31 December 1999 The house was awake that night. The television had been running since dinner, switching between Bollywood songs, celebrity interviews and the New Year countdown. Outside, the neighbourhood was coming alive with crackers, while I sat cross-legged, completely lost in the television. Tonight I was wearing my favourite Shah Rukh Khan T-shirt, the …
Book Discussion: The River Weeps: Life and Sexuality in a City Slum
Some books are not simply read; they are felt and lived. They transcend the pages to become experiences you carry with you for a long long time. The River Weeps: Life and Sexuality in a City Slum by Delia Maria Knaebel was one such book for me. I won this book as a prize for …
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The Hour of Happiness
Shreya was already regretting the precious Sunday she had sacrificed to attend her cousin's wedding reception. Cousin was perhaps a generous word; she had met him only a handful of times and knew very little about him. Still, here she was, dressed in an outfit she had spent far too long choosing, sitting at a …
Beyond the Boxes We Create
I recently read The Tree, The Well and the Drag Queen by Salini Vineeth. I picked it up with absolutely no clue about the story. What drew me in was the promise of magical realism and folklore, and before I knew it, I was immersed in a world that felt both enchanting and deeply human. …
Home: The Quiet Shelter of Love
I was born into a nuclear family where life was neither extravagant nor dramatic, yet it carried a quiet sense of stability that I only truly appreciate now as an adult. My mother managed everything with remarkable ease — two children, household responsibilities, social obligations, guests appearing unannounced, school schedules, illnesses, celebrations — all without …
Not All Books Are Meant to Be Read: The Voynich Mystery
The Voynich Manuscript, also known as the Cypher Manuscript, is a book that refuses to be understood at all. A 600-year-old manuscript written in an unknown language is filled with strange illustrations of plants that don’t exist. This is the mystery of The Voynich Manuscript — one of history’s most puzzling unsolved enigmas. The Voynich …
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Revealing My A2Z Theme: When History Whispers
There is something about history that has always fascinated me. Especially the stories hidden quietly between them. The unexpected incidents that get lost in the pages of history. The forgotten people whose discoveries make our lives convenient today. The strange events that make you pause and wonder — Did this really happen? In an attempt …
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Growing Up Between the Pages
At first, school felt a little lonely. I have always been an introvert, and actively making friends never came easily to me. Over time, I did have a few good friends, really good friends, but for the most part, I kept to myself. I was chubby as a child, and some classmates would often call …
Echoes of the 90s: A Nostalgic Reflection
Those peaceful days without cell phones, ever-buzzing notifications, and the pressure to stay connected 24×7—yes, I am talking about the 90s. A time when our eyes were more familiar with playground dust than glowing screens, and luxury meant upgrading from a landline to a cordless phone. I lived through the 90s, and for me, it …
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The Overbridge
Pic credit: Anirban Bagui “Taratari hato, Reema (Walk faster, Reema). The 11:20 local won’t wait for you.” Baba didn’t look back. He never did. Missing a train was almost a moral failure in the Banerjee household. I followed him toward Konnagar station. The overbridge rose ahead- tall, grey, and mostly ignored. Konnagar is a small …
