I recently read Yashodhara by Volga, translated from Telugu into English by PSV Prasad. I had earlier read The Liberation of Sita, and was already familiar with Volga’s distinctive approach — she revisits mythological women who are often peripheral in grand narratives, and quietly brings them to the centre. Not with anger. Not with rebellion … Read more
Among treadmills humming like distant traffic and dumbbells clinking in tired rhythm, I have found a species at the gym that is endlessly fascinating: Couples Who Work Out Together. They come in many forms, each a bundle of motivation, negotiation, love, and compromise. Over the past many weeks of observing different packages, I’ve come to … Read more
It was only the second week of January when Swami walked into the café looking like a man who had already been defeated by the year. He plonked himself on the chair opposite Jigneshbhai, sighed heavily, and declared, “It’s over.” Jigneshbhai looked up from his coffee, mildly amused. “What’s over, Swami? The year’s barely begun.” … Read more
When I write dialogue, I often catch myself doing too much. Explaining, clarifying, justifying — as if my characters would lose their way without me holding their hands. But over time, I’ve learned that what’s left unsaid often carries more meaning than all the words I can string together. It’s the silence between two sentences … Read more
It started raining just as I stepped out. A proper, old-fashioned rain — the kind that doesn’t drizzle politely but declares its arrival like a marching band. I ran for shelter under a nearby shop’s awning, only to realize it was a small, weathered umbrella repair shop. The irony wasn’t lost on me. A man … Read more
My flight to Amritsar landed at 12:30 pm.With admirable optimism and accurate mathematics, I assumed I would reach the hotel by 1. And I did—as efficiently as a person with one backpack and no checked-in baggage can. What I hadn’t accounted for was the small but mighty detail printed clearly on my booking:Check-in: 3:00 pm. … Read more
When Swami walked into the café last Sunday, he wasn’t looking at us. He was staring at his wrist. “Sixty-eight,” he muttered. “No, now seventy-two. How can it change so fast?” Jigneshbhai didn’t even look up from his coffee. “What’s changing?” “My heart rate!” Swami exclaimed, tapping his brand-new smartwatch. “It keeps going up and … Read more
A few days back, I travelled overnight by train after a very long time. Trains were commonplace while in college but now seemed like a new world that I hadn’t visited for years. I found my mind restless during the journey as the bogies reverberated on the tracks. As it got close to midnight on … Read more
There is this quintessential image of a writer trying to write at his desk but unable to. A pile of crumpled paper that he keeps throwing into the bin, every now and then, when his writing frustrates him. In today’s digital world, there is no such visible pile. But in my experience, there’s still a … Read more