In a quiet café corner, two friends meet regularly over coffee.
Swami arrives with the latest worry of modern life — a confusing decision, a social irritation, or a small everyday crisis. Jigneshbhai listens patiently and offers calm observations that are equal parts humour and perspective.
Jigneshbhai and Swami is a series of short, light-hearted stories about the strange, familiar chaos of everyday living. Scroll through the conversations below and enjoy their reflections on the world around us.
“Do you want your drink hot or cold?” the server at the cafe asked Swami last weekend. We had decided to a try a new one. “Hot,” he said. And I said, “Cold.” Then she went on to another question. “A latte or a cappuccino for you, Sir?” she asked Swami. When he replied, “Latte,” … Read more
“This ad says Jockey. Or Nothing,” Jigneshbhai started our coffee chat the other day looking at this ad in a magazine. Swami and I wondered why he was looking at these kind of ads in a cafe. But he was engrossed in it. “The idea is to tell their target audience that they should not … Read more
Last weekend over coffee, Swami started, not with a question as he often does, but with an observation. “A few years back, I was told that I need to post on LinkedIn regularly twice a week for it to work,” he started. “Only then will there be recognition of my knowledge and expertise as a … Read more
“I am fed up with Raichand,” Swami told us the other day over coffee. Jigneshbhai and I ignored it. That was nothing new. “So, I got onto LinkedIn to look for a new job.” That made us look up. It had been a while since Swami had done either. “It has changed a lot,” he … Read more
“The other day I was watching Kal Ho Na Ho with my family again,” Jigneshbhai said when we met for coffee last weekend. That was an old movie. But Swami and I looked up as we had watched that many times over. “Do you remember that charged up scene where SRK reads out a letter … Read more
Over coffee last weekend, Swami leaned forward with the earnestness of a man about to reveal a government scam. “You won’t believe what happened at our apartment association meeting,” he said. “It was all about stray dogs.” Jigneshbhai raised an eyebrow. “At least they found a subject where everyone can bark together.” Swami ignored him. … Read more
“When a piece of music is good, it gets a lot of claps,” Jigneshbhai said last weekend. At the cafe, the instrumental music of Ustad Zakir Hussain was being played. Swami and I were engrossed in listening to it. “When a piece of music is great, it gets silence,” Jigneshbhai added, and that struck us. … Read more
“Raichand posted a message in our group over the weekend,” Swami reported over coffee, voice tight with irritation. “Urgent meeting. Monday morning. Subject: Annual Goalsetting.” One week into the new year, and his holiday glow had vanished. “So now you must be having complete clarity about your annual goals, presumably,” Jigneshbhai said calmly, stirring his … Read more
“Do you think AI will wipe out creativity?” Swami asked me the other day over coffee. As a writer, that was something on my mind. I had seen some of the recent AI tools and what they could do. It did feel like some of the AI might help. But it also did feel like … Read more