating him said, “You … Continue reading Reputation
Tiny slivers of historical evidence cannot withstand the scrutiny of critics and the superimposition of meaning by those in power. Books are written, rewritten, translated, interpreted and destroyed till approved textbook versions take their place. Children memorise those not out of curiosity, but to pass exams. They have been programmed anyway, unwittingly and unconsciously. The … Continue reading Out of Order
It flows with me, but I can’t keep pace with it. I am a dot. I ask the river to carry my story to the oceans. It accepts by touching my hand lowered over the guardrail. The sun takes away a part of it, and clouds rain somewhere else. Other stories are curious and want … Continue reading Time and God
She switched off the TV, put the phone aside and sat still, refusing to participate in the heated discussions around her. “Our social structures are under attack. The path that young women are taking spells disaster for families.” They condemned the girl who killed her fiancé, whom she was being compelled to marry. Her statement … Continue reading Cultural Reset
This is an excerpt from my book "When Time Stopped" where this image kind of fits in. I meet her inside the next door. “So, you are finally here? But I’m trapped, cannot come out to greet you.” “Do we know each other?” “How can you forget? You are the one who worships me in … Continue reading Trapped Goddess
She did not know what delicate meant until she felt the pressure and assessed her capacity to withstand it. She did not fear Power until the intense heat threatened to wither her away. She made no effort to avert deceit because she did not see a reason for anyone wanting to harm her. Curiosity drove … Continue reading Shadows lengthened
A bolt of lightning leaps at me, but I’m ready to catch the thunder. Electrocution is a possibility, as much as being activated by a divine force. I call the winds to help me decide, but they are busy pushing stubborn clouds. Those tiny people sitting behind rectangles in concrete structures speculate on various things, … Continue reading Wind Song
She measured the countless hours of dedicated painting on the walls. He was sweating, but cheerful under a bright sun. He was weary, but inspired under cloudy skies. It was her job to shield him and his work from the vagaries of nature. At times, she held the lights at night because a deadline was … Continue reading Accused
