Jailor

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

Back Home

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

Fodder

Water boils in search of meat to become a broth. The journalist’s imagination becomes an itch. Will he find a story to metamorphose into an article? The girl walking alone on a desolate street, the vendor hawking fake goods, the couple recording a Reel in the hope of going viral – do they know someone … Continue reading Fodder

Tribe of hunters

I walk on these streets like a hawk, though outwardly in casual mode. Why is that girl looking forlorn? Why is this guy staring at the window on the third floor? How many secrets does the hawker on the street carry? He tells me that the bazaar on the next street is called ‘Chor Bazaar’, … Continue reading Tribe of hunters

Is that an autobiography?

Muddied boots tell us stories about the journey. There could be invisible germs in the dirt that must be washed away - truth contaminated by imposed versions. Autobiographies are often selective memories with a lot of amnesia. Let the storytellers go, let the dirt speak. Who deposited it there? Who did it meet and gel … Continue reading Is that an autobiography?

Brick by Brick

Brick by brick, history was built, but the builders did not know what were they doing. It’s so easy to construct a building as per the given plan. Who will inhabit it? What will be their place in the echelons of society? What kind of trails will they leave behind? Will anyone ever know the … Continue reading Brick by Brick

Behind the windows

I dream of a house with red brick walls with several windows, and a story behind each window. Who are these people calling out to me? And why me? I offer them a ladder to step out, but they are unable to see beyond the wall. Weeks later, I walk into an art exhibition with … Continue reading Behind the windows

Power of Intent

“The light here reflects the power of intent. We’ve seen things change for the better for some individuals after group prayers. A strong will to see something happen was shaping destiny. Each candle here is lit by a different individual. The intent is to eliminate darkness from people’s lives.” Sounds of aircraft flying low swamped … Continue reading Power of Intent

Weary

The shoes were once shiny and new – now dusty and forgotten, buried in baskets, discarded by time. He is unable to throw them away, because of their uncanny resemblance with his life. Some day when he is gone, and his memories discarded in the bin, the shoes will meet the same fate. Till then, … Continue reading Weary

Fragrance

Snow, sunshine, dewdrops or rainbowFlowers will always find a place to growNurture them when they grow in your heartPreservation for posterity is a tough art Flowers will always find a place to growwater them with hope; keep them wholepreservation for posterity is a tough artperfumers crush them to extract the soul water them with hope; … Continue reading Fragrance