My Experiments with Time

I was home alone after a very long time. I did what I loved doing during such times; listening to music while painting. Solitude and music have a certain chemistry that can boost our energy; where we have a space that is devoid of distractions and immerse in our inner self, doing what we love the most. I believe we all need such short breaks in our life, where we disconnect from everyone and everything and connect with ourselves.  I have a playlist on my mobile that I love to listen to during my hours of solitude (spare me for the lack of disconnection from device, I didn't have an alternative to play music). I have often wondered why I love listening to this playlist when I am alone. It consists of songs that carry memories; of childhood, of motherhood, of road journeys and of certain people in my life.  It's beautiful how a song can take you back to your school days or a particular trip or remind you of someone who is no longer around. That explains why I have goosebumps whe...

Roll of the Dice - Book review Anand Neelakantan's 'Ajaya Book l- Roll of the Dice' was indeed unputdownable. The book is a tribute to the Prince of Kauravas and villain of Mahabharatha, Duryodhana and his aides. In his own words, Neelakandan had been drawn towards the anti-heroes in our epics, and this book is an attempt to give life to the silent heroes who have been overlooked in our uncritical acceptance of conventional renderings of our epics.  Last month, when my nephew suggested this book as a good read, I was not quite sure I would complete it, as I have never really been enticed by the epics. Nevertheless I borrowed his book as a keepsake, a spare for a rainy gloomy day. I found the author's note compelling, as I could relate to his words when he said he was drawn to the anti-heroes. This book is Duryodana's Mahabharata, and also Karna's, and Ekalavya's, and Aswathama's, and Balarama's and Bhishma's, and the little known Jara's and V...

Today we are having the last jackfruit of the season, the aroma of the over-ripe jackfruit permeated the air. This officially marks the end of summer, the end of chakka-kaalam and maambazha-kaalam (jackfruit season and mango season). For Keralaites, and specifically non-resident Keralaites- NRKs (a coin termed by my friend for Mallus who live elsewhere), jackfruits and mangoes are a nostalgia. It reminds us of our grandparents and cousins, summer vacations and monsoon weddings.   After having spent fifteen months in Kerala, my longest time here, I can definitely say the summer that culminates in the monsoon (April-July) is the best season to live here. The mangoes and jackfruits are the only solace during the scorching summers. They silently tell us that by the time you consume all of us, the monsoon will be here. So dutifully we devour all the jackfruits and mangoes not just in their raw and ripe forms, but in their multiple avatars of chakka kandal, chakka varatti, chakka a...

If there were no Phones! Mama would have noticed the spark in my eyes when I first tasted the cake she baked Papa would have noticed when I balanced myself letting go both hands while I was cycling Grandma would have sung the Gayathri Mantra for me rather than playing it on Amazon Music Grandpa would have narrated how India lifted the World Cup, rather than showing it to me on Youtube We need phones I know,  but we need people a little more than phones.... 

April has always been a month to relish and cherish, for numerous reasons. Today we are in the first week of the seemingly hottest April. Travelling to Chennai by Mangalore - Chennai Express brings back memories of my own vacation and train journey, the difference being that we are travelling in opposite direction; and the vacation is no longer mine; I'm the parent now.  Back in the 90s, planning for vacations began almost two months earlier. Getting the concession forms from school, booking train tickets, writing to my cousins about the D day of our arrival in Kerala were all part of the preparations. Those days our vacations were not about stay in resorts or chilling by the beachside. April brought along the long-awaited train journey, the chugging and rumbling sounds of the train wheels, the smell of rusted iron, hot air that blows through the non-AC sleeper compartments are all memories. Sitting in the AC compartment today, I miss the familar smell of train journey that seems t...

It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey..   Our journey of a five hundred miles was about to begin, from the Western coast to the Eastern. Less than six months ago, we had travelled on the opposite route from Chennai to Nileswar. Our little champ was all too excited to hit the road again. Not that she relished the road journey, just that she was more prepared for the extended siesta this time around. As the rest of the family woke up early to see us off, the 6-year-old descended in her comfy palazzos carrying her Barbie, pillow and blanket. "We should have bought the XUV 700," she commented casually, leaving us parents dumbfounded. As we bid adieu and slowly rolled out onto the highway, the sun was beginning its ascent. It was a cool August day, so we kept the windows down allowing the cool breeze in. As we passed the Karyamkod river, the still green water surrounded by coconut trees offered a magnificent sight. Taking advantage of the lean traffic in...

It was a breezy Sunday morning in July. The monsoon must have pitied us poor human beings and decided to stay on for a while. The rains had just stopped; and the sun seemed to be unsure if it should make its presence felt. The magnificent panaroma of lush green trees adorned with droplets of water against the clear blue sky was soul soothing.  A dozen or more coconut trees spread across the stretch of land with plantains- in-between barely allowed a view of the neighbour's house. To my right were a pair of large mango trees, water drooping from its leaves. Our backyard was filled with a mix of jackfruit and coconut trees. It was no dream, I was in God's own country! It's been five months since I moved in, and this blog is long overdue. It was a hard choice to move from the bustling city of Chennai, which I call my hometown to Pallikara, a beautiful town beside the sparkling green Thejaswini river. But Covid, with its updated versions being released faster than Samsung and A...