“I have always been proud of the stars on my uniform.” She raises her hand to salute him, though the pain in his voice is palpable. His commitment to protecting his country’s borders is undiluted. He follows instructions in a split second. But the inner reluctance to do so is growing. He sees an offensive … Continue reading Insignia
“Wealth has bred arrogance in her. She has no sympathy for her sick husband.” The patriarchy groaned under the onslaught of verbal attacks. “In this family, I was always declared guilty. Yet, I retain my right to live the way I like.” She fumed in response. Her words resonated with those who could reach the … Continue reading Let her?
It feels like an achievement today. Struck by insomnia, I’ve been staring at the night sky for ages. My unanswered questions keep bouncing back; not even a shade alters - as dead as the birthday blessings I received in childhood, holding visions of a bright future. I’m hearing this song for the first time: “Count … Continue reading Starry Skies
She died yesterday. The priest chants mantras irrelevant to the essence of her life. She stood for freedom and path-breaking ideas. Rituals are about beating a trodden path with sticks shaped out of a murdered tree. Those who pray for the soul to rest in peace know not that she exists beyond their reach - … Continue reading She died yesterday
“This book is going to be explosive, because it reveals so many secrets. Skeletons will keep tumbling out of cupboards for a few years.” “Manage the situation. Find a weakness with which you can blackmail the author. The manuscript needs to change immediately.” “I don’t think she will get intimidated.” “Fear of death is the … Continue reading End View
“She is in a coma,” informs the doctor, “but try and say positive things when you are around her.” Is it a case of suspended consciousness? I suddenly become aware of my own consciousness that makes me feel alive. I exist and know that I do. But physicists have not been able to see and … Continue reading Comatose
Walking through the woods may have been a way of life for some. I booked a safari to drive through the forest in a jeep, with a professional driver. I’m expected to believe what they tell me about the animals, my own research notwithstanding. Then the unexpected happens. A tiger is sitting on the bonnet … Continue reading Conversation
I hold the manuscript of her book, as I walk out of the graveyard after her funeral. “The story has not ended. I find new meaning in every word, as the characters unfold and express their deepest selves.” Her words on the last call pierce my psyche. Am I one of the characters? Our relationship … Continue reading Dynamic pages
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5xFLfmdC0EAvPv0UAJ4Rbj?si=347c12a0fff74a2e I looked up at Sangeeta as a mentor - my research guide at one stage. The bonding continued over books, coffee and no-holds-barred discussions. She stayed alone, but connected to the world with her writing. Her amazing clarity of thought often created discomfort, as the paradigm shift created by her vision made people feel … Continue reading A creative life
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3IGumfzltlaOsasyDZLMPz?si=36687869213147a4 Strangers not so strange ….they share a special bond with me. They look at me with compassion, seem to understand my agony and pour out theirs. I dress in their stories patterned and purple as night, and life is not the same again. I’m not alone, nor am I unique. Stories seem to merge … Continue reading Strangers
