He is ready to glide into the future. Inherited wings feel light on shoulders, as wheels whir before leaving the ground. A force stands ready to support, send or receive anything as per instructions. Vehicles are cleaned and polished to carry stories into the future. Somehow, the mud on tires refuses to go. It is … Continue reading Stories retold
A writer sends me stories of people with physical deformities who take to crime; he calls them ‘broken people’ who need salvation. The news talks about the arrest of an unusually venomous guy who developed a huge Twitter following, and makes a living out of publishing vitriolic remarks on celebrities, and then getting paid to … Continue reading A day in life, not ended yet
They assumed she died in the bus accident. The family is feeding the poor to complete posthumous religious rituals. "Don't think about money," the gentlemen says pompously, "my mother's soul should rest in peace." Miles away, an old woman is shivering on the riverside on a cold night. She has been starving for the last … Continue reading Not missed
She was the best vet my furry baby could have ever had. Dr. P followed all procedures by putting a muzzle on her mouth, before treating her. But the gentle submission and total absence of resistance always surprised me. The bedside manners of a doctor influence a patient more than the medicine. It matters a … Continue reading Gentleness
Volatility makes one feel insecure. Flying with no strings attached is a nightmare. My daughter wants to go abroad for a doctorate, and I’ve spent three sleepless nights in a row. Umbilical cords remain. Relationships become tumultuous if one side holds tighter. Quivering balloons on the bumper of the car driving ahead tell me she … Continue reading Set free
“You’ve no clue how demeaning it is. I got chucked out of the show at the last minute…I couldn’t fit in the bandage dress, as I measured half an inch more.” “Couldn’t they alter the dress?” “They hold the power to alter careers and damage egos.” The model’s soul was scarred, which no bandage could … Continue reading Fashion
The loudest voices are the ones that speak a different language in different places. The camaraderie is unmistakable, as I see in the backslapping and guffawing. The superior lateral vision I’m born with (some people call it intuition), helps me see the passing empty look on faces as soon as another face turns away. The … Continue reading Time to go
I distinctly remember the midnight mass I attended with Aunt Josephine, and the purple frock with golden checks stitched by my mom for Christmas. I was all of five years old. Eid was spent with Uncle Latif and Aunt Mariam. The childless couple doted on me, and cooked vegetarian food for us, respecting my family’s … Continue reading Bonding
“Say what you may, but those forsaken futures at the end of the road live only in your mind. They have found their place somewhere else in the lives of people who walked that road. Could it have been a swimmingly smooth ride, instead of the sanity-stretching sojourn to glamorous, glossy goals your life has … Continue reading Pixels and Petals
“This is the kind of chase that both enthralls and perplexes me… the criminal is one of a kind who leaves no easy trail”, the lady police officer affectionately called Madam Sir, plonks herself in her chair. “You are in the hot seat, Madam Sir…. the Chief Minister has announced a prize of 5 million … Continue reading Amoeba
Creative Experiments and More 