Tag: favourites

Temptation

She lay on my table, her glowing skin provoking my every sense. I had never seen something so plump and lush, waiting and wanting to be devoured. For a moment, I considered dumping my New Year’s resolution. Only a fool would give it all up. Because one look at those soft swerves began melting my resolve.

Her scent threatened to asphyxiate me as I approached the table. My pendulum of a mind rocked between what it wanted to do and what it should do.

The next thing I knew, I was tearing the chicken, the grease dripping down my elbow.

Bird in a Tree

bird-feet-shadow

Walking in the park,

catching bird feet in a tree

misleading shadows.

I took this photo at the Vandalur nature reserve in Chennai. The timing was perfect. My friend and I were walking around for about three hours before sunset, and a tree became a shadow.

The Call of Love

Kim’s eyes streamed as she stared at her phone.

Calling it a day, Kim rushed out of the office. Driving like a maniac, she regained composure only at the Slow sign at the hospital’s entrance.

“Emergency ward,” her mind directed her up two flights of stairs, halting at the end of a long corridor. Rushing to the nurse sitting outside, she panted, “Joyce-”

He gestured and she went in shaking. On a tiny mattress lay the love of her life, who brightened up as Kim entered. Kim gave Joyce’s paw a loving stroke. And the cat mewed in satisfaction.

The Absolution That Comes From Unrest

If you think that that’s one scary title, let me break it down: it’s a trap being like everyone else.

Throughout our lives, we’ve been taught to blend in, conform, adjust, and settle without complaint. And to make it all worse, our parents tell us to think about the ones who aren’t as lucky as we are; that ought to shut up a whiny kid.

Since a young age, we are moulded to be like everyone else, and accept what we get. We don’t think beyond what’s given. We are discouraged to, in fact. Even in school, the hyper kid is the first to get punished. If a kid sits in class without questioning the teacher (or throwing paper balls at the board), all would be well.

So we obey the rules, follow the orders, take what we get, compromise when we’re overpowered, and just grow up to be the average tax payer.

It’s the curse of being human. We don’t ask for more.

And it’s everywhere, even in the literature that we cherish and appreciate. Look at our Oliver, for instance. They chased him out of school and cast him into a world of misery — all because he asked for more.

However, what we often forget about Oliver Twist is that if he hadn’t asked for more, we wouldn’t’ve heard of him at all. He could’ve stayed in his bench, licked his bowl clean, and went off to bed. But he didn’t. The moment he asked for more, Oliver broke though all barriers and went beyond every line. The result, changed the course of literature and the life of Dickens.

That’s the power of a rebellion, of unrest.

For as long as we stay with the herd, as long as we settle, we limit ourselves. But when we think beyond the borders of the square we’ve been thrust into, we can reshape our lives.

If Hairs Be Wires

if-hairs-be-wires

Made the girls jealous,

and the boys sway in madness

now, a wall hanger.

I came across this piece of handiwork on a trip to Kodaikanal. We drove along the famous Kodaikanal lake and saw that plenty of shops lined the streets. We walked into one, and there sat this piece of repurposed material. The hair was so black and so shiny, it made me jealous. I couldn’t leave without capturing it.