She died yesterday

She died yesterday.  The priest chants mantras irrelevant to the essence of her life. She stood for freedom and path-breaking ideas. Rituals are about beating a trodden path with sticks shaped out of a murdered tree. Those who pray for the soul to rest in peace know not that she exists beyond their reach - … Continue reading She died yesterday

Advertisement

End View

“This book is going to be explosive, because it reveals so many secrets. Skeletons will keep tumbling out of cupboards for a few years.” “Manage the situation. Find a weakness with which you can blackmail the author. The manuscript needs to change immediately.” “I don’t think she will get intimidated.” “Fear of death is the … Continue reading End View

Comatose

“She is in a coma,” informs the doctor, “but try and say positive things when you are around her.” Is it a case of suspended consciousness?  I suddenly become aware of my own consciousness that makes me feel alive. I exist and know that I do. But physicists have not been able to see and … Continue reading Comatose

Conversation

Walking through the woods may have been a way of life for some. I booked a safari to drive through the forest in a jeep, with a professional driver. I’m expected to believe what they tell me about the animals, my own research notwithstanding.  Then the unexpected happens. A tiger is sitting on the bonnet … Continue reading Conversation

Dynamic pages

I hold the manuscript of her book, as I walk out of the graveyard after her funeral.  “The story has not ended. I find new meaning in every word, as the characters unfold and express their deepest selves.” Her words on the last call pierce my psyche. Am I one of the characters? Our relationship … Continue reading Dynamic pages

A creative life

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5xFLfmdC0EAvPv0UAJ4Rbj?si=347c12a0fff74a2e I looked up at Sangeeta as a mentor - my research guide at one stage. The bonding continued over books, coffee and no-holds-barred discussions.  She stayed alone, but connected to the world with her writing. Her amazing clarity of thought often created discomfort, as the paradigm shift created by her vision made people feel … Continue reading A creative life

Strangers

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3IGumfzltlaOsasyDZLMPz?si=36687869213147a4 Strangers not so strange ….they share a special bond with me. They look at me with compassion, seem to understand my agony and pour out theirs. I dress in their stories patterned and purple as night, and life is not the same again. I’m not alone, nor am I unique. Stories seem to merge … Continue reading Strangers

Understanding markets

“But these clouds are clearly foreign, such an exotic clutter against the blue cloth of the sky” “Now you know why,” exclaims the fashion designer as she puts the book aside, “we focus on export markets instead of local ones. Anything that is foreign is treated as exotic, something to be cherished. Indians have grown … Continue reading Understanding markets