An email pops into my inbox. I open it idly, thinking it’s probably a reader. At first, I can’t place the person at all. But like a photograph that slowly takes shape when you insert the print into the hypo … Continue reading
The land is rolling, understated, desert like. Lava fields, volcanic craters, and boiling, sulfurous pools of water abound. But what I notice first is the light. A flat, soothing white light that envelops the land. A light that caresses your … Continue reading
The other day, I got a text from a stranger. He claimed to be a high school classmate who was organizing our first ever reunion. I shrugged the idea off at first. The writer in me was loath to stir … Continue reading
Published in India Currents I saw the documentary, India’s Daughter. I did not want to see it; I was wary of an outsider judging India. But my curiosity got the better of me. Shall I tell you why, watching the … Continue reading
The first time I heard someone refer to me as a “Goddess,” I was at a new-age workshop in California. I must confess the appellation created a pleasant feeling in me. I had grown up in India, so perhaps deep … Continue reading
Buried deep inside my mind is a sepia colored scene from early childhood, its hues taken from the films we used to see on the streets during festival time. In the scene, I am sitting beside my father Dada on … Continue reading
As a child, Ganesh was my favorite God. I wanted, then, to have a God in my life. Most children have no such desire because they are born into families with Gods. God and religion are passed on to them. … Continue reading
Published in India Currents The summers of my childhood were long, hot and boring. The main distractions were playing cards, gazing at the stars at night, and occasionally, eating Blue Bell ice cream. When relatives visited, therefore, I was overjoyed. … Continue reading
My first taste of tea was second hand. I would stand behind the door curtain hanging between the front room and the middle room, twirling the fabric between my fingers, and peeking at visitors drinking tea. I would imagine its … Continue reading
The following essay was published in the journal Sugar Mule I faced the man in the blue uniform. From the other side of the row of booths, Bernard grinned at me. For a moment, my heart stopped. What if the … Continue reading