“Time is relative.” – A wise philosopher in Chennai told me this a couple of years ago. The quote then was a nonsense, mocking response to a serious question. But here I sit, in 2023, buffeted by stormy winds, blowing skies, and a loose sun, and I thought, let’s revisit that quote, shall we? This […]
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? These last few days have been a cloud, a dank, damp, and heavy cloud. On such days, my workouts help. A fast run or a furious boxing workout. Reading can be a hit-and-miss – when your mind is saturated, it’s more challenging to focus on words and […]
A morning unlike any other. A morning just like any other. Slanting light. And old stubborn sky. Oh, so stubborn. Birds restless and leaves rustling. A cat lounges outside my door, startling from slumber as I step outside. I pause, wondering whether to offer love or its pale ghost called affection. The cat sniffs at […]
When I started writing this blog, I used this as an open journal. A place for my words to nestle. A space for the unsaid and unspoken. I have never actively promoted this blog. There are no Meta Tags for any of the pages. No keyword optimization. For a long while, I would give a […]
I had a most interesting morning. A night of vivid dreams, turning impossibilities into presence the way only dreams can. I woke up discombobulated by the dream, feeling tugged by the past. It’s always strange when people not in your life appear like they never left. A temple. My hand in theirs. Narrow roads. Joy, […]
I have never been particularly fond of cats. Dogs, with their utter neediness and hopeless, vulnerable love, have been more my friends. Years ago, almost two decades ago, I was nicknamed the ‘Cat’ at university. I am not sure why, but I think it had something to do with my inherent sarcasm and laziness – […]
How do you create a podcast that surges to the top in just 2 days? How do you create a show that knocks off a therapist talking about dating and relationships? #AskShanty He knows. I don’t consider myself a podcast host – call me a writer if you may be feeling so generous. But podcast […]
Have I been kind? Many times, I find myself asking this question. The answer I get each time is revealing. I am frequently unkind. To myself and others. Short with my time and words and harsh with my flaws. But what is kindness, really? I used to mistake kindness for being ‘nice.’ It resulted in […]
In 2019, I sat for a month and wrote a YA novel. It seemed to write itself, and after it was done, I sent a few letters to publishers when the manuscript wasn’t fully formed. The expected rejections set me back, and I pushed the novel away. But my friend didn’t let go. She kept […]