Deep Ties

  Amazon.in Dear Dad, I have always looked up to you, smart in your OG uniform, a uniform that had been earned with much effort and dedication. I remember the whiff of Brasso every time I hugged you, even as your medals sparkled in the sunshine. Do you recall the two years I spent with your parents, my Achachan and Achamma, away from you, Mom and my little sisters? I huffed and puffed and almost brought the roof down because I wanted to stay with you all. You, Dad, asked me why I was reluctant to live with them, and I answered that I hated waking up early in the morning, your father being the headmaster of the school he had founded, a strict and upright person. You had a tete-a-tete with your father, and I spent two years with my grandparents, and never once did I have to wake up at dawn, like the rest of the household did. Dear Dad, do you even realise how wonderful those two years were?   Achachan painted my room a special shade of pink so that I would feel at home. ...

  Pinterest “ Time to go in for a cataract surgery!” The doctor’s cheery words sank in and there I was once again, following the self-same routine of eye drops at fixed times during the day. Around eight years back, I had got a cataract removed from my left eye in a tiny hospital in Chennai. Despite all my apprehensions, it had been an almost pleasurable experience with a kaleidoscope of colours and a sensation of water flowing into my eye. I came out of the surgery smiling for all I was worth. I hoped that my second surgery would be as easy and as pleasurable. Surprisingly, I was more tense this time, even though I did not anticipate any pain or discomfort. My husband and I made our way to the hospital in the morning. After my eye had been dilated, the pressure taken and the usual tests done, I was taken into the inner room where I had to don a pink hospital gown over my clothes. There was an older gentleman who was promptly given a blue gown. Colour-coded according to gender, n...

  This collection of short stories by Dr. Tanushree Ghosh begins and ends as an exercise in subtlety. The themes begin on a serene note and meander onto issues that are all relatable. India has gradually progressed beyond the taboos that were linked to homosexuality and diversity in the past, beyond the criminalisation of the same, though there is room for more scope. There are still myriad people who have not yet opened their minds to these ideas.  Misconceptions still prevail, and the author tries to hint at them through her narratives. Sensitive, caring men exist, and they need not be gay. Since when have qualities like kindness and tenderness been associated with being gay? Likewise, group sports like men's hockey have always been perceived as macho sports. Women hockey players also are aggressive, and it was a chance statement in the movie 'Chak De' that gave birth to the story titled ‘Hamaari Hockey Mein’. A main character opines, "Persecution is terrible. Th...

In 2021, I took part in the Blogchatter A2Z Challenge and later brought out an eBook titled ‘Poetry – The Best Words in the Best Order’.  BLURB: The magic of poetry can never be denied, be it in any country or any language. It is the music of the soul. Samuel Taylor Coleridge defined it thus: Poetry: The Best Words in the Best Order." What better title could there be for a volume that eulogizes poetry, and waxes eloquent about classic poems with a wealth of meaning within?  THE CONTENTS: Have you ever imagined delving into a treasure trove to pick out little gems glittering on the surface of your palm? That is how I felt when I began to sift through the classic poems over the ages. My favourites were all going into the mix. Unsplash Image  A.   ABOU BEN ADHEM BY LEIGH HUNT B.    BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP FOR DEATH BY EMILY DICKENSON C.    CLOUDS AND WAVES BY RABINDRANATH TAGORE D.   DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT BY DYLAN THOMA...