Oblivion

  I am bored out of my mind, Only if there was something to find, A puzzle or riddle of any kind, To leave this mind-numbing boredom behind. My brain is starved for some stimulation. A physics problem or some math calculation, To engage my mind in deep concentration, And break free from this dull stagnation.

As I make my way from the airport to Bangalore city, nearly six years after I departed from it, memories flood back to me. I reminisce about the time I spent here, recalling one of my closest friends who used to reside near the airport, close to that massive mall. Instinctively, I yearn to visit her - the version of her from back then, in that old neighborhood where I used to travel long hours over the weekends just to be with her. She was like a home to me during those times, always there when I needed her, whether it was after getting too high from smoking up or during moments of conflict with others. We would spend hours watching random TV shows and engaging in heartfelt conversations. Mornings would find us cuddled together, reluctant to face the realities of our adult lives and the responsibilities that accompanied them. I remember driving through the chaotic Bangalore traffic for two hours just to be by her side when she was sick and alone. Our bond was akin to that of family; in

A lot has been happening in our country over the last few weeks. There has been a lot of talk about it in every form of media available. I myself have been giving a lot of thought to the processions happening all over the country. It is a very complex and complicated issue. On the one hand, I cannot even begin to understand and comprehend the emotions of hundreds of millions of people across the world, who have their emotions invested in this and their joy on the 22nd of January and Ram Mandir. And my love to all of them. It has been a long battle, and they finally got what they had always wanted.  In a serendipitous moment last night, while engrossed in reading Walter Isaacson's "Elon Musk," I came across a chapter about Twitter, talking about Elon Musk and Parag Agarwal. This prompted a train of thought in my mind about the millions of Indians relocating to the USA annually. I imagined a future where, perhaps, a century or two from now, people of Indian origin would con

I am someone who generally feels very cold. A testament to this is that I would wear a windcheater in Goa in August and September when it would rain because I would feel slightly cold. I remember as a child, we went on a family trip to Himachal Pradesh and we had gone to through Rohtang Pass and then to a valley with a lot of snow where people were playing with snow. I remember being out for 5 minutes and then turning blue. My memories from the rest of the day are lying down in the car wearing every sweater possible and every blanket my parents could find, while the rest of my family were out playing in the snow. Again, I feel very cold.  Now, contrary to me, my husband, the Mallu, who has lived all his life mostly below the Tropic of Capricorn, DOES NOT feel cold at all. He will be roaming around the house in December in shorts, while I will be putting on my thermal socks. I really think he is a husky who would thoroughly enjoy extremely cold places. His birthday is coming up this wee