a few lines
rushikeshgk2a headache so severe that you black out You say a few lines And the you pass out
Where is Tomorrow
The rains have come to the city. But where is the respite? Often times we feel the secret to achieving solace is resolving external situations.
Orange Skies
skies turn orange in june when the sun has not set at its usual hour. Normally it is supposed to be raining by now but it hasn't come yet. Though…
Going back to the roots
sometimes no matter how far you go, you can never escape your roots. never forget where you came from. No matter how you have come far.
Renewal of Hope
It is time to renew the contract. The contract of hope. After a year of hustling, it is time to renew that. How did the weeks pass? Did I expect…
What To Do
What am I doing ? I have no clue just like you. Maybe you are On track unlike me Younalways knew where you wanted to be
A dawn of hope
Every ticker is a burst of renewed hope. Each seat won. Each seat lost. India has won today. It has made me more hopeful of tomorrow than before. A smashing…
A balmy evening
It is a hot balmy evening here in the city. But a nice cool breeze blows occasionally. Teasing our parched souls. Our souls long for the cool intimacy of the…
Waiting for the Rains
There is an evident optimism in the air. Even though the Mercury has not dipped. We know that things are going to change. Scorching summer will end. We are confident.…
Saloon Works
There are few activities in life nowadays which force you to not use your phone. Getting a haircut is probably one such activity. For the 20-25 odd minutes that you…
Trade-Offs
The world is crazy We all know it But yet we bet on things that we don't understand We trust our gut in the moment and then take the shot…
Escaping into Other Worlds
Imagination also needs stimulation. Have you noticed that? Your mind is full of ideas when you read something interesting. Or when you have been on a trip to wide open…
Aftermath
The aftermath was not beautiful. It was painfully confusing at best. I lost my appetite that evening. I remember distinctly because there was bombil fry for dinner. No other fish,…
Someday
I wish I could see the entire city from where I sit. The slums, the sea and the hills together. So that I know where I come from and where…
A clammy morning
The humidity was out to get you today. As soon as I hit the road, damp patches appeared everywhere. As I sat on the bench at the station, my brow…
Mystery in Mahim
This is not the post I intended to write about Mahim. That will be a different post. But I just finished reading Murder in Mahim on the flight and I…
A day with books
A day with books Seems like a day well spent A happy day with many trips to lands faraway and a foray into lives of imaginary people of opening new…
Ubuntu – Joys of Working Together
There is a joy in solitary work. Deep work is possible and you can work without distractions. Getting into flow is also likely to happen and of course pomodoro and…
Midair Dreams
I was falling. It had been a good take-off but I was certain that I was falling. The aircraft was plummeting towards the ocean. What was the reason? I don't…
The Issues of the City
As the city goes to vote tomorrow, it is pertinent to think about the key issues that Mumbaikars currently grapple with. Housing: Owning a house within city limits is becoming…
Slow Mode
everything is moving slowly painfully deliberate Slower than the Churchgate slow which ambles about On the western line the sun is beating down and the aam panna doesn't help like…
A Detour
Sometimes I feel like I have gone astray. Even though this path is the often trodden one. Why do I then feel like I have made a detour? And come…
Nature’s Mercy
It is a hot May afternoon. The entire rooms feels like a furnace. The exhaust is non existent, the food being cooked is cooking up the entire house. There are…
Innocence
As a child, one looks at the world so simply. Without malice and hatred that comes with age. No cynicism. Just pure unadulterated view of the world. It is us…
Stormy Evenings
what explains the fomo that one feels while watching a seemingly cataclysmic event unfolding on your screen. Maybe it is to experience a period of drama before it passes over.…
Desultory Living
An endless walk without a destination seems exciting at first. But then, a few hours into the journey it becomes a chore. One forgets why you began to walk in…
In search of a quiet lane
Walking is important. Walking opens up your mind. But walking on the roads is difficult nowadays. We don't have a footpath in most places. Where it exists who knows.
Shawshank
What happens when music fails to cheer you up when it can't lift your mood when life seems tougher than usual? You can escape Like Andy in Shawshank but for…
Baby Reindeer
Watching an entire netflix series is a rare occurence for me. But yet, I somehow managed to finish this series. It was a moving watch. The duality of the urban…
Yellow Yellow
Today after many days I stumbled onto a Vishu tree. A Vishu tree is a visual delight. Especially in the summer months. This tree blooms and showers yellow flowers on…
Drowning, Sinking
Have you ever drowned? Once nearly. I remember. But I knew how to swim. What is swimming anyway? Staying afloat. What happens when you are swimming with weight tied to…
Trade Offs
Did you exchange A walk-on part in the war For a lead role in a cage? These lyrics haunt me everyday. They are such a potent reminder of the choices…
Just a walk
There is no greater joy than setting out on a walk in the evening. When the day is behind you. When the sun is on a swift descent into the…
Risk, Reward & Luck
There is so much to do. There is so much to learn. There is so much to eat. There is so much to see. At times I don’t want to…
Like the fourth seat
they say one has to live life king size but wasn't monarchy abolished? Why even dream of royalty when even living like a pauper is difficult? But one can't live…
Dreams of Freedom
I often dream of a cliff which overlooks the sea waves crashing over at the base looking down is scary But look across and you see the wide horizon stretching…
Chasing Sunsets
Have you noticed how sunsets are a silent wonder? The setting sun radiates its glow and turns everything golden. Your visual senses are activated fully and you are drawn to…
Dreams
There are many kinds of dreams. Certain dreams help us to sleep better. You wake up restful when you have had those dreams. You wake up with a promise in…
A Warm Sunny Day
There is not a day that passes when I don't think of that warm sunny day. That warm sunny day which may or may not have passed. It definitely has…
Embracing the Distress
The heat of the day is difficult to deal with. But that is precisely why one must embrace it. So over the past week, I have been making it a…
Migrants in Colaba
Every month a visit to the local saloon brings new insights and stories. Today, Monday, most hair cutting parlours are shut. It's their weekly off. But I was lucky to…
Sweet Sticky Rice & Mango
Sticky rice and mango. What a delightful combination. Today a friend of mine cooked it for us. He sourced the rice from Assam, another friend brought the coconut milk from…
Birds
The Oriental Magpie Robin is a songster, he sings for a mate, sometimes with a mate. I see two of them, a happy pair, trying to build a nest. This…
Choti Si Baat & Other Stories
A day at the Jackson Tolaram Company doesn’t seem so bad. You arrive at 10 and punch out at 5. There is a long lunch break. And grade 2 promotions…
Bhelpuri
What a great Indian innovation. Puffed rice, fried lentils, peanuts, some basic vegetables - TOP (tomatoes, onions, potatoes), some chutneys and sev - all mixed nicely, served in a rolled…
The Power of Now
One of the greatest human fallacies is the wait for tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes, they say. Tomorrow never dies, if you ask Mr. Bond. But tomorrow is just too far…
like a merry-go-round
Silent lanes, criss cross each other5th Road, 10th Road, Carter RoadQuiet homes stand tall over meLit with warm yellow lights Like a street urchinI look up longingly into these homesWhere…
Losing Myself
Where does one truly belong? It's a question that haunted me and kept me up at night. Am I produce of the city's slums or now another hobobbing faux elite?…
A noise filled world
What do you absolutely detest? I detest noise. Source of the noise doesn't matter. Noise which disrupts the silence. But it's not always auditory noise. Like the great Daniel Kanheman…
Punishable Offence
Sweaty brows have returned. It is 745 am and the sun is beating down upon my brow. I look to the north but there is no sign of the train.…
Old Times
What happens when you catch up with people after a decade? A decade is a fairly long time for a tectonic shift in people's personalities. But to see that not…
What’s the word
Each time you struggle to articulate your ideas, it's mostly because of the words that elude you. A bad vocabulary is okay but what happens when a word fails to…
Energy Sappers
There is very little written about energy sappers Those people and things and moments Which steal the good life from you Absolute thieves of joy and happiness They make life…
Build Something
There is magic in creating something. Building something. Watching it come alive. It could be anything. A business or a book. A house or a household. It's all part of…
A midnight rickshaw ride
In this neon lit autorickshaw The wind blows fiercely As we hurtle down the highway. They say rickshaws topple over When they go so fast. It wouldn't be so bad,…
A Black and Yellow Sunset
A setting sun indicates the end of day. Or the beginning of a new chapter. Why does everything have to be in these two shifts? These two shifts signal work…