Category Archives: Uncategorized

Her home always smelled of carbolic soap. The furnishings were a mismatch of home-tailored cushions and curtains impeccably starched and ironed. If a curtain didn’t do its job well enough, it was ripped apart and converted into upholstery.  Clothes were … Continue reading →

Dar es Salaam was a haze of bright sun, incessant rain, murderous mosquitoes and a constant threat of malaria that left me fazed and bewildered. My stay in Mikocheni was going to be an adventure beyond comparison. I had recently quit a 50-hour-week … Continue reading →

If you are a woman, chances are that 8 out of 10 times you would have had a weight-related conversation with 6 out of 10 girlfriends in the last 6 to 8 weeks. (The numbers are pretty random but if … Continue reading →

The new iPhone has opened a brave new world. And has reaffirmed that dropping the ‘droid has been a kind act towards myself. I can now tread the social media world with less clumsiness and more aplomb. In fact I have become so … Continue reading →

He stared at me from across the road. It was a look of utter curiosity, extreme playfulness and an endearing indignance. Love at first sight for me. I begged him to stay put and to not – – even for a moment  – comtemplate crossing the road to meet me. It … Continue reading →

Every Sunday morning the washerman (dhobi as we call them in India) would come home on his ancient rickety cycle. He was an old man, with creases lining his dark face. It was a familiar ritual. My father would bring out … Continue reading →

I so vividly remember that interview. There was some sort of an english language test, followed by a couple of conversations with the manager and the CEO. Months later when the boss man and I became more friends than ‘boss’ … Continue reading →

So, did you facebook today? Did you share your vacation photos with family and friends? Does your status reflect your state of mind? Did you flip through all your notifications? Have you wished your friend a very happy birthday on her wall? … Continue reading →

They’ve posted many new photos on the alumnus facebook page. Most girls and teachers in them look terribly familiar. As do the backdrops. The grotto. The chapel. The playground with the monstrous gulmohur tree. The boarding school. We would carry our … Continue reading →

The other day I came across a photograph of my daughter with her three great grandmothers. She was about five when the three matriarchs were in the same place at the same time. None of them is alive today. Over … Continue reading →