I, Me, Myself

This story was written in the summer of 2013 as an entry for the annual Deccan Herald Short Story Competition. As she nuzzled against me, I felt the warmth of her little body, the slow breathing synchronising with mine. Her almond eyes tightly shut, her somnolent mind led for a walk amongst the stars. I remember the very first time I held Maya to my bosom. My blood was still throbbing following the eight hours of intense labour. I was drained, parched and broken. Yet true to her name, those little fingers, as I entwined mine with hers, wielded a magic wand. No sooner than did I peer into those brown eyes, that I was healed. My baby. The tiny steps she took, were momentous milestones in our lives. Her tiny feet traced a path the lit its way into our hearts. First a coo then a call, our little girl was growing up fast. It came as a bolt from the blue. One day my little girl was jumping and playing about, walking into walls, losing her balance on the bicycle...

An insight into the intriguing lives of the Mughal dynasty, especially their women and in particular their daughters... The Mistress of the Throne is a semi fictional memoir of  the unsung princess Jahanara and how she played a defining role in shaping India's history from behind the veils.  A powerful, independent and strong character, born  perhaps about 500 years ahead of time, her remarkable life, her vision and her sacrifices appear to be the less chronicled aspects of what undoubtedly was the Golden Era of the Mughal Rule. Her unparalleled love for her eccentric family is remarkable. As an adolescent she was thrust into the forefront of royal responsibilities soon after her mother , the legendary Mumtaz Mahal breathed her last, yet this Persian beauty wore the title of Shah Jahan 's Empress and that of a foster mother to her siblings with grace and dignity. The melancholy of her own life not withstanding, she was the will behind the Taj Mahal, thus immortalizing...

The blue sky, the bird and the butterfly, In all their cerulean glory, for my attention do vie, I strain my brain to not give a grain, Putting to work all those years of train. Teasing me with a sweep and caress, The evening breeze seeks to ease my brows creased with stress. Yet I persevere, hard and fast, But I do fear my will won't last, Alas, I have been at this for the day past. Yet, to my master, I implore, The myriad distractions shall you ignore! Dear, hippocampus , I've a lot of work you see, Do, I can't , all that which would set my spirit free. And so despite the finger itch, I must put in the next stitch. Yet, I see how you're writing without a glitch, And now the urge to have me read has reached , a fever's pitch. Ah well, about physiology, (for now), the devil may care, For I will pick up that pen and lay my thoughts bare. Thus, I write, frigid and terse, And out flows this rusty verse. * to all the connoisseurs out there...

I woke up this morning to the very reassuring news that govt MBBS doctors in Karnataka are to see a salary hike , and it will now see them cashing in on 60K a month!! Yayy that's great news for my clan! And even more so for " MY CLAN " i.e. all those fresh MBBS graduates (read #babydocs, #jrdocs, #jrs) at the mercy of mankind, coursing through all of Dante's hells to arrive at the ultimate prize ... a PG seat! ( associated perks : fulfilled ambition, reinstilled sense of self worth, a job and a salary, recognition, a SPOUSE!!!, ... and I've also heard whispered in some corners 'Happiness!!') And so as we course through this phantasmic journey, unmindful of the endless night duties, the thesis terrors, the next quest for DM/Mch and other what nots that will follow in the post PG life...! As the rest of the world scales great heights ( specifically with regards to their bank accounts), we trudge along the dreary path where exams are mile stones and ...

... Came in as the summers' breeze, first a whiff,then a caress; and soon all was at ease. Such was the magic, such was the charm, the cold countenance melted, leaving the insides soft and warm. The spring flowers bloomed and the bees held sway, the hues grew brighter each passing day. The fairy lights i noticed like never before, for you were with me for ever more. But as autumn heralds a bitter chill, dark clouds marooneed over yonder hill. Quiet grew the songbirds, the lesson in absence learnt; your silence speaks louder than your words.

One bright and sunny morning, I wake up to the not so startling realization that the world around me is filled with fools! Old fools and young fools, flowery fools and mute fools, tall fools and fat fools, pretentious fools, and a whole lot of plain ol' fools! There's just an epidemic of foolishness it appears, and if you don't walk around with all of your bodily orifices firmly plugged, you might as well catch it! So once this happy realization has sunk in, and your mind is in the midst of a thunderstorm even as the sun outside bakes all and sundry, you try hard.... to 'reason'! The what ifs, and yets, the maybes and the may nots..... your effervescent brain dons the garb of the 'Devil's Advocate'! And so it was with me! But argue as I may in the court of my mind, I have not much to say, for the defendant is the devil itself, a fool! A waste of time, of space and of my grey matter! Were they made to entertain us or to annoy us, I know not, yet t...

The following morning, the lady woke up. The lawyer had left, for his morning walk.  After a strong dose of caffeine and popping yet another aspirin, she turned her attention to his closet. The previous night’s coat having been identified, was given a quick yet thorough search. This going down in vain, she turned to the drawers, then  the night stand, the book shelf… her initial caution being abandoned, things were now flung helter skelter, the room in a mess. The crucial piece of evidence remained elusive. I’m being silly and paranoid! Half relieved, half tired she sat down by the study.  The neat velvet packaging was unmistakable. The blue box, the golden embossed logo, unmistakable… Half an hour later, she was still sitting at the table, twirling it with her fingers. Hell was beginning to take a human form. Presently the doorbell rang, only to be replaced by the clattering of metal on tiled floor. The stones rolled out, and the intricately set patter...

 The middle aged woman was deep in conversation with the Colonel’s son, a smart young lieutenant himself. The lady walked around the pillar to get a better look at this stranger, but her effort was to be in vain, for some of her friends barged in between and struck up conversation. A couple of drinks, a dance or two, and few random conversations later, the lady had quite settled into the flow of the festivities. Despite the strain of the past fortnight, she surprised herself with the amount of enthusiasm she could muster. And so, the gaiety continued… and it would have, had she not noticed the hems of the silver gown, yet again. This time, the lieutenant had disappeared, but the woman was in conversation with another man, his back to the dance floor. Her face was pale, but the dark brown of her hair and eyes, coupled with the sharp nose, and high cheek bones made it an attractive package. Then there was that hour glass frame, the generous bosom. The long slender fingers br...

It was at one such lazy afternoon when quite a few ladies had gathered at her home for tea that the lady of the house first heard about Ms. X. A wealthy spinster, she came each winter to the valley, laid her manicured claws on an able male, usually labeled quite a ‘catch’, and after a blink-and-you-miss it romance in the valley, made away with him, into the dark under belly of the city below. Nothing more would ever be heard of her rich and handsome-prey, yet she’d return the following year, intact, her pristine smile et al. This had happened very many times over the past decade or so. But no one spoke about it in front of her, for: a.)   The valley people were well meaning, dignified, and didn’t per say probe into anything that wasn’t their business. and b.)   Well, Ms. X seemed to be quite high up in the echelons of power, or so it would seem. And so this trend had settled into being the rumour mongerers’ staple. “Age is surely catching up! The lines are showi...

My entry for DH short story contest 2012 KISS AND TELL Chapter 1 “Nearly done, there you go!”, he commented, putting down the saw and admiring his handiwork. His tall frame was drenched in perspiration, but his eyes sparkled with the satisfaction of having completed his task. Though a shade over sixty five, the former lawyer, thought his wife, looked… well resplendent. Despite the generous sprinkling of silver hair, the lines of wisdom which creased his temples, he still radiated the same powerful ‘something’ which drew her to him all those many years ago! A shy smile homed in on her face, as the memories of the glorious past streamed in. The first time she set her eyes on him, as a gawky eighteen year old in the bus, she thought him attractive, but it was only when they spoke, a long time later, that he truly won her heart. The courtship, the romance, she was well and truly swept off her feet. He was witty, intelligent, handsome, yet there was a mysterious something ab...

My dad, or Baba as I call him, has been and continues to be an inspiration. What he has taught me over 22 years, are the pillars of guidance and strength which I look upto both in rapture and despair. The relationship I had with my dad, was not a very conventional one, at least I would think so. For starters I am very much like him, impatient and perennially in a hurry! So as you would imagine, we had our fair share of arguments, but the part I liked the best was, every argument could be settled with a ‘Sorry’ and a tight hug within the span of an hour if not sooner, and voila.. just like that we were friends again. This is one of the most important things I picked up from my dad very early on in life. If he, my dad, my hero, could apologise to me then I should never consider myself beyond an apology, and if I’m at fault I’m always ready to.  Some of the other cherished memories are of going with him of Cubbon Park and Vidhana Saudha every Sunday, of going to kaka near Natio...

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let us down, probably will. You'll have your heart broken and you'll break others' hearts. You'll fight with your best friend or maybe even fall in love with them, and you'll cry because time is flying by. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, forgive freely, and love like you've never been hurt. Life comes with no guarantees, no time outs, no second chances. you just have to live life to the fullest, tell someone what they mean to you and tell someone off, speak out, dance in the pouring rain, hold someone's hand, comfort a friend, fall asleep watching the sun come up, stay up late, be a flirt, and smile until your face hurts. Don't be afraid to take chances or fall in love and most of all, live in the moment because every second you spend angry or upset is a second of happiness you can never get back. -  Unknown

Put on your thinking caps, rekindle the grey matter ... And GO!!!! 1. Why do teams wear different colours during 'home' and 'away' matches in football? 2. The fans of which famous football club are called 'Los cules' , and why? 3. Sergei Bubka is an Olympic stalwart in which discipline? 4. What were the mascots of the Beijing Olympics? 5. In Motorsport, which contemporary driver goes by the nickname, 'the doctor'?

  INTO THE HIMALAYAS   GUIDING THE LONELY TRAVELLER  IBEX!!!!  Brrrrr!!!! CONQUERER OF MOUNTAINS! NATURE AS THE ARCHITECT 212 EME... Lovely Hospitality! :)  THE SUN DISAPPEARING BEYOND THE HILLS AT KHARU, LADAKH  THIKSEY MONASTERY THE VIEWS JUST DON'T CEASE TO AMAZE ONE 1ST LOOK- PANGONG SA THE SERENE BLUES MYSTIFIED BY THE MAGICAL HUES PARADIGM SHIFT?! REACHING OUT INTO THE COLD ... en route to Khardong La  Aww!!!!  PICTURE POSTCARD PERFECT!  MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH PANGONG.... Continues!  THE NEW INHABITANTS... MIGRANTS? NATURE'S CANVAS! WHEN INSPIRATION STRUCK... ...AND MORE BIRDIES ;)

Taking on a task, each of us has two paths (usually) to the end... One is the easier/street smart way, the other the conventional/ 'proper' or 'correct' way of doing things. The former isn't necessarily wrong, it's just that it's veiled by the hues of grey! perhaps an appropriate analogy would be : Fast-food and home cooked meals. Fast-Food is savory and in a world where time=money, it's a tailor made alternative, yet it's not very artery friendly, and over years slowly draws it's toll! Then again, these days, 'the end' is what counts and not the 'means' one employs to get there... But is this 'the end justifies the means' approach necessarily apt for every situation? As I see it, it's a personal choice. Like Albus Dumbledore points out, 'in life we all have a choice between what is right and what is easy...' The path chosen by each of us often determines who we become. No doubt, that  each of us can justify ...

This people is a Hula Hoop! I've wanted to learn how to twirl it for some time now, and i managed to get my hands on one today... But boy! It's tough! Anlil' bit of history, the Hula Hoop has been around for a while now, gaining in popularity in the early 20th Century... It's apparently named after a popular Hawaiian dance form, famous for the 'hip shaking'!  It's a popular toy with kids, and for adults an effective form of exercise(especially for all of you cribbing about that adipose walking by your side )!!! Well, I've bet I can do this, and I'm no Shakira... so well, it's a big ask! But like the YouTube video i watched said, 'patience is the key'!!! But, challenge accepted! I'm on it guys, and shall master it over the next 3 months ;)!!! Keep you posted!   HAPPY HULA HOOPING!!!

Hello everyone! Today, I'd like to share with you all, a real-life story that touched my heart! I'll narrate the story to you in two main parts: 1. THE CHILD      Gaurav Awasthi's bright eyes attract your attention the minute you see him. He's like any other toddler, can be cranky at times, but there's nothing that a chocolate can't settle. But he got dealt a rough deal. Gaurav has been suffering from recurrent chronic multi focal osteomyelitis ( an infection of the bone). He has an i.v.line going through, right to his heart (the Hickman line), through which antibiotics are administered thrice a day! The infection has weakened his bone, and this has lead to pathological fractures ( a fracture which occurs as a result of trivial/minimal trauma). Gaurav's parents unfortunately can't afford his treatment, one which has been going on for over a year now. His father works as a security guard at an apartment complex in Indiranagar, Bangalore, and wit...

I turned 21 yeaterday... and like I say, it ain't that different from 20... age is but a state of mind! Parents, Gran, Ahish and Kav, Bhat, BG, Sreeji, Shadab were there... and thanks to everybody for all the wishes!!! :D.. Missed lee!!! Spent a substantial amount of time replying to the msgs today ;) The RCB-KKR match was great fun too... Saw SRK!!! Rilee waved at us, so did a couple others!!! Anyway, tried to do a pilot of the up coming 'Big trivia'(football), but turned out to be a New horizon trivia game... went on upto 3 am!!! Awesome memories from the back benches those were!!! NHPS rocks!!! ... It's given me all my awesome buddies( Sreeji's part horizonite [convert :P])!!! Will always always LOVE that place!!!... Wanted to say all this yesterday, but was drainded!!! Cheers!!!

To all those whose world was shaken on the 11th of September,2001, a chapter finally comes to an end. I still remember, watching the events unfold... it was just past six/seven o' clock in the evening,and as an 11 year old, I barely understood what was happening. My parents, of course, watched CNN broadcast the attack on one of the towers, and everyone was awestruck. And yet, as we were watching, another aircraft, flew straight into the other twin tower... The world had never ever seen such a thing. Shock and awe it was indeed! And as the twin towers (an emblem of America's financial power), came crumbling down, so did the dreams of hundreds of thousands... in one way or another. For some it was the loss of a near/ dear one,for others it was the loss of a dream, but for all it would come to mark the end of a lot of freedom, peace!The start of a brand new era marred by claustrophobic security and surveillance, mis -trust, unrest, paranoia ... and of new age terrorism. I...