Tube Lights, Udders and Noses

I remember the hot Sunday afternoons. After gobbling fried Nang fish, we laze around in the front yard. The sky is blinding blue. A strong gust of wind sends seeds of the nearby tree twirling down. We try to catch it as they race to the ground. I hear a voice. Later I see the aluminium-utensil-studded TVL …

Thoughts on Turning 30

Coriander leaves stay fresh for up to a week if rinsed, dried, wrapped in kitchen towels and stored in airtight containers inside the fridge. This is the most useful piece of information in my life right now. Early in the morning, the sunlight comes through my front door, spills over my bed, travels across the …

To All the Trees I’ve Loved Before

A long time ago on a bright monsoon morning, as my cousin posed in front of the photographer in her golden-red bridal saree, the sunlight scattered its way through the dew-covered rose plants behind her. When the photographer paused to change his photo reels, I would grab that opportunity to take some pictures of my …

My Pressure Cooker is Shinier Than Yours

There is a bloodstain on my ceiling. The one left after killing a mosquito. It is like a careless brushstroke. The brush wanders and the paint fades. When the brush is rotated a little, the paper catches the paint on the other side of the brush and the trail continues but broken. The stain almost …

Memories of Food

I remember rains the most. The constant patter on the red-tiled roof. Water flows down like a curtain of sparkling beads. Everything is blinding green. The wetness is intoxicating. It has seeped into my skin, embedded in my bones. And it has never left me since. I walk to the bus stop wearing plastic sandals …

Thoughts on Turning 29

29 feels the same. I have to remember to put the correct age when booking bus tickets. Which reminds me - I have to travel more. The physical education teacher who I liked the most in school was 29. The other day, a friend of mine ran his hand over my hair and said that …

Stories that Never Happened

I was reading The Bell Jar the other day. I was at home. Sprawled across the sofa after lunch. Mother had made fish curry. She sat beside me reading the paper which kept fluttering because of the fan. I did not want to turn it off. It was hot. The protagonist in the book, Esther …

Tea

I wait for my tea. The tea guy pours some in a glass and hands it to the person on my right. Didn’t I come before him? He pours another one and hands it to the guy on my left. I definitely came before him. He starts making another batch. How many times he must …

The Old Picture

I was busy correcting the answer papers. Shaking my head in disbelief after reading ridiculous answers. The notification light on my phone started blinking. I opened it. Someone had shared an old picture in our family group. It was taken many summers ago when we got together for the holidays at our grandmother’s house. My …

Goodbyes, Keychains and Oscars

I always wondered why people cry during Oscar acceptance speeches. Why athletes tear up on the podium? How can anybody cry when they are happy? On my last day at school, Roshan asked for my number. With teary eyes and breaking voice, he tells me that I should inform him without fail if I ever …