I was happy that morning because it was Gudhi-Padwa. I knew mother would make gajar-halva; I’d seen her buy carrots yesterday. It was my favorite dessert and I was really looking forward to it.
Unfortunately, mother fell ill that day.
→ Read this postThe other day I was seated in a bus, listening to music and reading a book. Like any other regular person, I didn’t know who was sitting next to me. I only looked around when my neighbor nudged me gently. “Hi! Sorry, You got time?” It was an elderly lady. (Translation: You got time? = What is the time? I …
→ Read this postThe view of the window from that night is printed in my memory… This incident goes back to December 18, 2003 at 03:15. The picture above shows the windows of my room (my parents place in Mumbai.) My bed is about 3 meters away from the window. I left windows open at night but there was a window grill that …
→ Read this post“Your website looks great, do you use Dream weaver?” I get that question sometimes and it always used to bother me. But I don’t get annoyed anymore. Instead, I quote the following story: :::: A photographer was invited to a dinner and he took along some photographs to show the hostess. She looked at the photos and commented, “These are …
→ Read this postBusking: Busking is the practice of performing music, dance, juggling, magic, and similar activities in public places to entertain passersby and solicit tips. People engaging in this practice are called buskers. Busking is a British term used in many areas of the English-speaking world and in former British territories. In the United States, buskers are more often called street performers …
→ Read this postThe grass forest Wet and dry spells of rain pound Mumbai during the monsoon season (June-September). After a couple of months of rains, most of the empty grounds, waste lands and hitherto barren soils, get covered by wild grass that is almost a foot tall. When you are kid that swamp is named “the grass forest” or even “the secret …
→ Read this postMay 1990. A (thats the name of our main character) was 9 years old. A was spending the summer vacation at Indore, A’s native place. Everyone at the house usually slept during the afternoon after late lunches but A disliked that idea – because (1) it ruined A’s evenings and (2) A wondered why people would waste daytime sleeping. Even …
→ Read this postOk, this isn’t about the Bigul (adjacent picture) that is played during army parades, I’m talking about Bagels – the donut shaped bakery products hugely popular in Europe and America. Until today morning, I hadn’t eaten a bagel (I was a Bagel-virgin). I am generally fascinated by bakery products – cookies, muffins, cakes etc. There was this Bagel shop I …
→ Read this postThere is excessive [tag]economic disparity[/tag] in Mumbai. It is a known phenomenon but never did the reality hit me so hard than the other day. I was traveling in the second class compartment in a crowded [tag]local train[/tag]. Every now and then, a [tag]salesman[/tag] would board the compartment and advertise his wares. These salesmen have innovative strategies to attract the …
→ Read this postबाबा..! विमान..!! (Dad, look! a plane!!) A little girl exclaimed with enthusiasm as she pointed out a tiny airplane to her dad. She was standing at the window next to my seat in the suburban train, watching the plane gliding idly across the sky. The train was moving and the plane was fast disappearing out of her view. She started …
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