She walked up. I wasn’t prepared for her arrival. And yet, there she was – leaning at my door, from the yesteryears, like a familiar but forgotten memory, one hand holding a camera, the other on her waist, asking me if she can come in. I let her. And with the falling night in the … More Behind the doors of civility
Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. I pause – to gather my breath, and blinded eyes. But she doesn’t. With a singular aim that never misses the target, she shoots. She shoots maniac, she shoots incandescent. She shoots tender, she shoots ruthless. She shoots diabolic, she shoots sober. But Boulder doesn’t stop. That’s the one thing she … More Of Boulders by the ocean, and the lives around them
‘History is the consequence not only of people’s actions, but also of their forgetfulness.’ I couldn’t help but mull over this sentiment of the author in the light of the dastardly attack on him last year – an attack that, eventually, impacted his vision in one eye and movement of one arm. An attack for … More Two Centuries of Fable or Truth?
What would I do if I knew what I saw was to be changed? Like turning a page in a book to a new story? Would I, then, believe what I ‘saw’? Hold onto the remnants like a testimonial to some unknown audit in future? A Professor. His sojourn in Berlin. Chance meeting with an … More A trance-like walk in a new city
Books I love and the authors who wrote them – this was today’s primary theme for me! Shehan Karunatilaka, the Booker Prize Winner 2022, was every bit the person I have come to expect of him – eloquent, witty and empathetic. He spoke about his books, growing up years, socio-political climate in Sri Lanka of … More Jaipur Literature Festival 2023 Diaries – Day 3
At some point in the story, where something scandalous has already unfolded, this paragraph appears involving the two brothers, of which, one is a narrator – Sree didn’t say anything. I’d rather he turned mad. I wanted to both punch him and be punched by him. I felt that if we punched each other just … More Fun Outdoors, Riot Everywhere
None of this happened for brawn; it happened for love. And that’s why, the tale made for a gripping read. As a missing money bag triggers a trail of mayhem, its mystery spills into the veins of a ravenous city, taking Sewaram Manjhi to apartments and offices, and opening to hitherto unknown patches where two … More Desi Hero, Desi Chase
I might have missed young Latif if I had met him at a hotel or a lodge; bellboys are, after all, a part of that moving crowd which gathers (almost) no mass. But in Salim’s story, he is the hero. A hero who has a hairstyle like none other, a hero who takes care of … More Listen to his knock
“At the end of my first day, I noticed a new note on the cuff of his jacket. “The new housekeeper,” it said. The words were written in tiny, delicate characters, and above them was a sketch of a woman’s face. It looked like the work of a small child – short hair, round cheeks, … More Excerpt – Interrupting Thinking for Memory
Of late, I have been wary of picking up a chunkster to read – no, not because they have lost their appeal but because I have come to attach greater value to the time I have at hand. Almost to the point of being miserly to let it go without doing my best dance with … More Friendship in the frigid weather of life
SEEMITA DAS 