“What on earth am I supposed to do with this?” I asked, holding up the wooden top my grandfather had just gifted me. It looked like it had spun right out of a museum. Old-fashioned, rough at the edges, with a bit of string wrapped around it. I mean, hello? I had apps, reels, and…
Monkey see. Monkey scroll. Monkey Do.
Monkey see monkey do is an idiom that means people tend to imitate the actions of others, often without fully understanding the reasons or consequences behind those actions. It highlights a tendency to mimic or copy behavior, rather than think independently. The phrase is often used to describe situations where individuals or groups blindly follow…
Curating the Narrative
On the outside, he seemed like the sort of man most people respected. Vishwanan had a stable job, a matching designation, and a wife named Neela, who was sharp enough to see through his curated charm and done pretending otherwise. Their daughter, Kartika, now in her twenties, lived away from home and visited only when…
Of John Abraham and the rejected Kaju Katli
In a country where Kaju Katli is practically a currency of affection—offered at weddings, festivals, and awkward family reunions—John Abraham has pulled off the impossible: he hasn’t eaten a single piece in 27 years. Let that sink in. While the rest of us are out here negotiating with our diets like shady brokers—“just one piece,…
A Drawer Full of Yesterdays
There was a file in a drawer in my cupboard. It held assorted documents of value—certificates, photographs, letters, and receipts. Over the years, I kept adding to it. Quietly. Thoughtlessly. Until one day, it outgrew the drawer entirely. I could no longer shut it without a minor wrestling match. Once, I even caught my hand…
The Chronicles of Sirimiri : When the Drafts Talk Back
(I thought it was time I shone the light on Sirimiri, my dear blog. So here is a blog post written with tongue firmly in cheek.) Writers talk to their words. Bloggers? We argue with them. There’s a special kind of relationship I share with my drafts folder. It’s not quite toxic, but it definitely…
A Recipe for Audacity
They say confidence is quiet and insecurity is loud. But Audacity? Audacity is about not stopping to ask for permission and taking ownership of your space. So, you want to be audacious? Not loud. Not rude. Not “in-your-face.” But the audacious one who walks into a room and doesn’t need to announce their arrival. The kind…
7 Signs I am turning into my Mother (and honestly it’s not that bad!)
“I am never going to be like my Mother!” How many times have you said this to yourself, in your mind, aloud, and, you brave one, to your Mom’s face? Ah, youth! So bold. So confident. So wrong. One day, you are running down the stairs to escape her instructions. Fast-forward a few years, and…
The Five Stages of Raining on my Parade, and a bonus: A Monsoon Saga
It starts with a drizzle. A harmless, poetic sprinkle. I look up at the sky, contemplating my plans, my outfit choices, my destiny. And then, BAM, it’s a full-fledged monsoon madness. The rains have arrived, and so begins the psychological breakdown. Stage 1: Denial “It’s just light rain. Totally manageable.” No umbrella? No problem. I…
Think. Rethink. 52 Times.
What others think of you is none of your business. Walk. Take the stairs. Dance. Move that body as much as you can. Good habits are as easy to form as bad ones. Both take the same effort. The latter ones are more fun, which is why we adapt to them sooner. The only way…