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
“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
The train stops, and it’s not a station. It’s a mechanical fault which will take time to fix. Passengers jump out for an impromptu picnic in the flower gardens near the track. Am I not lucky to have taken a train today? The boss’s secretary said flight tickets are getting expensive, and we need to … Continue reading Smell the flowers
“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
I don’t know if time and circumstances hardened her, or she had an inborn animosity towards me. Her sarcasm never failed to sting. Toxicity could have been her second name. I was driven to past life regressions to check if there’s a story from the past, which made her hate me so much. If there … Continue reading Mother Wound
Riots color the landscape red with the blood of innocents. Actually, they’d prefer another color - one they’ve been using to paint mindsets. People do not become followers unless they think alike. And to think alike, they need anger, a common cause, a common source of fire in the belly. It needs to be ignited. … Continue reading Strategic
“Life is about giving, irrespective of your own needs”. My revered grandmother kept repeating this. I follow her advice in taking care of the drug addicts, unemployed and other needy members in the family. Nevertheless, they continue to be a nuisance with their behavior. Nor did I realize that my need for approval drives me … Continue reading Giving
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
Those were the days when life was a dream waiting to happen…. I wandered lonely as a cloud, and dreamt of lifelong friends, soul-stirring conversations, ever expanding networks and spheres of influence. Human beings survive on hope and imagination. Everything that is yet to happen is beautiful. It keeps us moving towards a goal post. … Continue reading Risk of Living
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
Reena Saxena 